Modern Flames Electric Fireplaces: Which Series Is Right for You? (2026)

By the Outdoor Heat Direct fire feature team · Authorized Modern Flames dealer · Updated October 5, 2026

Which Modern Flames electric fireplace series are still in production in 2026?

Modern Flames currently publishes six fireplace lines on its own site: Nova Clear, Orion (Traditional, Multi and Slim, all now in V2), Redstone, Landscape Pro (Multi and Slim), Spectrum Slimline, and Sedona Pro Multi. Two names you will still see quoted by dealers need clearing up.

Landscape Pro MultiView is not a separate series. It is the older marketing name for what is now called Landscape Pro Multi, same LPM-4416, LPM-5616, LPM-8016 part numbers. Same firebox.

Challenger is a different story. Modern Flames has removed the Challenger product page from its site and the series no longer appears in the current lineup. The CEF-50B and CEF-60B are still sellable inventory. We have both, but treat them as run-out stock. Check our manuals and guides page before you spec one into a build.

Which Modern Flames fireplaces are actually approved for outdoor use?

This is the question that matters most on a covered patio, and the answer depends on the exact model number.

The approval comes from the installation manuals, not from a separate outdoor certification. Five series carry it, 25 model numbers in total, and each of those five manuals states that the fireplaces "have been tested and approved for installation outdoors under a patio cover and away from direct water contact or direct sunlight":

• Landscape Pro Slim: LPS-4414V2, LPS-5614V2, LPS-6814V2, LPS-8014V2, LPS-9614V2
• Landscape Pro Multi: LPM-4416V2, LPM-5616V2, LPM-6816V2, LPM-8016V2, LPM-9616V2, LPM-12016V2
• Orion Traditional V2: OR26-TRAD-V2, OR30-TRAD-V2, OR36-TRAD-V2, OR42-TRAD-V2, OR54-TRAD-V2
• Orion Multi V2: OR52-MULTI-V2, OR60-MULTI-V2, OR76-MULTI-V2, OR100-MULTI-V2, OR120-MULTI-V2
• Orion Slim V2: OR52-SLIM-V2, OR60-SLIM-V2, OR76-SLIM-V2, OR100-SLIM-V2

That approval only holds if the install meets every condition the manuals set, and all five print the same ones. This is the part that decides whether the warranty survives:

• Built-in only: "Only the built-in installation is approved when installing outdoors." No wall mount, no self-trimming trim kit, no insert.
• Overhang: the patio roof overhang must be 50% or more of the height of the patio roof, measured from the bottom of the fireplace.
• Side distance: also 50% or more of that height.
• Base clearance: the bottom of the fireplace at least 2 in. above the floor.
• Exposure: under a patio cover, away from direct water contact and away from direct sunlight.
• Anything else voids coverage: the Landscape Pro Multi manual puts it plainly, "Outdoor installations other as defined in the manual void warranty."

The Sedona Pro Multi sits outside this list. Modern Flames publishes neither an installation manual nor an outdoor-use statement for that series, so we do not describe it as outdoor approved. The five manuals that do carry the approval are linked in the sources note at the end of this guide.

The V2 suffix is what matters. First-generation Orion units (model numbers without -V2) were sold as indoor-only, and their manuals say so plainly. The Redstone manual says do not use outdoors, and the Spectrum Slimline manual says the same. Challenger is listed indoor only by every dealer spec sheet we checked.

What does Modern Flames require for an outdoor patio installation?

Being approved for outdoor use does not mean weatherproof. Here are the same rules in the manufacturer's own words, from the LP Series outdoor installation requirements document and the outdoor section of each manual, because they are short enough that installers skim them and miss things.

• Installation must be "outdoors under a patio cover and away from direct water contact or direct sun light." No open-sky installs. No west-facing wall in full afternoon sun.
• Overhang: "Patio roof overhang must be 50% (or more) of the height of the patio roof from bottom of fireplace." A 10 ft roof above the firebox needs at least 5 ft of overhang in front of it.
• Side protection: "Side distance (SD) must be 50% (or more) of the height (H)." The same half-the-height rule applies laterally.
• Base clearance: minimum 2 in. above the finished floor, so splash and standing water stay out of the firebox.
• Wiring: "All electrical wiring shall be to local building codes," and Modern Flames tells you to "consult professional installers before installation."

