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Folks, I shopped online for many heated mattress pads. I read everything, and finally decided I would narrow the choice to the new "low voltage" models, that convert the AC current that comes from the wall into a low voltage DC (or some such thing) to power the thin little wires in the pad. Some people claim the higher voltage might have dangerous fields or such some dispute that, but anyway, it seems like newer technology is better so I went that way.
The choices narrowed down to a model from Frontgate that is $100 more, but has the advantage of a separate heating zone for the feet. So if you're a cold-footed person, you can crank up the foot portion of the mattress pad. Also, that Frontgate model had, in addition to the wired control, an identical wireless control. I guess that's if you don't like wires hanging off your bedstand, or if you want to be able to fire up that puppy when you're standing over by your closet. So I actually ordered both to compare.
This velour pad is really nice. You might wonder if it's too fluffy or smells synthetic or whatever, but really I would say it feels like if you laid down a very soft plush towel on your mattress, then put your fitted sheet on top. Very comfortable. Doesn't feel fluffy through your fitted sheet, just feels soft and nice. The dial has quite a range so you can set it just how you want.
By contrast, the expensive Frontgate model only had three settings, hi, medium, and lo, and I don't think that's enough range.
As for whether you want the velour or just a plain cotton/mix pad, that's up to you. And as to whether you want a heated mattress pad vs. an electric blanket, you can read all about the pros/cons from other reviewers. I am so thrilled to have the mattress heated, after using electric blankets for 10 years, because it makes so much more sense. I love it! One of my favorite additions to the house ever. This is the one I kept I sent the Frontgate back.
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UPDATE: I revised this to include some thoughts from the comments.
It's really hard to describe just how great this heated mattress pad is. You would think the "microplush" part wouldn't matter. But somehow, even through my 800 thread count sheets, I can feel the difference when I put this on my bed. Just having the pad on the bed is great even when it's not turned on.
The heating coils are much finer (thinner) than typical heated pads so there aren't lumps and the heat is more uniform. The heat range seems quite nice. Of course, I live in Colorado and my wife likes to keep the window open. So we use a heavy down comforter with the heater.
The pad itself wraps your mattress well. This will fit even the thickest Queen size mattress without danger of the pad sliding around at night.
Now for the caveats. Yeah, I suggested there was only one but there are two important concerns:
1. The power inverter that converts the 110 volts AC coming out of your wall (which normal pads use directly) into lower voltage DC tends to make a high pitched whistle. I guess I didn't go to enough Rock concerts when I was younger because I am still sensitive to high frequency sounds. There are many nights where the whistle wakes me up. You have to unplug the unit to get it to stop. I usually through a pillow over the unit and that sometimes helps. It is high frequency, which means it's highly directional and easily blocked.
2. You cannot get replacement controllers. The manufacturer, PerfectFit / SoftHeat / Chattam & Wells, does not sell replacement controllers. After about two and a half years, my original controller died leaving me freezing while my wife was toasty. They did honor the five year warranty and sent an entire new pad with two controllers!
Maybe #2 isn't really a caveat. They did a great job honoring the warranty and now I have a complete set of spare parts. But I'm still going to knock a star for #1. If you are sensitive to high frequency sounds, this may not be the pad for you. Otherwise, this heating pad really is great!
Best Deals for Soft Heat MicroPlush Top Electric Warming Mattress Pad
I am very pleased with this heated mattress pad. It fits my queen mattress nicely. THe wire connections are located at the head of the pad on the vertical (edge) section. They are not at the bottom of the pad so you don't have wires running up towards the head of the bed from underneath. THe cover is soft and fuzzy so the sheet (I happen to be using flannel sheets right now) don't slip around on the pad. It heats up quickly. I wish for the money, that the controls had a system for preheat time and then automatically switches to your desired reduced heat setting. Otherwise, I am happy with my purchase. THe washing instructions also look like it's a washer friendly pad no extra special handling for washing Yea! I am glad I bought a heated pad and not an electric blanket no matter where my feet are, they lie in a warm spot.
Honest reviews on Soft Heat MicroPlush Top Electric Warming Mattress Pad
I have never owned a heated mattress pad before, so I don't really have much first-hand experience for comparison. However, as always I try and do my research, and I did so with this purchase. After having the pad for a couple of days, here's my impressions.
The most common issue I saw complained about with other brands/models was that the wires were noticeable under the sheets when the bed is made up. This pad is quite thick, more so than most normal mattress pads, and I cannot feel any wires through it at all, at least on the normal surfaces.
