Are electric blankets safe or dangerous? It’s a common question that has different answers depending on who you speak to. So we went to the independent Electric Blanket Institute. Here’s what they had to say:
- Don’t buy a blanket unless it has either the “UL” or “ETL” safety mark on it.
- A good blanket lasts five years with reasonable care and should then be considered for replacement.
- Don’t allow infants or small children to use them – or any others who may not be able to detect a malfunction that could cause overheating.
- You probably shouldn’t use one during pregnancy – not because there’s any hard evidence it could cause harm but as a simple precaution. But you can still use one to pre-heat the bed.
- If you wear a pacemaker, check with your doctor – although there’s no evidence of problems.
- Diabetics should not use a blanket, again because of possible insensitivity to heat – but you can still use them to pre-heat.
- If you’re concerned about electromagnetic fields buy a low voltage blanket that converts the AC current to DC.