Electric mattress pad without bulky wires?

 I would like to get an electric mattress pad for Christmas. I bought
one a few years ago, but my wife didn't like it because she could feel
the wires. It also stopped working after one year.

We have since gone back to the electric blanket, but it is not nearly
as good as the electric mattress pad. What I particularly liked was
that it put most of the heat at the bottom of the bed. Very good for
cold feet.

So, does anyone know of a newer model that has the wires padded in
such a manner that it feels like a regular mattress pad? It would be
for a king bed and we'd want dual controls.

Alternatively, could I put a regular mattress pad over the electric
pad to buffer the wires, or would that interfere with the heating?

Thanks for any help


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try a mattress topper on top of the pad.

 LurfysMa wrote:

I had never had one before but a few weeks ago I went looking for one
after seeing positive thoughts about them on this newsgroup.

What I found was that here in Texas, where it's not really all that
cold, there were basically only three models available.  One was from
Sunbeam, I think.  It looked like a quality product, but I opened
the package and stuck my hand in to feel the wires, and it was clear
that I'd be able to feel them.

Then I went to Linens-n-Things, and they had two different models of
heated mattress pads.  I got one called the Ultra Sleep Warmer, from
WestPoint Stevens.  These were a lot cheaper than the Sunbeam, and
didn't look as well-made, but the wires definitely did feel thinner.
I ended up deciding I didn't care if it didn't last as long if it was
more comfortable.  (Plus it does have a 5-year warranty.)

My impression so far is that, yes, you can feel that the wires are
there, but it's not to the point where it's uncomfortable.


I talked to one of the store employees about doing that, and her
opinion (if I'm remembering it correctly) was that cotton would be
best for letting the heat through but wouldn't wear well when it was
constantly exposed to heat, whereas polyester (which lots of mattress
pads are filled with) would wear will but wouldn't let the heat
through.  Or something like that.  At any rate, she didn't recommend
putting another mattress pad on top.

Still, it might be worth it anyway.  Even if it destroys a mattress
pad after one winter, I suppose it's possible it could save you enough
on your heating bill to pay for a cheap mattress pad, depending on
various factors, of course.

   - Logan

 wrote:


Here's one I found online that claims to have wires so fine they
cannot be felt. This is because it works on low voltage DC current.
The AC/DC converter is kinda large.

http://www.assistedlivingstore.com/warming_mattress_pad.asp

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I don't know the manufacturer/brand, but I picked up one
at the local "Bed Bath & Beyond":

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/


It's got dual controls (I like it warm, wife likes it *HOT*)
We can't feel the wires at all.
Automatic shut-off after 10 hours -- no need to
remember to turn it off when you wake up.
A nice instant-heat pre-heat mode for when
you first get in.
It's machine-washable.
It's got pressure sensors -- this allows it to heat
only the areas you're actually laying on, and not
waste current heating spots where nobody is
laying.

It was a bit pricey -- 'bout $140.00 if I remember
correctly, but it allows us to use the thermostat timer
to shut the heat down to 50 degrees at night and
save big-time on our heating bill. By my calculations,
it will pay for itself in its first winter. If it lasts
more than a year it's been well worth it. If it
lasts a decade or two, it's a gold-mine.