Quick Answer: Touchstone’s Sideline Elite 50” (around $999, list $1,499, per Touchstone’s own current listing) is the best all-around pick — a recessed/wall-mount unit with WiFi/Alexa/Google control and 60 flame/ember color combinations on the same 1,500W/5,000 BTU heater used across the whole Sideline line. Budget shoppers get identical heat from the base Sideline 50” (around $549, list $829) without the smart features. For a peninsula or room-divider wall, the Sideline Infinity Pro 3-Sided (around $1,679–$1,879) is Touchstone’s only multi-sided model. And if you’re shopping for a patio, know this first: the Sideline Outdoor 50” (around $649, list $979) produces zero heat — it’s flame-only despite sharing the Sideline name with every heated model above it.
Touchstone shows up across nearly every guide on this site — it’s our recurring value pick against Dimplex’s premium realism in our Dimplex vs. Touchstone comparison, and individual Sideline models turn up in our wall mount, black, and outdoor roundups. But the brand has never gotten its own dedicated page. Here’s the real Sideline lineup, side by side, including a naming quirk that trips up outdoor shoppers specifically.
Touchstone Sideline lineup compared
| Model | Best for | Heat | Install | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sideline Elite 50" | Best overall | 1,500W / 5,000 BTU, 400 sq ft | Recessed or wall-mount | ~$999 | ★★★★★ |
| Sideline 50" | Best value | 1,500W / 5,000 BTU, 400 sq ft | Recessed or wall-mount | ~$549 | ★★★★☆ |
| Sideline Infinity Pro 3-Sided | Best for peninsulas | 1,500W-class, 400 sq ft | Recessed, 3-sided view | ~$1,679–$1,879 | ★★★★☆ |
| Sideline Outdoor 50" | Best for patios (no heat) | None — flame-only | Recessed or wall-mount, weatherproof | ~$649 | ★★★★☆ |
1. Sideline Elite 50” — Best Overall
Touchstone Sideline Elite 50" Recessed Smart Electric Fireplace (80036)
- $999, down from a $1,499 list price, per Touchstone's own current listing — smart control (app, Alexa, Google Home) is the headline upgrade over the base Sideline 50.
- 6 flame colors and 10 media-bed colors combine for 60 total looks, per Touchstone's spec sheet, well beyond the base model's color range.
- Same 1,500W/5,000 BTU heater rated for 400 sq ft as every other indoor Sideline model here — the extra cost buys control and customization, not more warmth.
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The Sideline Elite is the same model our best wall mount electric fireplace guide leads with — proven, widely reviewed, and the one we’d point most Touchstone shoppers toward if budget allows.
2. Sideline 50” — Best Value
Touchstone Sideline 50" Recessed Electric Fireplace (80004)
- $549, down from a $829 list price, per Touchstone's own current listing — roughly $450 less than the Elite for the identical heater.
- Still includes adjustable flame color and brightness control via remote, just without WiFi/app/voice control.
- Same recessed-or-wall-mount flexibility and 1,500W/5,000 BTU/400 sq ft rating as the Elite — this is where most buyers should start unless smart control is a must-have.
This is also the model our best electric fireplace pillar guide names as the top overall value pick across every brand on this site, not just within Touchstone’s own lineup.
3. Sideline Infinity Pro 3-Sided — Best for Peninsulas
Touchstone Sideline Infinity Pro 3-Sided Electric Fireplace
- The only Sideline model built to be viewed from three sides at once — recesses into a peninsula wall or room divider instead of a flat wall.
- Also configures down to a true two-sided install if a peninsula's third face isn't open, per our best two-sided electric fireplace coverage.
- Priced roughly $700–$900 above the Elite for the multi-sided glass and frame engineering, on the same core heating spec.
If your wall isn’t flat — a peninsula, a room divider, a kitchen half-wall — this is Touchstone’s only model built for it, and one of the few 3-sided options on this site at any price.
4. Sideline Outdoor 50” — Best for Patios (No Heat)
Touchstone Sideline Outdoor 50" Weatherproof Electric Fireplace
- Weatherproof housing rated for covered outdoor installation, per Touchstone's own listing — do not install it anywhere exposed to direct rain or snow.
- Produces zero heat. Unlike every model above, the Outdoor line has no heating element at all — it's flame effect only, a genuine gap in Touchstone's naming that a shopper skimming for "Sideline 50" could easily miss.
- If real outdoor warmth matters more than ambiance, our best outdoor electric fireplace guide covers the Modern Flames Landscape Pro Slim and Amantii Panorama, both of which genuinely heat.
Buy this one for the look, not the warmth — pair it with a space heater or patio heater if the goal is an actually warm outdoor evening.
The naming trap: not every Sideline heats
Touchstone’s biggest inconsistency isn’t price or build quality — it’s the name itself. “Sideline 50,” “Sideline Elite 50,” and “Sideline Outdoor 50” all describe a 50-inch-wide linear fireplace from the same brand, and two of those three genuinely heat a room at the identical 1,500W/5,000 BTU spec. The third, despite sharing the same width and the same “Sideline” branding, has no heating element whatsoever. This site’s usual “width ≠ heat” rule for indoor units gets an extra wrinkle with Touchstone specifically: even the product name doesn’t reliably signal heat capability. Always check the spec sheet’s wattage/BTU line, not just the model name, before buying — a lesson that applies doubly to gift purchases where the buyer won’t see the listing details themselves.
The bottom line
For most buyers, the Sideline Elite 50” is the Touchstone to get — smart control and the widest color range on Touchstone’s proven core heater. Drop to the base Sideline 50” to save roughly $450 for the identical warmth without app control. Choose the Infinity Pro 3-Sided if your wall isn’t flat. And if you’re shopping for a patio, buy the Sideline Outdoor only for the flame — for real outdoor heat, look at our best outdoor electric fireplace picks instead. For the full field across every brand, see our best electric fireplace rankings, or our Dimplex vs. Touchstone guide if you’re weighing Touchstone against the site’s premium-realism pick.