Heating pads come with a variety of features depending on the device, such as an auto-off sensor, multiple heat settings, vibrations, and a moist-heat option . Deciding which features might work best to treat your cramps and pain largely depends on your own personal preferences. Our experts recommend going in with the following factors in mind:
If you want to learn more, please visit our website electric heating pad for neck and shoulders.
To find the best heating pads, the Health team tested 17 heating pads in the Health Lab and continued testing them at home, looking for effective design, additional features, heating quality, and comfort. Finally, a doctor from our Medical Expert Board reviewed this article for medical accuracy.
Additionally, Shane Davis, MD, physiatrist and non-operative sports medicine specialist with UCLA Health, explains that the heating pads should conform to the body . This ensures that the device adequately provides targeted heat to the area of concern, which is especially important for issues like muscle spasms.
Heating pads are an effective, non-invasive treatment for pain and cramps, so keeping one around is wise. When looking for the best heating pad for your needs, it is important to find a device with multiple heat settings that feels comfortable against the skin and has key features like an auto-off function.
Best Overall
Pure Enrichment PureRelief XL Electric Heating Pad
Amazon
View On Amazon
$35
View On Walmart
$24
View On CVS
$46
Our Ratings
Why We Like It
After testing various heating pad options on the market, the Pure Enrichment PureRelief XL Heating Pad was an easy choice for best overall. The heating pad was incredibly easy to set up and use. All we had to do was unwrap it, plug it in, and place it on the area we wanted to feel warmth. Within a minute, we could feel the full heat effect.
The large size makes it an excellent choice for individuals who need to cover a large area of their body. We found that it could easily cover both legs to provide quick warmth to our limbs. Also, the heating pad offers six different heat options, so you can find the heat level that feels most comfortable for your skin. And speaking of comfort, the micro-plush material feels soft against the skin.
It’s Worth Noting
The one downside of the product is that its auto-off feature only turns the product off after two hours of use, where we’d prefer to have more timing options.
Product Details:
Health / Alexander Huang
Health / Alexander Huang
Best for Neck and Shoulders
Pure Enrichment PureRelief Heating Pad
Amazon
View On Amazon
$40
View On Target
$50
View On CVS
$61
Our Ratings
Why We Like It
It can be tough to target neck and shoulder pain with a heating pad—most of them aren’t engineered to stay on that area of the body. However, with an upright collar and sections that drape over the shoulders and back, the Pure Enrichment PureRelief Pad is expressly made to work on this tricky area. The heating pad comes with light weights built into the shoulders to keep the heating pad from slipping off, while an adjustable band wraps around the back to keep the rest of the heating pad in place. We found that this made for a comfortable and wearable design when targeting back and neck pain. It’s not just for this part of the body, though: We found it worked equally well on our legs, making it a versatile option for treating pain and cramps.
Additionally, the heating pad comes with four different heat settings. On the medium setting, it was fully heated within three to four minutes. Although we tested the product with clothes between the heating pad and skin, we found that the soft fibers of the fabric would make for comfortable wear if the heating pad was placed directly against the skin.
It’s Worth Noting
The auto-off feature only shuts off the product after two hours of use.
Product Details:
Best for Travel
Sunbeam GoHeat Portable Heated Patches
Amazon
View On Amazon
$64
View On Walmart
$75
Our Ratings
Why We Like It
You can address pain and cramps on the go while wearing SunBeam’s GoHeat Portable Heat Patches. These patches stick directly onto the skin and provide targeted heat to the area within ten to twenty seconds. Here’s how it works: The patches attach to a portable heat control that clips to the waistband of your pants. Upon turning the device on, you can select between three different heat settings that provide heat to the area of concern. We found that the heating patches delivered heat quickly to the body and were also seamlessly designed to make for easy transport wherever we went. The device does not include a self-timer, but it does come with a rechargeable control unit and two reusable patches, each good for up to ten uses.
It’s Worth Noting
The patches stick directly onto the skin. We discovered that removing them can cause some redness and irritation for people with more sensitive skin.
Product Details:
Health / Alexander Huang
Health / Alexander Huang
Health / Alexander Huang
Best for Back Pain
Sunbeam Heating Pad for Pain Relief XL
Amazon
View On Amazon
$23
View On Walmart
$23
Our Ratings
Why We Like It
For treating back pain, it’s important that the device fits around a large portion of the body. This Sunbeam XL Heating Pad did just that. Its long length stretches from the upper portion of the back all the way to the lower back, providing full coverage. The pad offers three different heat options, and it reaches full heat within five minutes.
This heating pad differs from others on the market because it comes encased in a removable, machine-washable cover. Inside the cover is a sponge that warms up to provides targeted heat. If you want moist heat on the area of concern, you can wet the sponge with water before turning on the device. We found that while the cover was made of soft fiber, it did not feel as soft on the skin compared to other heating pads that we tried. But overall, the size of the product worked well to address large areas of the body, such as the back and the legs.
It’s Worth Noting
The controller is so lightweight that it often slips off surfaces.
