Electric Fireplace Insert vs Electric Logs: Which to Buy?

On this page (14 sections)

1. Look: a framed insert or a log bed
2. Fit: the insert needs an opening, the log set needs a fireplace
3. How do the specs compare side by side?
4. Which one is easier to move or take out later?
5. What comes in the box?
6. Heat: watts, BTU and the room size each maker gives
7. Sound and controls: crackle, remote and timer
8. Can both run the flame without heat?
9. What the log set doesn't give you
10. Install effort: the outlet, the cord and the opening
11. Upkeep: what each one asks for
12. What if a TV hangs above the fireplace?
13. Who each one suits
14. Which electric fireplace insert or electric logs to pick

An electric fireplace insert is a boxed unit with a glass front that fits into a firebox. An electric log set is a set of logs on an ember bed that you place in a fireplace you already have.

This guide compares the PuraFlame Western, a Western-style insert with a glass front, with the Duraflame log set. You can see the difference in look, fit, heat, sound and upkeep.

Our score weighs specs, features and buyer feedback against what you're shopping for.

Look: a framed insert or a log bed

The insert puts a resin log and ember bed behind a glass front with a brick-look back. The log set shows logs and an ember bed on a black grate, with the flames cast on the back of your own hearth.

The PuraFlame has a three-sided interior brick wall and a glass front trim, so the flame sits inside a box that looks like a firebox. The resin log is 11 13/16 in high and sits on a grate above the ember bed.

The Duraflame set has a log set and ember bed on a black finished fire grate, with a rolling flame effect. The look is more open, since the logs and the flame sit right in the fireplace.

For a closer look at the Western, read our PuraFlame Western review.

Electric fireplace insert or electric logs for the look

An insert gives a framed look, and electric logs give an open look that sits right in the fireplace. Both use the same basic idea, a heater with a flame effect and a plug.

Choose by the look you want first, then check the fit against your opening. The fit is what decides whether a unit can go in at all.

Fit: the insert needs an opening, the log set needs a fireplace

The Western has to match an opening, while the log set needs only an existing fireplace and an outlet nearby. That difference matters most if your firebox is an odd size.

The Western is 35 1/16 in wide overall and about 27 in tall, and its firebox measures 32 1/8 in wide and 25 9/16 in tall.

PuraFlame gives 33.19 in as the maximum compatible size and says to contact it before ordering if you're unsure the unit suits your opening.

The log set is 20.5 in wide, 12.6 in tall and 8.7 in deep, so it takes up far less of the opening. The Western is 8 25/32 in deep, so depth won't separate them, but width and height will.

If your opening is small, see our best small electric fireplace inserts for more units that size.

How do the specs compare side by side?

Start with the opening, then the depth, then the weight, and read the heat last, since the first two decide whether a unit fits at all. The table above shows width, depth and heat.

The weight is the number people forget. The Western is 46.7 lb and the log set is 13.6 lb, which is often the difference between one person lifting the unit and two.

Which one is easier to move or take out later?

The log set is, since it comes fully assembled and sits in the hearth with no construction. Duraflame says you plug it in, place it in your hearth and use it.

The Western is easy to install and uninstall too, PuraFlame says, with a flat bottom that sits on the firebox floor. At 46.7 lb it still takes two people to move.

What comes in the box?

The Duraflame arrives fully assembled, with a remote that has 2 AAA batteries and a manual. The Western comes with a remote too, and PuraFlame says its two AAA batteries are included.

Neither comes with a trim kit, and only the Western has a glass front trim. The log set leaves the edge of your fireplace as it is.

Heat: watts, BTU and the room size each maker gives

The Western runs at 750 W or 1,500 W, and the log set puts out about 5,200 BTU per hour, roughly the same as a 1,500 W heater. Both are supplemental heat sources, not a main heater for the house.

PuraFlame says the Western covers up to 400 sq ft and is not a main heat source, and rates its heat at about 4,600 BTU per hour.

Duraflame says its set covers up to 1,000 sq ft, and that its infrared quartz heat doesn't dry out the room.

The two BTU numbers are close, so the gap between 400 and 1,000 sq ft sits in the claims, not in the heat. Treat the larger room figure with care, because ceiling height, windows and layout change how far the heat reaches.

A 1,500 W heater uses 1.5 kilowatt-hours for each hour it runs on high, and the 750 W setting uses half of that.

Multiply by your hours of use and your electric rate on your bill to see the cost, and read are electric fireplaces energy efficient for the full picture. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has space heater safety advice that applies to both units.

Sound and controls: crackle, remote and timer

The Western adds a fire crackling sound, and the Duraflame adds a timer and separate flame and heat controls. Those two features are the easiest way to tell them apart in daily use.

