I have bought 3 of these, and am about to buy another. One went as a gift.
First the "bad" news:
As many have said, the digital display isn't back-lit. This is by far the most serious problem this pad has. I got one of the free LED flashlights that HF gives away and covered up all but 1 LED. Works great. Doesn't wake my wife.
As a 71 year old male, I don't have a lot of high frequency hearing, so I can't hear it beep unless I hold it to my ear. It isn't loud enough to wake my wife, so it's a minor issue.
The heating elements are short rods that run across the width of the pad. As a result, it bends kind of like a roll-top desk. It is very flexible when bent parallel to the short axis, but not so much when bent along the long dimension. It would be nice if it were more flexible, but you just learn how it likes to fold and live with it.
I had my wife sew me up a second cover from some felt-like material. When I lay on my side with it under my face (headaches), it felt a little lumpy. The extra cover cured that, and the pad is plenty powerful enough to handle the extra insulation. If I was just using it on my back, the problem wouldn't have been noticable.
The two I kept for myself lasted about a year each. That sounds pretty terrible until you understand that I use them about 4-5 hours a day for chronic back/neck pain. I run them pretty hot (135F on the control), lay on them, fold them into "Z" shapes to go around my pillow at my neck, sleep on them doubled over by accident, pitch them on the floor in the middle of the night, accidentally roll over them with my computer chair, etc. As an engineer, my comment would be, "Well, of course they die." At $5 a month, they are a microscopic portion of my medical bills.
The good news:
In 30-40 years of fighting my back and neck pain, I have never found a hot pad that helped before this one. Everything else has been too small, has gyrated wildly in temperature due to junk controllers, has wadded up under me, has not been hot enough even on high, has been lumpy, etc. This pad has none of these problems.
Despite the first part of this review, I LOVE THIS PAD. I am addicted to it. My only problem right now is that mine is dead and the new one is not on Amazon Prime. Now I have to figure out how to survive the extra shipping time. Sigh.
**02/19/2019 - 3 year update**
I have now owned this heating pad for 3 years and it still performs as well today as it did the first time I used it. I have laundered the cover countless times (no dryer!) and the thermostat, heating coils, and controller still operate optimally. I still wish the controller was backlit and I finally removed the Velcro (with a seam ripper), but I would still never replace it with any of the leading national brands like Sunbeam. Many times it has proven more effective than medication at providing much needed pain relief; I have Lupus, RA, and chronic headaches so one can imagine how much I depend on this heating pad.
The Bodysport Moist Heating Pad is 14"x27" with a heavy duty 6' cord and fleece cover. The LCD controller time adjustment up to 60 minutes and heat adjustment to 166 degrees. It is not backlit, however, since it is not advisable to use a heating pad while sleeping, this is probably more for safety than a deficiency in the design. It beeps when plugged, when adjusting the time and temperature, and when it shuts off (despite what one reviewer said about it not beeping when it shuts off...it DOES). It has a lockout feature to prevent unwanted adjustment of the controls. Also, it provides moist heat without the use of water.
Previously, I have owned 7-8 heating pads, all in the lower price point. None of them lasted even a year with proper use, nor were they are large as the Bodysport, did not have heavy duty cords, as many safety features and were not weighted for efficient use on the back while lying on the stomach. For an extra $20-$30, I got all of these features an then some with this heating pad.
The Bodysport is larger and heavier than many heating pads, but it has proven itself to be much better quality with far more safety features. I subscribe to the belief that you get what you pay for, and this heating pad has proven itself worth every penny and then some.
My only complaint is the Velcro strips on the cover. The male side of the Velcro is permanently affixed to the middle part of the cover, so only one side can be used without getting attacked by Velcro. I plan to remove it since for me, there is no practical use for it, so it's not a deal killer.
We have purchased a number of cheap heating pads in the past and they are stiff , with terrible temperature control. These cheap ones separate and become a fire hazard. We suspect most of these crappy things are made in China. Out of frustration, we began to look for one of high quality. Low and behold we found this one. It is a thousand times better than any we have been able to find. We both have back problems . This one actually seems to be moist. It is sturdy, well made., extra large and the temperature control actually works. It costs more but you get what you pay for (some times): in this case most certainly. I highly recommend it for any one that wants a high quality heating pad.
This is a heating pad for the long term. It heats to a specific temperature you set which is very nice, so much better than the four settings on most heating pads. You also can set it for a specific amount of time up to 60 minutes which beats the pads that make you hold a button down to keep it on. There is a quiet yet audible tone to let you know you set it and that it is turning off. It allows you to reset it for another 60 minute cycle immediately if you hear the tone which is a nice way to prevent you from harming yourself without being too big brother-ish or waking you up. The moist heat somehow gathers atmospheric moisture so it does not work the best if your in a low humidity situation or if you are laying on the thing. All in all, I am very pleased with this purchase.
