The Best Heating Pads 2018

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Choosing the best heating pads for 2018 is quite an involved process. As we all have various reasons for needing the benefits of heat therapy applied in different ways, finding one heat pad that suits everyone is no easy feat. Especially when you need to pinpoint certain locations of the body.

So in this buyers guide, you can follow the links to various pages that have detailed reviews on what are the best heating pads relevant to that body part or condition. How these heat pads were picked to be the top rated came down to personal experience, friends and co-workers experiences while also scouring through hundreds of testimonies and reviews.

Having used many heating pads over the years and having been recommended quite a few by Doctors, it has become almost impossible for myself to choose a bad heating pad so to speak. I’m not necessarily talking about product failing/breaking down. More focused on heat attributes, type of heat and effectiveness on tired sore muscles and joints.

Go For Infrared Heat Pads/Wraps In 2018The Best Heating Pads 2018

It’s 2018 and technology is moving faster then ever before, well that’s is certainly how it feels to me. Driver-less cars, drones that deliver. But what about the heating pad. How has it evolved?. Some of the greatest improvements over recent years has been the introduction of infrared light therapy. This is basically like taking the benefits of the suns infrared energy and using them to benefit the health and well being of our bodies without having to worry about the harmful UV (Ultra Violet) rays that cause skin cancers.

Technology has allowed the humble heating pad to emit these infrared energies to greater benefit us, the consumer. By using a heating pad with infrared (or far infrared) compared to a regular electric heating pads is like comparing chalk and cheese. OK maybe not that extreme. But with infrared you can get heat penetrating up to 2 inches into the body. Now think about how deep some knots, pinched nerves, joint pain really goes. Being able to directly heat the pain source is a huge advantage. Compare this to regular heat which basically only heats the skin and not too much more beneath it.

Now you can see just one of the main advantages of using infrared energy over a traditional heat pad. So with as many body parts as possible, I have tried to source out the best infrared heating pads region specific and or health condition related. But unfortunately, some just don’t exist yet.

The Best Infrared Heating Pads

The Best Infrared Heating PadsIf you decide that infrared heat is the way to go for you, be sure to make sure the heating pad is FDA approved. When a heating pad like this UTK infrared heating pad has passed a FDA audit, you know it’s safe to use. Especially considering it’s an electric device.

While the UTK heat pad is not the only FDA approved product in the world, it certainly is the best infrared heat pad in my opinion. This heat pad comes in a variety of sizes and designs to treat the different areas of the body ranging from full body to the neck and shoulders. The UTK infrared heat pad will come up a few times in the below reviews, and for very good reason.

Without going into exact detail here (as you can find more specific size related specs in each review) I will give a brief overview as to why I think the UTK infrared heat pad is the best on the market in 2018.

  • Comes in a variety of sizes/styles to cater to all types of pain sufferers
  • Provides negative ions which create a peaceful and relaxing environment with low EMF’s caused by electromagnetic fields when using electrical goods.
  • Infrared heat is used to penetrate deep inside the muscle tissues, joints, tendons etc. The best kind of heat therapy currently available.
  • Uses Jade stones in the actual heat pad to act as conductors which distribute the infrared energy evenly throughout the pad.
  • Jade stones also have a natural healing element to them.
  • Up to 4 hour automatic shut off time. This prevents injury to you and the heat pad. Especially good if you buy the full body size and sleep on top of the pad while it treats you to one of the best full body heats sessions available from home.
  • Comes with a digital hand held controller that pretty much anyone can use. Even has a memory function so that you can save your favorite heat settings.
  • There are no cons other than it is more expensive than your traditional heating pads. Certainly is one of the best investments in pain relief I have ever made.
UTK Jade Stone Infrared Heating Pad

 

Most Effective Heat Pads For Bad Backs

Feeling pain in the back is a very common condition for many Americans. There are numerous reasons as to why someone experiences back pain from bad posture to injury to recovering from surgery. What ever the cause is, the answer needs to be a high quality heating pad designed for the back region.

Relieving back pain through the use of a heating pad can come down to three suitable options. They are, infrared for full back, lower back and moist heat therapy.

Full Back Heating PadsTop Rated Heating Pads 2018

These heating pads are very large. Some larger than you may even think. As in as long as your body. These larger than normal heat pads are great for relieving pain in the entire back region, shoulders and down to your knees.

