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The primal urge to sit in front of a fire is in our DNA. That might be the reason I’ve typed “vintage electronic fireplaces” into Etsy’s search bar on more than one occasion. There’s evidence that fires can lower our blood pressure and induce relaxation as “part of a multisensory, absorptive, and social experience.”
I’ve sought that elusive object of desire: an affordable freestanding ventless fireplace that can give my apartment the majestic warm glow that only a fireplace can deliver. For those of us who cannot retrofit our homes, change building codes, or persuade a landlord to build a chimney, the options for more than a simulacrum of the crackling fireplace are here.
And going ventless isn’t just about cost; there are quantifiable health risks to living with an actual Yule log. It’s well established that wood-burning fireplaces negatively impact both indoor quality and outdoor air quality. A 2020 study published in Science of the Total Environment found that “long-term exposure to PAH levels measured in the fireplace room may contribute to the development of cancer.” PAHs are Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that occur during “the incomplete combustion of organic material”—think tobacco, coal, gasoline, and wood. PAHs are among “the 189 hazardous air pollutants covered under the Clean Air Act.”
A 2023 study found that “increasing frequency of wood-burning indoor fireplace/stove usage was associated with incident lung cancer, even among never smokers.” Residential wood-burning fireplaces can increase levels of cancer-causing PAHs in local outdoor air pollution by orders of magnitude. Even though wood is renewable, it is not always eco-friendly.
Could there be an affordable ventless fireplace that won’t increase cancer risk or speed up the earth’s demise? Possibly. There are two main types of freestanding, no-installation-required, ventless fireplaces on the market: The gel fuel kind that creates a real flame, and LED light models that produce a real flame moving image. I tested one of each, below, to give you an idea of what to expect.
For more warmth, check out our related guides, including Best Space Heaters, Best Smokeless Fire Pits, Best Down Comforters, and Best Heated Blankets.
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Best Overall
Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro
Realcozy
Liberty Farmhouse Mantel
The Realcozy Liberty Farmhouse Mantel LED fireplace is a heavy, made-to-order piece of furniture that required two white-glove professionals to move it into my apartment. They also did the assembly, including adding the optional fire glass rocks to create the ember bed, a decision I immediately regretted. When the fireplace isn’t on, the “glass rocks” look more like plastic ice cubes, and at some point I’m going to use my screwdriver to open the 42-inch fireplace insert and remove them.
I loved the wooden design of the Liberty Farmhouse mantel. It is wall-mounted, flush, and looked like it has always been there. The 30-year-old company has multiple mantel designs, everything from corner versions to TV stand options, and in varying sizes and colors. They also come with a remote. The flames look real-ish. Unlike the Lloyd below, where you’re dealing with real fire, the Realcozy has stationary LED lights that shine onto a rotating reflector inside, casting realistic, flickering flame effects onto the screen.
With a click of the remote, I can cycle through different colors to illuminate the flame bed, including green and purple. I opted for the more natural reddish-orange.
The Realcozy has a heater, and at 5,000 BTU, the company claims it can heat a 500-square-foot living space. I’m not sure if that’s entirely possible, but it did warm up my 200-square-foot dining room during a late-spring cold snap when my apartment’s heat wasn’t turned on. In the evening, it gave my dining room a lovely fireplace vibe. Still, I felt like something was missing. I thought back to a review I had read and its suggestion of playing crackling fireplace sounds on a loop. I wanted sound. I was surprised to find more than a few fireplace crackling box options on Amazon. The need for fire sounds must also be in our DNA.
I bought the Mseltos Fireplace Crackler Sound Box ($33) to add sound to my fake fireplace experience. The Crackler has a variety of fireplace sounds: hard, mild, weak, soft, super soft, or fiercely crackling, along with crackling with music. And reader, I needed those crackling sounds. While I wish the Realcozy came with sound, its looks, adjustable heater, and remote with built-in timer make the Realcozy my favorite ventless fireplace option. I also don’t have to worry about burns, explosions, or high levels of CO2.