I bought this heating pad back in 2012 and have used it on a daily basis ever since, even taking it on vacations and extended hospital visits . It has never failed until now (2018), and i went out and bought another because of the superiority of this pad over everything else available. Yes it has flaws, but nothing I can't live with. (no backlight, max one hour heat time only, and the fact that when it looses power it must be reset to my favorite setting). But, being a disabled Vet and a 20 yr veteran RN with irreversible chronic pain I have become familiar with multiple heating pad brands and styles and I would not use anything else. The fact that you can set the heat up to 166 F, (although I would be very careful at that setting, as burns and discoloration on your skin can occur), and set it to your specific comfort level is enough to make it worth buying, but it has also lasted me 6 years of constant use, so the durability is tops if you take good care of it.
Feature Product
- THERAPEUTIC WARMTH. This heat pad provides temporary muscle pain relief for people with muscle strains and sprains, joint pain, back pain, and inflammation
- WATER NOT REQUIRED. This moist heating pad produces its own moisture from humidity in the air
- EASY TO USE. This heating pad has user-friendly LCD controls that allow the user to set and monitor the treatment temperature and time
- SETTINGS STAY SET. The BodyMed Digital Moist Heating Pad has a lockout feature that keeps the controls from being accidentally touched and changed during treatment
- AUTOMATIC SHUT OFF. This heating pad with auto shut off eliminates worry about forgetting to turn it off. The BodyMed heating pad allows the user to set the shut-off time in one-minute increments up to one hour. The preset automatic shut-off time is 15 minutes
Description
The Retap Sleeve adds a stylish protective layer when you're on the go with your Retap glass bottle. Stay hydrated and hands-free by using the sturdy ribbon to attach your Retap bottle to a bag, stroller, or bike. Or keep your Retap close by carrying it on your finger during a hike or trip to the store. These soft sleeves are made of cotton knit that is machine washable and elasticized to stay snug. In eight colors and patterns, you're sure you find a Retap sleeve that suits your style.
I love this heating pad so far. Others I've had before have gotten too hot even on the lowest setting. This one gives you so much control over the temperature which does not fluctuate like some others do in my experience. The pad is heavier than what I had anticipated but that is not a deal breaker for me. The velcro strap is long enough for me (an average size person). I feel so far that it is working much better on my arthritis pain than my previous pad. I don't have a problem with it not having a backlight. All you have to do is hit the power button when it turns itself off in order to turn it on again and the power button is very easy to find even in the dark. If you wanted to change it to a different temp in middle of the night you would have to turn your light on to see the controls. If you hit the power button again it uses the same time and temp that was entered before. I have seen other owners say theirs quit working after a year. I will post an update if i come across any issues. So far i love it!
Nice and hot! Moist heat is very comfortable and feels great. I tried to replace my 20 year old Sunbeam with another and the new one hardly produced enough heat to melt a snowflake (aka melenium). Everything is made to protect them and keep them safe but this heating pad actually gets hot. So use common sense, follow the instructions and feel better with some good solid heat. Hopefully it stands up to time. This heating pad was one of the higher rated ones through my research. I'll update down the road on longevity.
I got the idea to get this from my physical therapist after hurting my knee at work. She would heat me up and then ice me down afterwards. Working in the hospital I had such bad muscle spasms, lower back, knee and sciatica pain. My body would be so wracked with pain I could barely walk. Having tried many heating pads, I read the benefits of therapeutic heat. This heating pad is life!!!! I travel for work now and do not travel without it. I started off using this every day and stretching. I now only use it when I have had a very long day at work or long trip in the car. I don't have any pains. I have not had any issues with sciatica since using this and relaxing all those muscles and stretching. I don't even stretch every day now. I burned one of these out and I ordered another one. I will continue to buy these for the rest of my life-if they continue to make them
I have degenerative disc disease and small fiber peripheral neuropathy. On bad days I'll get this out and turn it up to 120 for about half an hour.
The natural moisture (do NOT add water it uses it from the air) helps the heat penetrates deep into my muscles causing them to relax around my spine. This in turn helps provide a lot of relief for my back and slight relief of my legs (because my back relaxes).
I have recommended this to several friends and relatives who have muscle issues and they all love it, too!
The only caveat we should mention is to place a towel between the surface you intend to lay on and the heating pad.
I have had a multi year journey looking for a great heating pad. I have lupus, disc issues, and small fiber neuropathy. I had an old heating pad that died on me and every one I've bought since did not get hot enough.
I found this one here and immediately was excited about the size of it. It's big enough to cover my entire back. That's so beneficial when you have muscle spasms all over. I love the weight of it. It really helps the heat penetrate my joints to relieve the arthritis pain. The high temperatures are great. I turn it up to 166 and put it on top of my bed spread and it helps the heat disperse even more. If I'm using it directly on the skin or clothing f I find 142-147 to be perfect. It burns the pain into submission. When you have arthritis they say moist heat is the best for the joints. This pad gets very humid. You can feel the moisture and it's done by design. No need to wet the cover. The beeping from the control is a tad annoying. It bother my husband more than me because I'm enjoying all the benefits. Other reviewers have brought up the lack of backlight and it is a con. I find myself having to turn on my phone flashlight to see the control. Other than those two things this is a top notch product and will provide you maximum pain relief.
I've had this heating pad for over a year and it gets heavy daily use. It works amazing and I've recommended it to friends with chronic pain. Another friend with lupus ended up buying one and she swears by it too. It's just a great product and worth the money 100x over!
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