In this list of oversize heat pads found here, you will discover my all time top rated heating pad. This pad will blow you away in 2018 and beyond. Naturally it composes infrared energy, but whats makes this pad so good is the Jade Stones that are embedded in the pad. These stones intensify the infrared as they act as conductors of the energy.

Lower Back Pain Sufferers

Who makes the best heating padsLower back pain strikes down the majority of people in their lifetime. It can be from a simple bad posture muscle strain to something more serious where day to day treatment is required. Using a heat pad from your own home or office can come as much welcomed relief. Especially when seeing a therapist can set you back quite a bit of money.

With the lower back, it can be tricky to get the heat pad into position. This is why a medium sized rectangular or belt like heat pad is ideal. These lower back heating pads here cater to this region with precision. They are designed and work well on the lower back muscles. The wearable infrared heat pad is particularly good for people on the go. Without having access to power, you can still under go a infrared heat therapy session on your tired aching lower back. Quite brilliant indeed.

Best Moist Heating Pads

When infrared is not available, the next best option is the moist heat pad. Heating Pad Buyers GuideThis is because moist heat prevents the skin from drying out like regular dry heat. While also penetrating just that little bit more deeper compared to dry heat. Still nothing compared to infrared, but moist heat is still the next best option to take.

Quality moist heating pads that can be used on the back will not need the addition of water to be physically added to the product. The really good ones will absorb the moisture in the air and then create the steam effect using the air. This is the safest and best way to be using a moist heating pad.

The best heating pads with moist heat for back pain can be found here.

 

Top Rated Heating Pads For The Neck & Shoulders

When it comes to using heat therapy on your neck and shoulders, it can be a bitBest Infrared Heating Pads awkward if using the wrong design. The neck and shoulder region comprise some pretty important muscles that allow movement for day to day use. So finding the right design is absolutely critical to getting relief from a heating pad.

The best heating pads in 2018 for the neck and shoulders can be found here. These consist of infrared, electric and moist heat pads that are specifically designed for the neck and shoulder areas. They contour to your body so that they don’t slip off or cause discomfort. Simply put them on, turn them on and start getting relief from your tired sore muscles using heat therapy.

The neck consists of 12 main muscles which all work together to allow movement of the head freely. When one of these is injured or stiff, it can have a domino effect. Which makes it incredibly hard to turn your head, bend down and pretty much do any day to day activities. This is why you need a heating pad that is designed to target these areas. So that relief can be found as quick as possible.  The Deltoid and Trapezius muscles found on the outer lower part of your neck are very prone to injury. These heating pads that are designed to fit on the neck and sit on the shoulders can use heat therapy to penetrate deep into these muscles to start freeing up blood and healing quicker.

 

The Knees Need Heat Treatment Too

IBest Rated Heat Wraps f you are a runner, athlete, sports player, recovering from an injury or do day to day activities, it is very possible that you suffer pain in the knee tendons, joints and muscles. The varying degree will determine what treatment you Doctor will provide. But one easy way to relieve some discomfort from home is using a heat wrap that is designed for the knees.

These infrared heating wraps for the knees I found to be the best for increased movement, pain relief and the ability to stay in position. Infrared heat is certainly the best when it comes to the knees. The invisible heat energy can penetrate all the way into the trouble areas very quickly. Providing almost immediate relief and ongoing pain relief. Once you have used infrared on the knees for a few weeks consistently you may find that time between pain and discomfort is increasing. This means the heating pads are working and doing there job very well. That can be a reality when you use infrared heating pads on the knees.

 

Best Heat Therapy For Arthritis

Arthritic pain is unfortunately experienced by more people than people that Best Heating Pads On The Marketdon’t. Especially over the age of 50. Arthritis comes in many forms and has many conditions. So treating arthritis with a heating pad also needs to cater to the varying types of arthritis pain.

The hands, neck and hips are very common areas in which people with arthritis feel pain on a daily basis. So using heating pads for arthritis that target these areas is ideal. With arthritis, its important to be able to use the heating pad so that it is not difficult to put on or into position. Sometimes it may be best if you have someone help you position the heat pad if it is for somewhere like the lower back.