PuraFlame lists a fire crackling sound with the unit. Duraflame doesn't mention one, so don't count on a crackle from the log set.

The Western has a remote, an adjustable thermostat and three flame intensity settings. The Duraflame remote switches the flame on and off, sets the timer and changes the flame brightness, while you set the thermostat on the unit.

Can both run the flame without heat?

Yes, both can run the flame with the heater off, so you can keep the look going in mild weather. Neither one is a main heater, so the flame-only setting is about the look, not about warmth.

The Western's flame runs with or without heat, and PuraFlame lists three flame intensity settings for it. The Duraflame has independent flame and heat controls, so the rolling flame works with or without heat.

Set the flame to a level you like, then add heat only when the room needs it.

What the log set doesn't give you

The log set shows its flames against the back of your own hearth, so the fireplace behind it sets the look. Duraflame doesn't mention a glass front, a trim kit or a crackle sound.

The log set also doesn't add a finished edge to the opening, so the fireplace's own frame stays as it is. That isn't a flaw if you already like the fireplace and only want a flame and some heat.

If you want a framed look, the insert is the one that gives it. If you want a simple, light unit, the log set is the better pick.

Install effort: the outlet, the cord and the opening

Both units plug in and need no vent, so the install is about the opening, the cord route and reaching an outlet. It's not about a gas line.

The Western plugs into 120 V, so it needs an outlet within reach of its cord. PuraFlame says the insert can sit on the floor of the firebox with its flat bottom, and it's easy to remove later.

Duraflame says its set needs only an existing fireplace and an outlet, with no vents, gas lines or construction. For the full venting answer, read do electric fireplace inserts need to be vented.

Before an insert goes into an old firebox, ask a chimney pro what to do with your flue and damper.

If you need a new outlet, use a licensed electrician and follow the manual, since the Western can't be hard-wired.

Upkeep: what each one asks for

Both have a one-year limited warranty, and neither burns wood, so there's no ash to clear. Upkeep comes down to the remote batteries and an occasional dusting.

PuraFlame says its insert has no dust or ash to clean. Duraflame says its set gives the look of a fire without the messy clean-up.

Both remotes take two AAA batteries, so keep spares on hand. Plan on help when you set the insert in place, since one person can place the log set.

What if a TV hangs above the fireplace?

Read the fireplace maker's manual and the TV maker's heat notes before you plan a TV above either one. Don't assume a TV is safe above a firebox just because the unit fits.

Each manual sets its own clearance distances, so read them and never guess one. Check the TV maker's note too, since the two can differ.

Who each one suits

The insert suits a firebox you want to finish, and the log set suits a fireplace you want to light up with the least lifting. Both are good choices for one room, not for heating a whole house.

Choose the insert if your firebox has a set opening and you want a framed front with a brick-look interior. The glass front and the crackle sound are the parts that feel most like a real fireplace.

Choose the log set if you want a light, plug-in unit and you're happy with an open look and no glass front. It's the easier unit to move and place, and it doesn't ask for trim work.

In price tier, the Duraflame is a budget unit and the Western is mid-range. The extra cost buys the glass front, the brick-look interior and the crackling sound.

Which electric fireplace insert or electric logs to pick

Pick the PuraFlame Western if you want a finished look, a crackle sound and a glass front, and your opening matches its size. It's the better match for a firebox that needs to look finished.

Pick the Duraflame log set if you want the lightest unit, no trim and an open look, and you have a fireplace with an outlet nearby. It's the simpler choice when the fireplace is already in place.

For the wider range of inserts, see best electric fireplace inserts. For an older firebox, read putting an electric insert in an existing fireplace, and for the wider picture on wall and insert units, use the wall mounted and recessed guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is an electric log set the same as an electric fireplace insert?

No, the insert has a glass front and a firebox-style back, while the log set is logs and an ember bed that sits in a fireplace you already have. Both plug in and need no vent, so the choice comes down to look and fit.

Can an electric log set go in any fireplace?

Duraflame says its log set needs only an existing fireplace and an outlet nearby, with no vent or construction. The insert has its own size limits, so match your opening to the maker's largest compatible size, and the depth too, before you choose it.

Which one heats a bigger room?

Neither is a main heater. PuraFlame says the Western covers up to 400 sq ft, and Duraflame says its set covers up to 1,000 sq ft, both as the makers' own figures, so each one is supplemental heat for one room and not a whole house.

Do electric logs or inserts need a vent?

Neither needs a vent, since both are electric and burn no fuel, so there are no fumes or smoke to carry out of the room. Duraflame says its set needs no vents, gas lines or construction, but ask a chimney pro what to do about the flue and damper above your firebox.