Product Details:
Health / Alexander Huang
Health / Alexander Huang
Best Microwavable
SuzziPad Microwavable Heating Pads
SuzziPad
View On Amazon
$25
View On Suzzipad.com
View On Shein.com
Our Ratings
Why We Like It
Who said you needed a device with tons of features to get pain relief? This no-frills SuzziPad Microwave Heating Pad is affordable and it provides comfortable heat. Instead of an electrified center, this pad is filled with millet, flaxseed, and clay beads, so it feels nice against your skin. All you need to do is place the heating pad in the microwave for sixty seconds, and then the heating pad maintains a comfortable temperature for about ten minutes of use. The best part? In testing, the heating pad never got too hot or caused discomfort against the skin. When using it, we found that it works best against the shoulders because the pad molds itself around the area and does not require us to hold onto the device. If you use it for other portions of the body, though, then you might have to hold onto it while using it so that it does not slip off. If you like, you can also put it in the freezer, to make it serve as a cooling pad.
It’s Worth Noting
The heating pad’s fabric absorbs any smells that come from your microwave. We recommend giving your microwave a scrub before placing your heating pad inside it to avoid the pad smelling like the food you last heated.
Product Details:
Health / Alexander Huang
Health / Alexander Huang
Best Wearable
Sunbeam Heating Pad Back Wrap
Amazon
View On Amazon
$28
View On Walmart
$57
View On CVS
$57
Our Ratings
Why We Like It
Pain and discomfort do not need to leave you immobile. During our test, we found that the Sunbeam Heated Back Wrap sits snugly against our back, thanks to its elastic waist strap, even when we moved around. Additionally, the heating pad comes with an extra-long cord so that you can perform tasks around the room without needing to take it off.
What makes this heating pad stand out is the fact that the device comes with two different elastic straps so that anyone can find a comfortable fit that works for their body. The heating pad also comes with four different heat settings that heat the device up within minutes. We found that the heat reached the edges of the heating pad, so all areas of the back should feel pain relief when using it.
It’s Worth Noting
Although the heating pad could conform to other parts of the body, such as the abdomen or the legs, we discovered that it worked best against the lower and upper back.
Product Details:
Health / Alexander Huang
Health / Alexander Huang
Health / Alexander Huang
Best for Menstrual Cramps
Yeamon Portable Cordless Heating Pad
Amazon
View On Amazon
$30
View On Walmart
$26
View On Yeamonbeauty.com
Our Ratings
Why We Like It
Cramps are an unfortunate but normal symptom before or during a menstrual cycle. However, applying heat to the abdomen helps relieve these symptoms because it relaxes the uterine contractions, which then eases the pain. What makes the Yeamon Portable Cordless Heating Pad a standout for treating menstrual cramping is the targeted heat relief it delivers to the abdomen. To use it, you first charge the device before strapping it around either your stomach or back. Then, the heating pad delivers direct heat relief to the area within one minute of turning it on. We loved the portable design of the device because it allowed you to use it unplugged. Also, the device was small enough to fit under clothes without attracting attention. Besides providing heat relief, the device also has multiple vibration settings to help massage the muscles. We found this feature a little too intense, but some might like it. Additionally, the inside of the device is made of velvet, so it feels comfortable against the skin.
It’s Worth Noting
The device's hard plastic exterior can cause discomfort when used while lying down.
Product Details:
Health / Alexander Huang
Health / Alexander Huang
Health / Alexander Huang
Best for Feet
Gintao Electric Heated Foot Pad
Amazon
View On Amazon
$30
View On Sears.com
Our Ratings
Why We Like It
Providing heat relief to your feet can reduce inflammation in your muscles and joints while also alleviating pain. The Gintao Electric Heated Foot Warmer was simple to use in our tests: All we needed to do was slip our feet into the pocketed design and turn the device on. The heat was more concentrated towards the middle of the pad, and it took about ten minutes for the device to fully heat up, but we found that the pad’s fabric was comfortable and cozy against our skin. With three heat settings, the device offers options for the user depending on how much heat they want to apply to the area. The device was large enough to provide lots of relief, as it even covered portions of the ankle and lower legs.
It’s Worth Noting
Because of the heating pad’s large size, we found that the device worked better when we wrapped it tightly around our feet to get the most pain relief.
Product Details:
Health / Alexander Huang
Health / Alexander Huang
Health / Alexander Huang
Best Massager
Comfier Heating Pad with Massager
Amazon
View On Amazon
$40
View On Walmart
$40
View On Comfier.com
Our Ratings
Why We Like It
Heat assists with relieving pain and cramps, and massaging vibrations can loosen muscles and alleviate discomfort. Together, they’re a great combination, which is why we like the Comfier Heating Pad—it's a hybrid heating pad and back massager in a wearable design. The heating pad includes a strap made with a fleece-like material that feels comfortable and supportive against the skin. Once you strap the heating pad on, then you can choose between two heat modes and three massage settings. The heat setting worked to deliver target heat relief within one minute of turning on the device. For the massage settings, we found that they helped loosen and relax our lower back muscles.
It’s Worth Noting
A higher vibration intensity would have provided better relief to the area. However, we found the device to be helpful in supporting and relieving lower back pain.
Product Details:
Health / Alexander Huang
Health / Alexander Huang
Health / Alexander Huang
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