Gas logs for your fireplace are the safest, most cost-effective way to ensure that you and company can enjoy gathering around a fire. Their ceramic fiber materials make them able to withstand thousands of direct flame degrees without emitting any toxic fumes. Gas logs offer a mess-free alternative to natural wood fires, saving you cleanup time and money spent on buying wood. Luckily, there have never been more quality gas logs available than right now, each offering unique benefits to suit the widest variety of uses. Our team chose the top gas fireplace logs in 2023 for their safe materials, realistic construction, and affordability. With these logs, you can be sure to enjoy a relaxing fireplace experience, just like you would in front of a fireplace that uses real wood, but without all the harmful fumes.
These are the safest gas fireplace logs available. They emit zero unhealthy fumes, no matter how hot the flame. Enjoy ten incredibly detailed logs for an authentic experience.
Natural Glo’s realistic logs work for nearly all kinds of fireplaces. All ten logs are separate from one another, allowing you to decide how you want to arrange each gas log in your fireplace. These gas logs range from 10 to 15 inches in length, so they’re large enough to fill in any kind of fireplace. Thanks to their reliability and classic design, these gas logs are the best overall pick on our list.
These gas fireplace logs offer the most realistic look of any option available. Each gas log is skillfully hand-painted for a unique appearance. Peterson Real Fyre constructs these logs using the highest-quality refractory ceramic.
These gas logs are available in eight unique log constructions, each painted to look as authentic as possible. They’re incredibly durable and reinforced with steel rods for extra structural support. Plus, they’re conveniently available in both 18 and 24 inch sizes, making it easier for you to find the right size for your particular fireplace.
These fireplace logs by Barton Gas offer the highest quality of materials than any other set of its kind. Each gas log is made out of the strongest ceramic fibers, so we’re impressed by their realistic styling. This set of ten gas logs for your fireplace features five sizes between 10 and 15.3 inches for maximum appearance variety.
The set includes ten logs, so they fill up a fireplace very nicely to give it an aesthetic boost. These logs are designed in a way so that they don’t cause any scratching or scuffing inside the fireplace.
These logs add the perfect amount of variety to your fireplace. This ten-piece set by Stanbroil features a mix of typical wood logs and pine cones, and is conveniently available in two sizes. Stanbroil’s set of gas fireplace logs is ceramic and doesn’t emit any toxic fumes.
This gas log set mimics a natural wood fireplace’s look by appearing orange and deep red in various areas as the fire burns. Stanbroil makes these fireplace logs compatible with other items in their fireplace equipment line, including grates and rock wool embers.
These logs will look great in your fireplace. They feature high-grade ceramic fiber that provides clean combustion with no residue. Enjoy these realistic logs in a nine or ten-piece set, both offering a sufficient number of logs to comfortably fill up any fireplace.
These gas logs give more variety to a fireplace’s appearance, thanks to the four sizes present in each set and the mixture of pine cones and logs. Their dimensions make these fireplace logs ideal for smaller fireplaces. This set of fireplace logs ensures a high-quality fireplace experience.
Gas logs for your fireplace carry all the unique advantages of conventional logs without the drawbacks. This means no cleaning, no switching out logs, or heat fluctuations on cold nights. They look and feel like the real thing, and getting the best gas fireplace log is an investment most homeowners won’t regret.
In this guide, we’ll discuss the different styles of logs, their features, strengths, weaknesses, and other important details.
There are two main styles of gas fireplace logs.
Vented gas logs are designed to be used in a traditional wood and ash fireplace with an operational chimney. They’re safer replacements for real wood and feature substantial detailing. They produce large orange flames that very much look and burn like authentic firewood.
Vented gas logs emit carbon monoxide when they are set to fire, and require your chimney damper to stay open at all times to prevent build-up. They are not the most efficient type of gas log because most of the heat generated is lost through the chimney.
The average vented ceramic gas log ships with a standard or ANSI certification. This proves that it has not been tampered with.
