To alleviate the discomfort in their muscles brought on by menstrual cramps, arthritis, injuries, and other conditions, some people turn to electric heating pads. When administered to a specific area, heat causes an increase in blood flow, which in turn helps to widen blood vessels and enhance circulation. Because of the increased blood flow to the treated area, cramps, spasms, pains, and tightness in the muscles can be relieved.
How to Safely Use Heating Pads
Some pieces of clothes, furniture, and other materials negatively react to temperatures of 140 degrees Fahrenheit or more, which might cause issues if heated to that temperature by a heating pad. However, some of the public's ideas of the risks of a heating pad may derive from far older kinds of electric blankets. These older models of electric blankets did not have the advanced electronic controls found on modern equipment. It would help if you were always mindful of what your heated pad is on and what is near because heat is an elemental and intimidating power.
Vive Health Heating PadThose individuals who favor a steady increase in their heat relief may be interested in the Vive Heating Pad, which is a choice for heating pads that can be purchased at a more affordable price. This electric heating pad was the most straightforward out of all the electric heating pads we examined. Although the cord could not be removed from the pad, it came with a removable and machine-washable micro plush cover that could be replaced. If the user desires moist heat relief, they can wet the sheet that resembles a sponge and is included with the heating pad and place it inside the cover.
The controls have been simplified to only offer four different settings: "Warm," "Low," "Medium," and "High." The controls do not have a timer or an automatic shut-off feature; nonetheless, there is a provision for automatic shut-off; the heating unit turns off regularly when it reaches specific temperatures. At first, we suspected this was a bug, but upon more investigation, we discovered that it is a security measure designed to protect consumers from getting burned.
The Vive was the only electric heating pad that worked considerably differently when exposed to the open air than when put on a tester's body. This distinction was unique to the Vive. The Vive heating pad requires approximately 15 to 16 minutes to reach its maximum temperature of around 100 degrees Fahrenheit when used outside, on the highest setting, and in the open air. During that testing, the Vive heating pad did an excellent job of retaining that heat. The temperature on the pad only dropped by slightly more than 1 degree Fahrenheit throughout the remainder of the testing time.
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PureRelief XL King Size Heating Pad
The PureRelief XL King Size Heating Pad was the pad our reviewers voted their top pick, and it delivers features that are not available in any other heating pad that is priced in a close range. The smooth and soft edges of its cover were the overwhelming preference of our testers, and even though it makes a little bit more crinkling noise when bending than other surfaces do, it is still relatively quiet.
PureRelief's six heating levels range from 105 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, which are within the same general range as the minimum and maximum levels of other heating pads (give or take 5 degrees) but offer the smallest gaps between temperatures. Other heating pads' minimum and maximum levels fall within the same range.
This addresses a common complaint among the people who use heating pads on our panel, who mentioned that "the medium is too low, but high is too hot." As a result, this pad is easier to adjust to the appropriate temperature than pads with a narrower range of options and larger jumps between settings. This heating pad comes larger, known as the XXL Extra Wide, which has nearly twice the surface area but maintains the same number of heating levels and the same amount of plushness.
- Sunbeam's King Size XpressHeat
If the PureRelief pad is unavailable or becomes more expensive than the King Size XpressHeat heating pad from Sunbeam, we recommend purchasing the latter kind. It is very similar to the other pad: The Xpress Heat offers six different heating levels, a texture that is quite similar on both sides, a controller that has a backlit LCD screen, and an identical button arrangement to that of the PureRelief. Additionally, it comes with the same warranty.
- Ohuhu XL is a Reusable Gel Pack That Can Be Used for Both Hot and Cold Therapy.
If you are looking for a heating pad that can be heated in the microwave, the Ohuhu XL Reusable Gel Pack for Hot and Cold Therapy is our top recommendation. Its physical flexibility in either frozen or hot conditions makes it easy to wrap around various portions of the body, and it may be used as an ice pack or a heating pad.
Even while the gel pack's dimensions of 14 by 11 inches are smaller than those of our top option, this size is more than sufficient for the majority of body locations, and it also assures that the gel pack will fit safely into even a microwave with a limited amount of space.
The gel contained within the Ohuhu pack is split into compartments, which, in contrast to some of the other gel packs we tried, makes it easier for the gel to distribute heat evenly when the pack is molded to different portions of the body. The gel packs we tested and looked at tended to be about the same size (and, for some reason, the same color, blue). However, the thing that truly sets the Ohuhu apart from the competition is its one-of-a-kind and useful pouch, which comes with attached Velcro straps that enable the Ohuhu to be wrapped around targeted body parts and used hands-free.