This question comes up a lot: "I've narrowed it down to the Modern Flames Orion Multi and the Dimplex Ignite XL Bold. Which one should I get?"
Both are premium 3-sided electric fireplaces. We sell both, and we would be happy either way. So here is the honest breakdown of where each one wins, so you can pick the right one for your project.
Worth saying up front: neither of these is a risky choice. Modern Flames and Dimplex are two of the leading names in electric fireplaces. Dimplex has been developing the technology for decades and invented the water vapor fireplace. Modern Flames was one of the first to put recorded real fire on a screen. You cannot really go wrong with either one. It is just a matter of personal preference and fit.
If you are still deciding on the technology itself, start with our guide to virtual vs LCD electric fireplaces and come back.
At a glance
| Modern Flames Orion Multi | Dimplex Ignite XL Bold | |
|---|---|---|
| Flame technology | HELIOVISION, recorded real fire on a screen | Multi-Fire XD, layered LED |
| Flame customization | 3 styles, 9 colors, new ones added over the air | 3 flame colors |
| Indoor / outdoor | V2 is outdoor rated for covered patios | Indoor only |
| Link multiple units | No | Yes, up to five into one continuous run, so the total length beats the Orion |
| Install without an electrician | Yes, with a floating mantel. Plug and play | No. Direct wire, or buy the optional plug kit |
| Extras | Glowing logs, active ember bed, Bluetooth speaker | Air circulation mode, 8-hour timer |
| Both | 3-sided, 2-sided or single-sided. Wi-Fi and app control. Remote included. Ambient light sensor. Cool-touch glass. 5-year warranty. No venting. | |
Flame technology: virtual vs LED
These two fireplaces make their flames in completely different ways, and almost everything else follows from that.
The Orion Multi uses HELIOVISION flame technology. There is a high-definition screen behind the glass playing footage of a real fire that Modern Flames recorded in a studio. That puts it in the virtual electric fireplace category.
The Ignite XL Bold uses Multi-Fire XD, which builds the flame out of LED light, reflection, and layered depth.
Think of it like the difference between a photograph of a sunset and a very good painting of one. The photograph is more literal. The painting can still be beautiful, and some people prefer it.
Picture: Modern Flames Orion Multi
Which one looks more real
If you are shopping for the most realistic electric fireplace you can get, the Orion is the one, in my opinion. It reads as real up close and in a dark room in a way LED flames generally do not.
This is subjective, and you should watch video of both before you decide. What is not subjective is that they use different technologies, and that the gap is widest in a bright room in the middle of the day. That is usually the moment people stop being torn.
Picture: Dimplex Ignite XL Bold
We sat down with Kris Richardson, the founder of Modern Flames, to go through what actually changed in Orion V2. If you want the detail straight from the manufacturer, it is worth the time.
Installation and what you will actually need
The Ignite XL Bold does not plug in out of the box. It is designed to be direct wired to a 120V or 240V circuit. If you want to plug it into a standard outlet, you need the optional plug kit, which is sold separately.
The Orion Multi is plug and play or hardwire ready, your choice, with nothing extra to buy.
And the Orion can skip the electrician entirely. Pair it with the Orion Multi floating mantels and you mount it on the wall and plug it in. No framing, no wiring, no remodel. If you want a premium fireplace without a construction project, that is a real advantage and it is the one most people do not realize they have.
This catches people. If you were planning to plug the Dimplex into an existing outlet, add the plug kit to your order at the same time. It is a small part and it is easy to miss until your electrician is standing in the room.
Worth knowing: the plug kit and the linking kit both go out of stock from time to time. If your install depends on either one, check with us on lead time before you commit to a date.
Design flexibility and room impact
The Dimplex links. This is its best trick and the Orion has nothing like it. With the optional linking kit you can connect up to five units into one continuous run of flame. If you have a long wall, a lobby, or a restaurant, this is the one. One catch: the 100 inch model cannot be linked, it has to sit trim to trim.
The Dimplex fills a size gap the Orion leaves open. The Orion Multi jumps straight from 76 inches to 100 inches. If your opening sits in between, the Dimplex 88 inch is the only one of the two that fits without reframing the wall.
The Orion gives you more control over how the fire looks. Three flame styles, Hybrid, Wood, and Gas, plus nine flame colors and a multicolor ember bed, against three flame colors on the Dimplex. If you like changing the look with the season or the room, that gap is large.
The Orion also gets better after you buy it. V2 receives flame updates over the air through the Modern Flames+ app, so new flame styles arrive on a fireplace you already own. The flame library keeps growing rather than being fixed at what shipped in the box.
Both can be configured as 3-sided, 2-sided corner, or single-sided, so either will adapt to your wall.
Heat and everyday use
The Orion Multi puts out more heat than the Dimplex when both are hardwired to 240V.
On size, be careful which number you compare. In a single unit the Orion goes wider, up to 120 inches against the Dimplex's 100. But if you are measuring the total run of flame, the Dimplex wins easily, because linked units go well past anything the Orion can do on its own.
A note on heat coverage: both manufacturers publish square footage figures, and they do not measure the same way. Treat those numbers as a rough guide, not a spec you can compare directly. Either one is supplemental heat, not a furnace.
On the extras, the Orion is the more entertaining fireplace. The logs actually glow and the ember bed stays active underneath, which is a lot of why the fire reads as real. It doubles as a Bluetooth speaker, so if the fireplace is the focal point of the room, that is often exactly where you wanted a speaker anyway. And there is a jellyfish tank mode that turns the flames into a slow, drifting aquarium. It is a gimmick and we are not going to pretend otherwise, but people love it.
The Dimplex answers with an air circulation mode that moves air in the room and an eight hour timer.
Final verdict: which one matches your space?
Get the Ignite XL Bold if you want a fire feature longer than 120 inches, which is the Orion's ceiling and only linked units can beat, your opening lands somewhere in the 80 inch range, you are working to a tighter budget, or the fireplace is going in a commercial space.
Get the Orion Multi if it is going outdoors, you want the most realistic flame you can get, you want real control over how the fire looks, you want a fireplace that keeps getting new flames after it is installed, or you want to avoid hiring an electrician.
If you are still torn, go look at video of both in a bright room. That is where the two technologies look least alike.
Bottom Line
- Flame technology is the real difference. Orion plays recorded real fire on a screen. Dimplex builds the flame from LED light.
- Ignite XL Bold: links up to five units into a run longer than the Orion can reach, lower entry price, and an 88 inch size covering the gap between the Orion's 76 and 100. Indoor only.
- Orion Multi: outdoor rated, far more flame styles and colors with new ones added over the air, glowing logs and an active ember bed, doubles as a Bluetooth speaker, more heat, the widest single unit at 120 inches, and mounts with a mantel and plugs in with no electrician.
- Both: 3-sided, 2-sided or single-sided. Wi-Fi and app control. Remote included. Ambient light sensor. Cool-touch glass. Five year warranty. No venting.
- Do not forget the plug kit if you want the Dimplex on a standard outlet.
Still deciding? Tell us about your wall and we will tell you which one fits. Call or text 866-713-2399, or email support@modernblaze.com.
Browse all 3-sided electric fireplaces to see both in context.
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