Heat therapy can be a great way to relieve joint discomfort and stiffness. Best of all it is medication free and relatively cheap to maintain from home. Anyone who suffers from one or more of the 100 types of arthritis will greatly appreciate pain relief quickly from the comfort of their own home. While heat may not be able to repair damaged cartilage found at the ends of the bones, it certainly can repair the tissues associated within the area.

The warmth offered from heating pads can also encourage joint fluid production which helps to lubricate the joints and provides extra nutrients for the healing session. The heat also helps with joint stiffness as the heat is softening the muscles and tissues around the areas. This can make the joints less stiff and move more freely. So by no means is treating arthritic pain with a heating pad a useless en devour.

Portable Heating Pads That Go Where You GoHeat Pad Buyers Guide

Life doesn’t stop when you have a stiff neck or pain in the lower back. So being able to treat your discomfort wherever you go is important. Especially as we are on the go with technology more and more these days. But taking a corded heating pad with you wherever you go is often not practical or even possible.

However, there are battery operated heating pads and ones that use power banks that fit into the heat pad. This means you can charge the battery at home like you do a smart phone. Put the power bank in your heat pad and you now have a portable infrared heat session to look forward to on your way to work, Gym, school etc.

Even if you are not leaving the house, these portable heat pads are great little devices. They can be used when doing the washing, mowing the lawn or even when watching TV. No cords to worry about, so the ability to go anywhere with a heating pad is now possible.

The Humble Microwaveable Heat Bag

What household doesn’t own a heat bag that can be zapped in the microwave to give temporary heat relief?. While a microwaveable rice bag is commonly used for period pain, there are better alternatives for cramps. However, some people still prefer to use the microwave as their primary heating source.

If this is the case, be sure to buy only the best as there certainly are bad ones, and extremely good ones available. A good heating pad that can be microwaved can provide heat for up to 30 minutes. Whereas a bad or average bean bag may only last a few minutes.

When choosing a heat bag for the microwave, design is important. If there are more than one heating chambers, that is a good sign of a quality heat bag. This is becasue it allows the rice, gel or whatever is inside to be evenly heated so that you can retain the heat on your body for longer and with more even distribution.

 

 

In Summary

When you decide to buy a heating pad online, you are granted access to greater selection. But are then left open to the feeling of being overwhelmed by the shear amount of selection available. In this buyers guide to the beat heating pads, I have tried to eliminate the junk and only bring you what works and what is worthy of your investment.

As mentioned many a times throughout my site, infrared heat is the best option to take. It lasts longer, it penetrates deeper and almost effective immediately. So do keep this in mind when comparing product a vs product b. I hope you have found this guide useful and you were able to find the right heating pad to suit your individual needs. Feel free to leave a comment below that is anything related to heating pads.

  1. Wow!!! Infrared heating pads? I definitely plan on trying this out! I know the benefits of infrared technology, but I wasn’t aware that this was now available in heating pads!!!

    I can definitely vouch for the portable heating pads! My son plays year-round baseball outside and it is very rare to see me without mine! It is awesome!

    Thanks for this great article!

    • HI Misty, that’s great that you already have a heat pad that you can take with you to baseball games. I would certainly look into the available infrared versions as it seems you are well aware of the benefits infrared brings. Hope your Son hits a home run!.

  2. I have heard of Far Infra red. Do any of the heating pads use Far infra-red?

    Jade stones are cool for conducting and distributing the infra red energy.

    You have brought the details of a variety of heating pads for the arthritis, neck, shoulder, back and knee and even for the whole body.

    It is indeed a complete guide for heating pads.

    • Absolutely they do. In particular the UTK which as you stated used the jade stones. Far infrared is just another level on the infrared spectrum typically measured at 15 micrometers to 1 mm wavelengths. So it penetrates that little bit further.

  3. Thank you very much for the information provided here. I didn’t even know that infrared heating pads were a thing, let alone how therapeutic they could actually be. The sad thing, I’m a nurse who really believes in hot and cold therapy!

    I’m going to have to do a little bit more research into infrared heating pads, as currently all I’ve recommended in the past is moist heat or deep muscle penetration. Are there very many risks for burning your skin associated with infrared pads?

    Ask again for the great write up, and I look forward to hearing back from you on the topic!

