This is my second Dimplex log. The first works just fine but after 20 years, it was to take advantage of the new upgraded features. I'm vary happy with the look of the flames and the ability to adjust the brightness and color. My future wish list on my Dimplex would be a timer setting, built in crackle sound and most of all, an app instead of the remote.

The media could not be loaded. I'm 77 and simply tired of my wood fireplace---the constant feeding of logs, the cleanup, purchase of wood, storage, etc. etc. So we purchased this unit and easily installed it. Turned it on and were impressed with the beauty of the faux fire and coals. The remote works beautifully, and we use it primarily to turn the unit on and off, then adjust the heat from none to low to high. What totally surprised me was that we actually are able to heat our living/dining/kitchen area, about 500 square feet) on the high level much better than with the burning of wood. When burning wood, the chimney damper is open, drawing out heat from the room. With the electric unit the damper can remain closed, retaining the heat in the room. My only suggestion would be (as one reviewer graciously suggested) to take a black marker and color the top ridge (semicircle) of the plexiglass to better hide it in daylight. A simple fix.

The remote is too small & must be too close to logs to function properly as a remote

Bought this because I didn't want to shell out a few grand to have a full electric fireplace installed. It does the job, but could have been better. This is really designed for people who want a simple, easy to install electric fireplace on a budget.

Pros -
Set up can't be simpler. Attach the plexiglass, attach the ember bed, plug it in. That's it.

Fire effect looks great, and even fooled my in-laws at first glance. The ember glow also looks very realistic.

The heater works great, but have realistic expectations. The heat throw distance is very short, so you're only going to feel it up to around 6' or so from the fireplace. It's fairly quiet though.

Cons -
As many reviews have stated, the plexiglass screen is visible. The brightness of the room will have an effect on how much of it you see. If your room is bright, you may want to consider a different option, because the screen will stick out like a sore thumb. For my setup, it's visible, but only if you really focus on it. I also keep the metal mesh ember guard closed when using it, and it does help hide the screen somewhat.

No sound effects. I feel this was a real missed opportunity, and something that could have been very easily implemented. I purchased a white noise machine that has a campfire effect, so that solved the issue.

The variable brightness setting is a joke. There are three levels of brightness, and there is barely any difference between them. I'm serious when I say I thought it was broken at first because it didn't even look like it got any brighter with each button press. Had to get up close to it before I even saw the difference.

The flame effect is achieved by a rotating cylinder with several small metal patterns that reflect the light. At times you can hear the cylinder rotating, and it makes a clicking sound when it does this. While it isn't loud, and background noise can drown it out, it can be annoying.

The additional lighting option is kinda useless. I don't know why anyone would even use it. For one, it makes the plexiglass even more visible when turned on. Secondly, it drowns out most of the flame and ember glow effect. I honestly don't know what they were thinking when adding this feature. They should have removed this and replaced with a crackling sound effect option. Really stupid feature.

The remote is really small and cheap feeling. I am pretty much guaranteed to lose this thing at some point. If you have ever bought a set of those cheap mini-leds, you're basically getting the same type of remote. It also has terrible range and you need to point it dead-on directly at the sensor. Thankfully, there are controls on the unit itself, but not ideal since you will need to reach into your fireplace to turn it on or off, or change settings each time.

The heat works, but We do not use it our den is too big. You have to get right up on it for the remote to work. The one in our motor home works from 15 feet. It looks great and other than the remote we love it. I do miss the real fire though.