Tell me about electric blankets?

DH is dead set against electric blankets - keeps saying he doesn't want to be burned alive (I have shown him the statistics that this is most unlikely - but still he is not convinced). We went away recently and there was one on the bed and was great in my opinion, much nicer hopping into a nice warm bed.

We don't have any heating in our room, and when it is cold we have to drag the oil heater from the lounge into the bedroom half an hour before bed just to take the chill off the room a bit. I think an electric blanket would be much simpler.

Yes I know we are 'poms' and should be used to the cold - but over there houses are kept much warmer due to central heating arond 22 all the time, so electric blankets are not really needed.

We do use hot water bottles sometimes, but they don't really spread the warmth that well.

What do others think are electric blankets ok or not?

But I bet you heating in the UK!

I have one. DH was against them, not due to safety (he's a sparky, so he wasn't worried about that) but he thought they were a waste of time.

He loves it now! We do often forget to turn it on. But as winter approaches we will remember more.
Mine has a 75 minute timer which is what I only ever use. That way if I forget to turn it off, it will turn itself off. Also, last year ds2 used to sit on the floor of my room and play with things - including my electric blanket. At least by using the timer, it would only be on for 75 mins max.

We have had our since we got married which is 10 years ago. So it was a good investment. Not many electrical things last for 10 years.

I couldn't live without mine!! Ours stays on the bed all year round. DH turns his on to warm up the sheets, then off once in bed. I leave mine on all night. Best invention ever!!

We have one, we turn it on to warm the bed and then turn it off when we get in. DD1 also has one, she kept leaving it on all night so we bought a count down switch so it turns itself off.

We have one, I just put it on the bed a few days ago. I warm up the bed and turn it off when I jump in. DH uses his, less than me though
Haven't got them on the kids beds though, they are both hot little sleepers and their bedrooms get the arvo sun in winter so are the warmest rooms in our house

I did have one catch fire, so have been cautious ever since. Took me awhile after that to get another when DH and I were in Tassie. We found we rarely used it when we were in our old flat in Melbourne, so got rid of it.

Contemplating one again now we are in a colder region. Also thinking of one for DD2. Her bed seem cold whenever I have to lie in it with her, so it might benefit from the warming up before bed. At the moment we use a wheat bag toy when she goes to bed

I haven't had one for 2 years and I miss it! But I am a bit scared of them as I love to leave it on all night with the 12 hour timer option. So I am not a good person to have one!

I'd be cautious my tenants in my investment property had one and theirs caught fire, luckily she wasn't asleep yet when it started smoking, she was able to get out and save her children (who were also in the bed) she lost her mattress and bedding through it though.

I had one on my Queen and I would use it to preheat the bed before getting in of a night. Ours was a fluffy wool one, just gorgeous even in summer as an underlay.

I miss it on my King bed.

My uncle is a fireman, he says never have them, they are one of the biggest causes of house fires out there in winter.

I can't stand them - I like to get into a cool bed and warm it up :) My Mum won't go without hers though. I think if she had it her way it would be on all night, but my Dad was a fireman for 15 years and only lets her put it on for 30-60 minutes before bed to warm it up, as he knows of the risks.

One thing, don't let your cat on the bed lol. Many times Mum's turned it on and the cat has hopped up on the bed to soak up the heat - and soak it up she did, the tiny spot where the cat lay was the only warm spot!

I'm with you teeki, I enjoy the cold freshness of sheets, but I'm a really hot sleeper...even more now I'm pg. I'm still just sleeping in a sheet! And I get hot!

I can't use them as I can feel the electricity from them run through my body, same as if I hold a mobile phone while it's on charge. I figure if I can feel it then it can't possibly be doing good things for my body