Electric Blanket or Heated Matress Pad

[Elizabeth24]

What would be better. We usually travel in cooler weather and thought that perhaps one of these would save on propane and heating up the entire RV.

Thanks

[DutchmenSport]

Over the years, we've had both heated mattress covers and electric blankets. I think we like the electric blanket better.

The advantage of the heated pad is so you lay on the heat. It's great for warming up a very cold bed. The advantage of an electric blanket .... you can use it to wrap in while watching television from the couch! There is the difference!

[magnusfide]

6 of one, half dozen of the other. I put a mattress pad UNDER the mattress. It modifies the heat to a gentle warmth so we aren't jiggling the control all night. Heat does rise and the thermal mass of the mattress distributes the warmth.

Another note: if you have a window at the head of the bed, your head will be chilled in cold weather. We created a "headboard" with rigid foam insulation and covered it in quilt batting and a matching fabric. Then we wedged it in place over the window. Other cold weather campers have copied that idea and found they sleep better.

[MikeInOregon]

We use a dual control heated mattress pad. My wife likes her side warmer. It uses a small amount of electricity. We power it using the inverter when dry camping.

[Second_Chance]

Heat rises, so a heated mattress pad is more efficient than an electric blanket. Neither draws enough current to worry about. The annual cost of operating is about 1/2 that of a TV (about $10/year). My wife prefers the heated mattress pad, so that's what we use.

Rob

[toedtoes]

Heat rises. An electric blanket heats and the bulk of it goes up into the air. An electric mattress pad heats and the bulk goes up and gets trapped by the blankets. So, with an electric mattress pad, you get more warmth for the same energy.

[Nutinelse2do]

Electric blanket

[WNYBob]

We have a heated throw (40 x 60 I think). We use it just to warm up the bed before we get in.

If it's cool in the evening we hook it up outside so we can use it in a chair! That extends outside time.

[Elizabeth24]

Yes most of the time we are in RV parks so additional cost for electricity would not come into play unless we were to stay for a month
which is not what we usually do.

[2oldman]

Mattress pad. Will you be on shore power when using it?