Another issue I saw mentioned with other brands was that the plugs for the control and power wires were on top of the pad towards the feet area, meaning you will hit them with your feet at night while moving around and where they may be the furthest away from a power outlet. This model has the plug(s) at the head of the bed on the vertical portion of the mattress (the side against the headboard), making it easy to run the wires down and under the head of the bed and into a plug on the wall.
Some pads like these apparently can emit a whistling sound from the transformers in the power bricks when heating. I have very sensitive hearing (I easily hear fluorescent light bulbs and old tube TVs from a hundred feet away), but I was unable to hear anything from my units. This may not be true of all units, as sometimes a good bump or jarring can result in the whistling noise in the transformers, in my experience. No promises on this point.
The elastic skirt that wraps around the mattress is quite deep, able to easily handle my pillow-top mattress that is well above average in thickness. The installation instructions, if you need them, are very well done, but the only thing you really need to know is that the plugs go to the head of the bed. Pretty easy. And yes, you can use a power strip to plug both plugs into as long as it is UL listed.
As for actual performance, the pad provides warm, even heating to the entire area that is not at all hot to the touch. It simply feels very much like the bed has already been warmed up with body heat, except that there are no cold spots. Head to foot of the mattress is evenly and comfortably warmed. No more cold feet.
The control unit has 11 heat settings ranging from Low, through 1-9, and up to High with a smooth turning knob. The setting you choose will be highly dependent on how thick your covers are as well as how hot you like your bed. I will say that with a thick comforter on top, the 5 setting was actually hot and 3 was just comfortable. I can't imagine how hot High would be. I'm betting covers would be optional.
On Queen size and larger units, there are actually two control units and two plugs. The heating elements can be set for two different temperatures left side and right side. However, if there is one shortcoming of this design it is that those of us who do not share a queen or larger bed end up with having to set two control units, and the control cord to the unit is not quite long enough to comfortably reach to a nightstand on the opposite side of the bed. Thus you have to wrangle two controls, not one, when you're going to bed. A better solution would have been to have the option of having only one control unit optionally control both heating zones, even if it still required two plugs. A minor inconvenience, but an inconvenience nonetheless.
Lastly, the on/off switch on both control units is the push-button electronic type, not a manual switch. Therefore it would not be possible to plug a power cord into a timer and have the pad start heating up automatically at a preset time. Obviously, there is no built-in feature for this either, though it will turn itself off after 10 hours, automatically. This is probably intended as a safety feature. However, the instructions indicate it will heat up to max heat in about 30 minutes, and lower heat settings will be reached much sooner, depending on other factors such as how thick the covers are.
All in all this seems to be a high quality unit worth the premium over other, lesser models. I'm happy with the purchase so far and have gifted two to other family members.
UPDATE: I ordered three of these, one for myself and two as Christmas gifts. I have been using mine without any problems at all for about 2 months, now. One of the others seems to be working just fine. However, the third one worked only one night and then stopped. I was informed by the gift recipient that it made a very strange electrical noise that second night and then completely stopped working. Since it was a Queen size model, she tried swapping over the control unit from the other side and it still did not work, suggesting the problem was in the pad itself, not the control, though the noise came from the control unit, apparently.
Though it had been some time since I had ordered it, it was still within the return window for Amazon, and as always, Amazon handled it exceptionally well. I received a replacement on the same day I returned the defective one (i.e., they sort of "crossed in the mail"). Shipping both ways was free, though I supplied the return box.
I share this to point out two things. First, check that the units are functioning before you wait too long. Amazon has a limit to the return window, and though I was within it, it wasn't by much. If this is a gift, I'd urge you to encourage the recipient to test it out soon after receipt in case it has to be returned. I would think that running it up to high heat for a while would be sufficient to detect any flaws in the wiring or controls.
Second, though mine has been flawless, and one of the other two seems to have been as well, it appears that build quality on these is not up to snuff. I noted on some other reviews that the control units on at least one made a strange noise. This may be an indication of imminent failure. Both of my controls on my unit have been completely silent. I'm guessing that if they are making a noise, it's a reflection of a fault either in the control or, possibly, in the wiring of the pad itself. Note that there was no smoke, fire, or smoldering on any part of the pad or control units on the one that failed. It simply stopped working.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Soft Heat MicroPlush Top Electric Warming Mattress Pad
I've been enjoying my new heated pad this cold winter but there's one tiny annoyance about the materials of construction. The part that goes around the mattress to hold it on is slippery nylon. The problem is, my fitted sheet keeps sliding up off the mattress because of the nylon. Every morning I need to remake the bed where the sheet has slid up off the bed.
