Best Wood Burning Fireplace Inserts 2026: All 5 Compared (Every One Includes a Blower)
Updated September 2026
Every wood burning fireplace insert we sell includes a blower, is EPA 2020 certified, and uses a 6" flue collar. They run from a compact 1.1 cu ft unit rated down to 250 sq ft up to a 3.5 cu ft, 110,000 BTU/h insert that covers 2,700 sq ft. Below is all five compared and priced, plus what the rest of the install actually costs.
The reason to fit one at all: an open masonry fireplace is a net heat loser. It pulls warm room air up the chimney faster than the fire puts heat back, which is why the room with the fire is cosy and the rest of the house gets colder. A sealed, certified firebox that slides into the existing opening and vents through a stainless liner turns that hole in the wall into a real heating appliance. Here's how to pick the right size.
Step 1: Measure your fireplace opening
Before anything else, measure three things at the fireplace opening — width, height, and depth — and then measure the depth again at the back of the firebox, because masonry fireplaces taper. Inserts are sold by the opening they fit, and a unit that's an inch too tall or too deep simply won't go in.
Write those three numbers down before you shop. If you're between sizes, the smaller insert always installs; the larger one might not.
Step 2: Match the size to the space
Our five wood inserts, smallest to largest:
| Insert | Price | Shipping | Heats | Max output | Burn time | Max log |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Englander Blue Ridge 150-I | $1,589 | Ships Oct 8 | 250–1,200 sq ft | 45,000 BTU/h | 7 hr | 16" |
| Drolet Escape 1500-I | $1,729 | Ships Nov 3 | 500–1,800 sq ft | 65,000 BTU/h | 7 hr | 18" |
| Drolet Escape 1800-I | $1,799 | Ships Nov 2 | up to 2,100 sq ft | 75,000 BTU/h | 8 hr | 20" |
| Englander Blue Ridge 300-I | $1,799 | Ships in 1–3 days | 500–2,100 sq ft | 75,000 BTU/h | 8 hr | 16" |
| Englander Blue Ridge 500-I | $2,219 | Ships in 1–3 days | 1,000–2,700 sq ft | 110,000 BTU/h | 10 hr | 22" |
All five are EPA 2020 certified, non-catalytic, and use a 6" flue collar.
The 150-I is the one to know about if your fireplace is small. At 1.1 cu ft with a tapered top and sides, it fits hearths that reject everything else, and it's the only insert here rated down to 250 sq ft.
The 500-I is the outlier at the top. A 3.5 cu ft firebox and 110,000 BTU/h is freestanding-stove capacity in an insert body, and it takes 22" logs. If you're heating a whole house from the fireplace, that's the one.
Every insert here includes a blower — and that matters more than you'd think
If you're specifically looking for a wood fireplace insert with a blower, you don't need to filter for it: all five include one. The 150-I carries a 90 CFM blower; the 300-I, 500-I and Escape 1500-I carry 144 CFM.
That's not an upsell feature, it's structural. A freestanding stove radiates heat from all sides into the room. An insert is surrounded by masonry on three sides, and masonry is very good at absorbing heat and giving it back slowly to the outdoors. Without forced air moving heat out of the insert and into the room, a large share of your fire warms the chimney rather than the house.
The practical consequence worth planning for: an insert needs electricity to deliver its rated heat. In a power cut it still burns and still gives off some radiant heat through the glass, but noticeably less than a freestanding stove would. If outage heating is your primary reason for buying, a freestanding stove is the better tool — our guide to stove fans and blowers covers the difference, including heat-operated fans that need no power at all.
Step 3: Budget the whole install, not just the insert
This is where insert projects surprise people. Three things go in besides the appliance.
A full-height stainless liner — always. Not a stub into the first flue tile. The liner runs from the insert's collar to the top of the chimney, sized to the 6" collar. Old masonry flues are usually far too big for a modern appliance, which kills draft and grows creosote. Our insert liner kits are $449 for 25 ft and $559 for 35 ft, and both include the rain cap and top plate. Measure from the insert connection to the top of the chimney and round up.
A faceplate to cover the gap between the insert and the masonry. Sizes are model-specific — a 32" × 50" cuttable panel is $149, and faceplates with nickel trim run $169–$189. The Englander inserts include a faceplate in the box. Our faceplate and trim kit guide covers fitment.
Hearth protection, if your existing hearth doesn't already extend far enough in front of the opening. Many masonry hearths do — check your insert's manual for the required distance, and see our hearth pad guide if yours falls short.
Two accessories solve awkward connections: the hook-up liner system ($79) makes the liner-to-collar joint serviceable from inside the firebox, and the offset liner adaptor ($279) bridges a collar that doesn't line up with the flue above it.
The bundles are the shortcut
We package the insert, faceplate and liner kit together — one order, matched parts, nothing missing on install day:
| Bundle | Liner | Price | Shipping | Saves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Escape 1500-I bundle | 25 ft | $1,969 | Ships Nov 3 | $209 |
| Escape 1500-I bundle | 35 ft | $2,049 | Ships Nov 3 | $239 |
| Escape 1800-I bundle | 25 ft | $2,199 | Ships Nov 2 | $238 |
| Escape 1800-I bundle | 35 ft | $2,269 | Ships Nov 2 | $278 |
Step 4: Know what you're giving up versus a freestanding stove
Honest comparison, because inserts aren't strictly better:
- A freestanding stove radiates from all sides. An insert relies on its blower, and delivers less heat in a power cut.
- Inserts are harder to service. The unit has to come out for a proper chimney cleaning, which is why a flexible liner matters — with rigid pipe it can't be pulled.
- Inserts win on space and looks. No floor footprint, no new hearth pad in most cases, and the fireplace you already have becomes the feature rather than a hole to work around.
The full decision framework — existing chimney, outage heating, install cost and floor space — is in our wood stove vs fireplace insert comparison, which puts the matched Drolet and Englander stove-and-insert pairs side by side at the same specs.
If you don't already have a masonry fireplace, don't build one to hold an insert — buy a freestanding wood stove instead.
Step 5: Installation
The insert itself is straightforward; the liner is the work. A straight reline is a realistic two-person DIY job — feed the liner down from the roof, connect at the bottom, cap at the top. Offsets, damaged flues, or a chimney of unknown condition are jobs for a sweep, and a pre-install inspection is smart on any older masonry chimney regardless of who does the work.
Full detail in the chimney liner guide, and the wood stove installation guide covers permits, clearances, and the order of operations for the whole project.
Which one
- Small fireplace or small space: Blue Ridge 150-I, $1,589
- Average home, want it in one box: Escape 1500-I bundle at $1,969 or Escape 1800-I bundle at $2,199
- Larger home: Escape 1800-I or Blue Ridge 300-I, both 2,100 sq ft class
- Whole house from the fireplace: Blue Ridge 500-I, $2,219
Want thermostatic control instead of loading wood? The ComfortBilt HP22i pellet insert ($2,799) is the alternative — see our pellet stove insert guide and our pellet insert comparison against Harman and Quadra-Fire.
Related guides
- Wood Stove vs Fireplace Insert: Which One Fits Your House?
- Chimney Liner Guide: Sizing and Insert Relines
- Faceplates and Trim Kits for Wood Inserts
- Wood Stove Fans and Blowers
- Which of our brands fits your house
- Pellet Stove Inserts Guide
Every insert ships with No Sales Tax in any state and free shipping. Browse all inserts, or call 1-888-914-0022 with your three opening measurements and your chimney height — we'll tell you exactly which insert and which liner kit you need.