For the last 15-years or so, my husband has been trying to talk me into getting a heated blanket. I always had this idea that the wires would feel uncomfortable and with my reputation of being forgetful, I would have visions of burning my house down.
Recently, he was working away from home and I had to "man" the house. After a series of mini-disasters, including a small fire in the chimney, I began to think a heated blanket might not be a bad idea. After a few nights wrapped in four blankets and my little wall heater blasting all night, I was convinced it was an excellent idea!
Now that I have had a chance to put this blanket to use, I have to say, I wish I had listened to my husband years ago! He really does have some good ideas every now and then.
My biggest relief is that I do not have to worry about burning my house down because there is an automatic shut off built in to it! It is set to turn off after 10 hours. (Way to go Sunbeam!)
The Queen and King size blankets come with dual controls--which is an absolute must for us, as he likes the lower temperature and I like the higher temperature.
Our daughter is a college student and shares an apartment with her best friend. She is always cold because they can't afford to heat the apartment. So we bought one for her as well. She says her bed is so warm and she sleeps better than she ever has! Her roommate is talking about getting one for herself.
We bragged about it so much, our son, who normally likes his room at 50 degrees, asked us for one. He loves it! According to him, the only problem is that it makes it difficult to get out of bed in the morning for school. Of course, that was hard before we gave him the blanket--Kids; they use any excuse they can find.
I was pleasantly surprised that the wires could not be felt through the sheets, and I am thankful it can be washed and dried just like an ordinary blanket.
The Sunbeam corporation claims consumers can save up to $131 a year on winter heating bills depending on the size of the blanket-and I believe it. Since we have had ours, we have not had to turn on the heater in our bedroom.
Unfortunately, we had a slight problem with our blanket and I was ready to return it with a big complaint.
Just 2-weeks after having it, my husband decided he wanted his side warmer than usual, so he turned it on high. Mine was set to low, but for some reason, his side was still cool while mine was getting warmer. I ended up getting so warm I turned my side off. I was bothered that it wasn't cooling and my husband started complaining that his side was colder than when he first turned it on. "You see", I say, "These things are a waste of money".
About two-seconds after the words came out, I had a thought--maybe I put the blanket on backward after changing the sheets
Okay, I confess, this
slight problem was due to operator error. Had I paid closer attention to the instructions, I would have known that the tag side should always face up. This way, you will not experience the above-mentioned scenario.
With money being saved on heating expense, dual controls, and a bed that feels like it just came out of the dryer, I am happy to say I have no regrets. This is by far the wisest purchase we have made in a long time; I recommend a Sunbeam Heating Blanket one hundred times over.
If you ask my husband, he will tell you he is especially happy that he doesn't have to warm up all four of my beaded-heating pillows and strategically place them in between our sheets all winter long.
Teresa Ortiz
