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Muscle and joint pain have long been treated using heat therapy. In particular, the heating pad. For many Americans, the convenience of a pad you can heat up in the microwave is the most obvious choice. While there are notable option such as Infrared and Electric and Moist, what we really want to know is: What are the best microwavable heating pads in 2017?.

Before I reveal the top rated most popular heating pads that can be heated in the microwave, I want you to truly understand some of the advantages to using a microwaveable heating pad vs electric. While I highly recommend electric pads, I feel the microwave heating pads have a unique purpose that isn’t fulfilled via other heat therapy methods.

Advantages Of Microwave Heating Pads

• Portable: With the exception of cordless heating pads, no other pad allows you the freedom to move around with the heating pad attached to your body.
• Very easy to use and reuse over and over
• Microwaveable heating pads can often offer moist heat therapy which is a better method for people with sensitive skin and painful joints.
• Maneuverable enough to heat just the right area of you body
• Many reasons for use including; Migraines/headaches, menstrual pain, lower back pain and neck and shoulder pain.

Those are just a few of the advantages of microwave heating pads. A microwaveable heating pad is typically made up of beads, rice or of a gel like substance. A high quality pad will use a gel/rice/bead that transfers heat evenly across the pad and can maintain a good even consistent heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. The material on the exterior of the heating pad should also be soft on the skin so that you don’t inherit a rash or discomfort. So with these features of the microwaveable heating pads on the mind, lets review a few of the best available in 2017.

Best Microwavable Heating Pad For The Back

MediBeads Moist King Size Heating Pad Review

Due to it’s perfect size, I found the MediBeads moist heat king pad to be the best suited for back pain. This pad fits in a medium size microwave. However, if you have a smaller microwave you could fold this pad in half no worries. Once heated, the ‘MediBeads’ go to work offering pain relief for about 25-30 minutes.

The beads inside this pad are unique to this brand and in my opinion, work better than rice pads. They retain heat longer, get hotter and distribute heat more evenly than rice pads I found.

This pad was actually a recommendation to me from a good friend of mine whom suffers Sciatica and chronic lower back pain. Which was actually a recommendation from her Doctor. Being a frequent lower back pain sufferer myself, I couldn’t not take this recommendation.

How It Works – Moist Heat

This microwaveable heating pad is one of the best options becasue it offers a unique moist heating feature. The ceramic beads found inside the pad actually draw moisture from the air. Don’t worry if you live somewhere that isn’t known for dry heat like Colorado, the MediBeads still works a treat.

This kind of moist heat therapy works just like the heating pads you may have used at a Therapist. Except instead of basting the bad in water, the beads draw the moisture in and uses a steam like substance to penetrate the skin. So when you take the pad off, there will be moisture settling on your skin. This is great as it reduces the chances of burning your skin or causing skin irritations often associated with heating pads.

Other Things I Like About The MediBeads

1. Also works as a cold compress. But unlike cold pads, the MediBeads doesn’t sweat which is a good feeling on the skin. If you do plan to use this as a cold compress, I’d suggest buying 2. One for heat therapy and the other permanently kept in the freezer.
2. Great for deep tissue fascia release due to the intense heat qualities.
3. No plastic or irritating smell associated with the pad. Make sure your microwave is well cleaned before use tho as the pad could inherit odors from food scraps.
4. Affordable price tag.

 

Microwavable Herbal Heating Pads

Thrive 3 Pack Hot And Cold Heating Pad Set

This set is a complete bargain if you ask me. The unbelievable price of the Thrive Spa Hot & Cold Therapy set still stuns me to this day. It comes with 3 very convenient heat pads to do pretty much all the painful areas of the body. While it’s not a large heating pad that will cover the entire back, it will pin point problem areas with ease.

First there’s the neck heating pad which fits snug around the neck. This is wonderful for when you are sitting down, laying down on bed or even doing light house work duties. At first sight, I was taken back a little by the ‘u shape’. I thought this may be a tad too small for the neck region. Turns out that I was wrong. The smaller size makes it more manageable and retains heat better on the desire surface rather than diluting it over a bigger surface. Well done Thrive.

The eye pillow is quite nice for my late night head aches. Ideally I would like it a tad bit bigger so that it covers the entire forehead. But as a eye heating pad, it does a great job.

Lastly is the longer pad with handles. Each end of this pad has handles on them so that you can wrap this pad around your lower back, lumbar section etc and not drop the pad. Great idea.

The Extra Special Features

1. Inside each pad is a soft pillow like pocket. This is where you put the herbal scent packet. This is a great idea as it allows you to swap out old used up herb packs with a fresh new one.
2. The material is so soft, a microfiber like material.
3. Includes 4 herbal packs which consist of: Flax Seeds, Lavender, Eucalyptus, Cinnamon and Cloves.
4. Don’t like the herb smells?. Simple, don’t add the scented packet to your pad. No smell from burning rice either as this pad uses clay beads which don’t put out an aroma.
5. Non Toxic and comes in a handy carry bag.
6. Can be frozen and used as a cold compress.

 

Microwave Your Neck & Shoulders Into Pain Relief

My Heating Pad Neck & Shoulder – Made In USA

Microwaves in just 1-2 minutes ‘My Heating Pad’ delivers one of the best rice heat therapies out there. This is mainly due to the 7 chambers or channels that run horizontally across the wrap. The channels also help the wrap to provide heat in the neck, upper back and shoulders all in one session without the wrap moving around.

These channels are filled with rice. The rice then is limited to where it can fall too. So no longer do you have to deal with a heating pad where the rice falls to one side. These 7 chambers hold the rice in tight for a more comfortable and snug fit. Not only that, the chambers assist the rice in distributing even heat to all areas of the pad.

Made in America, the outer side is fleece for soft touching comfort, while the heating side is cotton to retain heat better. When it comes to heat, the longer you cook it in the microwave, the longer the rice retains the heat. But never go longer in the microwave than the manufacturer states. This can lead to a bad rice smell or even worse. Fire. But becasue of the unique 7 chamber design, I find the My Heating Pad to last for a good 30 minutes after heating.

*My Heating Pad Also Available For Other Body Parts