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
| Feature | Touchstone Sideline 50 | Dimplex IgniteXL 50 |
|---|---|---|
| Price band checked Sept. 16 | Lower-midrange | Premium |
| Width | 50.4 in | 50.25 in |
| Height | 21.5 in | 15.63 in |
| Depth | 5.5 in | 5.88 in |
| Installation | Recessed or surface-mounted | Built-in; full 2x6 or partial 2x4 with optional trim |
| Electrical | Plug or hardwire, 120 V | Plug/hardwire 120 V or hardwire 240 V per manual |
| Heat | 1,500 W, about 5,000 BTU | 1,500 W at 120 V; 2,500 W and 8,530 BTU at 240 V |
| Flame/media | Three flame colors; logs and crystals | Multi-Fire XD themes; acrylic ice media |
| Smart control | Alexa and Google Assistant support listed | Remote and onboard controls listed on retailer page |
| Warranty | Confirm current model warranty before buying | Five-year manufacturer warranty listed |
| Best reason to buy | Strong feature-to-price value | Premium built-in, longer warranty, 240 V heat |
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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 mixed feedback on noise despite broadly positive comments about appearance and installation.
See the current Touchstone Sideline 50 Amazon listingAs an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure.
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.
How to Check a Model Before You Order
Both of these are wall decisions as much as appliance decisions. Work through the list in this order, because the first item can rule out the model before the rest matters.
- Measure the wall you would use. Width, and the height between the floor and anything already mounted there. Tape the outline in painter’s tape and look at it from the sofa and the doorway.
- Find the studs and the outlet. You need anchors that hold the unit, and a circuit that can carry it without an extension cord.
- Confirm the cavity depth. The Touchstone projects 5.5 inches if you surface-mount it. The IgniteXL is a built-in-first unit that fully recesses in 2x6 construction and partially recesses in 2x4 with an optional trim.
- Read the manual’s required opening, not the advertised size. The face dimension and the framing dimension are different numbers.
- Decide whether you need 240-volt heat. If the answer is no, the Dimplex premium has to earn its place on finish, proportions, and warranty alone.
- Check the return and shipping terms before ordering. A fireplace that arrives damaged is a freight problem, not a parcel problem.
Installation Mistakes That Cost the Most
- Ordering before the wall is measured. A 50-inch face on the only clear wall in the room is a mistake you live with.
- Assuming the cavity is deep enough. Full recess needs 2x6 framing on the Dimplex, and the Touchstone still needs its 5.5 inches somewhere.
- Planning the circuit last. Both models run about 1,500 watts at 120 volts, which is a meaningful load on a shared circuit.
- Building the wall around a service panel. Leave a removable face or trim path and an accessible disconnect, or a warranty repair becomes a demolition.
- Mounting it so the TV ends up too high. Heat vents and viewing height both push the screen upward if you plan them separately.
- Renting without written permission for wall work. Neither model is automatically renter-friendly, and a surface mount still needs secure anchors and a landlord who agreed.
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.
What to Read Next
- Wall-Mounted vs Recessed Electric Fireplaces settles the installation format before you compare brands again.
- How to Measure for an Electric Fireplace Insert is the measuring worksheet for the opening, if either model has to sit inside existing masonry.
- Are Electric Fireplaces Expensive to Run? has the local-rate formula behind the running-cost numbers here.
- Electric Fireplace for a Small Room is where to go when a 50-inch face is simply too wide for the wall.
