Gas log sets range from $300 vent-free starter sets to $2,500 hand-painted vented sets that look indistinguishable from real wood. Here's how to choose.

Vented vs ventless log sets

Vented log sets burn with a tall, realistic yellow flame — but they need an open damper, which sends most of the heat up the chimney. They're decorative.

Ventless log sets burn cleanly with a smaller blue-and-yellow flame, no damper needed, and put real heat into the room. They have BTU limits and require an ODS pilot.

Brands worth paying for

• RealFyre (Peterson) — the realism standard
• Empire Comfort Glow — best value vented sets
• Rasmussen — premium hand-painted vented sets
• Monessen — solid mid-tier vent-free

Sizing matters

Log sets are sized by burner length (18", 24", 30"). Bigger burner = more BTU. Match the BTU to your gas supply (1/2" line maxes around 60,000 BTU at typical pressure) and to the firebox dimensions — too big and you'll soot, too small and it looks wrong.