Electric Fireplace TV Stands Explained (A Complete Guide)

Electric fireplace TV stands are popular appliances that integrate both a TV stand and an electric fireplace into one unit.

Electric TV stands offer the ability to place a TV on top of the unit and typically have space for a range of other media devices within open spaces or behind cupboard doors.

We have an electric fireplace TV stand in our living room that we have our TV on.

This electric TV stand is the Tresanti Mayson Media Mantel.

Electric fireplace TV stands can come in a range of designs, sizes and shapes and so we’ve put together this complete guide to electric fireplace TV stands using our own electric TV stand to explain what they are, what they look like, how they work, the types, features and more.

This article provides an overview to electric fireplace TV stands.

For the best electric fireplace TV stands you can buy right now see our electric fireplace TV stand buying guide.

What Is An Electric Fireplace TV Stand?

An electric fireplace TV stand is a TV stand unit with an electric fireplace appliance built in. Electric fireplace TV stands are often linear in design but can also come as corner units, and the electric fire insert will typically be found in the middle bottom of the unit with storage space to the top and sides.

Electric fireplace TV stands combine a typical TV stand with an electric fireplace insert to create one appliance that allows you to place a TV on top of the unit, and to store any other media appliances or other decorations within the shelving and cupboard spaces, while also being able to enjoy the look and experience of a fire.

As an example, our electric fireplace TV stand:

• Is a linear model
• Has an electric fireplace insert located in the middle at the base of the unit
• Has cupboard space behind glass doors on each end
• Has an open shelf below the TV shelf and above the electric fire

Do Electric Fireplace TV Stands Give Off Heat?

Most electric fireplace TV stands give off heat, but a small number of models may not produce supplementary heat and instead offer more realistic flame effects. Always check the model of electric fireplace TV stand for confirmation that supplementary heat is provided before purchasing.

Electric fireplace TV stands will usually provide supplementary heat in addition to the flame effects in the form of a heater built into the electric fireplace insert.

The heater itself will either be in form of an infrared heater or a conventional space heater with blower and heating element.

Our electric fireplace TV stand uses an infrared quartz heater to provide the supplementary heat, which is located at the top of electric insert on our unit and provides an orange glow when on.

You can check whether an electric fireplace TV stand provides heat by looking at either the webpage or the box, where it should be stated that it provides ‘supplementary heat’ or words to that effect.

This 5200 BTU heater is rated to provide heat for spaces up to 1,000 square feet, which is more than enough for our living room.

We can also set the desired temperature of the room on our electric fireplace TV stand using the built-in thermostat control. This temperature can be set between 62 and 82°F (17-27°C) using the remote control or the control panel.

One thing to note is that blowers within the heater of an electric fireplace TV stand can be relatively noisy during operation.

The flames on an electric fireplace TV stand can also typically be used without the heat being on, which is ideal for the warmer months.

What An Electric Fireplace TV Stand Looks Like

Electric fireplace TV stands can often come as one whole unit (like ours did) and so no assembly required, but many models will still need to be assembled out of the box.

The images below show what our electric TV stand looks like from all angles.

There will typically be space out the back of the electric insert inside the TV stand for ventilation purposes.

The front of the electric fireplace in our TV stand can be seen through a glass front panel.

Our electric TV stand also sits on adjustable feet for support.

Types Of Electric Fireplace TV Stand

Electric fireplace TV stands typically come in linear rectangle shape form when looking from the front but may also come as a square shape or be taller than it is wide.

These types, like ours, are often pushed up against a wall.

As electric TV stands can be quite large appliances, they can also be found as corner versions, where the rear of the unit is shaped to fit tidily in the corner of a room.

Electric Fireplace TV Stand Features

Electric fireplace TV stands can come with a range of built-in or additional features that help make it a more pleasant fireplace experience and more useful place for your TV and other media appliances, such as:

• Space on top to support certain size TVs
• Open shelving
• Cupboards
• Electric fire flame effects
• Supplementary heat
• Remote control

TV Space

Electric fireplace TV stands are primarily a TV stand unit and so will always have space on top for a TV to be placed.

Our electric TV stand can hold most flat screen TVs up to 80” and 88lbs (40kg), as stated in the instruction manual.

The images below shows our TV stand with our 32” and 58” inch TVs placed on top for comparison.

Different models of electric fireplace TV stand will be able to hold different sizes of TV’s.

When looking for an electric fireplace TV stand it’s therefore important to consider what size of flat screen TV you have (or will get) and choose a TV stand accordingly.

Open Shelving

Many electric fireplace TV stands (but not all) will have open shelves located above the electric fire for placement of your media appliances or decorations.

The shelf on our electric TV stand spans across the width of the electric fire, but other models may have shelves that span across the whole width of the unit.

Out the back of our TV stand is space for cables to pass through, and the back of the shelf can be removed if needed.

Cupboards

Electric fireplace TV stands also commonly provide storage space within cupboards, either on their own or alongside open shelving.

Our TV stand has full height cupboards at each end of the unit with glass fronts and three shelves within each.

Electric Fireplace Flame Effects

Electric fireplace TV stands will always provide flame effects in the form of an electric fireplace insert.

Our electric TV stand uses a ClassicFlame electric insert and boasts Spectrafire 3D technology for realistic looking flame effects.

We can choose from 5 different brightness’s and 5 different colors for flame effects; examples of which are shown below.

We can also set the flame intensity (5 settings) from calm to roaring.

These flame effects features can be different for each type of electric TV stand and so check before buying.

You’ll typically be able to find that these electric fires can be used with the just the flames only and without any heater being on, as we can with ours.

Supplementary Heat

Electric fireplace TV stands typically compliment flame effects with supplementary heat using a form of heater built into the electric fire.

This heater can either be found in the form of a:

• Conventional fan heater with heating element and blower, or:
• Infrared heater

Our electric TV stand uses an infrared heater to provide supplementary heat, on top of producing flame effects, with the heater outlet visible just above the fire.

Our electric fireplace also does have a blower as well as the infrared quartz heating element to help distribute the heat around the room.

With this heater we can adjust the temperature using the control panel.

The heat settings available range from 62°F to 82°F (17°C to 27°C), adjustable in 2°F or 1°C increments. A thermostat on an electric fireplace will also regulate the heat to keep the room at the set temperature.