A heat pad is a good gift for the right person and a genuinely bad one for the wrong person. This article is mostly about telling the difference, because the group most likely to receive one is also the group most likely to be burned by one.
Don’t give one to…
- Anyone with diabetes who has numbness in the feet or legs. This is the big one. See heating pads and diabetes.
- Anyone with reduced sensation from a stroke, nerve damage or any other cause.
- Anyone with dementia or who can’t reliably tell you something is too hot.
- Anyone who takes sedating medication in the evening, or regularly falls asleep in their chair. See is it safe to sleep with a heating pad on?
- Young children. See heat pads and children.
If your relative is in one of those groups, a soft blanket, good socks or a shawl does the same job with none of the risk.
Full list: who should NOT use a heating pad.
Who it suits well
Someone with normal sensation who has a stiff back or neck, arthritis that’s worst in the morning, period cramps, or who sits in a cold office all day. In other words, most healthy adults.
It’s an unglamorous gift that gets used almost daily, which is more than most gifts manage. Buying for a whole team rather than one person: corporate heat pad gifting.
What to look for
- The right size for what they’ll use it on. Around 30 x 40 cm covers a lower back or a lap. A shaped wrap suits neck and shoulders better. See the size guide and heated wraps vs a flat pad.
- A removable, washable cover. They’ll use it for years. See how to wash and care for it.
- Simple, clearly labelled controls. Particularly for an older recipient. A single button cycling through unmarked modes is a poor choice.
- Auto shut-off if you can find it, and a plug-in timer switch alongside the gift if you can’t. The timer costs a few dollars and is the single most useful thing you can add. On session length, see how long to use a heating pad.
- Check the plug. Many pads sold here have a 2 round-pin plug, so include a proper fused adapter rather than leaving them to improvise. See using a 2-pin plug heat pad safely in Singapore and what the Safety Mark means.
More detail: what a physio looks for in a heating pad, what they cost and where to buy one.
Set it up with them
The most useful part of this gift isn’t the pad. It’s the ten minutes you spend showing them how to use it.
- Plug it in together, adapter and all, and find a socket near where they sit.
- Show them the lowest setting and mark it if the controller is fiddly.
- Set the timer up, or show them how to use their phone timer.
- Say the one rule out loud: never fall asleep with it on.
- Check the cord isn’t across a walkway or where they get out of a chair.
- Look at the skin together after the first use, so they know what normal looks like. Walk them through the first week.
More on this: a heat pad for parents who always feel cold.
One honest caution
If you’re giving it because a parent has been complaining of pain for months, the pad is a kind gesture and not the answer. Persistent pain in an older person deserves a proper look, and a comfortable relative who never gets assessed isn’t the outcome you want. See back pain in older people.
Give the pad.
Also offer to go with them to the appointment.
The heat pad we use
We’ve supplied the Bremed BD7800 since 2010. It holds a steady temperature, covers a whole lower back and has a machine-washable cotton cover. Physiotherapy clinics in Singapore use it with their patients.
Clinically reviewed by: Nigel Chua (Hand Occupational Therapist) & Louise Yow (Physiotherapist). This article is general information, not a diagnosis. electricheatpad.com sells electric heat pads.
