Electric blanket

[Hymnulop]

Settle an argument for me - electric blankets on kids beds (age 6 and nearly 1) yay or nay?

This has come up on the basis we won't be putting the heating on so much this winter and need alternatives. Thanks.

YABU absolutely not
YANBU absolutely fine

Definitely. We've put them on smart plugs so they will automatically switch off if anyone forgets to turn them off and goes for boil in a bag child.

No, but how about an electric over blanket. You can put it on to warm the bed up and whip it out when they get in so the bed is heated when they get in

Why would this be a no?

Put them on the beds and have them on a timer. They dont stay in all night.

Also, get heated throws. Great for sitting on the sofa at night ti warm you up without having the heating on.

I’ve been looking at electric blankets this evening, everything I have read has said it’s safe but ideally the child would be able to use the controls themselves in case they get too hot. Mine are aged 3 and 4 so wouldn’t be able to use the controls, but we’re in a needs must situation so we will be using them!

Why not?

If anyone has any links to other suggestions such as over blankets etc mentioned, I have no idea as in normal times we just whack the heating up and have a bigger tog duvet. Not doing that this year though.

Not putting the heating on has been a thing in my life for many years - I used to put my kids in fleece onesies which kept them snug. I don’t think I’d be comfortable using electric blankets on small children who couldn’t use the controls themselves.
I love mine though. When it’s cold I go to bed and watch TV up there with it on.

Personally, I wouldn't leave them on overnight, not just safety concerns but also my DS seems to get quite sweaty at night even just in his regular duvet, so I'd feel like an electric blanket would just make him too warm. I think I'd fund that level of heat way too drying, as well, and I can imagine waking up feeling pretty grim after sleeping under an electric blanket all night.

I'd put it on the bed to warm it before getting in it then switch it off to sleep, personally. Then just make sure there's a hot water bottle, really thick, warm pyjamas and a good quality, high tog duvet. Brushed cotton sheets are good for warmth and a regular fleecy blanket over the duvet makes a big difference too.

Yes we put them on about an hour before bedtime so their beds are nice and toasty when they get in, we turn them off as soon as they’re in bed so no chance of them overheating. Do the same on our beds. It’s amazing

We go for good old fashioned hot water bottles here, plus they both have wheat warmies.

We're not worried about nighttime heating as we never have the heating on over night anyway...

All those hoping to avoid putting on the heating as much as possible this winter are you not worried about damp?? When we didn't have heating a couple years ago (heating element of boiler broken) we had a constant battle with damp mold....

My kids would have soon sorted out how to turn them back on in the night and cooked themselves. I know my grandson would fiddle with the controls the same as he does with anything electrical too.

So they'd climb out of bed to reach the plug socket, remove the timer and plug the blanket back into the socket to get it back on?

You get a timer to switch off power from the socket.

I've got 2 boys and they have never removed the timer and plugged the blankets back in. They're not stupid.

I dont know anyone who has the heating on overnight. It's not about overnight.

Last year, and years before, people would have the heating on for a few hours in the evening. When you go to bed, the house is still at a warm temperature. You fall asleep before it gets chilly.

But now the heating wont be on for a lot of people so when they go to bed, the house is cold. Falling asleep in the cold is harsh, especially for children. Electric blankets or hot water bottles takes the chill off the bed and you can fall asleep during the hour it is switched on. So you're warm for getting off to sleep.

We will have the heating on for a bit on and off during the day/evening but a lot less than we used to, we'd have it set at say 17 overnight and probably 22 between 4pm and 10pm before bed etc. That's just not possible this year so need other options.

If we got the electric blankets I'd switch them off overnight,it would purely be to get their beds warm before sleep or whilst they went off to sleep.

We will definitely never do hot water bottles - a family member was badly burned a few years ago due to a hot water bottle so they're totally out. Wheat bags might be a good idea though thanks.

Heated blanket

Wh

Sorry posted too soon

What do we think of this heated blanket for the cot bed? Since apparently you can't buy an electric blanket to fit that size.

I just bought a heated throw from Lakeland a couple of weeks ago. It's amazing and I use it every day. I've got covid atm and I'm freezing without it - not sure how I'd manage without it. The kids now want them too!

Fine fir the six year old. Not fine for the baby. If you leave it on by mistake they can’t move when they overhead.

We never have the heating on overnight even when the children were small, always had the windows slightly open unless it was really cold. They had hot water bottles. When DS was small he slept in an unheated bedroom, we lived in North Yorkshire. I still prefer the bedroom to be cool with windows open.

Yay for preheating a bed, nay for leaving on when they get in.

Electric blankets aren't recommended for under 5's, due to the risk of SIDS/overheating. Using it just to warm the bed and turned off- possibly, but I'd still want a timer to ensure it did go off overnight.

I think it’s a good idea, use a timer with it.

I have an electric heated throw for the couch. I’m thinking about getting a bed one too. They cost pennies to run and save a lot of money in heating bills.

I wouldn’t use anything heated for my 1 year old. He’s a sweaty little thing anyway and I’d worry about him over heating.

I just blast the hairdryer under the bedclothes for a few seconds to take the chill off before they hop in on a cold night, does the job, for next to nothing cost wise and an extra blanket under the duvet.
I also use the hairdryer to help dry them off after a bath and to heat up their clothes when dressing.

My 10 year old has one, we have it on for 30 mins before getting into bed. I’m not sure I would risk it with the 1 year old.

You need to be sure they are past the bed wetting stage and unlikely to throw up in bed (liquid and electricity would worry me) and as others have said- they need to be able to move if they get too warm.