Heated throw/Over blanket/Electric blanket

[bippertybop]

Hi I'm looking for some help with heated blankets. I'm so confused with them.
I ordered an electric blanket for my kids but it seems very wiry and uncomfortable. Where is it supposed to go? We have a mattress with a mattress topper and then fitted cotton sheet. Is the electric blanket supposed to go under the cotton sheet? It still feels quite uncomfortable. There is also the horrible bulky plastic plug connector in the corner which will be uncomfortable. Do people order much larger sizes so that it wraps around the sides of the mattress so it's not as uncomfortable as the sizing seems very small. The single one is tiny.

I also see Over blankets for sale. Do people just put these on top of their duvets? It must take a while to heat up the duvet and underlying sheet ?

And heated throws ? I guess those are just for covering you whilst you watch tv etc or do people use them as over blankets on their beds too?

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Anyone?

Heated throws are generally used whilst lounging around, can't comment on the electric blankets as haven't used one for over 40 years, I prefer a hot water bottle.

We have an electric blanket between mattress and sheet. Plugs in wall next to bed and we have a smart plug, so it can go on half hour before we go up and then turn off when we get into bed. Lovely.

In a bid to use less heating in the evenings (when we turn it on), I've bought a heated throw. It's the size of a single duvet, and last night I tried it out. It heated up very quickly and I just had it on for an hour. half an hour in, I didn't really need it because I was blanketed by cats who can detect comfort from quite a distance.

I suppose you could put it on the bed to warm it. You can buy 'overblankets' that you meant to stay on the bed and cover you under a duvet. Husband draws the line at that - he'd rather not have the underblanket on. We used to have one with dual controls, but the one we have now is all or nothing.

I get what you say about the wires - I can put up with that.

Just bought my daughter a dreamland heated throw. Its very good but I thought it was really tiny so am waiting for their heated overblanket to come back in stock.

I have this underblanket which is fleecy and not wiry feeling. Goes under a cotton sheet. The remote controls don't bother us at night. They're right in the corner, so not near where I am. We just have a king size in our king bed and it's fine. I imagine a larger size wouldn't work as it would bunch up and be uncomfortable. It fits the bed just fine.

I have a heated throw, it's very fluffy. I can tell the wires are there as the blanket doesn't drape the way a normal blanket does, but they are well enough hidden that I had to show the kids where they were. Mine has a timer and lower settings for overnight, so you can put it over the bed and it will turn off after 1, 3 or 9 hours. It also has a rapid heating setting, using that for the first 10 minutes means I haven't so far needed to turn it on before getting into bed.

Thanks all that's useful

Could you say where it was from please? Or add a link?

I have an electric heated cushion, it has 3 settings and cuts out automatically after 90 mins, so I tend to use that instead of a hot water bottle (usually down by my feet as they’re the coldest bit of me) Got it off Amazon for about £30 a couple of years ago, has been a godsend for cramps as well

I have an electric blanket on the mattress then a thin mattress topper then the fitted sheet. Otherwise I can feel the wires. You position the blanket so the hard bit at the edge is on a bottom corner. Blanket is smaller than the mattress as you don't have it under the pillow bit.

Am sure I’m teaching granny to suck eggs here, but will post anyway! Obviously lots of people are wanting to save costs at the moment. But just to highlight, please don’t think you can save money by combining the two.

An electric blanket is for heating the bed and is fine to lie on. Heated throws are only to go over you, you are not meant to sit/lie on them (obvious exception made for cats!).

I love my heated throw, but I’m like a pp - can’t get on with a blanket under the sheet, I prefer a hot water bottle.

@mightbeyesmightbeno it's this one www.dreamlanduk.co.uk/uk/heated-overblanket-tartan-check-velvety-sherpa.html . It's out of stock at the moment though.

Whilst on this subject, do people with cats and heated throws feel safe? I'm worried about a warm happy cat stretching its claws into the wires and short circuiting it. What would happen?

I see what you mean, but they have a magnetic attraction for felines - I have three sprawled across. To be fair, it saves switching it on, so eliminates possibility of electrical mishaps.

Do Electric blankets work as well if they’re under a mattress topper? Thinking of doing this as the hard wires piss me off but only if it still heats up the bed the same…?

We have our electric blanket under a mattress topper and it works fine. I don't think you would feel the heat under a thick one though. Ours is Oxford Homeware King Size Mattress Protector Extra Deep 30 CM Fitted Anti Allergy Breathable Microfiber Mattress Cover with Elastic Corner Straps amzn.eu/d/9YgjX27

I have just ordered a heated throw from Lakeland. Never had one before, but looking forward to being warm and cosy on the sofa in the evening (without paying loads to heat the whole house). I really hope it’s comfortable and soft when it arrives 🤞🏻

If I like it I might get a bed one, not sure what’s better though, the one that’s underneath the sheet or one that’s on top like a blanket 🤔 …

I've just seen on gransnet someone say that she has a heated throw which was said to cost pennies per day to run, she checked on the Smart meter and it was 10pence/hour. Which could add up if you have a couple of them on all evening.

Still cheap though.

In our family we have 2 weighted blankets, a heated blanket and a really soft snuggly fluffy throw from dunelm (this one www.dunelm.com/product/teddy-bear-throw-1000162540?defaultSkuId=30533626&ds_c=Bedding_Throws+and+Blankets_%5BGOO-PLA+PSB-BEDDING-THROWS%5D&gclid=CjwKCAjwpqCZBhAbEiwAa7pXeb5VjDYoSJDJnrycrSDImeBCmEDvGJnsxdL-fiHODRYMp4f9HIATphoChiQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) - the one I use the most is the fluffy throw. I find the weighted blanket a bit claustrophobic and not 'snuggly' when you want to curl up on the sofa, the heated blanket is a total faff with all the wires (plus costs money to charge up). I would recommend the throw to anyone (it washes and drys really well too).

I’ve got a panda mattress topper so probably wouldn’t work.

Yes, I've just been doing the maths with my throw and at 250volts and 1.5 amps, it's using 370watts. So if it's working full blast for an hour that'll cost about 10p (actually more like 12p I think, but I daren't look too closely).