Choosing between the different British Fires models can be difficult from photographs and specifications alone. The right electric fire depends on much more than simply picking the widest model that fits your wall.
In this British Fires buying guide, we compare the main types of electric fire, New Forest sizes, fuel bed options, viewing configurations, electric stoves and fireplace suites to help you decide which model is best suited to your home.
Bonfire is an approved British Fires Premier Dealer and works with the range at the design, specification, supply and installation stages. You can also shop our British Fires electric fires here to view current models, prices and product options.
Estimated reading time: 16 minutes
Table of contents
- Which British Fires Electric Fire Should I Choose?
- British Fires New Forest Size Guide
- British Fires New Forest 650SQ
- British Fires New Forest 1200
- British Fires New Forest 1600
- British Fires New Forest 1900
- British Fires New Forest 2400
- What Size British Fires Fire Should I Choose for My TV?
- British Fires Signature vs Deluxe vs Black Edition
- One-Sided, Two-Sided or Three-Sided Electric Fire?
- Should I Choose a British Fires Electric Stove Instead?
- What About a British Fires Electric Fireplace Suite?
- British Fires for Media Walls
- What Is the Best British Fires Electric Fire?
- Can I See British Fires Before Buying?
- Why Buy British Fires From Bonfire?
- Shop British Fires Electric Fires
- British Fires Buying Guide FAQs
Which British Fires Electric Fire Should I Choose?
The best British Fires model depends primarily on where the fire is being installed and the overall look you want to achieve.
For a contemporary media wall or false chimney breast, the British Fires New Forest range is usually the natural starting point. It includes a selection of panoramic inset electric fires in different widths, making it possible to scale the fireplace to suit anything from a relatively compact feature wall to a large architectural media wall.
If you prefer the appearance of a traditional stove without requiring a chimney or flue, browse the British Fires electric stove range. Alternatively, British Fires also produces complete electric fireplace suites for customers wanting a ready-made fireplace feature.
British Fires New Forest Size Guide
One of the most common questions we are asked is which size British Fires New Forest electric fire to choose.
The fire needs to work proportionally with the width of the wall, television, fireplace construction and the surrounding furniture. A fire that is technically large enough for a wall can still look too small once a television and cabinetry are positioned above and around it.
| British Fires Model | Typical Application | Our View |
|---|---|---|
| New Forest 650SQ | Fireplace openings and compact features | A useful option where a more traditional fireplace proportion or smaller opening is required. |
| New Forest 870 | Compact media walls and smaller rooms | A good option where space is limited but you still want the New Forest flame effect. |
| New Forest 1200 | Medium-sized media walls | One of the most versatile proportions and a popular starting point for a balanced media-wall design. |
| New Forest 1600 | Medium to large media walls | Creates a wider panoramic appearance without dominating most living rooms. |
| New Forest 1900 | Large feature walls | Best where the fire is intended to become one of the main architectural features of the room. |
| New Forest 2400 | Very large rooms and wide media walls | A statement fire requiring sufficient wall width around it to maintain the correct proportions. |
These are design guidelines rather than fixed rules. Wall dimensions, ceiling height, television size and the amount of space left around the fire can dramatically change how a particular model looks once installed.
You can compare the full selection on our British Fires product page or explore the New Forest electric fire collection.
Watch: British Fires New Forest 870 Electric Fire
Our showroom demonstration of the British Fires New Forest 870 gives you a better idea of its real-world proportions and flame appearance. The video also shows the fire within the Winchester suite, which is useful if you are considering an electric fire as part of a complete fireplace rather than a media wall.
British Fires New Forest 650SQ
The British Fires New Forest 650SQ has a squarer format than the wider panoramic models, making it particularly useful where the fire needs to sit within a more conventional fireplace feature or a relatively compact wall.
It is worth considering if you want British Fires technology and flame presentation without designing an entire wide media wall around the appliance.
Watch: British Fires New Forest 650SQ Review & Demonstration
See the British Fires New Forest 650SQ working in our showroom. In this video, we take a closer look at the flame effect, fuel bed and proportions of this more compact New Forest electric fire.
View the British Fires New Forest 650SQ →
British Fires New Forest 1200
The British Fires New Forest 1200 is one of the easiest sizes to incorporate into a typical living room.
Its proportions work particularly well where you want the fire to remain visually substantial without creating an excessively wide feature wall. For that reason, it is often a useful model to consider for medium-sized media walls and false chimney breasts.
Watch: British Fires New Forest 1200 Live Display
The New Forest 1200 is one of the most versatile sizes in the collection. Watch our live showroom demonstration to see the flame effect and viewing proportions more accurately than product photography alone can show.
