Customer Reviews

Moist Heating Pads - TheraTherm Digital Moist Heating Pads

5 star:		(125)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

I purchased this pad because it was the only one that was compared in reviews in various places to professional therapeutic oven-heated pads.

The reviews were not exaggerating. I don't entirely understand how this pad does what it does, but the deep moist heat penetration is exactly what I have experienced from heated pads at the therapist. Nearly every time I have used this pad it has relaxed a nasty trouble spot within 20 minutes. My VERY WORST back spasm required two 30 minute sessions. Phenomenal.

The controls are wonderfully logical and idiot proof, the workmanship and design first-rate. AND IT WORKS.

No more buying semi-effective pads from department stores, pads that never really get the job done and fail in a year or so.

This is the ultimate pad, and I've tried quite a few.

I bought a Theratherm Moist Heat Pack for my wife, at the recommendation of a Physical Therapist friend, for her back pain. When it says "Moist Heat", it really means it. She can set it for a 30 minute session, and it really delivers moist heat, just like the moist heat packs in a Physical Therapy or Chiropractor's clinic. The moist heat really sooths her back pain, and now we have two! I had to get my own.

If you're looking for a low/medium heating pad that you can fall asleep on without fear of burning, this is the pad for you. If you're looking for fast-acting, therapeutic HIGH heat, buy a Thermophore instead. I have both heating pads and prefer the Thermophore by far. The drawback to the the Thermophore is that it has only one setting: on or off. You need to hold onto a small switch to keep the heating pad turned on. The benefit of this system is that you directly control the heat. When you press the button, the Thermophore quickly turns hot. When it feels too hot, you let go of the button and it begins to cool down. In a few minutes, you press the button and get a second burst of high heat. This is called infusion heat therapy and is said to be the most therapeutic kind of heat. In my experience, this is definitely true. I bought the Theratherm because I thought it would be simpler. It advertises the same maximum heat as the Thermaphore with the convenience of digital control (simply set it to the temperature you want, and then set the timer for up to 60 minutes.) The problem is that the thermostat isn't accurate. It reaches peak heat very quickly and automatically turns itself off, never feeling hot for more than a minute. (Instead, it emits a low-level heat for up to one hour). So, consider your goals and make your choice accordingly. For me, I choose the Thermaphore (which is also sold on Amazon.com).

I have had major back problems for several years. So, needless to say, I know all about lower back pain.

I have tried other heating pads,some with dreadful results- Burns and blisters from pads that cook your skin.

The TheraTherm Digital Moist Heating Pad is the best heating pad I have ever experienced. The temperature control lets you raise the temperature two degrees at a time, as opposed to a pad which only has a low, medium or high setting. A couple degrees can be the difference between too cold and medium-well done!

The timer prevents overexposure if you happen to fall asleep,lose track of time or happen to walk away and leave it on. It can be set at up to sixty minutes, and then it turns itself off. That is a wonderful safety feature!

I like this heating pad so well, not only do I have one at home for "my spot" on the couch, I bought a second one for my desk chair at work.

This could possibly be one of the best investments I have ever made. I am 100% pleased with this product!

This is a very uinque product which has no equal competitors. It is a bit quirky to get used to using it properly as upon initial heat-up it has a temperature over run past the set temperature of over 9 degrees F. Once it is in a steady state the temperature over runs stabilize at around 4 degrees F. You have to be very carefull to set the temperature at a setting which will not result in burning your skin during the initial temperature over run or, as a precaution, do not place it on your shoulders until the temperature has stabilized according to the digital readout.

Make no mistake, this is a great pad. In the past four years I have purchased three of these. As much as I like the pad, this time I purchased a Thermophore Arthritis pad because this last one only lasted 8 months before it began to fail. Apparently there must be a design flaw in that after using the pad for awhile, it seems to develop a short where the cord is fastened inside to the pad. I do use my pad every day so this gets a good workout but nevertheless, I feel that something that costs this much should last longer. The one prior to this one lasted exactly 14 months which was just after the warranty expired. This one is still under warranty but it is going to be expensive to ship back and forth for replacement and I am just not sure if the hassle is worth it.

