Duraflame Electric Infrared Quartz Fireplace Stove with 3D Flame Effect Review

Heating all the rooms in a large home through a long winter costs money. Large windows, high ceilings and subzero temperatures can force your central heating system to work extra hard, leading to maintenance and repair costs. The Duraflame Electric Infrared Quartz Fireplace Stove with 3D effect, however, can save you money and keep you warm in stylish comfort.

There’s nothing like the crackling warmth and ambience a log fireplace can provide, but the Duraflame’s infrared quartz fireplace comes pretty close. With over 800 positive reviews on Amazon, this best selling electric fireplace stove could be just what you need this winter.

Read our detailed Duraflame Electric Infrared Quartz Fireplace Stove with 3D Flame Effect review for the pros, cons, and features.

AMAZON RATING: 4.4 / 5 Stars
#1 Best Seller for “Electric Fireplace Stoves

Features

  • Dimensions: 13.1 x 24 x 23.4 inches
  • Weight: 28.6 pounds
  • 5,200 BTU heater warms up to 1,000 square feet
  • 3D flame effect for more realistic effect
  • Adjustable thermostat for more control of environment
  • Remote control
  • Flame effect operates with or without heat
  • Cool to the touch – safe around kids and pets
  • 2 AAA batteries required (included)

Best Suited For

  • Residential Indoor
  • Small - Mid-Size Room
  • Max 1000 Sq ft 

Duraflame Electric Infrared Quartz Fireplace Stove Review (Full)

Description

Stylish, easy to operate, and energy-efficient, the Duraflame Infrared Quartz Fireplace Stove is a great addition to any small living space that lacks warmth and heat. With its easily portable design and safety features, it’s also perfectly safe for use around children and pets. Your whole family can enjoy the warmth of a crackling log fire without the smoke, ash, and cleanup!

You’ll be surprised at how well the Infrared Quartz Fireplace Stove maintains the natural humidity in the room. Your room will stay comfortably warm for hours as the Duraflame Fireplace Stove gently yet rapidly heats objects and people.

Competitive pricing really helps to make the Duraflame Fireplace Stove an extremely worthwhile investment. 

Stylish Design

A great addition to any décor, the Duraflame Electric Infrared Quartz Fireplace Stove enhances your interior with style, charm, and ambience. With or without the flames, it makes an attractive centerpiece, and guests will be surprised to learn that it’s not an actual log fireplace!

Duraflame has really managed to balance engineering with art. Their patent-pending 3D flame effect mirrors the effect of flames dancing on and behind the logs, with 5 settings for brightness. You’ll feel like you’re sitting in front of a real wood-burning fireplace, without the ash and smoke!

Durable Construction

The Duraflame electric stove is made of a durable metal body with side viewing windows, as well as an operable, beveled glass door. The surface is cool-touch, so even at peak temperature after several hours the stove is still safe for direct contact. Children and pets can play safely without getting burned, while you enjoy the warmth and ambiance.

Infrared Heating: How It Works

In essence, infrared technology produces heat in a similar way the sun does. Most space heaters use the convection heating method to heat the air in a room. Infrared heat targets people and animals directly with a focused ray of heat particles.

The infrared heat ray is invisible light that zones in on your body, rather than heating an entire area. As a result, the Duraflame’s infrared heating doesn’t leave your air dry and void of moisture, a sure killer for indoor plants. Plus, infrared heat helps your body create a healthier home environment because its gentle heat maintains natural humidity in the air, rather than drying air out, so your family’s skin and airways don’t dry out either. Infrared heating also reduces static electricity, unlike traditional heaters. Warm up to 1,000 square feet with this infrared quartz electric stove. The infrared quartz heat helps to maintain the natural humidity in the air, resulting in comfortable heat that doesn't dry out the room's air.

Zone Heating

Zone Heating is a simple way to save money. In many homes, certain rooms, like bedrooms, dens, and basements, may not be occupied all day long. With zone heating you can shut off heated air blown in different sections, or zones, so unoccupied space doesn’t get heated. Turning down your thermostat by 10 – 15 degrees for 8 hours can bring you significant savings.