View the British Fires New Forest 1200 →
You can also see how this model looks as part of a completed project in our New Forest 1200 media wall installation in Earley, Reading.
British Fires New Forest 1600
The British Fires New Forest 1600 creates a noticeably wider panoramic appearance than the 1200 and can work particularly well beneath larger televisions.
For customers wanting a substantial contemporary fire without stepping into the very large proportions of the 1900 or 2400, the 1600 is often worth comparing closely with the 1200.
British Fires New Forest 1900
The British Fires New Forest 1900 is designed for larger fireplace features and media walls where a strong panoramic effect is required.
Before choosing a fire of this width, consider the complete finished wall rather than only the appliance dimensions. Sufficient space on either side of the fire generally produces a more considered and proportionate installation.
British Fires New Forest 2400
The British Fires New Forest 2400 is one of the largest options in the range and is intended to create a major visual feature.
It is best suited to wide rooms and substantial media walls where there is enough surrounding space to prevent the installation from looking cramped.
What Size British Fires Fire Should I Choose for My TV?
There is no single fire size that must be paired with a particular television. The overall proportions of the media wall are more important than matching one measurement to another.
As a general design starting point:
- Smaller TVs and compact walls: consider models around the New Forest 870 or 1200.
- 55-inch to 65-inch TVs: the 1200 or 1600 can often provide balanced proportions.
- Larger 65-inch to 75-inch TVs: the 1600 or 1900 may provide a stronger visual relationship.
- Very large TVs and wide media walls: the 1900 or 2400 may be more appropriate where the room has sufficient width.
These are not manufacturer requirements. Television design, wall width and personal preference all affect the finished result.
If you are planning a complete installation, find out more about our media wall design and installation service.
Read: What Size TV Do I Need For My Electric Fire →
British Fires Signature vs Deluxe vs Black Edition
After choosing the size of the fire, one of the biggest decisions is which fuel-bed specification to select.
Signature Edition
The Signature specification provides the standard British Fires fuel-bed arrangement and is a good choice where you want the New Forest flame effect while keeping the overall specification relatively simple.
Deluxe Edition
Deluxe models introduce the upgraded real-log fuel bed, creating a more organic and individually detailed appearance.
Black Edition
Black Edition combines the upgraded fuel bed with a darker internal appearance, creating greater contrast around the flame effect and a deeper-looking fire chamber.
There are more differences than can sensibly be covered within this buying guide, so we have created a dedicated comparison:
Watch: British Fires Deluxe Logs & Black Edition
If you are deciding between British Fires specifications, this video is particularly useful. We take a closer look at the Deluxe Real Logs, the darker interior of the Black Edition and different British Fires fire configurations.
For a detailed written comparison, read our British Fires Signature vs Deluxe vs Black Edition guide.
Or shop the British Fires range to compare available models and current prices.
One-Sided, Two-Sided or Three-Sided Electric Fire?
Many contemporary electric fires can be incorporated into different fireplace layouts depending on which sides of the flame chamber you want to expose.
One-Sided Electric Fire
A one-sided installation shows the fire from the front only. This creates the cleanest traditional media-wall appearance and works particularly well where the fireplace is being recessed centrally into a wall.
Two-Sided Electric Fire
A two-sided configuration exposes the front and one end of the fire. This can be an effective solution for a chimney breast positioned towards one side of a room or where the fireplace feature projects from an adjoining wall.
Three-Sided Electric Fire
A three sided installation exposes the front and both ends of the fire. It gives the flames a more panoramic appearance and can make a projecting false chimney breast feel more architectural.
British Fires also offers models specifically suited to these different layouts, including the Ashlett collection:
Watch: British Fires Ashlett Electric Fire Review
The British Fires Ashlett is a useful model to see working if you are comparing different viewing configurations. In our video review, we show the fire on live display and take a closer look at its flame presentation, fuel bed and overall design.
Compare the different Ashlett configurations:
Should I Choose a British Fires Electric Stove Instead?
Not every installation needs a panoramic inset fire.
A British Fires electric stove can be a better choice where you want a freestanding fireplace feature, a more traditional appearance or an appliance that can sit within an existing fireplace opening.
Because the appliances are electric, they can provide the visual character of a stove without requiring the chimney and flue system associated with a wood-burning stove.
