R.W.FLAME 50" Recessed & Wall-Mounted Electric Fireplace Review
The best-selling linear fireplace for a reason: 50 inches of adjustable flame, a 750/1,500W heater, touch screen plus remote, and a price that undercuts the premium brands by half.
The verdict
R.W.FLAME's 50-inch is the linear fireplace most people should buy. It recesses into a 2×6 wall or hangs on the surface, the flame and ember bed have a dozen color combinations and adjustable speed, the heater is a proper 750/1,500W fan-forced unit with a thermostat and timer, and the flame runs without heat for summer. Build quality is good rather than luxurious — the glass and bezel are fine, the remote is plastic — but the gap to the Touchstone is mostly polish, and the gap in price is large. For a modern living room or bedroom focal point that also takes the chill off, it's the value leader.
$229.99on Amazon
Price as of Aug 23, 12:31 AM ET — subject to change.
What we like
- +Recessed (2×6 wall) or wall-mounted — the thin housing works either way
- +750 / 1,500W fan-forced heater with thermostat and timer; flame runs without heat
- +Adjustable flame color, ember-bed color, brightness, and speed; log and crystal media included
- +Touch-screen controls on the unit plus a full-function remote
- +Low fan noise, overheat protection, ETL listed
What to know
- −Heater is 1,500W like every plug-in — supplemental warmth for ~400 sq ft, not a furnace
- −Flame realism is good, not Dimplex-level; it reads as LED up close
- −Remote is cheap-feeling; touch controls are easy to brush accidentally
- −Recessed install means framing a cavity and ideally a dedicated outlet in the wall
Full review
Linear electric fireplaces used to be a luxury-remodel item. R.W.FLAME is the brand that made them a weekend project: a 50-inch unit that weighs under 40 pounds, recesses into a standard 2×6 wall (or hangs on the surface with the included bracket), and plugs into a regular outlet. Once it's in, you get a long ribbon of flame over a bed of logs or crystals, adjustable across a dozen color combinations, brightness levels, and speeds, controlled from the touch panel or the remote. It looks expensive. It isn't.
The heater behind the glass is a standard 750/1,500W fan-forced unit with a digital thermostat and a timer, blowing warm air out of the top vent. That's about 5,100 BTU — enough to warm a 12×14 bedroom or take the edge off a 400-square-foot living room, not enough to replace the furnace. The fan is quiet, and you can run the flame with the heater off, which is the mode it'll spend half the year in. Overheat protection and ETL listing are standard.
What you give up versus the Touchstone Sideline is refinement: the Touchstone's flame is more layered, its bezel and glass feel more substantial, and its remote is nicer. Whether that's worth roughly double the price depends on how close you'll be looking and how much the fireplace is the point of the room. For most people it isn't, and the R.W.FLAME is the smarter buy. Plan the install around a dedicated outlet in the cavity if you'll run the heater a lot — 12.5 amps shouldn't share a circuit with the TV and a lamp.
Best for: Living rooms and bedrooms that want a modern linear fireplace focal point with real supplemental heat, on a realistic budget.
Specifications
| Heat output | 1,500W high / 750W low (~5,100 BTU max) |
|---|---|
| Install | Recessed into a 2×6 stud wall or surface wall-mounted (hardware included) |
| Flame options | Multiple flame and ember-bed colors, adjustable brightness and speed |
| Media | Log set and crystal set included |
| Thermostat | Digital, adjustable (roughly 60–80°F range) |
| Timer | Up to 8 hours |
| Room coverage | ~400 sq ft supplemental |
| Safety | Overheat protection, cool-touch glass when heat is off, ETL |
| Noise | Low fan hum on heat; silent on flame-only |
| Size / weight | ~50.4 × 18.1 × 3.9 in / ~38 lb |
| Cord | ~6 ft, 120V wall outlet only |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Ready to get one?
We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — it's how we keep the reviews independent.
$229.99on Amazon
Price as of Aug 23, 12:31 AM ET — subject to change.
Head-to-head comparisons
- R.W.FLAME 50" Recessed & Wall-Mounted Electric Fireplace vs Touchstone Sideline 50 Recessed Electric Fireplace →
- R.W.FLAME 50" Recessed & Wall-Mounted Electric Fireplace vs PuraFlame Western 33" Electric Fireplace Insert →
- R.W.FLAME 50" Recessed & Wall-Mounted Electric Fireplace vs Ameriwood Home Carson 70" Fireplace TV Stand →
Alternatives in Electric Fireplaces
Premium Pick
Touchstone Sideline 50 Recessed Electric Fireplace
The original recessed linear fireplace — deeper, more layered flame, better materials, and a decade of refinement behind it.
Editor's Choice
PuraFlame Western 33" Electric Fireplace Insert
Turn a dead masonry fireplace back into a fireplace: a 33-inch insert with a traditional log set, crackling sound, and a 750/1,500W heater.
Best Value
Ameriwood Home Carson 70" Fireplace TV Stand
A media console for TVs up to 70 inches with a replaceable 23-inch electric fireplace insert — storage, flame, and supplemental heat in one piece of furniture.