Touchstone Sideline 60-Inch Built-In/Wall Mounted Electric Fireplace

Touchstone Sideline 60: A Wide Black Glass Frame, WiFi Control and a Flame That Runs Without Heat

The Touchstone Sideline 60 is a linear electric fireplace that recesses into a 2x6 wall or hangs on the surface. Its look comes from the frame: a 60-inch black glass face with the firebox set in the middle, so it reads as one dark panel on the wall. It connects to WiFi through the Touchstone Fireplace app, works with Alexa and Google Home, and plugs into a standard outlet.

The Sideline 60 Has the Sideline 50's Flame in a Wider Frame

Touchstone gives the Sideline 60 and the Sideline 50 the same 45 by 12 inch flame, and both frame to an identical rough opening. The rest of the 60's width is black glass.

So choose between those two by the wall, not the fire. The 60 suits a wide wall or a large TV above it, where a 50-inch frame would look undersized.

If the flame itself is what you want more of, move up the line. At every size the two share, the Sideline Elite trims the border and shows a wider, taller flame, 56 by 14 3/8 inches at 60 inches wide. The Sideline Elite Pro goes 2 inches wider again, adds a deeper firebox for a flame with more depth, and has built-in crackling sound. That extra depth means the Pro will not recess flush into a standard 2x6 wall.

It Recesses Into a 2x6 Wall and Needs Only 8 Inches Below a TV

The rough opening is 5 3/4 inches deep, so it fits a 2x6 wall and is too deep for a 2x4. On the surface, it hangs from the included wall bracket, which should be screwed into at least two studs.

Measured from the front of the glass, Touchstone asks for 8 inches above the fireplace to a TV, mantel or ceiling, and 6 inches below it to the floor. Nothing is required at the sides or back. Keep furniture, curtains and bedding 36 inches away from the front.

1,500 Watts Takes the Chill Off About 400 Square Feet

The heater has two settings, 750 and 1,500 watts, and Touchstone rates it for roughly 400 square feet. Treat that as supplemental heat: enough to warm a living room or bedroom on a cool evening, not enough to be the room's only heat through a cold winter. The flame runs on its own with the heater off, so it works year round.

Frame to 47 1/8 Inches, Not 60, and Keep It Out of Load-Bearing Walls

Frame to the rough opening, not to the fireplace: 47 1/8 inches wide, 20 1/2 inches high and 5 3/4 inches deep.

Touchstone does not allow it in a load-bearing wall, and it should never sit against exposed insulation or a vapor barrier. Line the framed enclosure with drywall.

Plug it straight into a wall outlet on a 15 amp circuit it does not share with other appliances. Touchstone rules out extension cords and surge protectors. If you would rather hide the cord, an electrician can hardwire it.

Other sizes and models: browse the full Touchstone Sideline series. Finish the look with a fireplace mantel.