How a $200 fake fireplace from Home Depot soothed my soul

When I was first Turbro’s Suburbs TS25 Smart Electric Stove Unboxed I was upset that it did not come with the recommended 6-inch Phillips screwdriver required to attach the freestanding stove legs. I dug around in my tool box and found a shorter screwdriver, which made tightening the 16 screws a complete affair. However, she persevered and placed the white enameled fireplace in the living room.

I pressed the power button, and an almost cartoon-like LED version of fire appeared. I sat on my couch and opened my laptop to work. An hour later, I woke up to the sound of the dryer bell. I took a rare, unintentional hour-long nap.

Good for glow

I wouldn’t describe myself as a nap person. After all three of my kids were born, I never slept through their naps. I also struggle with the basics: rest and relaxation. Which is why when I stood up at seven o’clock that evening, I looked at the electric fireplace and wondered if the simulation of fire, the flickering orange-red flames, the glow of burning logs, and the crackling sounds had enchanted me in that cozy siesta. I admit that sometimes, suspending my disbelief can be a strength. I fall for the ventriloquist’s illusion that the dummy is able to speak simply because the ventriloquist’s mouth does not appear to move. Maybe the fake fireplace is exactly the illusion my nervous system is craving.

Turbo’s Suburbs wasn’t the first ventless heater I tested, but it was the first model that promoted comfort and potential recovery, the kind that lowers blood pressure. The 32-pound Suburban is light enough that I can pick up what is essentially a 2-by-2-foot box and move it around my house myself. When I opened the heater’s SmartLife app, which was already on my phone for another smart device, Suburbs was already on the dashboard.

An app remote is easier to maneuver than a clunky and confusing physical remote. There are three flame brightness settings, and it comes with a realistic crackling fire sound that can be adjusted to three different sound settings. Finally, Suburbs’ white enameled wood stove design has an infrared heater that can also be scheduled on a timer. It was able to effectively heat our 200 square foot living room.

It’s only natural

As I tested the Suburbs, I began to think of them as my own relaxation box. Regulating my mood, decompressing from stress, and striving for a moment of true rest are all priorities in my self-aware life. What if imitating a real fireplace is responsible for reducing real stress? Like forest bathing, can simulated fire elicit a calming response because a wood fire does as well? natural?

Researchers have studied the psychological benefits of fire viewing. Christopher D. did Lin, a professor and director of graduate studies in anthropology at the University of Alabama, studied the effect of watching fire on blood pressure. His research found that “sustained blood pressure decreases in the case of fire with sound, especially with longer stimulus duration.”

I reached out to him via email to ask if he had found similar results for a real fire as he had for a simulated fire, like the TV Christmas log. He wrote in response that he “repeated our original study using an electric fireplace funded by Napoleon Fireplaces and found results similar to the original study.” Lynn is working on publishing this paper. Previous research has linked viewing a real flame fireplace to higher cognitive function.

Although there is some research that differentiates the benefits of real flames versus the benefits of fake flames, simulated fireplaces do not cause indoor air pollution. Simulating fire is the healthiest option, and may also help improve brain function. This entire piece was written quietly, in a low-stress environment, in front of a suburban electric fireplace. It comes with a 2-year warranty (once you sign up) and costs about $200, which is an amount of money that I think should be paid out of my Flexible Spending Account (FSA).