In the wake of COVID-19 restrictions, Summer 2020 is shaping up to be the summer of the stay-cation. That means many of us are fixing up our backyards, patios and decks. Adding a fireplace can be challenging. With an electric fireplace, and our expertise, you can create an inviting backyard that you will love to share with friends and family.
Just like an indoor electric fireplace, an outdoor electric fireplace adds ambiance year-round. You can operate the flames without the heater on muggy nights, or turn on the heater when the evenings turn cooler. With LED flames, today’s outdoor electric fireplaces have many colourful settings, to allow you to create different moods. Add blue to get a cooling effect, or red to warm things up.
Here are our picks for the Best Outdoor Electric Fireplaces for Summer 2020
Best Outdoor Electric Fireplaces for tiny balconies
Even if you live in a city condo, you can squeeze a compact electric fireplace onto your tiny balcony. Amantii has two great small options that are rated for outdoor use: Cube-2025WM and 2939-Tru-View-XL. Both are more vertical than horizontal, and both can be mounted on the wall. The Cube may also be mounted on a 4-legged base for easy DIY installation. These fireplaces have glass on three sides, to make the most of the fire from all angles. Like most electric fireplaces, they may be operated with or without the heater turned on, for year-round comfort.
Best Outdoor Electric Fireplaces for narrow porches
If you find yourself gathering on the front porch more often, you may want to add a fireplace there. The challenge is that most porches are not very deep, so you can’t block it off with a fireplace that sticks out too far. Amantii’s Panorama Slim series has a depth of just 6.75”, and comes in sizes ranging from 40 inches to 88 inches long. This allows you to create a fireplace feature as long as you like, without taking up precious depth on the porch. Operate the flames with or without heat, and change the flame colours from yellow to orange to blue, and all combinations in between.
Best Outdoor Electric Fireplaces for large decks
If you’re fortunate enough to have a large deck, we suggest you go with an extra-tall Amantii fireplace, in either their Tru-View, Panorama or Symmetry series. The extra-tall viewing area is unique to Amantii, and it makes for an impressive fireplace. It makes smaller units feel larger, and it makes large units even more impressive. Extra-tall also means that these units are deeper, at around 12 inches, so they do require a bit of space, which is why they are perfect for large decks. Viewing height varies from 18 inches to 22 inches, depending on the model. Widths in the extra-tall models range from 40 inches to 100 inches
Best Outdoor Electric Fireplace for the She-shed or Man-cave
A backyard she-shed or man-cave may be small on space, but large on style. This is where we recommend the traditional TRD series from Amantii. These are more square in shape, ranging in size from 30 to 48 inches wide, with a depth of just 12 to 14 inches. This allows you to build up rather than out, to create an authentic looking fireplace. Logsets are changeable, and you may operate the multi-colour flames with or without the heater.
Best Outdoor Electric Fireplaces for an existing cabana or poolhouse
Amantii has created an extra-slim version of their popular Panorama series, with a depth of just 4 inches. This means that you can rework an existing 2×4 wall and insert an extra-slim fireplace. The extra-slim Panorama fireplaces range in size from 30 inches to 60 inches wide, and include the Fire & Ice flame, with colours from yellow to orange to blue. As with all other Amantii indoor-outdoor fireplaces, you may operate the extra-slim units with or without the heater, for ambiance and comfort any time of year.
Best Outdoor Electric Fireplaces for under the TV
All electric fireplaces are safe under a TV. Be sure to balance the size of the TV with a fireplace of at least the same width. Also, try to keep the bottom of the TV no higher than 42 inches off the floor, for comfortable viewing.
Stylish Fireplaces understands that adding a fireplace to any space can be challenging, leaving clients frustrated and overwhelmed. That’s why they specialize in electric fireplaces, which are much easier to design with than other types of fireplaces. Plus, they are NFI Certified Hearth Design Specialists with over 20 years of design and renovation experience. They invite you to browse their fireplaces, connect with one of their experts to get advice, and then buy your perfect fireplace.