Remote Control

The remote has four function buttons: power; flame setting; temperature; timer. The flame height can be adjusted from 1 to 5; level 1 is lighted embers, level 1 is a low flame, etc. The temperature can be set in increments of 2 degrees from 62° F to 82° F. The remote will allow you to see what the temperature is set at, but you have to adjust it manually from the control panel. The timer can be set to turn the unit off, but not on. It starts at 30 minutes and increases in hourly intervals from 1 hour to 9 hours. Unlike the temperature, the timer can be set with the remote.

What We Like….

  • 5,200 BTU heater provides supplemental zone heating for up to 1,000 square feet to help you save money
  • Patent pending 3D flame effect technology features realistic flames that dance on and behind the logs, including five adjustable color, brightness, and speed settings
  • The infrared quartz heat helps to maintain the natural humidity in the air, resulting in comfortable heat without drying out the rooms
  • Overheat protection, heater will instantly shut off to prevent overheating. Volts : 120. Amps : 12.5
  • Adjustable, digital thermostat allows you to decide the temperature of your room

Drawbacks...

  • SMALL ROOM HEATER: Despite the company’s claims, the Duraflame 3D Fireplace Stove doesn’t adequately heat a large room of 1000 sq ft. Since it’s not a convection heater, the air in the room won’t be significantly hotter with it on.
  • LOW HEAT OUTPUT: Not a replacement for your central heating. It's lackluster heat output (at 78 degrees fahrenheit) in extreme cold is not enough to keep you comfortable. The infrared zone heating targets your body, but you need to be quite close, say less than 6 feet away, to feel the effect. 
  • NOISE LEVEL: Some have complained about the noise level, which is about the same as the fan in your laptop. Others, however, have found the noise level no more annoying than white noise. This is a subjective issue, and certainly not the most critical factor to consider.
  • LOW AMBIENT GLOW: For some, the ambient lighting may not be enough. The light doesn’t actually seem to project, but is contained within the unit. The 3D flame effect is realistic enough, and there are adjustable settings for brightness. The problem is that the warm glow is confined to the space directly in front of the fireplace.

Basically, don’t expect the Duraflame’s ambient glow to fill your room the way a log fireplace does.


Infrared Heater Buying Guide

If you’re used to a convection heater or gas heater, an electric infrared quartz heater like the Duraflame 3D Fireplace Stove takes some getting used to. 

To start with, the Duraflame is a radiant heater, rather than a convection. It has a heating element, but it’s sealed inside a glass tube, much like a light bulb. The infrared heat produced by this method doesn’t emit waves of heat but a focused ray of heat particles. 

There are several different makes and types, each with different specifications and features. Infrared heaters can be powered by:

  • Electricity
  • Natural gas
  • Propane

As you research and read reviews of infrared space heaters, you’ll find each brand and make has different maximum output levels, different controls, and different design features to consider.

How Does An Infrared Quartz Heater Work?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary an infrared quartz heater can be described this
way:

“...a portable electric radiant heater that has heating elements sealed in quartz-glass tubes producing infrared radiation in front of a reflective backing[1]”

Quartz glass, unlike typical glass, is pure fused silica with no added chemicals or ingredients. As a result, it has a much higher melting temperature than regular glass, and can be used for heating devices and other industrial purposes. 

Infrared light works much like sunlight. If you’re standing in direct sunlight, you feel warm even on a cold winter day. As a result, an infrared heater can only warm the area directly in front of it. It should not be relied on as the sole source of heat, especially for a large multiple bath home.

As a secondary source of heating in your home, however, an infrared space heater can be highly energy efficient. Depending on the cost of your utilities, the low amp usage of most devices is designed for efficiency.

Since they only heat the immediate area and people within close proximity, they don’t dry out your air. You can use your air humidifier or air purifier with your infrared space heater at the same time comfortably.

Finally, you don’t have to worry so much if your infrared heater accidentally tips over. The heating element is sealed in glass, and the heat emitted is generally not hot enough to light your carpet on fire unless left unattended for hours. Even then, many models do have a tip-over protection feature or auto shutoff that turns off the device to prevent overheating.

Pros

  • Stylish
  • Instant Zone Heating
  • Low Maintenance
  • Environmentally Friendly
  • Retains Air Quality and Moisture
  • Safer than convection heaters

Cons

  • Limited Heating Power

About the Author William Clay

William Clay is a BBQ enthusiast dedicated to sharing his grilling (and overall cooking) expertise with FireFoodChef's readers.