Dimplex vs Touchstone Electric Fireplace

For most value-focused 50-inch feature walls, choose the Touchstone Sideline 50. It sat in the lower-midrange price band when checked, can be recessed or surface-mounted, plugs in or hardwires, and provides the same common 1,500-watt high-heat ceiling as many 120-volt fireplaces.

Choose the Dimplex IgniteXL 50 when its cleaner premium presentation, five-year warranty, partial 2x4 installation option, or 240-volt 2,500-watt heat will be used. In the premium price band when checked, the Dimplex needs to solve a real need. Brand prestige alone does not close a price gap of more than five times the Touchstone appliance.

Quick Comparison

Price: What the Dimplex Premium Must Buy

The current gap is large enough to demand a written reason. The IgniteXL should win only if you value one or more of these:

• The five-year listed warranty
• 240-volt operation and higher heat output
• Its lower, wider visual proportion
• The specific Dimplex flame and edge-to-edge face
• An installation plan already designed around the model

If the plan is 120-volt supplemental heat and a contemporary focal point, the Touchstone covers the basic job for far less. Put the remaining budget toward electrical work, a correctly framed wall, finish material, or keep it.

Prices change, so compare current product pages and complete installed cost.

Check the Touchstone Sideline 50 at Modern Blaze

Check the Dimplex IgniteXL 50 at Modern Blaze

Installation: Flexibility vs Integration

The Sideline can hang on the wall or recess into it. That makes it easier to use in an existing room where a full feature-wall build is not certain. Its front heat vent supports recessed installation, and the unit can plug into a standard outlet or be hardwired according to the instructions.

The IgniteXL is a built-in-first product. Modern Blaze says it fully recesses in 2x6 construction and partially recesses in a 2x4 wall with an optional trim. Its 5.88-inch body is only slightly deeper than the Touchstone, but its installation intent is more permanent.

Choose surface mounting only after marking the full 5.5-inch Touchstone projection on the floor. In a narrow room, that depth can matter more than the small appliance-price savings over another value model.

Choose either recessed model only after locating studs, wiring, plumbing, ducts, outlet or junction access, and required clearances. Read wall-mounted vs recessed electric fireplaces before opening the wall.

Heat: Same at 120 Volts, Different at 240

At common 120-volt operation, both models reach about 1,500 watts. That means their full-heat electricity cost is similar: about 28 cents per hour at the June 2026 U.S. residential average rate of 18.34 cents per kWh.

The Dimplex separates itself at 240 volts. Modern Blaze lists 2,500 watts and 8,530 BTU, versus 1,500 watts at 120 volts. That higher mode can serve a larger heat load, but it needs the specified electrical installation and costs about 46 cents per hour at the same average rate.

Don’t pay for 240-volt capacity if the project will always use a 120-volt plug. Don’t buy the Touchstone expecting it to match the Dimplex’s higher-output mode.

Our electric fireplace running-cost guide shows the local-rate formula.

Flame and Face Proportions

The Sideline is taller: 21.5 inches high versus about 15.6 inches for the IgniteXL. The Dimplex creates a lower, more panoramic strip. The Touchstone reads more like a substantial rectangle on the wall.

Touchstone includes log and crystal media, three flame colors, and five intensity levels. The IgniteXL uses Dimplex’s Multi-Fire XD effect, color themes, prism mode, and acrylic ice ember media.

Neither description tells you which will look better in your room. Tape both outlines on the wall. View them from the doorway and main seat. A wider-looking panoramic face can suit low cabinetry; a taller face can hold its own on a larger blank wall.

Use manufacturer and retailer videos to compare movement, then look for owner videos recorded in ordinary daylight. Do not claim a flame is “most realistic” because a dark promotional video hides reflections.

Controls and Daily Use

The Sideline listing includes remote, wall switch, smart functions, and Alexa or Google Assistant voice control. It also lists a timer from 30 minutes to 7.5 hours, three flame colors, and five intensity levels.

The IgniteXL listing includes a remote, backlit controls that hide when not in use, color themes, prism mode, and a 30-minute to eight-hour sleep timer.

Smart control is useful when the fireplace is easy to supervise and the model’s instructions permit the intended action. It is not permission to run a heater unattended. Keep the physical power and heat controls understandable to everyone in the home.

Warranty and Service Access

Modern Blaze lists a five-year manufacturer warranty for the Dimplex IgniteXL 50. Confirm the current Touchstone warranty terms for the exact model and seller before buying.

A longer warranty has more value when the unit can be removed without breaking the wall. Plan:

• A removable face or trim path
• Accessible electrical disconnect or plug
• Space to slide the unit forward
• Saved serial number and receipt
• Photos of framing and wiring before drywall closes

The expensive fireplace with no service path can be a worse ownership experience than the value model installed thoughtfully.

Amazon vs Awin Retailer Choice

The Touchstone Sideline 50 also appeared on Amazon in the same lower-midrange price band when checked, sold by Touchstone and shipped by Amazon. The product page showed a large review history and mixed feedback on noise despite broadly positive comments about appearance and installation.

See the current Touchstone Sideline 50 Amazon listing

Choose the retailer by current price, authorized-dealer status, delivery, returns, warranty support, and who will handle damage. The affiliate network does not make one checkout better for the reader.

Buy Neither When the Room Is Wrong

Skip both when:

• A 50-inch face crowds the only clear wall.
• The TV would have to sit uncomfortably high.
• The circuit cannot support the load.
• The feature wall costs more than the room can justify.
• You rent without written wall-mount permission.
• A traditional existing fireplace calls for a log set or squarer insert.
• You need primary heat rather than supplemental room heat.

For a small room, compare narrower Touchstone sizes or a freestanding stove. For existing masonry, the Dimplex Revillusion may fit the architecture better than either linear model. See our small-room electric fireplace guide and best electric fireplace inserts .

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dimplex worth more than Touchstone?

It can be when you will use the IgniteXL’s 240-volt heat, value the five-year listed warranty, or prefer its specific premium face and flame system. For a 120-volt focal point, Touchstone offers much stronger value.

Which is easier to install?

The Touchstone Sideline is more flexible because it can surface-mount or recess and can plug in or hardwire. The Dimplex is a built-in-first model, although it can partially recess in 2x4 construction with an optional trim.

Which gives more heat?

At 120 volts, both top out around 1,500 watts. The Dimplex IgniteXL can reach 2,500 watts and 8,530 BTU when installed for 240-volt operation.

Which has better smart controls?

The Touchstone listing explicitly includes Alexa and Google Assistant support. The Dimplex comparison page emphasizes remote and onboard controls. Confirm current apps and integrations for the exact model before making that the deciding feature.

Which is better for a rental?

Neither is automatically renter-friendly. Surface-mounted Touchstone avoids a wall cavity but still needs secure anchors and permission. A freestanding electric stove is usually easier to remove.

Bottom Line

The Touchstone Sideline 50 is the sensible value choice for most 120-volt, 50-inch feature walls. The Dimplex IgniteXL 50 earns its premium when higher 240-volt heat, a five-year warranty, or its specific finish and proportion matter enough to pay for.

If those Dimplex advantages will not be used, keep the difference. If the wall, circuit, viewing height, or room scale is wrong for both, buy neither and choose a smaller or less permanent fireplace.