The Sealy Electric Blanket

So Soft, So Warm, So Safe

For people who don't own a Sealy electric blanket, the thought of sliding in between the sheets on a wintry night is sometimes nothing short of misery. The howling winds outside seem to virtually cut right through the walls of the house, and the sheets are ice-cold. Oh sure, your body heat will warm the bed up-eventually.

Why go through that feeling of dread when it's so easy to warm up the bed so that you can slide comfortably in with an Ahhhhh, instead of an Aaaaak? With a Sealy electric blanket, you have the power to create a sleeping environment that will soothe and relax you on your way to a healthy, restful trip to Dreamland.

Essential Features Provide Comfort and Peace of Mind

• Materials - While there are several different styles of the blanket, each style is made of polyester, or an acrylic polyester blend. Some of the styles are self-hemmed, and others have a luxurious satin edging. All versions are machine washable except for the Micro plush version, which should be hand washed and line dried.
  
  
• Controls - The lighted controls have a ten-setting temperature range, and the queen and king sizes have the advantage of dual controls. Since each control plugs into the power source independently, each side of the blanket can be adjusted to suit personal preferences. The control also features arrows to adjust the temperature up or down.
  
  
• Warranty and safety - Each Sealy electric blanket comes with a five-year limited warranty and certification from Underwriters Laboratories so that the consumer can feel secure about satisfaction and safety issues. There are also built-in safety features that include automatic shut-off, which activates after ten hours of use or when a safety risk is detected.

What Does the Average Joe (or Jane!) Think About This Blanket?

Those are the facts, but as with any product, there are plenty of opinions about the quality of any product. When it comes to consumer opinion, the Sealy electric blanket rates pretty high, with about 85% of consumers surveyed reporting 100% satisfaction. When you consider that many of the complaints from the other 15% are based on personal taste or the rare purchase of a product with some kind of malfunction, that's actually a pretty good record.

Of course, the warmth factor is one of the primary concerns for most consumers, and the Sealy electric blanket gets highest marks for warmth in most of the reviews. Customers report a high level of satisfaction with the rate at which the blanket warms up, and find that the distribution of heat is consistent over the whole blanket, with no cold or hot spots.

The appearance and texture also receive top ratings, as most customers like the soft, luxurious feel of the material, the light weight, and the flexible, almost imperceptible heating wires which provide a natural, comfortable quality. Most customers also report that they are highly satisfied with the coverage of the blankets. Many reviewers even claim that the king size blanket is large enough for a California King bed.

Naturally, the dual controls on the king and queen size blankets are a huge hit with couples who would normally argue about the temperature level. In addition, the lighted controls are bright enough to see easily when the lights are turned off, although some people thought they were a little too bright, and actually had to resort to covering them up so they could sleep.

The Downside

Of course, any review, in order to be completely impartial, must provide some information about qualities of a product that customers didn't like. Ironically, some of the very same features that were praised by some reviewers were criticized by others.

There were some customers who thought that the heating elements were too large and stiff and others who preferred a heavier blanket, a faster rate of heating, higher temperature capability, or a bigger selection of colors.

In considering the negative reviews, one primary thing to acknowledge is the number of complaints about blankets that stopped working within the first year, often after washing.

According to one review site, 10% of customers reported this problem, and about 4% of those also complained that they had difficulty working with customer support to resolve the problem.

Electric blankets in general seem to have a problem with durability issues, but a 10% complaint rate doesn't seem too significant, especially when we don't really know all the circumstances behind the complaints.

What About Electric Blanket Health Issues?

Undoubtedly, a Sealy electric blanket provides a tempting option for anyone who wants a warm, soothing night's sleep. It's important to recognize, however, that this blanket, or any electric blanket, for that matter, may not be for everyone. There are certain segments of the population who need to consider all the possible health effects that using electric blankets can have.

• Pregnancy - Pregnant women should probably not use electric blankets, especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. When the woman's core temperature gets too high, the core temperature of the fetus also gets too high, which can cause damage to the fetus.
  
  
• Diabetes - Electric blankets are also a risk for anyone with diabetes. One of the symptoms of diabetes can be impaired sensory perception, so a diabetic person may not be aware of too much heat, and serious burns could sometimes result.
  
  
• EMFs - Finally, there are concerns about Electromagnetic Fields-EMFs in electric blankets. In recent years, researchers have been investigating indications that Electro Magnetic Fields-EMFs could be a source of cancer. Although no concrete evidence has been established at this point, electric blanket manufactures have re-designed their blankets, just in case, and now claim that the blankets do not generate any harmful electromagnetic radiation.

For anyone who is still unsure about the safety of electric blankets because of health concerns or EMFs, there is a way to enjoy the comfort of a Sealy electric blanket. Simply set the blanket to warm up the bed for about thirty minutes, then turn it off and unplug it before retiring. That way you can be warm and cozy, but also be assured that you will not be subjected to any potentially adverse effects.