For those of you in colder climates

[washman]

Have you heard of Electrowarmth?

http://electrowarmth.com/

As I have aged, not mellowed, I notice that I am more sensitive to a cold bed. Rather than jack up the heat and dry out an already rather dry climate, I looked around for a solution.

I've had electric blankets in the past and found them to do ok IF you sleep on top of them but they never warmed the mattress enough for me. As such, I had to pile on the comforters etc just to keep from shivering.

Enter Electrowarmth.

I ordered one 3 years ago in a Queen size to cover a 17 inch thick mattress. I can honestly say that this is one of the best investments (after Speed Queen)I have made in a long time. As the web site says, you sleep on it not under it. I drives out cold and dampness and with flannel sheets, I hardly feel anything underneath. I find that a setting of 3 is sufficient to keep me warm with the furnace down to 64 at night. As a result, I wake up feeling refreshed and not dehydrated.

It holds up well in washing, especially with the oh so gentle action of the Speed Queen.
Made in USA it runs on 110 v and has a quiet electronic control which lights up when you change the heat setting. I start mine on 5 and leave it for 15 minutes, then jump into bed and turn it to 3. Even during subzero weather, the bed is warm as toast. Makes a helluva difference on my aching back for sure.

 

[petek]

I've never heard of that particular brand name but I had a Sunbeam one I bought years and years ago. I can't remember what happened to it now. Anyways I hadn't used one for a few years but bought a Sunbeam blanket last year on sale but yeah the mattress pads are definitely nicer.

 

[rp2813]

We haven't used an electric blanket or any other heat source with our bed since we bought a down comforter, and our programmable furnace thermostat is set to 55 at night.  It has kicked in before dawn only once or twice this season. 

 

We have a couple of sets of fleece sheets that we use during the winter, and they never feel cold when we get into bed.  Between those and the comforter we use a "Velux" type blanket, and that's it.

 

If I were sleeping alone, I'd probably notice the cold more, but Dave tends to run hot so it all works out.

 

[polkanut]

We now have a Sunbeam electric mattress pad.  One of the dual controls crapped out with our first one about 3yrs ago.  Bev found the Sunbeam on sale at JCPenney's  after Christmas.  I've noticed that this one doesn't get as warm as the first one did.  I usually set my side at 2, and Bev starts out at 4 or 5 and then turns it down during the night.  We also have a mediumweight polyester filled quilt on the bed during the winter.  At night we turn our thermostat down to between 63-65° because we like it cool for sleeping. 

 

[mattl]

This year I'm doing a "sandwich". Heated mattress pad and heated blanket. Both on med to low. It's been cold around here and my High temp in the house is 63 after 9pm furnace is off till morning. Few mornings I got up and showered in 48 degree temps. Surprisingly it's not as bad as you would think. Takes me about 10 days to get used to it in the fall, but now when I go to someone's home and it's in to 70s I feel like I'm roasting. Even at a temp of 63 I feel comfortable in shorts around the house.

 

[imperial70]

This information is very helpful!
I was wondering what to do for my mom. She's 87 and anemic. She is cold and I've been cranking the heat up for her. Don't want her to get hypothermia. I will look for these heated matress pads. Sounds like what the Dr. ordered.

 

[NYCWriter]

Heated pads and blankets ...

... are very dangerous.

Encasing your body in an electrical field, especially during sleep, disrupts brain wave function as well as the bio-electric functions of the heart and other vital organs.

 

[maytagbear]

Uhm, er......

consenting adults?

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[jeffg]

What Matt said. There's no shortage of junk science on ELF and 60Hz radiation effects, but there's also enough hard evidence of carcinogenic activity to warrant government standards and warnings (see link), and imo to steer clear of them when possible.

One compromise is to turn on the mattress pad or blanket pad a few hours before retiring, and unplug it when you go to bed. If your own body heat isn't enough to keep you warm during the night, you need a warmer bedroom and/or bedding.

Also a thick wool blanket serves the same purpose as an electric mattress pad or blanket, it does not require sleeping on or under wires and is therefore a lot more comfortable. They won't pre-warm your bed but they virtually eliminate cold shock from your sheets.

http://https//www.osha.gov/SLTC/elfradiation/

 

[NYCWriter]

Jeff ...

