Youngest age for an electric blanket ?

iMax

We were recently given an electric blanket. Having never owned one before I was totally amazed at the coziness of it.

However, our daughter (5) sometimes comes into our bed & has discovered that if she turns it on at the side, it's super cozy night night time.

So we were thinking of getting her one.

Any thoughts ?

Victor

AFAIK, you are meant to turn off electric blankets before you use the bed.

The risk of fire or burns aside, its easy to wake up form being cold, its very difficult to wake up if you are too warm.

How cold can 3 people in the one bed be?

iMax

It does be switched off when going to bed. She's discovered how to work it & now prefers our bed to hers.

old_aussie

I got my first electric blanket at seven.

I have it on high for a few hours to warm the bed and turn it down to medium or low, (depending on how cold it is) when goin to sleep.

cynder

You can get blankets that cut out after 45 mins, the only concern i would have is if she wets the bed.

If she's figured out how to turn it on and off, I would be concerned she would do the same during the night in her own bed. Personally I wouldn't put an electric blanket on a 5 year old's bed. If it is causing problems whereby she is coming to your bed because of it, then I would take it off your bed until she has forgotten about it.

You could always get her a nice mattress topper and a hot water bottle

Glowing

Modern electric blankets can be safely used while you sleep, and are machine washable!!

the west wing

I have my electric blanket plugged into a timer so it comes on before I go to bed and then goes off once I'm asleep. She shouldn't be able to control it at the switch on the blanket. You could do this for either your bed or for hers if you decide to get her one.

Daisy!

Are they safe if a child wets the bed though?

Glowing

Well if you can machine wash it, then I suppose YES!

cynder

Have you tried washing it while pluged in?

I wouldnt try it.....

*Its unplugged when you wash it in the washing machine.

stovelid

I thought they were only supposed to used to heat the bed before you get in?

Unless you're half-reptile, I don't see why extra night clothes and more bedding wouldn't suffice. :pac:

smelltheglove

I would be extremely careful of it to be honest. I always had a bit of a fear f electric blankets going on fire. My hubbie told me one day he intended on going out and buying me one as I hate the cold and I asked him not to as I wouldnt trust them. Within a few weeks we noticed the priests house adjacent to my girls school had gone on fire, every story I have heard about it relates to an electric blanket, I just wouldnt trust them, no metter how safe anyone says they are I wouldnt allow one in my home, I'd rather have the rads on low during the night.

Chuchoter

You can get ones with a 75 minute shut off and you can set the temperature from 1 to 9. They're unlikely to go on fire, but not safe if the child is wetting the bed, you don't want to be washing it too much as it might damage the wiring within it I'd say. They're not meant to be washed very frequently.

we'llallhavetea_old

eh-hem

my daughter uses one all night. i've moved in to her bed now

i thought they were pretty safe, except sometimes when you leave preheat on too long and wake up with scalded arse cheeks :mad:

littlebitdull

All my life I have know people who used electric blankets, certainly my parents are using them for over 30 years now. And they have never had a problem with them - ever.

I would try ensuring that the blanket is one that is safe to be left on and would go ahead and use one on my childs bed. A nice warm cosy bed would be just as nice for a child as an adult.

I got one recently for us in Tesco and it was only 30 euro for a king size duel control one. Ours has a preheat setting and two levels that can be left on all night if needed. I have been a bit under the weather this past week, and its certainly helped.

mylittlepony

When small, water bottles.
Then I got 1 as a Xmas present when i was 12 from aunt and its still working, 18yrs later.
I did get a newer one last xmas and that broke cos the sitch was weak quality and broke, had to use a tweezer to get it on/off, but threw it out as it just wasnt safe.
Back to the old electric when Im alone.
Sharing bed with boyfriend, no need for electric blanket, he my blanket, i use his body heat to warm me up, rub my cold feet on his cosy legs, lol :P

Answer: no too young.
best water bootle with fluffy cover, fleece socks +PJ, extra blanket even a fleece dressing gown for very cold nights.

thesimpsons

my first reaction was "way too young" and then I was surprised at the amount of people who use them. I always thought I was a cold creature and loved my heat and extra pair of socks in the very cold, but I wouldn't ever have an electric blanket on my bed, don't have heat on in the bedrooms either, and more often than not, I try open a window just a crack in each of the kids rooms at night for some air. Having asked around my friends in last few days, I'm seriously surprised at the amount who feel the cold badly enough for electric blankets. To me a warm bed would be pure torture.

up for anything

An electric duvet might be safer and would certainly be cosy. If I believed in Santa I would be expecting one tomorrow morning.
#

amdublin

I'd be more concerned about a child overheating too quickly and her little body physically not be able to handle it / regulate it quick enough.

I'd suggest you get rid of your blanket for a while
And get hot water bottles for yours and hers and make a big fuss about them etc.


As an aside.
I fell asleep with my blanket in high and woke up in a sweat, with palpitations and in the middle of an hallucination that there was a ghost in the room with me
:eek:

bigneacy

Glowing wrote: »

Modern electric blankets can be safely used while you sleep, and are machine washable!!

We allowed our 4 year old to have an electric blanket last year at this time, because the house we were living in wasn't very well insulated (we've since moved out into a warm house)

The electric blankets can be set to warm the bed and then lowered to 1 to stay on all night. He was told that he wasn't allowed to touch the buttons (which were pushed under the mattress) and that if he did we wouldn't let him have it any more. He never did.

The blanket was machine washable and totally safe in case of an accident. The modern ones have to be, otherwise they can't be sold.