I have several electric blankets - all of them 10+ years old. I purchased one from a thrift store last year and LOVE it - my bed is toasty and warm when I crawl in - I turn it off before getting in, though. You might consider checking your thrift stores, especially ones in an elderly neighborhood - family members tend to haul stuff to the closest thrift shop.

We bought a new one two years ago. We take turns turning it to preheat before we go to bed so we have a warm bed! I believe ALL: new electric blankets have the preheat feature.

Years ago my grandmother talked about getting one.I read in an article they can cause cancer I guess the electrodes what ever on the body,she has since died of breast cancer.Just thought Id mention it/.Gotta wonder.

We bought ours at Sears this past fall and it has a preheat as well, LOVE it! I am like you, I don't really want the blanket on during the night, but I want the bed toasty warm when I climb in! We used to have a heated mattress pad, I loved it! But this blanket was super cheap (like $20) compared to the $$$ for the pad.

Hmmm..I don't think mine has a pre-heat on it. The dial goes from "L" to "H"..and that's it.

The first electric blanket I ever saw, was one my Grandmother bought when she was living with us. I was a little girl and I loved jumping in that warm bed. She was still using the same electric blanket when she went into the nursing home (long time after I got married). She was 93yrs. old when she died..so I guess she died of old age! As cold as it's been here...I willing to take my risk!*S*

do a ebay search and find a older discontinued model. I have a sunbeam, I think mine will warm before getting in.
I had to get 2 twins & sew them together since one side kept burning out.

I'm puzzled. If your turn it on, how does it know whether you are IN the bed or not. Doesn't it.....just heat? I have an electric throw I put on top of the quilt and turn it on about a 1/2 hr before I go to bed. Then turn it off when I do get in.

Dotmom..I've wondered the same thing! Matter of fact, I turned it on right before I posted the question. Bed is still cold. Now, I could go crawl in bed..and it'd start heating..but even then I have to keep it set on high all night. My MIL says hers does the same thing!

Joann-I don't understand what you are saying about sewing two twin ones together because one side keeps burning out?? That sounds dangerous!"Splain" yourself girl! LOL
I have been thinking of getting one of the warming pads.The one just for the foot of the bed.I sleep in a cool room,(even have the heat vent closed and a window open just a little)and hate electric blankets.I sleep with a light quilt and sheet but my feet are always cold when I first get into bed.If I can't get them warm within a few minutes after getting in bed they stay cold all night.I thought one of the warmers might work,then when my feet get warm I can turn it off.Anyone have one and if so would it be worth the price? Sometimes I use the heating pad to warm up my feet but the cord isn't long enough for me to reach without getting up when I want to turn it off! LOL

Re the cancer connection, I've read that electric blankets carry a certain risk, but electric mattress pads do not. I always preheat my mattress pad (in cold weather, that is!), and get into a blissfully warm bed.

Is Big Brother 'protecting' us again?

The electric blanket I'm still using on MY side of the bed is at least 35 years old and still working perfectly. It's one half of a King size my mother gave us: A pair of extra-long twins that zipped together and had dual controls. The brand is 'SlumbeRest', made in Ontario. DS has (or had) the other half. I gave it to him when he was a teenager and wanted to make his bedroom in our old office, which was not adequately heated. I think it left when he did.

I have a sunbeam heated throw(got it at Costco 2 years ago)..you don't have to be under it for it to work..and it has "auto" shut off after a certain amount of time. Usually it's just on top of the bed..I or the boys crawl under it and "warm up" watching tv..on really cold nights it goes between the blanket and the bed cover.

Electric blankets causing cancer now? Oh geez! But, I guess since cell phones cause cancer too, since people are dropping dead from them every day. Bacon causes cancer, hamburgers and whatever else.

There is substantial evidence however that saliva causes cancer... if swallowed in small amounts. And I have to admit that everyone I know who has or had cancer, ALL swallowed saliva sometime in their lives. Should be a warning label on saliva. Even tobacco, asbestos and the Dalkon Shield aren't the killers like saliva!

People should realize there are certain dangers with ANY electric appliance, or many things for that matter. They need to be used properly. They can short out, overheat or otherwise. People with limited feeling in their bodies won't feel if it's getting too warm and can get burned. That's not the appliance's fault.

They're coming out with a special term for kids burning their laps from overheated notebook computers! ("Toasted skin syndrome.") Used to be called "stupid".

Even my old electric blankets seem to cool down and heat up. There's probably some sort of a thermostat there and that would affect the warming you want. Maybe instead of an electric blanket, you might want to consider a couple of heating pads? I've got older electric blankets and I'm not afraid of EMF or other scares. I don't leave it on for long periods of time.

I don't think a blanket can sense per se whether you're in with it or not, however many have a timer that they'll only run a certain amount of time so you have to adjust it or have some interaction with it to keep it going. Similar to many rear window defrosters shut off after a period of time so you have to turn it on again. A safety and economy feature.

Just checked it again..still cold!:( Been on over 2hrs. now!

Hi gang if you didnt want to use the electric blanket this is what I do..I place a vellux blanket on my mattress before I make my bed and when I make up the bed I leave it on and it keeps the bed toasty all night long..Im like everyone else pretty much love a cool to cold room, so try that

Bump, try putting another blankie or throw on top of your bed. It's amazing how the weight of something else on top of the electric blanket can make a difference. It does for my elec. blanket anyway. Mine is about 3 years old. I got it at JC Penney. I paid more for it than I had paid for Sunbeams in the past. They just didn't seem to last for me. This one will run you right out of the bed it's so toasty. I turn it on HIGH about 30 minutes before going to bed. I have a light weight down throw on my bed also. Just putting the extra weight of that throw seems to make the bed seem much warmer when I get in. Sometimes if I don't have the down throw on there, I will line my two bed pillows up where I plan to sleep while it is heating for that 30 minutes before retiring. That weight makes a difference too. Couldn't hurt, give it a try.

PS: Have you washing the blanket? Sometimes I think the wire coils short out when tugged on too hard, for too many years or maybe during a wash cycle. Just MO or my experience.

And if you don't want to go the route of electric blankets, etc., here's a simple little pillow to toss into your microwave and it will warm your tootsies.

Here is a link that might be useful: warm feet

I definately want a "blanket". Had one of the heated throws and it just wasn't big enough!

Summer..right now there are 2 blankets on top of it. My bedsprea..and the one I keep on there for the pups to sleep on (and not get the bedspread doggy'ish) lol Still the blanket doesn't heat up until I get in bed!