How Do You Maintain a Water Vapor Fireplace?
The full maintenance routine for water vapor fireplaces, from transducer cleaning to troubleshooting a weak or missing flame effect.
SimpliFire's Allusion line covers two very different built-in electric fireplaces, and picking between them comes down to more than looks. The SimpliFire Allusion Platinum electric fireplace and the newer Allusion Edge share a recessed, linear format, but they differ in control technology, size range, and price by more than double. This guide breaks down what actually separates them so you can match the right one to your room and budget.
TL;DR
The core difference is control and flame presentation, not just price. Allusion Platinum uses a multifunction remote for thermostat, lighting, and on/off control, with four flame colors and 13 ember bed color choices displayed behind clear crystal glass. Allusion Edge is a visual step up as much as a tech one: its digital flame engine renders four distinct presentations (Signature, Classic, Dancing, and Chromatic) with a more lifelike look, including sparks and smoke effects, over a choice of crystal, black glass ember, or glowing timber log media. On top of that richer flame display, Edge adds WiFi connectivity and a mobile app, plus three crackling sound effects with volume control. Both units offer adjustable or no-heat operation for year-round use as a visual-only fireplace in warmer months.
Platinum tops out at 72 inches, available in 50, 60, and 72 inch widths, and is designed to recess into a standard finished 2x6 wall. It supports three installation paths: an optional build-out kit, a wall-mount kit, or a professional built-in flush installation, and the unit itself is removable for relocating later. Edge goes larger, with 50, 60, 78, and 100 inch widths, and installs by sliding into a framed and finished wall, working with painted drywall, tile, or smooth stone, with an optional build-out kit for retrofits. If your wall is wider than 72 inches or you want a statement-length linear fireplace, Edge is the only one of the two that gets you there.
SimpliFire Allusion Platinum Electric Fireplace
Our Top Pick for Budget-Minded Installs: SimpliFire Allusion Platinum
Both units are built for supplemental heat rather than whole-room primary heating, and both carry a roughly 400 square foot heat coverage rating. Platinum is rated at 5,000 BTU/hr of heat input across all three of its widths, with adjustable settings down to a no-heat, flame-only mode for summer use. Edge does not publish a specific BTU figure in its current spec sheet, but it uses the same adjustable brightness, heat, and flame settings as Platinum, including a no-heat option. In practice, that means the heat output difference between the two is smaller than the price difference suggests. If heat output alone is driving your decision, Platinum delivers comparable supplemental warmth for significantly less money, and the Edge premium is really paying for a more realistic flame display, control technology, sound, and the larger 78 and 100 inch sizes.
Both models ship as a complete recessed firebox with a remote control and a glass front; neither requires a separate gas line or venting since both run on standard household power. Platinum includes its multifunction remote and ships standard with clear crystal glass, with decorative fire bed material (including a driftwood option) available separately. Edge includes WiFi setup for its companion app, a physical remote as backup, and its built-in speaker for the crackling sound effects, with optional decorative media like birch logs or glass spheres sold separately. Neither price includes a surround, mantel, or finishing materials. Factor that into your total project budget regardless of which model you choose, since the recessed opening still needs to be framed and finished around the unit.
Price is the clearest dividing line. Allusion Platinum starts at $1,629 for the 50 inch model and tops out at $2,389 for the 72 inch. Allusion Edge starts at $3,959 for its smallest 50 inch size and climbs to $7,099 for the 100 inch model, roughly two to three times the cost of the equivalent Platinum width. Both are rated to heat about 400 square feet as supplemental warmth, so the heating value per dollar favors Platinum. Edge's premium buys a genuinely more realistic flame display and more ember media choices, not just app control, sound effects, and larger sizes layered on top of an otherwise identical fireplace.
A straightforward living room or bedroom wall up to 72 inches, with a lower upfront budget and no need for app control, points toward Allusion Platinum. A great room, open-concept space, or a wall built around a wide linear fireplace as the focal point, especially where flame realism, WiFi scheduling, or ambient sound matters, points toward Allusion Edge. Both ship as recessed, built-in units rather than surface-mount fireplaces, so either one needs a framed wall cavity rather than a simple hang-and-plug installation.
Two common scenarios illustrate the split. In a condo or townhouse living room with a wall in the 50 to 60 inch range and a fixed renovation budget, Platinum covers the look and the supplemental heat at roughly half the cost of the equivalent Edge width, and the remote-only control is plenty for most households. In a new-construction great room where the fireplace wall runs 80 inches or more and the homeowner already wants smart-home style control over lighting and climate, Edge is the only one of the two that reaches that width, and the WiFi app fits naturally into a home already built around connected devices. Framing depth and electrical requirements differ by model and size, so confirm the exact rough-in dimensions for your chosen width before a contractor frames the wall.
SimpliFire Allusion Edge Linear Electric Fireplace 
Worth Considering for Larger Walls: SimpliFire Allusion Edge
Yes. Platinum supports a wall-mount kit in addition to its build-out kit and built-in flush options, so it works for a surface-mount installation as well as a fully recessed one.
No. Edge starts at 50 inches and goes up to 100 inches. Platinum covers the 50 to 72 inch range. Neither Allusion line currently offers a width below 50 inches.
Both are designed for a framed wall cavity rather than a plug-and-hang install. A wall-mount kit on the Platinum simplifies that for a DIYer, but a fully recessed build-out on either model is easiest with a contractor cutting and framing the wall.
Yes. Both Platinum and Edge offer adjustable heat settings that include a no-heat, flame-only mode, so either works as a year-round visual fireplace without warming the room in summer.
Browse the full SimpliFire electric fireplace collection to compare both models side by side, or see how they stack up against other built-in electric fireplaces in a similar size range.
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