When this is new, it is great because you can set the time/temperature for up to an hour. I fall asleep most nights with it on my lower back which is my problem area. The relief is incredible and like their advertisement says, no drug store pad or cheap heating pad is even in the same league with this one. The moist heat it produces provides immediate and lasting relief. However, they do need to correct this design flaw since the last two have failed the same way. When it begins to fail, the digital display on the control will flash on and off. It will then work for a few days and do it again. In a very short time it gets to the point that you have to push and pull the cord and actually fold the pad over to press down on the inside wiring to get it to heat up. If this had not happened so quickly to the last two of mine, I would think it was just an anomoly. But this last one failed even more quickly than the one before so I am convinced it is a design flaw.

**********Since writing this review, I decided to take my faulty pad apart and see if I could fix the problem. This involved removing the inner stitching across the bottom of the pad where the cord feeds out. Sure enough, there was a twisted wire way up inside which I straightened out and the pad is again working. Because I don't have much confidence in how long it will work, I simply fastened the bottom back up with 4 safety pins so that I can access the inside wires again if need be. Just make sure you unplug it before you start working on it! *******

In theory, this is a great heating pad. You get to set time and temp. What could be better? Well, all is not well.

First the good. The pad is well made, big, and the moist heat works well. How it works I don't know, but it is moist.

Now the bad. First, the temp sensing in this pad does not react as fast as the pad heats. Lets say you use the default temp of 124 degrees, which is a pretty low temp. Turn it on and it heats up. Problem is, the temp will get VERY hot before it registers 124 on the control. Eventually the reading will cross 124 and the heating will turn off. Within a few minutes the display will show the real pad temperature, about 145. Then it takes 10 to 15 minutes for it to cool down to 124 where it turns on again. By then your time is finished. If you do want to use the heating pad longer, you have to raise the temp to a reasonable 135 for a high enough heat. After about 30 minutes it regulates well, but it is torture getting there.

As a second negative, the display or buttons are NOT lighted. This is OK for simple pads where you can feel the controls, but not for this one that has a display.

Both issues are caused by bad design, and the first is serious enough where you could get burns until the pad sensor catches up, so DO NOT buy this for an elderly person who might not feel the heat.

So a great pad in concept, but needs to go back to the design department.

I bought this heating pad for for chronic back pain after trying many other cheaper brands. Out of the box the heating pad feels good. Its heavy and appears well built. It has a digital readout which shows the current temperature and allows you set the desired temperature and treatment time.

The default starting temp. is 124. Which in a short period feels too hot. This maybe because once the heating pad reachs 124 it turns off. But the temperature readout shows 132-134. Once the unit shuts off when it reaches its target temperature, it cools off very quickly as far as the sensation of heat on your body. But the temperature readout will stay very high even though the pad feels cool. So you are continually turning the temperature of the pad up, so as to feel warmth. In 15 to 20 minutes you reach the maximum temperature that you can set the heating pad for, then the unit stops heating and your done.

I tried laying the unit out flat and walking away. After 15 minutes the temperature still reads 142. And this is the problem with this pad. What ever measures the temperture in this pad is so very very slow to react, that the unit is unable to deliver steady heat. In this regard its the "same old", no better in delivering heat than a $10 heating pad.

Also, forget about using the pad in a darkened room unless you take a flashlight. The digital read out has no backlight.

The pad does deliver on its promise of moist heat.

Definitely the best heating pad I've ever experienced. I'll never buy any other kind of heating pad again. This is by far the best and well worth the money. I love that it can set the temperature precisely and much higher than any other heating pads I've ever seen (that only have "high medium and low" settings, and usually the high and medium settings cause burns, or don't get hot enough, or go from barely any heat to burning!) This heating pad's lcd shows the actual temperature it's at, which is great. And yes it feels very moist, but not like you're getting dampness on your clothing. My only complaint is that it shuts off after 60 minutes. I could easily have this on all day :)

We purchased one of these pads for my dad, who has osteoarthritis & phlebitis. It gave him relief that ordinary heating pad plus moist towel did not offer and allowed him to discontinue using narcotic painkillers on a regular basis. It gives a professional-type "hot pack" relief with the added ability to control the temperature to exactly what is comfortable--not just a low-med-high choice, but actual thermometer setting. (114 (F) was what I found comfortable in testing it; my dad likes the default setting of 126 (F) better). The cord could be a bit longer, as it is only 5-6 ft, but definitely worth the expense for anyone with chronic pain or recovering from injury--or just to relax after a hard day. We're getting a second one just for us.