Flame LED Heat 5,000 BTU Warranty 1 year -
Stylish but Risky
Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro
Solo Stove
Lloyd Modern Gel Fuel Fireplace
The Lloyd from Solo Stove pays serious homage to the freestanding mid-century enameled MCM Preway fireplaces that fetch thousands on the vintage marketplace. For less than $1,000 and a few minutes of assembly, the Lloyd may be a solution for those who want a real flicker. The Lloyd comes in five easy-to-love colors and most resembles the OG Malm Zircon. Made of electroplated steel, metal, and glass, the 31-pound Lloyd stands 3.5 feet tall.
The Lloyd uses TerraFlame gel fuel, a proprietary blend of isopropanol and ethanol that has a faint eau de Sterno, reminiscent of the times I’ve used my Le Creuset fondue pot. It burns smokeless and is virtually emission-free. The Lloyd does not come with an extended lighter, but it needs one. The first time I lit the Lloyd, I used a match and immediately regretted it. While the TerraFlame gel fuel cans are the same size as a scented candle, I underestimated the risks, as the flame was instant, large, and hot. I bought an extended curved lighter that worked perfectly.
There’s no denying the cool aesthetic of the Lloyd. It was a true novelty to have a real crackling flame in my apartment—it really brought the room together. I wish there were an option to buy a fake chimney extender to complete the illusion of a real fireplace. I sat on the carpet in front of the fire and planned to use the Lloyd for my next party or date night. There are few things that can instantly do the full ambiance makeover that a fireplace can achieve. My first time using the Lloyd, I didn’t let the gel fuel burn out. Snuffing the flame using the magnetic opener was a challenge. I needed oven mitts and metal tongs, and once I put the top on the canister, I couldn’t detach the magnetic snuffer and needed pressure with the tongs. This is where the glass shield proved an obstacle. It’s also too hot to move.
It’s worth noting that back in 2011, the US Consumer Safety Commission put out an executive summary about the risks of pourable gel fuel (not used in the Lloyd) for fire features and gel fuel, including the kind that comes in a can with a metal snuffer, similar to the type used in the Lloyd. There was also a recall of gel fuels back in 2011 due to burns and at least two fatalities. At issue was the consumer’s inability to assess risks because the flame seems like a candle and the actual flames are sometimes difficult to see. Most dangerous was the fact that refueling gel into a hot canister can cause an explosion. Explosions also occurred when consumers attempted to snuff out the flame on the cans. There are vapors and flames from the burning of ethanol. And while the summary is over a decade old, Lloyd’s user’s manual has a warning: “fire and explosive hazard, severe burns or death can occur, and never add fuel to a hot device.” And in regard to the TerraFlame, it comes with a Prop 65 warning: “Gel fuel when burning, may expose you to chemicals including carbon monoxide, which can lead to cancer and reproductive harm.” While I tested the Lloyd Modern Gel Fuel Fireplace, the above warnings apply to any fireplace that uses ethanol-based gel fuel.
And there is no safe option for refueling. After reading the summary, including the dangers of snuffing the flame of a gel fuel can and the possibility of explosion, I’ve since let the fuel burn out all the way. When the Lloyd’s flame is out, that’s it—show’s over.
A common refrain in the Solo Stove’s own reviews, and I found this to be true as well, is that the cans do not last the full three hours. In fact, one of the flames went out 45 minutes before the last one. A TerraFlame six-pack costs $40, making it a $5-an-hour fire experience. The Lloyd isn’t a practical heat source. While Solo boasts that the Lloyd brings 9,000 BTUs of heat, it is primarily for aesthetic purposes. I used the Lloyd in a 250-square-foot room and didn’t feel space-heater-like warmth. And, before you light your Lloyd, you’ll need to open a window.
Fuel Gel Heat 9,000 BTU Warranty Lifetime
In Summation
There are significantly more cons with gel fuel fireplaces than there are with LED light models. For one, the gel fuel models can explode, killing or causing life-changing injury to the user. Biren Law Group posts regularly on TikTok about the dangers they’ve seen in home fires involving gel fuel. As for LED models, the biggest issue is sound. If you miss the crackle sounds that come with fireplaces, the LED models might be too fake for your liking.
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