Staying warm and cozy on a cold night is a challenge that we deal with in different ways. When the weather drops, some people can afford to turn up their thermostats to heat the entire house, while others might just stack additional blankets on the bed in hopes of staying warm. Still others use heated bedding and blankets to focus warmth only on those sleeping in the cold room.
While solutions to the cold are subject to personal preference, there are economic factors to consider. Using a water-heated mattress pad is one of the most affordable ways to take the chill off of those cold nights.
1. What is a Water-Heated Mattress Pad?
2. How Does a Heated Mattress Pad Compare?
6.Don’t Just Save Money; Be Comfortable & Safe
What is a Water-Heated Mattress Pad?
Water-heated mattress pads are placed right on top of your bed, much like a typical mattress topper. This mattress warmer has channels or tubes throughout the unit where water flows. Through the use of a heating unit, water is warmed to the desired temperature. This water is then circulated throughout the mattress pad warmer heating your bed.
As the water returns to the heating unit, its temperature is recalibrated and the water passes back through the system. Some units even have the ability to provide different temperatures for each side of the bed, making it perfect for couples who have different preferences or require therapeutic relief.
How Does a Heated Mattress Pad Compare?
Since water-heated bed warmers are relatively new, most people may not even know they exist. Most are amazed when they learn there is not only a better way, but a more economical approach to stay warm.
Heat
An easy method for curing those midnight chills is to turn up the thermostat, allowing more heat to circulate throughout the house. The problem is that it’s inefficient to heat an entire home because you’re only cold in one room. Also, the process of heating the whole house can take far too long, leaving you cold for hours through the night.
The other issue is that most couples do not agree on a perfect temperature, so there is often a battle for what number to set the thermostat.
Heating the entire house also costs a great deal more, especially with the rising cost of different fuels. This makes this method not only expensive, but environmentally-unfriendly.
With a water-heated mattress pad: A water-heated mattress pad is more cost-efficient as it warms only the bed that you’re sleeping on. The temperature can be adjusted on different sides of the bed, so there’s no more need to argue with your partner about what’s too hot or too cold.
Finally, a water-heated mattress pad uses electricity only to heat the water, not to heat the whole unit, using less energy.
Adding Extra Layers
On the other extreme, one can save money by keeping the heat off and simply bundling up in additional layers of clothing and blankets. But humans are creatures of comfort, and this simply isn’t a feasible solution in that regard.
Sleeping in several layers of clothing is uncomfortable. Struggling with multiple blankets as the temperature rises and falls through the night is cumbersome. Further, it just doesn’t make sense to purchase and launder multiple blankets per bed, especially if there are many people living in the house.
With a water-heated mattress pad: As the mattress pad already warms your bedding, you can sleep with your usual amount of layers and blankets per bed for maximum comfort.
Electric Blankets
A popular item during the winter is the electric blanket. Electric blankets are mobile and relatively simple to use. However, they run several safety issues.
Electric blankets use wires or coils woven throughout the blanket to generate heat. While the risk of shock is low, these elements can overheat or become exposed, posing safety hazards. Wires also emit EMF waves, which are dangerous to humans.
The main population of people who are at high risk for danger is those who can’t feel temperature changes; for example, someone with diabetes who may have decreased sensation in their extremities. Electric blankets could cause burns if left on too high for too long.
Electric blankets also heat the air around you, making it drier and more hospitable for bacteria and viruses. Lastly, electric blankets use more electricity because the entire surface area of the blanket requires power.
With a water-heated mattress pad: On the other hand, water-heated pad warmers use water tubes rather than wires to convey heat. The only electronic component is the heating unit, which stays off the bed. No wires course through your mattress pad, so there are no risks for burns or EMF waves. This makes water-heated pads much safer than electric mattress pads and electric blankets.
Electric Heating Pads
Electric heating pads are a mixture of an electric blanket and a mattress pad. Electrical energy is converted to heat energy through coils or wires across the mattress pad. Instead of being mobile like a blanket, the pad straps across the mattress, supplying consistent heat.
Just as electric heating pads share the benefits of an electric blanket, they also share the same weaknesses. The risk for burns, EMF waves, dry air, and high electrical use are all valuable reasons why electric mattress pads aren’t the best option.
With a water-heated mattress pad: If you’re already going with a mattress pad, you might as well make it a water-heated one. For the same set-up, a water-heated mattress pad uses less power and poses no risk for burns, EMF waves, or dry air.
Don’t Just Save Money; Be Comfortable & Safe
Water-heated mattress pads combine the best parts of all of the options. Since water does a beautiful job holding heat, there is minimal power used to keep things up to temperature. Flowing water will neither burn you nor expose you to harmful EMF waves. The heating system doesn’t dry the air out around the bed. You can even set the heat at different temperatures on each side of the bed, so you and your partner are both satisfied.
Getting a good night’s sleep is not just about keeping warm at night; it’s also about remaining comfortable and safe. Good sleep is priceless, but with a water-heated mattress warmer, you can get peace of mind at night without breaking the bank.
