Electric Blankets

Long, Long Ago …

With the addition of electricity into homes, novelty electrical items evolved. Warming pads and heated quilts surfaced in the early 1900s, but they were awkward and bordered on hazardous. In the 20s warming pads and warming quilts were used to keep hospital patients warm, especially tuberculosis patients whose therapy included recovery time outdoors in the cool, fresh air. Thermostats and automatic controls were introduced in 1936; later came automatic shutoffs that detected hot spots. It wasn’t until 1950 that warming pads and heated quilts were marketed as electric blankets.

Soaring Popularity

The popularity of electric blankets soared in the 70s, when fuel costs were on the rise; homeowners, and especially the elderly, lowered furnace thermostats at night and turned up the electric blankets. Built-in dual controls allowed two people underneath the same blanket to control their individual environments. Malfunctions and wiring problems led to a series of recalls for thermostat-controlled electric blankets sold in the ‘80s - many were attributed to consumer neglect. Ever-increasing use of electric blankets resulted in studies that attempted to link frequent use to cancer, but no conclusive findings exist.

Snug As a Bug

Today’s heating pads are a safe alternative to cold sheets and drafty bedrooms when used according to manufacturers’ guidelines. Duvet-like electric blankets are for the top of the bed, and can be programmed for all-night comfort. Economy under-blankets must be shut off before getting into bed - they are intended to take the chill from the bed before crawling under the sheets. Under-blankets designed for all-night use are built with extra safety features for home, hospital or nursing home use.

Electric blankets and under blankets come in a variety of sizes from twin to king, with up to 10 heat settings. An electric blanket that is set to consume 200 watts of energy for 10 hours costs 20-35-cents per day to operate. Because of the range of settings offered, costs are not exact, but offer a huge savings over furnace heat settings.