Looking for an awesome heated mattress pad

September 17, 2013 8:57 AM

Winter is coming and so is my arthritis. I think it's time for me to invest in an excellent heated mattress pad.

I've been perusing the offerings on Amazon and I noticed that most of reviews feature complaints about the buzzing/humming noise that many of these pads make. I would like some mefite personal experience recommendations on the quietest possible queen-sized heated mattress pads.

Things that are NOT important to me:

- timers
- two separate controls for either side of the bed
- length of power cord
- cost

Things that ARE important to me:

- QUIET AS POSSIBLE, I am freakishly sensitive to noises when I am trying to sleep
- machine washable cover
- it should probably have more than one temperature setting I guess


Here is an unrelated gif of an adorable puppy to inspire and delight you.

posted by elizardbits to Home & Garden (8 answers total)

This one from Hammacher Schlemmer has many elements you don't care about but it is absolutely silent (I didn't even know that buzzing was an issue until you mentioned it). I've had mine for about 2 years (maybe a little longer?) and it's fabulous. I love it, the cats love it, my boyfriend loves it. And he has stopped telling me that I need to get flannel sheets, which I deeply dislike.
posted by janey47 at 9:07 AM on September 17, 2013

Costco has these and heated blankets in their warehouses right now. They look ridiculously awesome and plush. Check them out at the warehouse and try taking one home.
posted by boo_radley at 9:12 AM on September 17, 2013

Response by poster: Don't I have to be a member of their secret society first though?
posted by elizardbits at 9:16 AM on September 17, 2013

I love my Sunbeam pad and I've never heard of any of them buzzing. I also have arthritis and use mine every night in the winter.
posted by michellenoel at 9:27 AM on September 17, 2013

Best answer: I am freakishly sensitive to noise and a thing that buzzed would be completely banned from my house. I bought this one last year. That said, people in the comments are complaining about the buzzing. I keep the temperature tuners on the floor and have literally never heard them. It's nice, washable and the plug is away from my feet. I like that when you have them set to the highest setting, the little LCD readouts say "Hi"
posted by jessamyn at 9:32 AM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I have the Sunbeam three zone pad and I love it. You can heat your feet and shoulders and back separately. No more cold feet. No buzzing that I can tell.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 12:30 AM on September 18, 2013

I have a heated blanket that I absolutely adore and now all my friends have one. I would vote for blanket versus a mattress pad because that way I can poke out my feet if I get too hot, or focus it on a specific area for example, if I'm having menstrual cramps or my shoulder is really bothering me.
posted by rubster at 12:22 PM on September 18, 2013

Response by poster: I got the Soft Heat one that jessamyn recommended and it is GLORIOUS and all the people in the reviews whining about it being noisy are WRONG. I guess it is possible that those people do not also sleep with two fans on outside their bedroom door as white noise, though.

ANYWAY it is very warm and toasty even on a rather low setting and I did not wake up sweaty and angry as I had feared. I actually slept through the entire night without waking up once, which is very rare for me.

i love my toasty mattress pad so much

One small point of meh: since each side of the pad is controlled separately, there are not only separate dials for each side, which I was expecting, but separate power blocks, which is annoying because of outlets.
posted by elizardbits at 10:07 AM on October 6, 2013 [1 favorite]