The battle over the best way to stay warm this winter is heating up! Here’s the lowdown on the two most popular personal heating techniques and which is best for you and your home.
The Basics
Electric Blankets: these look like ordinary blankets, but hidden inside are wires that heat up when electricity passes through them. This gets them warm, leaving you underneath feeling toasty.
Infrared Panels: These aluminium panels generate infrared waves, which are absorbed by the first person or object they hit. After warming you up, they bounce back into the room until the whole space is warm.
Crucially, IR panels make for amazing personal heaters, as they’re better than any other space heater on the market at warming you up directly. This is why it’s fair to compare them.
Cost
An electric blanket will cost anywhere between £20-£200 at the outset, and then will only cost about 23p a night to run (and that’s only if you were to use it for the full 8 hours, which isn’t recommended for safety reasons).
IR panels are typically a lot more powerful, with our models ranging between 180W to 1200W of power. However, they cost between £90-£300, so the initial purchase cost is comparable.
Because all electric heaters are 100% efficient, they can wind up costing a little more to run depending on which wattage you select.
The 180W and 350W models are the most comparable to an electric blanket, and will cost up to 10p an hour to run.
However, do bear in mind that an IR panel can heat a much larger space compared to an electric blanket, which only warm you up.
We’ll give this point to the electric blanket.
Reliability
Electric blankets are under a lot of strain, and they need to be flexible to keep up with how you move. There’s a lot going on under the surface that you can’t see, and if any one of those parts should fail then the whole blanket can suddenly pack in.
You’ll often see people complaining about their blanket barely warming up, or failing to switch on entirely, even only a short time after purchasing it- especially where they’ve gone for a cheaper option.
However, even more expensive blankets from well-respected brands can let you down when you need them.
IR panels don’t have any moving parts, so they’re much less likely to get damaged. This makes them far more reliable, which typically gives them a 100,000-hour lifespan. That’s about 30 years in real world terms.
Our IR panels also come with a 2-year warranty and 14 days returns period. You know you’re completely covered in the unlikely event that something goes wrong.
That’s a win for IR panels!
Safety
The first electric blankets turned up on the market in the 1920s. For decades they were dogged by stories about bursting into flame in the middle of the night.
Modern electric blankets are a lot safer than their older counterparts, but there’s always a risk when you wrap yourself up in a blanket that you’ll doze off and leave the blanket running for too long.
Plus, if there are any frayed wires or exposed heating elements, you run the risk of starting a dangerous fire.
Certain electric blankets are also not compatible with some bed linens, particularly mattress protectors, as these are not all designed to be exposed to high temperatures.
Always check before using your blanket in a new location.
Since you’ll be moving your blanket around a lot more, there’s a higher chance of friction damage and other rips and tears, leading to potentially dangerous situations.
As mentioned, IR panels are a lot less prone to breaking, so they’re much less likely to accidentally damage them. Ours even come with a specialised FIR coating that makes them fire resistant.
Another point goes to IR panels.
Bonus Features
Both our IR panels and the vast majority of electric blankets come with integrated timers and remotes.
This maximises safety, but it also makes both the panel and the blanket a lot more efficient, as they’ll only be on and drawing power when you actually need them.
Both are fairly portable as well, with electric blankets being so right out of the box, while IR panels will need a foot stand accessory.
We’ll chalk this one up as a draw!
Which Is Right For You?
Electric blankets are amazing at one specific thing: Warming you or your bedding up for a short time. IR panels are great at lots of things, including getting you or your space warm.
Ultimately, the choice comes down to what you’re looking for.
If all you need is personal comfort at certain specific times, grab a blanket. If you need more general heat that still gets you warm fast, then IR panels are a much better fit.
You can give us a call on 0116 436 2250 to get started. Alternatively, drop us an email at sales@mirrorstone.co.uk.
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