And the rule installers miss most: "Only the built-in installation is approved when installing outdoors." All five outdoor-approved manuals carry it, so no wall-mounted, self-trimming or fireplace-insert installation qualifies outdoors on any of these series. Frame it in as a built-in, which also means it is hardwired.

Get those right and Modern Flames is explicit that its "standard warranty applies if installed per instructions." Get the overhang wrong and you are outside the instructions, which is the same place the dampness exclusion lives.

Modern Flames does not publish an ambient operating temperature range for the Landscape Pro or Orion V2 series in the manuals we reviewed. If you are installing in a climate that swings below freezing for long stretches, ask us and we will get it from the factory rather than guess.

How much heat does a Modern Flames electric fireplace really put out?

Here is the number nobody in this category likes to lead with. A standard Modern Flames heater is 1,465 watts on AC 120 V / 60 Hz, which the manuals rate at 5,000 BTU/hr. That is the same heater in the Landscape Pro Slim, the Landscape Pro Multi, the Redstone, the Spectrum Slimline and the base configuration of every Orion.

Some models can go higher. The Landscape Pro Multi and Orion Multi are "2,930 W, 10,000 BTU's capable", but only on a dedicated 220–240 V circuit. The Orion Traditional V2 tops out at 2,500 W / 8,300 BTU, and the 220–240 V option is available on the OR36, OR42 and OR54 only. The Orion V2 Slim is 120 V only.

Now the comparison that actually settles patio decisions. A real gas fire feature in our catalog, The Outdoor Plus Sedona Copper Fire & Water Bowl, is rated 65,000 BTU/hr. Its sibling fire bowl is 40,000 BTU/hr.

Multiples are our own arithmetic from the rated BTU figures in each manufacturer's published specs.

Thirteen times. That is the honest gap. A 5,000 BTU electric fireplace is not patio heating. It is ambiance with a courtesy warm-up, roughly the output of a small space heater. On an open deck in 45°F air, you will see the flame and feel almost nothing beyond three or four feet.

So use each one for what it is. If the goal is the room feels finished and the wall looks like a fireplace, on a sheltered outdoor kitchen or a three-season room, a Landscape Pro or an Orion V2 is the right tool and it needs no gas line, no venting and no flue. If the goal is people stay outside in October, you want combustion or serious electric infrared: browse outdoor fire pits for radiant heat you can actually feel, the 17 outdoor fireplaces we carry for a built-in firebox, or our outdoor heater listings for overhead infrared that pushes heat down onto a seating area. Plenty of our customers buy both, a Landscape Pro on the wall for the look, a fire table in the middle for the warmth.

What is the difference between Heliovision and a standard LED flame?

Every Modern Flames fireplace outside the Orion line uses 12 V LED lamps plus a 12 VDC stepper motor driving a physical flame element, with adjustable colors, speed and brightness. That is what you get in the Landscape Pro, Sedona Pro, Redstone, Spectrum Slimline and Challenger.

Orion is different. Modern Flames calls it Heliovision and markets the Orion as a "virtual electric fireplace." Instead of a lit ribbon, the flame is a video shown on an LCD screen behind a real log set and ember bed. On the V2, the LCD has adaptive brightness that adjusts to room light, there are 24 flame options out of the box, and new flame styles download through the Modern Flames + app. The lit logs, ember bed and downlight are separate LED lighting.

That screen and log set need depth. An Orion V2 Slim is 6-5/16 in. deep with about 14-3/8 in. of viewing height; an Orion V2 Multi is 9-9/16 in. deep with about 18-7/16 in. of viewing. A Spectrum Slimline is 4 in. deep. If you have a 2x4 wall and no room to bump out, the Orion lines are not on the table.

Landscape Pro Slim or Landscape Pro Multi, which one fits your wall?

Both are approved for outdoor use as built-ins, both slide in or wall mount indoors, both run the same 1,465 W heater. The difference is depth, viewing height and sidedness.

