These are Napoleon's two main direct vent gas lines, they overlap in price, and people ask us to compare them constantly. But they're not really competing products — they answer different questions about your wall.
Pick the wrong one and it isn't a performance problem. It's a proportion problem, and you'll see it every day.
The Actual Difference: Orientation
Elevation X is vertical. Portrait format, taller than it is wide. It draws the eye up.
Vector is linear. Horizontal, wide and low, running along the wall.
That's the decision. Everything else follows from it.
When Elevation X Is Right
The vertical format works where a horizontal fireplace would look squeezed:
- Narrow walls. A chimney breast, a wall between windows, a section of wall under six feet wide. A linear unit there looks cramped; a vertical one looks intentional.
- High ceilings. Vertical format reads correctly in a room with height. Linear can look like a stripe on a tall wall.
- Corner installs and narrow feature walls where you have height but not width.
- Traditional rooms. A portrait fireplace reads closer to a conventional firebox than a linear one does.
Two sizes: EX36 at $4,929 and EX42 at $5,549, each in natural gas or propane.
When Vector Is Right
Linear suits wide walls and modern rooms:
- Wide feature walls. A long uninterrupted run of wall wants something horizontal.
- Under a mounted TV. The linear format sits below a screen naturally. A vertical fireplace under a TV is difficult to make look right.
- Modern and contemporary interiors. Linear is the current architectural vocabulary.
- Room dividers. The see-through version is Vector's genuine advantage — fire visible from two rooms at once, which Elevation X cannot do.
Four widths, single-sided or see-through: LV38 from $5,039 single-sided, $6,179 see-through. LV50 from $5,729. Larger sizes up through 74".
The See-Through Question
This is the one thing only Vector does. If you're dividing a living room from a dining area, or a bedroom from an ensuite, the see-through Vector is the only option between these two.
Worth knowing before you plan around it: a see-through unit needs a wall thick enough to house it and clear framing on both sides. Bring it up with whoever is doing the framing early — it's difficult to retrofit.
The Cost Difference Nobody Mentions
The list prices look close. The complete builds don't.
Elevation X is built to order. The firebox price is the firebox. You choose a log set and decorative interior panels separately, and both are required to complete the fireplace — it isn't finished without them. A realistic complete build runs several hundred dollars above the firebox price.
Vector includes its interior panels. Napoleon's MIRRO-FLAME reflective panels come with the unit.
So a $4,929 Elevation X and a $5,039 Vector are not a $110 decision. When you're comparing quotes from different dealers, check whether you're looking at a firebox price or a complete build price. We quote the complete build, which sometimes makes our number look higher than it is.
What They Share
Both are direct vent, which means:
- Sealed combustion — the firebox draws outside air and exhausts outside
- No chimney needed, but venting is required
- Safe for bedrooms and tightly sealed modern homes
- Real flame and real heat, unlike electric
Both need a licensed gas fitter and both need the vent run planned before framing. We cover this properly in our direct vent buying guide.
TV Above the Fireplace
Both can work under a television, but the considerations differ.
Vector sits below a TV naturally — the proportions match.
Elevation X is taller, so the TV ends up higher. Measure the wall and mark it out before you commit. A screen mounted too high is uncomfortable to watch for the life of the room.
Napoleon offers heat management accessories for both that redirect warm air away from the screen. Ask us about it when you quote — it's easier to include at order than to add later.
The Short Answer
| Your situation | The unit |
|---|---|
| Narrow wall, high ceiling | Elevation X |
| Wide feature wall | Vector |
| TV mounted above | Vector |
| Room divider, two-sided | Vector see-through |
| Traditional interior | Elevation X |
| Modern interior | Vector |
| Corner install | Elevation X |
Before You Order Either
- Measure the wall — width, height, and what's above
- Know your vent path — where it exits and how far it runs
- Confirm your fuel — natural gas or propane, ordered configured, not converted later
- Have your gas fitter look before you order, not after delivery
Free Freight, Complete Quotes
Free insured freight to the lower 48 with liftgate delivery, scheduled with you. Authorized Napoleon dealer, so the warranty is registered and intact, and we file freight damage claims rather than leaving it to you.
And we quote the complete build — firebox, required options, everything — so nothing turns up missing on install day.
Send Us Your Wall
Dimensions and a photo, and we'll tell you which of these actually fits and what it costs finished. No charge.
📞 (814) 440-4817 — American Hearth Supply, Authorized Napoleon Dealer
