Electric Blankets

[Albertan mom]

My dd is always cold at night, and needs a new blanket because hers doesn't keep her warm enough. I was thinking of getting her an electric one. Either to go with her old blanket, or to use alone.
I have never owned one, so I don't know anything about them!

Any brands that are really good, or really not good?

I see some have an automatic shutoff, is that worth getting?

They are machine washable? Do you have to take the heating part out, like take the blanket apart to wash it?

Any other comments, suggestions or help would be much appreciated, thank you!!

 

[FreshTressa]

I'd get a down blanket.

Electric blankets can sometimes start fires and I've heard increase breast cancer risk. It is very rare, but they still personally freak me out. Also, they are not cozy to sleep under in my experience.

What you can do is use the electric blanet to warm the bed between the down and the sheets, then remove it before sleeping. That way the down will hold all the warmth.

 

[beckmrk04]

I my electric blanket, which I am not allowed to use this winter since I'm pregnant.. Bummer.

Mine has the auto-shut off! WHen I was a freshman in HS a good friend caught her room on fire from leaving theblanket on, so I definitely reccommend a shut-off feature! (Ironically, I burned my room down within a week of her from leaving a candle lit...)

But nothing is cozier than slipping into a pre-warmed bed!

Oh, and they are machine washable, which I thought was weird, but it's true!

 

[Albertan mom]

hmmmmmm, bumping up for the morning crowd for some more input!
thanks!

 

[Jenn Lynn]

They scare me too. I would just find something warmer or pile on more layers.

 

[disneysnowflake]

I love my electric blanket, but I wouldn't use it at night.

I usually watch tv in bed before I sleep. I use it to warm me up since I'm so cold when I'm tired. Then I unplug the blanket. I leave the electric blanket on my bed to keep me warm, just without being plugged in.

 

[tinkerrn]

I love my electric blanket. I have down comforters...good and very $$$$$ ones. They just didn't keep me warm during the winter. I also replaced my sheets with flannel ones, but still I was sooo cold. I broke down last fall and bought an electric throw, which is just a smaller version of the blanket. I put it between my top sheet and my comforter. I usually turn it on about 15 to 20 minutes before bed...to get it nice and toasty. After, an hour, it turns itself off. I never worry about it catching on fire and it keeps the bed 'just right'. My hubby gets way too hot, thats why I bought the throw instead. I couldn't find a twin electric blanket last year???

I would get one, but make sure it has an auto turn off.

 

[Frantasmic]

Try an electric mattress pad too. It goes on under the covers and the heat radiates. You can keep the temperature down low on these since they work that way.

 

[poohandwendy]

Try an electric mattress pad too. It goes on under the covers and the heat radiates. You can keep the temperature down low on these since they work that way.

That is what we have, it goes under the sheets, I think that is what you meant. It's nice because it has a preheat setting that just warms the bed up and later shuts off. Or you can set it at a specific temp.

 

[PrincessKitty1]

Try an electric mattress pad too. It goes on under the covers and the heat radiates. You can keep the temperature down low on these since they work that way.

Another recommendation for an electric mattress pad! I've seen electric blankets spark many times--couldn't tell if it was static electricity or an actual electrical problem, but it was scary.

If you do get an electric blanket, heed the directions that come with it (specifically, don't cover it with another blanket).

 

[Albertan mom]

If you do get an electric blanket, heed the directions that come with it (specifically, don't cover it with another blanket).

Oh, you can't put it on top of you, with another (prettier!) blanket on top of it?

 

[kimmikayb]

Electric blankets scare me, too many fires started with them. I have a very old farm house, very cold. We use flannel sheets and down blankets. Cozy and warm.

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

Another vote against the electric blanket.

We have a friend make double layer fleece blankets. They are like the knot-tie blankets, but instead of the fringe around the outside we use fleece binding for a cleaner finish. We made a king one for DH and I last winter and it was PERFECT.... never had a cold night.

We have several and they are always a favorite when my family comes to visit over the holidays!

 

[beckmrk04]

Another vote against the electric blanket.

We have a friend make double layer fleece blankets. They are like the knot-tie blankets, but instead of the fringe around the outside we use fleece binding for a cleaner finish. We made a king one for DH and I last winter and it was PERFECT.... never had a cold night.

We have several and they are always a favorite when my family comes to visit over the holidays!

Oooh, that's a really good idea!! My grandma has made us 3 of the knot-tie fleece blankets, and they are just the warmest! I even took one with me to the hospital when I had to stay 2 weeks ago (hospitals are always so flipping cold).

 

[kimmikayb]

Another vote against the electric blanket.

We have a friend make double layer fleece blankets. They are like the knot-tie blankets, but instead of the fringe around the outside we use fleece binding for a cleaner finish. We made a king one for DH and I last winter and it was PERFECT.... never had a cold night.

We have several and they are always a favorite when my family comes to visit over the holidays!

Great idea! Any chance you have directions?

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

Directions? Not really.... you just need to get enough fleece to cover the dimensions you want - then buy the binding (Wal-mart or Joann's for a better color selection). It's like the silk blanket binding, only it's narrower and made of fleece.

For someone who sews (I don't!) it's a pretty easy project. The lady that did ours said the biggest challenge was the puckering when sewing the binding (due to the bulk) but it was pretty managable.

Sorry I am not much help.... but it's really very simple.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

Electric blankets can sometimes start fires and I've heard increase breast cancer risk. It is very rare

you don't.......ACTUALLY believe that, do you? that's like saying cell phones give you cancer.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

i've had heated blankets since i was about 8. only one of them ever shorted.....and by the time it did that it was really old and worn out. you should never keep a heated blanket for more than 5 years.

i've never gotten breast cancer from them(NO IDEA where THAT was pulled from) and i love them.

my mother doesn't turn on the heat very much in the winter-time. not so much for the bill, but because if she's not cold, then no one else must be, so a heated blanket is wonderful.

i just had to purchase a new one, because my old one stopped working. i suggest it highly. it's called Cozy Max by Built Safe Technoligies. i got it at Big Lots and it was pretty cheap, only $30. it has a 10-hour automatic shut off, which is nice incase you forget to turn it off, and it has this "insta check" thing that it checks for errors in the blanket the whole time it's on. if it finds an error, for any reason(even if the cord is twisted) it will turn off and not turn back on until you find out what the problem is and fix it. a few nights ago my cord for the blanket was twisted and it wasn't heating up so i looked and the screen was reading "error" and it would not turn back on. it took me a bit to figure out what was wrong with it, but i figured it out, fixed it, and it turned back on.

on the instructions it will tell you "do not place any other blankets ontop of this one" but you can, it's just a precaution. but these blankets are made with such care now, nothing will happen.

they also have heated pads that you put under your sheets that you sleep ontop of on your bed. if you don't like the blanket ontop of you, that would be a good choice as well.

and you don't have to take the blanket apart to wash it. you just take the plug out of it and make sure it's fully dried by the time you plug it back in. but like i said, with the one i have, it wouldn't turn on if it was still wet.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

Oh, you can't put it on top of you, with another (prettier!) blanket on top of it?

you can. i have ever since i was little, and i've NEVER had a problem with my blanket. but i don't usually turn it up all the way either. my blanket now goes up to 10 and i usually don't go past 6. and my old one went up to 20 and i never went past 3.

 

[FreshTressa]

you don't.......ACTUALLY believe that, do you? that's like saying cell phones give you cancer.

I am wondering why you chose such a rude way of making that point.

But, anyway, I reasearched it further and in my defense, there have been scientific studies that showed a link. Hoever, further studies have showed that the link is so small as to be negligable.