    • Hi Tony, wow. I can’t believe you hadn’t heard of infrared heat pads being a Nurse. you and you’re patients certainly are in for a treat. Yes moist pads are good, but infrared is even better. I would love to hear back from you as to what your patients think of these heat pads. As for skin burn, no it is minimal as infrared travels through your skin as energy waves and heats from the inside out. It doesn’t really get too hot on the skin.

  4. This sounds absolutely fantastic! Me and my sons train quite a lot of Calisthenics which is pure bodyweight training and naturally this puts a lot of strain on joints and muscles.

    Which type of pad would you personally recommend if we would want something adaptable that can be used on both joints (wrists, shoulders, elbows etc.) and muscles, both large and small?

    Thank you for this post, really opened my eyes!
    John

    • Hi John, sounds like quite a workout. Your bodies must certainly feel some strain. Because you are doing a full body routine, I would suggest the full body heating pad by UTK. It is amazing as it can target multiple areas at once. Plus it is flexible so you can wrap it around your thighs for example while curling it behind your shoulders to maximize the muscles and joints you want to target. But for your wrists, I would look at the pads for arthritis link above. It has some great hand and wrist heating pads that you wear on your hands to apply heat therapy to this somewhat awkward position.

  5. I had no idea how many different types of heating pads there were. Thanks for the thorough review of the different uses and how far they have come. I really like how many different styles there are based on what area of the body you are looking for relief for.

    I suffer from constant back and neck pain and can’t afford to go to a chiropractor or physical therapist all the time. I know that there is almost nothing better than a hot bath to relieve sore achy muscles, but think that this could also be helpful for me, especially if there isn’t any harmful effect from the rays.

    • Hi Michael, I know what you mean by expensive Chiropractor or massage therapist. The bills certainly do add up. That’s why it’s important we do as much as we can from home at a fraction of the cost. Back pain torments most of us, so treating it with a heating pad is one of the more common at home treatments.

  6. I found guide to be very informative, in fact next month I will come back and purchase your neck and the following month I would like to invest in the full body. I have M.S and muscle pain is constant for me and very fatiguing. So to be able to relieve any pain at all is more than what I currently am receiving. Looking forward to my first treatment. I will make sure I don’t leave the heat pad on too long as you suggested. Thanks

  7. I never thought I would learn so much about heating pads and that there were that many to choose from.

    I have saved your website in my favorites since it has so much that I can refer back to when someone complains of some aches or something else.

    My son and daughter have a lot of lower back pain and we have always been told to ice it. Do you think that alternating the ice and heat is beneficial?

    The infrared heat pads are a great idea that I need to keep in mind and my be good for me as I don’t seem to have as many aches as my kids do.

    Very informative site and it will be a great reference for me and my family.

    • Hi Rick, Cold therapy is generally applied immediately after causing the injury. What this does is reduces swelling and essentially numbs the associated nerves. Relieving some pain. This is fine to do if it’s just a small injury. But if the pain continues and is associated with a disease etc. Heat therapy comes in. The heat from a heating pad (Especially infrared) will speed up the healing process of your injury, not just numb it.

      This is done by hemoglobin releasing nitric oxide into the muscle walls. This then causes the blood vessels to open up wider. Then the blood cells can flow more freely to the affected region (lower back). The increased blood cells bring more oxygen, glucose and other nutrients to help the body relieve pain and heal. The nerves around the injured area react when the blood flow is low, they send a signal to the brain, which is the pain. So increasing the blood flow to the area lets the nerves know ‘hey everything will be OK’ and things start to feel better. This of course can happen over a few hours to a few weeks depending on the injury.

  8. The infrared pads for the knees sounds like something that is just right for me. First of all, it is very interesting to note that infrared has deeper penetration compared to regular heat pads. I had no idea because I really thought that they were the same thing. I have also tried moist heatpads too. They do penetrate our system pretty well. I like how that there’s an invention specifically for the knees, because that is one part of the body that has the most difficulty healing due to lack of blood circulation. I have a friend who used to be on the track team. He did all kinds of running including long marathons, and 100m sprints. He retired from the sport now. However, he has a bunch of knee pains almost feeling like it is “broken”.I will recommend this knee pad to him to see if he likes it.

    • Absolutely Win Bill Huang. If your friend has troublesome knees, tell him to don’t buy anything unless it has infrared option. He will be amazed at the difference. But do know that it is a repetitive treatment. Not a apply once and a miracle happens. It takes time to be effective.

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