Valor Fireplace Reviews

Since it was founded in 1980, Valor has become a well-known name in gas fireplaces.

It has gone above and beyond some other companies to differentiate itself, both by using the likes of radiant heat in its fireplaces, and by a semi-continuous pattern of innovation.

That has seen it introduce technologies like HeatShift, which have raised the bar for the industry as a whole, and continually refine the fuel efficiency of its fireplaces to make sure they’re always up among the highest performers on the market at any given point.

But what is the Valor range like today? Let’s take a quick run through some of the most important fireplaces in the modern Valor range.

H6 1400KN

If you’ve got it, they say, flaunt it.

The H6 fireplaces from Valor, and the H6 1400KN in particular, let you do just that. It’s a large format fireplace, with a large firebox, boosted in its visual impact by a shallow depth and tapered edges.

But just because it makes a statement, that doesn’t mean it’s vulgar. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth – the H6 1400KN has a slickness and a style that make you want to stand next to it.

With a heat output of 26,928 BTUs per hour, it’s more than powerful enough for most standard rooms – in fact, since most standard rooms need only 15,000 BTUs per hour to heat them, you can heat pretty much a double-sized space with the H6 1400KN.

It’s a flexible fireplace, allowing for a range of different fire beds, so it can fit into your décor or ethos, and the shallow depth allows for an easy installation in most rooms.

That sweet Valor factor of radiant heat means when it heats a room it does it evenly, while a secondary heat exchanger adds convective heat to even out the warming effect.

And with a standard Valor remote control, you can regulate the heat from any chair you like.

Bottom line, this is a well-designed large format fireplace that combines natural warmth and easy control.

L3 Linear

The L3 Linear is Valor’s longest linear fireplace, coming in at an impressive 64 inches. That means you really can’t ignore the fireplace in any room where you fit the L3 Linear.

The heat output is none too shabby either, with 30,484 BTUs per hour being quite enough to heat a double-wide or double-long room.

The extra length and the width that goes with it means it can feature things like the latest birch log options. And importantly, it comes with a barrier screen, so you can use it safely in rooms with running kids.

It’s also safe for use around other things that might otherwise be impaired by the presence of a frankly enormous fireplace, like TVs.

That’s because of the Valor HeatShift technology that… well… shifts the heat away from vulnerable items, people, pets etc.

Bottom line, the L3 is a stunning looking fireplace that makes the biggest statement in Valor’s playbook. It also gets serious about heating, and safety, so it’s the gentlest giant you’ll find on the market right now.

LX2 Multi-Sided

The LX2 Multi-Sided fireplace does exactly what it promises, delivering a kind of fish tank feel to your fireplace, with side-glass so you can gain another dimension of insight into your fire, or simply gaze at it endlessly from a whole new angle.

With a heat output of 36,000 BTUs per hour, it’s plenty big enough to heat double-sized rooms, and in fact, it seems to work best in rooms that are perpendicular.

Also, as might seem entirely obvious, you have the Valor HeatSafe in the LX2, so that anyone or anything avoids harm from such a heat-pushing spectacle.

Built to last, it’s a fireplace you don’t buy lightly, but once you’ve set it up, there’s no avoiding the extra angles and the accompanying extra coolness of the LX2.

Naturally, it comes with Valor’s latest remote control and also, just for that extra level of chic, you can control it from its own app too.

With two different engine styles to choose from, you can configure it how you want, and that 36,000 BTUs per hour is enough to reach the chilliest parts of a large living room with natural-feeling radiant heat.

Bottom line, if you want even heat across the scope of large rooms, and still want a fireplace that stops people in their tracks to nod and suck their teeth at the degree of your style, Valor has quite a handful of options, but the LX2 is just cooler from more angles.

That means if you have the room that can take its maximum heat output, the LX2 is a classy-looking way to warm a room, and will both turn heads and fascinate kids even in the internet, game console world. 

L1 See-Thru Linear

We’ve seen that Valor has quite a number of different wow-factor statement fireplaces. The L1 See-Thru Linear is… not one of them. At least, not exactly.

Designed to be an inclusion in say, a dividing or a statement wall, the L1 See-Thru Linear is the kind of fireplace that at first, you can manage to overlook.

But really, that just lulls you into a false sense of so-whattery, so that when it’s fired up, you don’t go “Hey, cool,” so much as “Wait – what??”

At 40 inches long, you might think it would be difficult to exactly ignore, but by virtue of where it’s supposed to go, and the bonus of its see-thru component, you’d be forgiven if you thought it was just a cool bit of built-in sculpture.

With a maximum heat output of over 22,000 BTUs per hour, this is not just a cool bit of built-in sculpture. The fun of which of course is that it can be heating areas either side of itself effectively.

Yes, naturally, Valor HeatShift is the technology that allows this to be thinkable, so you won’t scorch the ever-living hoo-ha out of the wall in which you install it. And the Valor 10 remote app means you have fingertip control wherever you use your phone.

Usefully, the fireplace is not run by electricity, so even if the power gets turned off, you can still stay toasty with the otherwise unassuming L1 See-Thru.

While it packs much the same punch as some of Valor’s more dramatic fireplaces, the L1 See-Thru has potential for a surprise chic effect, putting a see-thru fireplace in one of the last places you’d imagine one could be.

Combining that chic with some solid heat output figures and the delicious touch of modern app technology makes it well worth considering if you have the kind of dividing wall where it can be at its most effective.

Horizon

The Horizon is for people who just want their fireplace… to be a fireplace. Very little that’s fancy, but plenty that’s functional, and with a commanding declaration of purpose.

If you want a fireplace that simply screams “Hello! I am a fireplace!” the Horizon’s going to be your perfect speed.

As it’s less huge than some other Valor fireplaces, and sits neatly in the medium-sized category, you won’t be surprised to learn it has a joyously appropriate heat output of 17,506 BTUs per hour.

For a unit that’s just 26.5 x 14.75 inches, that’s more than enough to heat a standard living room.

If you’re in your first home, or if you’re a fan of apartment living, the Horizon is going to be a much better friend to both you and your energy bills than any of the bigger Valors.

That’s absolutely what it’s made for, and when installed, it has a strong reputation for reliability.

Weirdly – but incredibly usefully – it can be installed in top vent or rear vent applications, so again, if you’re pushed for space, it can do a couple of different tricks to help you slot it into your space and lifestyle.

In terms of design elements, it’s customizable in a range of styles, from the more traditional to the extremely modern.

Again, with a fireplace that’s trying to sell as many units as possible to renters or owners of smaller properties, that chameleon factor helps it fit just about anywhere it’s put.

You get the traditional valor remote control with this model, but as you might expect given its position in the market and its price point, you lose some of the features that mark out some of its larger, more expensive cousins.

There’s no HeatShift here, and no app, either. But keeping the remote control option gives you as much as you absolutely need in a smaller space, and the traditional Valor fireplace quality means you never need to worry about whether it will work or not.

Conclusion

Valor has a strong reputation in gas fireplaces. The current range is enough to show you why, and how that reputation was built.

From the sturdy, reliable Horizon to the more statement fireplaces like the LX2 Multi-Sided and the L3 linear, it’s a company that has developed fireplaces that combine impressive aesthetics with cutting-edge performance.

Developing technologies like HeatShift, and adding a remote control app into the mix just allows Valor to offer something a little bit extra to its customers. Which, as much as anything, is why they keep coming back, fireplace after fireplace.