Ventless or vent-free log sets are the opposite of vented ceramic fire logs. They are designed to produce clean, smokeless fire and do not need a chimney or outlet to operate. They are nearly 100% efficient since they emit almost no carbon monoxide after combustion and heat is not lost via the chimney.
Ventless gas logs produce low burning, blue flames that seem almost unnatural. They can also produce larger, golden flames, but they don’t look as organic as fires from vented gas logs.
Ventless fire logs burn oxygen and leave water vapor as a byproduct. Over time, this excess moisture can raise the humidity in your home, cause condensation to form on your windows, supercharge local odors, and can even trigger lung irritation.
Just like the vented logs, ventless gas logs also have to be ANSI certified and adhere to the national code. Ventless gas logs are also illegal in several states within the United States, so you’ll have to confirm their status before you place an order.
Gas logs are made from a unique blend of ceramic fiber and refractory cement and are designed to withstand extreme temperatures. Some manufacturers might choose to add steel reinforcement rods to increase their resistance to heat long-term, but cement and ceramic are universal bases.
They use refractory cement because it makes them extremely durable and allows them to hold their colors for longer after continuous exposure to extreme heat. Gas logs are modeled after actually burned logs. To make them, detailed molds are made and then filled with cement and ceramic mixture, and finally painted to capture the wood’s natural marks, pittings, colors, etc.
The material composition might differ between various manufacturers. Some might emphasize ceramic over refractory cement and vice versa, while others might prioritize the aesthetic appeal.
A ventless fireplace is the most widely used in modern homes. It provides a comfortable, steady warmth while also being superior in terms of safety and ease of use. It uses a sealed venting system that burns fuel outside the house and produces a clean flame inside the fireplace. This is a safe and efficient way to stay warm as it does not compromise the air quality of your home. Also, it helps ensure that your family stays healthy by avoiding the generation of harmful gases like carbon monoxide that are produced by wood-burning fireplaces. If you are purchasing a fireplace log set, make sure you have a ventless fireplace to ensure the best warmth in your space.
Controlling the flow of propane or natural gas to your log is arguably more important than the appearance of the logs themselves. With proper control systems set in place, you can guarantee your home will always be safe and prevent any accidents down the line.
Match-lit ignition controls are the most affordable and reliable control method. All you have to do is release the gas, and use a match or lighter to ignite it. Unfortunately, this lighter method is only available with a vented gas log set that uses natural gas.
The safety pilots prevent gas leakage and automatically shut the gas flow to a fireplace when the fire is put out.
These safety pilots can be remotely operated via remote control. This means you can turn on and shut off the gas flow to your fireplace whenever you choose.
The Millivolt valve is more or less like the Safety pilot, except more versatile. You can connect it to a handheld remote, wall switch, timer, or thermostat.
These come coupled with electric ignition systems. They more or less allow you to remotely shut on and off your gas flow via a wall switch, remote, or valve.
Any of the control systems would do just fine. Some people prefer to stick with the manual Safety pilot, and others prefer a full electric ignition set.
There is generally no universal sizing method in place for gas fireplace logs. Usually, the manufacturers provide the sizing, measurements, and clearing they deem appropriate and tell you how to measure. Oversized or undersized logs can damage gas valves and your fireplace, and could even start fires, so you want to make sure you confirm that you are dealing with the right set.
We recommend you measure out the width, height, and depth of your fireplace so you can get a proper fit.
To keep up the appearance of your fireplace, it’s important to keep the logs clean. Take a look at this video from Fireside Kitchens for a simple tutorial:
The price of gas logs is determined by the product’s style, model, manufacturer, extra features, durability, and level of detail.
A: No. You might not need to replace your gas log for 3 whole years after purchase. Some logs can even last longer.
A: They operate on natural gas or propane gas, and a few models can even use both.
A: No, you should not install a gas fireplace yourself. They require obtaining a permit and a post-installation inspection for safe operation, so you're better off letting a professional handle that for you.