Bed Warmers
Keeping cozy on a cold winter's night
If you've ever crawled into a cold bed in the middle of January, then you know how it feels - not good! However, if you had a bed warmer to pre-heat your mattress for you, you'd never have to feel that chill again.
What is a bed warmer?
A lot of people wonder what the difference between an electric blanket and a bed warmer is. The most substantial way in which a bed warmer differs from an electric blanket is in their positioning. While an electric blanket acts as a blanket, a bed warmer looks more like a mattress pad - it lays on top of the mattress itself and you in turn lay on top of it.
Bed warmers are often used for the following reasons:
- As a mattress warmer to pre-heat and continuously heat a cold bed.
- When it's extra frigid out or if you're suffering from a cold or the flu.
- To drive dampness out of bedding.
- In RVs, campers and trucks that have a 12-volt connector that can be plugged into the cigarette lighter.
Who benefits from bed warmers?
The heat from a bed warmer can offer relief to people with poor circulation, and can be particularly beneficial for elderly people who tend to have poor circulation, have cold feet, or are prone to illness.
However, it is the energy efficiency of a bed warmer that makes them beneficial to homeowners.
Because bed warmers heat from below, energy is not wasted when it rises and escapes, which is exactly what happens with electric blankets.
And because bed warmers can run all night, homeowners can turn down the house temperature when they're sleeping and still maintain the same level of warmth.
Purchasing a bed warmer
If you're in the market for a bed warmer, you will probably want to consider the following options:
- Find one that's heat elements are not felt when lying on top of it. It's best to get a model that has its heating elements housed within several layers of quilted padding.
- Look for one that is washable. Even if you have to do it by hand, bed warmers that have removable covers or protectors are the better way to go.
- Try to get a bed warmer that is either fitted or has elastic straps that will hold it in place. There's nothing worse than having a shifting heating pad beneath you when you're trying to sleep.
- If you're not really interested in investing in an electric bed warmer, you can always use a hot water bottle to pre-heat your bed in the winter or if you're sick.
- Felix and Fido like warm beds, too. Bed warmers are also available for pets.
