Electric Blanket OR Mattress Pad?

[barbszy]

Originally posted by MKS in another thread:

I want to ask about an electric blanket as opposed to an electric mattress pad. It is a frugal thing, but thought I might open it up to other fc memebers too. I could not find much at Wmart & hardly get to shop elsewhere. It would have to be dual control as dh would not want to use his side at all. Right now I use a heating pad just on my feet. I turn it on several min b4 getting into bed then turn it off when I go to bed. (Wouldn't be safe to leave it on.) The heat from it is not lasting long enough this winter! I'm just about tired of being cold. Our baseboard heaters take forever to heat up a cold room & I don't want to leave them turned way up all the time.

[Txchef_fran]

Hey Barbszy. I am alwasy cold. (even 5 motnhs pregnant) I have bad allergies so we have to keep our windown a little cracked or the dry air from the heater reeks havock on my breathing but then I get cold. My dh is alwasy hot so he likes the window open as well.

I have an electric blanket that I folded in ½ for my side only. I turn it on high before I go to bed then turn it off once I get in. If I get cold in the night I just switch it back on but on low which is a slight warmth but warm enough. I have it under my fitted sheet so I don't cover up with it just warm the bed with it.

The only bad thing is when the alarm goes off and I have to get out of bed!! Or I have to make my hourly bathroom break.

[barbszy]

Fran, sounds like you are using your electric blanket the way MKS wanted to use a mattress pad!

Since you're pregnant, did you check with your OB whether it's safe to use electric blankets during pregnancy?

I'd LOVE to have an electric blanket myself, but since I practice Natural Family Planning, I have to take my temperature every morning. Using an electric blanket would artificially raise my waking temp so I settle for an extra wool blanket, doubled over on my side of the bed.

As far as the heat goes, have you tried a cool mist humidifier in the room while you sleep? It has helped me tremendously.

[MKS]

Speaking of safe...why is it safe to leave your electric blanket or mattress pad on all night, but not the heating pad? My is about 6 years old & I don't think it is quite heating right so I wouldn't trust it anyway, but I've wondered about leaving the blanket on all night.

[KSJEn6891]

I probably shouldn't be posting because I am not a huge fan nor do I use an electric pad / blanket... even when we had power out in 20* temps (Thanksgiving week Nov. 2010),
and house only reached 40* during day-light hours. I am however a fan of piling on the blankets and if I have to wear a pair of socks to bed to keep my toes warm - I did this when we lived in upper Illinois for 10 years also, as well as here as a child and since 2007 (Kitsap County, Suburb of Seattle, WA). We have a thick mattress cover, and a few of the blankets are thermals (I think we bought them at a Farm and fleet store in WI - between 1992 and 2002)... of course our cats have a tendency to sleep with us also and being fat, although unhealthy for the most part on the organs, has its perks during the cold(er) weather

[KSJEn6891]

On another note, it's not just electric blankets I have concerns with... I about jump out of my skin when Dh leaves the crock-pot on low during the day when we are away or over the night hours Because they are suppose to be "safe" cooking options.

[ellenmelon]

A few years ago we switched over to an electric 'warming' blanket. I am not sure how the technology works but it uses less electricity than one of those from WMart and it has the nicest fabric cover and it is machine washable.

Here is one link but ours have a nice ribbed pattern in the fabric.

Fleece Electric Warming Blankets - Blankets and Throws - Bedding - Touch Of Class

and we paid about $110 for a twin but well worth it so much we bought three twins and a queen over the last few years. The queen has dual controls. My dh is the colder one.

Ahhh! Here is the one we got: from the Company Store.
Triple Rib Warming Blanket | The Company Store

[dval]

I will never use an electric blanket. My nephew in NH used one every night. One night the blanket started a fire in his bed (with him in it). Thank God all 4 of them got out okay. The firemen told them that the blanket probably shorted out when it was folded over.
I have an electric mattress cover. It has two separate sides but it also has more wires near the foot area and gets less as you go up to the head area. There are no wires under the pillow area. I haven't used it since the fire at my brothers but I really liked that pad. I would turn it on to heat up the bed and shut it off when I got in the bed. Hubby usually kept it on all night on his side. Now I can't have that much heat!

[apricot]

I've used electric blankets and also tried an electric pad but don't trust them anymore. Dh was terrible about remembering to turn his side off and sometimes would leave it on all day. Even with dual controls I was always too hot when his side was turned up and with the blanket would feel exhausted when I got up in the morning. The pad didn't drain me like the blanket did but it didn't keep me as warm either. Now I use flannel sheets and pile on the blankets, wear socks and sometimes even a beany type hat to keep warm.

[Miss Money Penny]

Mattress pad for me. Can't sleep in a warm/hot room... can't sleep when I'm too warm.