# Electric blanket, where have YOU been al my life? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 19, 2009, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523 "2009-02-19T07:15:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523/21 "2009-02-19T18:31:20Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > And why do guys never seem to have problems with frozen feet? I didn’t, originally. Then, I developed diabetes. Now, my feet (and hands) get cold in the wintertime. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523/22 "2009-02-19T18:58:23Z")
I am a 47 yr old male and my feet are usually very cold at bedtime. But nothing else is. I used to have an electric blanket when I was a kid, and I would love to have one now if it only worked at the foot of the bed. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523/23 "2009-02-19T19:04:06Z")
For the longest time I didn’t have a heating pad, and my husband would tell me to get one. I didn’t see why I should. He bought me one, and it is the joy of my life. I use it almost every night except in really hot summer. Then I didn’t see why I should get another one for my feet, and he got me one, and I adore it too. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523/24 "2009-02-19T19:05:34Z")
Hey **notfrommensa** , you could try a small hot pad at the foot of the bed, or get a two-zone blanket and put it on sideways. Not perfect solutions, but might be worth a try. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523/25 "2009-02-19T19:07:14Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > For the longest time I didn’t have a heating pad, and my husband would tell me to get one. I didn’t see why I should. He bought me one, and it is the joy of my life. I use it almost every night except in really hot summer. Then I didn’t see why I should get another one for my feet, and he got me one, and I adore it too. We have an electric foot-warmer, which was a gift from my wife’s stepmother. It’s effectively a double-wide fleece-lined slipper (so both feet fit comfortably), with an electric element (and a massager) built in. Man, that sucker is **warm**. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523/26 "2009-02-19T19:19:46Z")
I’ve had an electric blanket since I was 16. They wear out after a while, but manohman they are worth every penny! ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523/27 "2009-02-19T20:37:57Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > I would love to have one now if it only worked at the foot of the bed. When I looked for blankets, there were several that had a feature where you could only use the foot region. Aren’t those matress pads uncomfortably soft? I like a firm bed; makes it easier to turn around. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523/28 "2009-02-19T20:40:22Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > When I looked for blankets, there were several that had a feature where you could only use the foot region. > > Aren’t those matress pads uncomfortably soft? I like a firm bed; makes it easier to turn around. Uncomfortably soft? This makes no sense. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523/29 "2009-02-19T21:02:07Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > Aren’t those matress pads uncomfortably soft? I like a firm bed; makes it easier to turn around. The one we have isn’t like a pillowtop pad or anything like that; it serves the purpose of a standard mattress pad (which is mostly to keep you from, umm, dirtying your mattress); the “padding” function of it is pretty limited. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523/30 "2009-02-19T21:10:10Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Well, if/when we do, we just don’t complain about it. 😛 Or we just wear socks so it’s not a problem. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Surok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@Surok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surok)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523/31 "2009-02-19T21:15:45Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > You mean like [this](http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-SlumberRest-Camelot-Microplush-Mushroom/dp/B001CIEDM0/ref=pd_bbs_5?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1235042109&sr=8-5)? I bought one like that for my dad and it arrived two weeks ago. He wraps it around his shoulders and torso when he sits behind his computer in his un heated workshop. He loves it. Oh wow. I have an electric blanket which I love, and just the other day I was wondering if there was something that I could use in my unheated study which is in a separate building at the bottom of the garden. This is the perfect answer. Thank you, **Maastricht**! ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523/32 "2009-02-19T22:04:05Z")
Harrumph. I prefer to serve my natural role as a biological blanket. More and more jobs that were once done by a man are now being filled by technology, but I’ll be damned if I’m letting that one go without a fight. Now get your freezing asses to your SOs and cuddle like [nature/evolution/your deity of choice] intended. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523/33 "2009-02-19T22:23:28Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > Aren’t those matress pads uncomfortably soft? I like a firm bed; makes it easier to turn around. I actually put my regular mattress pad on top of the electric one, because I could feel the wires of the electric one while I was sleeping on it. A regular Princess and the Pea, I am 🙂 Anyway, the one I have doesn’t seem to be too pad-y, no. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523/34 "2009-02-19T22:31:34Z")
> [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](#): > > Hey **notfrommensa** , you could try a small hot pad at the foot of the bed, or get a two-zone blanket and put it on sideways. Not perfect solutions, but might be worth a try. Oh, a heating pad or hot water bottle at the foot of the bed ARE perfect solutions to cold feet IME. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523/35 "2009-02-19T22:37:46Z")
I got an electric mattress pad for Christmas and have been fighting the urge to toast myself on both sides (a Gwenini) using it and my electric blanket. I don’t because I saw a warning that using both at once may create a dangerous situation. Usually I take these warnings lightly but when the risk is of serious burns or a housefire, I heed it. Maybe if I use two different outlets… ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523/36 "2009-02-20T20:42:03Z")
Oh, the joy of electric blankets. In the winter, we tend to keep our bedroom cool. Usually low 50°s. So, flannel sheets, electric blanket, quilt/duvet. Ahhh. To make it even better, we put the electric blanket on a timer. It turns on at about 10PM, and off at about 1AM. So it’s warm when we go to bed, but doesn’t keep heating all night, when we’ve already warmed up. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523/37 "2009-02-20T20:58:25Z")
I’m the complete opposite. The idea of getting into a pre-heated bed almost makes me shiver. I love getting into a cold bed and have it slowly heat up. This greatly heightens the coziness factor. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523/38 "2009-02-20T22:17:44Z")
> [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](#): > > … So it’s warm when we go to bed, but > doesn’t keep heating all night, when we’ve already warmed up. Yes, mine too, it is preset to be warm for 70 minutes, then to shut itself off. I can’t fall asleep in a cold bed or with cold feet. Once I’m warm, I stay warm. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523/39 "2009-02-20T22:21:12Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > I’m the complete opposite. The idea of getting into a pre-heated bed almost makes me shiver. I love getting into a cold bed and have it slowly heat up. This greatly heightens the coziness factor. I find that the cold bed sucks all the heat out of my body. Where do you keep your thermostat set? ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523/40 "2009-02-21T05:39:44Z")
Hate to throw a damper on the love fest, but I think they are dangerous. I used to use one, years ago, and started waking up with bizarre numbness in my legs. I don’t know if it is the emf or the heat, but when I discontinued the blanket, the problem went away. Wouldn’t touch one with a ten foot pole. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-blanket-where-have-you-been-al-my-life/486523.md?page=3)