Sizes and depths from Modern Flames manuals, spec sheets and Outdoor Heat Direct product listings. Viewing heights are nominal; confirm the exact rough opening from the model-specific sheet before framing. Outdoor approval covers the 25 model numbers listed above, Orion V2 only, and outdoors every one of them has to be installed as a built-in.

Practical rule: framing a 2x6 wall and want the cleanest face, take the Slim. Outdoor kitchen island or peninsula seen from two or three sides, take the Multi. Want maximum flame height in a short run, the Sedona Pro Multi gives 26 in. of viewing in a 30–42 in. width, which no linear model does, but Modern Flames publishes no outdoor approval for that series, so keep it indoors.

What electrical circuit does each Modern Flames series need?

Get this wrong and the unit trips breakers or the electrician has to come back. The manuals are specific.

Clearances are generous on the linear models: Redstone and Spectrum Slimline both list 0 in. at the bottom, sides and back, with 11.8 in. (300 mm) to a mantel or ceiling above. Every manual also carries the standing rule to keep furniture, bedding, papers and curtains at least 3 ft (0.9 m) from the front of the heater. If you are planning a TV above the unit, pull the exact model sheet from our manuals library. Mantel depth changes the answer.

What does a Modern Flames electric fireplace cost at Outdoor Heat Direct?

These are live prices from our catalog, not manufacturer list. We carry 131 Modern Flames SKUs including trim kits, log sets, mantels and screens.

Prices current as of September 2026 and subject to change. Accessories run separately: 5-piece Landscape Pro Multi trim kits from $111.60, TruWood timber log sets from $250, Studio Suite floating mantel sets from $1,250, invisible non-glare mesh screens from $170.

If you are comparing linear fireboxes across brands, our linear fire feature collection puts the electric and gas options side by side. Larger builds can be spread over payments through our financing options.

What does the Modern Flames warranty actually cover?

The published Modern Flames limited warranty covers products "free from defects in materials and workmanship," and the term depends on one action you have to remember to take:

• 2 years if the product is not registered.
• 5 years from date of purchase when the owner registers the product.
• 1 year on integrated screens.
• One (1) year of coverage from time of purchase for the labor credit.

Register the unit. The difference between 2 and 5 years is a form.

Coverage is void for damage from improper installation or non-compliance with the instructions, for power surge or damaged breaker or outlet, for unauthorized modification or repair, for products "subjected to prolonged periods of dampness or condensation," and for "any product not listed for outdoor use that is installed outdoors." Consumable service parts and normal wear are excluded. The Orion V2 manuals add that cutting power while the fireplace is pairing to Wi-Fi or updating can damage electronics that may not be covered.

One honest gap: the Modern Flames manuals we reviewed do not print a UL, ETL or CSA listing mark in the specification tables. What they cite are the codes that govern the wiring, CSA C22.1 and ANSI/NFPA 70, plus FCC Part 15 Class B compliance for the wireless module. If your permit office needs a listing number on paper for a specific model, ask us and we will request it from the factory rather than quote something we cannot see.

Which Modern Flames series is right for you?

Covered outdoor kitchen or three-season room: Landscape Pro Slim if the wall is shallow, Landscape Pro Multi if it is seen from more than one side, or an Orion V2 if you want the Heliovision flame outdoors. These are the only series you should be considering outdoors, every one of them built in, and for Orion only the V2 model numbers.

Great room or covered patio where the flame has to sell it: Orion V2 Multi or Orion V2 Slim. The Heliovision LCD flame is the most convincing effect Modern Flames makes, and the price reflects that.

Replacing a masonry firebox: Redstone as an insert, or Orion Traditional V2 if the budget allows. Both slide into an existing opening and both plug in as inserts, which saves an electrician visit if there is already an outlet in the firebox.

Tight budget, shallow wall, indoor: Spectrum Slimline at 4 in. deep, or Challenger while stock lasts.

Who Modern Flames is not for: anyone expecting an electric fireplace to heat an open patio. It will not. Buy gas for that.

Worth adding to any order: a wall control or remote, and if the install is on a patio that gets seasonal shutdown, a protective cover for the surrounding cabinetry.

Modern Flames electric fireplace FAQs