Heated Mattress Pads

Electric or heated mattress pads are commonly used in the wintertime to keep your bed cozy and warm, but they may also be used to relieve back pain, body aches, and pain resulting from injuries.

Typically, people who work in physical jobs find it particularly comforting to sleep in a heated bed because the heat helps them relax their tired muscles. Another purported benefit of using electric mattress pads is that you can turn down your thermostat and lower your energy bill, as a result.

Many people prefer heated pads over electric blankets because the latter can easily move or slide off during the night.

In addition, because heated mattress pads are placed under the sheets, they are better protected from dirt and wear-and-tear. As such, you don’t have to clean them as frequently as blankets and they tend to last longer.

Safety Issues

If you are considering purchasing an electric mattress pad, make sure it complies with UL 964, which is the Underwriters Laboratories standard for electrically heated bedding. The safest electric mattress pads come with a power supply that changes 120 volt AC electricity into non-hazardous, low-voltage DC electricity to eliminate the risk of electric shock.

Yet, as with anything that runs on electricity, some precautions need to be taken. Children and people with limited mobility - or those who are incapable of operating a mattress pad's controls should not use an electric mattress pad.

In addition, individuals who are insensitive to heat and cannot feel when a mattress pad may overheat should electric pads altogether.

In addition, keep in mind that electric mattress pads should never be used with waterbeds because a leak could cause electrocution.

Buying Tips

There are several brands of electric pads from which to choose so it makes sense to carefully consider the options available to you.

To prevent the risk of overheating while you sleep, choose a mattress pad that has built-in overheat protection.

Some electric mattress pads shut off automatically after 10 hours to prevent overheating. Others allow users to heat them for a pre-determined amount of time or set the temperature to shut off automatically when the desired level of heat is reached.

If you share a bed with your spouse, dual control units may come in handy because they’ll enable each of you to adjust the settings to your individual preferences.