Tips for choosing an electric sheet

Not so long ago, most Russians saw the electric blanket only in the cartoon "The Brave Little Toaster". Since then, a lot has changed, and nowadays bed linen with electric heating elements have become widely represented on the Russian market. In order for such a purchase to meet your expectations, it is worth considering the features, varieties and tips for choosing an electric sheet.

An electric sheet is essentially a hybrid of bedding and an electric heating device designed to keep people sleeping on it warm. Structurally, an electric sheet is a set of small heating elements upholstered on the outside with a fabric. At the same time, the dimensions of the heaters are so small that a person sleeping on such a bed will not feel their presence.

The safety of a sleeping person is ensured by a combination of protective elements in the design (at least two fuses), electrical insulation and a specially selected upholstery material that does not ignite when heated. Of course, these materials do not produce toxic fumes when heated either.

In Russian conditions, a heated bed will be relevant not only for summer residentsstaying overnight in an unheated house in cold and humid autumn weather, but also for city dwellers in homes where there are interruptions in the operation of the heating system. Another option for using the product is in houses with autonomous heating, where the presence of a warm bed will allow you to reduce the heating of the entire dwelling at night, significantly saving on energy resources.

The price range of these products is from one to ten thousand Russian rubles.

The simplest electric sheet has only one operating mode - it heats the bed while it is plugged in. Of course, its use can hardly be called comfortable (sooner or later you will have to manually unplug it from the outlet), but such products are relatively inexpensive.

More "advanced" options have electronic heating sensors, a control panel and several temperature modes - from two (direct heating and temperature maintenance) to a dozen. Many products are also equipped with timers that allow you to set the time after which the heat will be turned off. Some elite models allow you to additionally control the local heating of individual sections of the product. This function is implemented, for example, in the model range of the Beurer brand.

The electrical power of all products on the Russian market is in the range from 40 to 140 watts. It is clear that sheets with less power heat up more slowly, and their maximum temperature is much lower. Conversely, the most powerful sheets allow you to heat your bed to noticeable temperatures almost instantly - at the cost of very high energy consumption.

In addition to these characteristics, products differ in size, location of heating elements (on both sides or on one), design, additional functions, as well as the material from which they are made.

The most important advantage of an electric sheet is the ability to heat the bed directly without wasting energy on heating the entire room. In this, a warm sheet with electric heating outperforms even fan heaters and electric radiators that have become familiar for a long time. The energy efficiency of electric beds is on par with directional infrared emitters (eg UFO).

In addition to heating directly, these products also have some therapeutic effect. So, sleeping on such a bed will help relieve muscle soreness after physical exertion and improve blood supply to the skin and muscles. Well, for people suffering from osteochondrosis or rheumatism, such a warm bed can become a real panacea, significantly alleviating their suffering.

Along with the obvious advantages, electric sheets have a number of disadvantages. Such products are contraindicated:

• people with various skin diseases (especially malignant tumors);
• persons suffering from acute infectious diseases (improving the blood supply to the affected tissues can worsen the patient's condition);
• men with prostate adenoma;

• persons with increased body temperature (additional heating will significantly worsen the state of health);
• pregnant women (overheating can lead to hypertonicity of the uterus, which is fraught with even miscarriage);
• children under the age of three years (due to a different mechanism of thermoregulation, they overheat faster).

When choosing a product, special attention should be paid to the material of its upholstery. Best of all, sheets show themselves, the surface of which is made of cotton - after all, this material is at the same time environmentally friendly, hypoallergenic and pleasant to the touch. The disadvantage of cotton sheets is their rapid contamination and wear. Most of the Pekatherm assortment is made from this material.

Electric beds made of polycotton, fleece and other synthetic materials proved to be more resistant to external influences. Not much inferior to natural materials in tactile qualities, such sheets are much stronger and much easier to clean.

When choosing a fleece product, special attention should be paid to the quality of the material. - goods made of low-quality fleece quickly lose their original shape and color. Synthetic sheets are the backbone of the Montiss range. You can protect the electric sheet from contamination by using a regular sheet on top of it. In general, it is worth carefully studying the recommended care mode for the product - if some sheets are machine washable, others are shown exclusively dry cleaning. Consider this point when making your choice so that taking care of your purchase does not turn into torment for you.

Another important nuance when choosing is the size of the purchased product. It will be better if the sheet is sized to fit your bed or even slightly larger - otherwise it will be less comfortable to sleep on. For a standard single bed, 130 x 70 cm products are best suited, for a "lorry" - 150 x 80 cm, and for a classic double bed, a sheet with dimensions of 200 x 170 cm should be purchased.

It only makes sense to buy a high-power product for a double bed in a very cold house. For most cases, a sheet up to 80W will be sufficient.

In addition to the electric sheets discussed in the article, heated blankets are also on the market. This product can be used both as a sheet, and it can be covered during sleep, or even wrapped in it like a blanket. Moreover, all the characteristics of these products, including power, price and materials used, are similar to electrical sheets - the main difference lies precisely in the functionality. Electric blankets are usually more flexible than sheets, but they are thicker and less comfortable when used as bedding.

When choosing between two electric bed options, you should think about how you plan to use the product.If versatility is important to you, opt for a blanket. And if you are only interested in bed heating, then the option of a sheet is more suitable for you.

Most owners of electric beds note their comfort, safety, economy and ease of use. For several years of operation, not a single user has yet encountered cases of fire or electric shock. But the reliability of some products, especially inexpensive electric sheets made by companies from China, causes complaints from many users - some models become unusable after a year of operation. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the warranty of most manufacturers only covers cases when the product is used in a dry room.

A detailed review of the electric heated sheet is in the video below