Different Types Of Heating Pads

When it comes to choosing a heat pad or wrap for muscle tissue recovery or to relieve pain there can be quite a few options. Knowing the different types of heating pads that are available will better educate you on which one you should buy. Below you will get a summary of what each are and there benefits to better help you make a decision.

The types of Heating Pads Available Summary

• Infrared
• Regular Electric
• Moist Heat
• Microwaveable
• Battery Operated

Infrared Heat Pad - The Best Type On The Market

Infrared heat pads are the best on the market in terms of effective deep tissue heating and joint pain inflammation. Being the best, they are also the most expensive of the types available. 

What makes infrared so good is the fact it uses infrared energy to heat your pain areas. Infrared energy is invisible to the human eye, but is the hottest of the Suns color spectrum. On the opposite end is Ultra Violet which as we knows causes skin cancers and sun burn. Infrared on the other hand is safe to use and doesn't cause you to burn. It's a bit sciency to explain how Infrared works, but there are many sources online where you can better educate yourself. 

Benefits Of Infrared

Infrared heat that is used in heating pads penetrates the deepest out of any kind of pad. Infrared can start healing your troublesome areas as deep as 2 inches beneath the skin. When compared to a regular electric heat pad is about 10 times deeper. 

This is because it is the hottest of the color spectrum (red being the second) and was only discovered in the 1900's by accident. So we are fortunate to have found such a good safe source of heat therapy directly form the sun. Unlike regular electric pads, infrared doesn't heat the skin as much. It focuses on the inside of your body where the real damage is. If you just want to feel 'warm' from a heat pad, then buy a regular heat pad. 

Regular Electric Heat Pads

Regular heat pads that are powered by electricity don't work as effectively as Infrared. This is because they utilize the infrared energy waves. So they heat the skin and just under the skins tissues. So they are not the best for treating painful arthritic joints or deep tissue strains for example.

But regular electric heat pads still serve a purpose. They are cheaper and still work. Just not as well. However, in Winter they are often used for warming the body. Also during pregnancy, regular heat is preferred over infrared as it is safe for the baby. 

When using an electric heat pad, it's important to use them safely to prevent injury and even death. Yes people have died from using heat pads in the past. 

Moist Heat

Moist heat pads are your regular electric or microwaveable heat pads. The difference is that the quality moist head pads will absorb the moisture from the air and use it into the heat treatment. 

What this does compared to regular dry heat is penetrates slightly deeper into the muscles/joints. As it is using moisture in the heat, it reduces the chances of burning your skin as well. 

If I had to choose between dry heat or moist heat, I would always look for a moisture version if possible. Not all heat pads targeted to a specific body part have the moist option. If you can find a decent size heat pad or wrap that has both dry heat and the possibility of moist heat, this would be your best option. Especially if you have skin conditions or irritations as the moist heat would reduce the chances of irritating them and causing skin burn. 

Microwavable Heat Bags

I'm sure everybody has seen a microwaveable heat pad. These pads come in a variety of fillings such as grains, rice, gel and scented infusions. These work by heating the pad in the microwave for a minute or two. Some pads offer moist heat as an option. 

Microwaveable heat pads also come in a variety of sizes and shapes to target different parts of the body. Especially when it comes to dealing with stomach cramps and or period pain. Microwaveable heat pads are often the first choice. The size and shape of many pads are designed to specifically help relieve stomach pain and period pain. 

The downsides to using a microwaveable heat pad is that they don't retain heat for very well. Being microwaveable with no consistent heat source, they will eventually cool down to an ineffective pad. Also, un-even heating is more possible with this kind of heat pad.

Battery Operated Heat Pads

These heat pads are best for people on the go. They can be taken to the gym, sports even, on walks etc. Because they are battery operated, they become extremely portable. The best kind are the ones that use an external battery bank. These battery banks are relatively new on the scene, so as time goes by. More and more heating pads will be using these pads. 

Battery operated pads come in a greater variety of shapes to target specific body parts such as the wrists, knees, elbows etc. They can also be infrared or regular heat. 

Different Heating Pads For Body Parts

As mentioned above, many of the types of heating pads come in a variety of shapes and sizes to target specific parts of your body. Infrared heat pads even come in a full body size to give a full body treatment. But if you are looking for heat to be applied to just about any part of your body, there will be a heat pad suitable for it.