"One compromise is to turn on the mattress pad or blanket pad a few hours before retiring, and unplug it when you go to bed. If your own body heat isn't enough to keep you warm during the night, you need a warmer bedroom and/or bedding."

BINGO!

If you must use these devices, use them to pre-warm the bed to avoid that "cold sheet shock" only, then *unplug*. If you get cold during the night, pile on another blanket. Or two. Or even three.

One day, I'm sure, just as we have a thread here on the dangers of Edwardian homes -- as we all collectively slap our foreheads in incredulity over the profound cluelessness of women wrapping their hair in asbestos and infusing their water with radium "for good health" -- 50 years from now people in 2064 will be looking back at US saying WTF could they possibly have been thinking, literally placing their bodies under a live electrical grid just to keep warm???

 

[washman]

Well now I know

I have been asked why I am a Speed Queen nut. I have the answers now.

 

[jeffg]

Matt, history tends to forget those sins. I think the 2064 WTF list will be about as long as ours is today for people in 1963.

 

[foraloysius]

I love my waterbed! Never a cold bed and I sleep very well in it.

 

[davey7]

Table Heaters

Apparently they have table heaters in Japan, with a quilt to snuggle up under.

 

[whirlcool]

We've tried both a heated mattress pad and an electric blanket, but not both at the same time (usually there is a warning against this in the owners manual). We find that we like the electric blanket the best. We preheat the beds a few hours before getting into it. Just perfect. I hate the "Cold sheet shock" too.

Not only do we also find that the current electric blankets don't get nearly as warm as they used to, but they don't last as long either. With washing (according to instructions) we find we can get two seasons out of a blanket. And every time you wash it, it never gets as hot as it did before you washed it. I think it had to do with some fed law requiring blankets don't get hot enough to burn people. I also noticed that they are now referred to as "Electric Warming Blankets" rather than just "Electric Blanket".

 

[mattl]

Correct, that is why I've opted for both as of late.  Neither seems to get warm enough alone.

 

Funny story relating to my earlier post.  We're having another cold snap her in MI, right now it 3 degrees, this am it was 7.  Got up this AM was doing a few things around the house, looked at the outdoor temp and was glad I'm not going out today, and about an hour so later I thought "gee it a bit cool in the house."  Checked the thermostat and it showed 51 degrees.  I've been having issues with the power vent on my furnace and it decided to cut out again this AM.  Thing is I was not that uncomfortable at 51.  Once you get used to cooler temps I guess you are not that sensitive.

 

[yogitunes]

I prefer the water bed also...warm in the winter and cool in the summer....

but have replaced mine with a regular mattress....and an electric blanket if needed....

and like Ralph, I sleep next to a heater....what next?...should I worry about the dangers of spooning?....or him inserting a plug into an outlet!

 

[vintagekitchen]

vintage electric blankets for me!!

As others have mentioned, the new blankets just don't get hot enough, and I can't stand the heated mattress pads, the lower side of me gets hot and the upper side freezes. It's like being a human hamburger in a frying pan.

I buy every vintage electric blanket I come across, most for one or 2 dollars, the most I have paid for one is 8 dollars, and it was immaculate. Most of them work, and the ones that don't are still a higher quality regular blanket than you can find today, so I remove the wires from the non working ones and use them as regular blankets.

I wash mine in the haier front load, wool cycle, low speed spin, and drip dry over the shower rod. In the past I have washed them in a top load single speed washer by washing one at a time, let the washer fill completely, agitate one or 2 minutes, soak 20 or 30 minutes, spin about 30 seconds to a minute, and repeat to rinse.

Most of them are older than me, or close to the same age, and they get regular use as every bed in the house is equipped with one, as well as 2 heated electric throws in the living room for watching tv or guests sleeping on the couch.

 

[warmsecondrinse]

I'm with Yogitunes; sleeping with a heater is the ideal even with the plug-and-outlet dangers.

Davey7: I remember my roommate (from Tokyo) telling me about those table heaters. Frequently rooms have outlets specifically designed for these heaters set into the floor. But I can't imagine much heat could come from 100 volts....

When Kenji first came to the U.S. he was amazed at how oversized and rugged our major appliances were compared to those in Japan. He was in shock at the size and complexity of the heating systems in single family homes. he learned really quickly after his first winter in Storrs, Conn., lol.