Popular options include:
- British Fires Hinton Cast Iron Electric Stove
- British Fires Bramshaw Electric Stove
- British Fires Ashurst Electric Stove
Watch: British Fires Hinton Electric Stove
If you prefer the appearance of a traditional stove rather than an inset electric fire, watch our demonstration of the British Fires Hinton. Its cast-iron stove body gives it a very different character from the panoramic New Forest range while retaining the convenience of an electric appliance.
View the British Fires Hinton Electric Stove →
Alternatively, browse our complete British Fires electric stove collection.
What About a British Fires Electric Fireplace Suite?
An electric fireplace suite can be a simpler alternative to constructing a bespoke fireplace or media wall.
The fire and surrounding fireplace are designed together to create a complete feature, making suites particularly useful where customers want a finished fireplace appearance without undertaking extensive building work.
Browse the current British Fires electric fireplace suites.
British Fires for Media Walls
The New Forest range has become particularly popular for media walls because its panoramic format works well underneath modern televisions and within purpose-built false chimney breasts.
When planning a British Fires media wall, we recommend considering the entire installation at the beginning rather than choosing the fire in isolation.
Think about:
- overall wall width and height;
- fire width;
- television size;
- distance between the television and fire;
- whether the television will be recessed or surface mounted;
- one, two or three-sided fire configuration;
- speaker or soundbar positions;
- electrical access;
- ventilation and manufacturer installation requirements;
- cabinetry, shelving and storage;
- finished materials and decoration.
Getting these proportions right at the design stage usually produces a much better result than choosing the largest fire and television that physically fit the wall.
What Is the Best British Fires Electric Fire?
There is no single British Fires model that is best for every home.
If we were narrowing the range down by application, we would generally start with:
- Best for a compact fireplace: New Forest 650SQ.
- Best all-round media wall size: New Forest 1200 or 1600 depending on the room.
- Best for a large panoramic feature: New Forest 1900.
- Best for a very large statement wall: New Forest 2400.
- Best for a vertical feature: British Fires Knightwood.
- Best for a traditional stove appearance: Hinton, Bramshaw or Ashurst.
The correct choice still depends on the dimensions and design of your room, so these should be treated as starting points rather than rigid rules.
Can I See British Fires Before Buying?
Yes. Bonfire has a 4,000 sq. ft fireplace and stove showroom near Reading, Berkshire, with a selection of British Fires products available to experience in person.
Seeing an electric fire working can be particularly useful when comparing flame effects, fuel beds and different sizes, because these details can be difficult to appreciate accurately from photographs alone.
Visit our Reading fireplace showroom →
Why Buy British Fires From Bonfire?
Bonfire is an approved British Fires Premier Dealer.
Our team works directly with British Fires products and can assist with product selection, fireplace design, media-wall planning and professional installation where required.
Rather than simply choosing an appliance from its dimensions, we can help you compare the practical differences between New Forest sizes, fuel-bed editions and installation configurations before ordering.
If you would like more information about the manufacturer itself, visit our About British Fires page.
Shop British Fires Electric Fires
If you already know which model you want, browse our complete British Fires collection to compare available models, specifications and current prices.
Shop British Fires electric fires, stoves and fireplace suites →
British Fires Buying Guide FAQs
The right model depends on the dimensions of your room, wall and television. The New Forest 1200 and 1600 are useful starting points for many media walls, while the 1900 and 2400 are better suited to larger feature walls. The 650SQ and 870 can suit more compact installations.
Customers who place a high priority on fuel-bed realism may prefer the Deluxe specification because of its upgraded real-log arrangement. Whether it is worth the additional cost is largely a matter of visual preference. We recommend comparing the options in person where possible.
Both provide an upgraded fuel-bed experience, while Black Edition creates a darker internal appearance and stronger contrast around the flames. Read our dedicated Signature, Deluxe and Black Edition comparison for a more detailed explanation.
British Fires electric fires are commonly incorporated into media-wall installations with a television above. The fireplace and television should still be positioned in accordance with the appliance manufacturer’s installation requirements and the requirements of the television manufacturer.
Selected British Fires models and installation configurations allow the flame chamber to be viewed from multiple sides. The correct configuration should be established before the fireplace or media wall is constructed.
No conventional chimney or flue is required for an electric fire, which makes British Fires products suitable for many properties where installing a gas or wood-burning appliance would not be practical.
Bonfire offers professional fireplace and media-wall installation within our installation area. The exact work required depends on whether the project involves an existing fireplace, new false chimney breast, media wall or another bespoke installation.
Bonfire is an approved British Fires Premier Dealer servicing the south of the UK. You can browse our British Fires collection online or visit our Reading, Berkshire showroom for product advice and to view selected fires working.
