I tested 10 gadgets to keep you warm in winter – an Aldi buy stayed hot all night & another cost under 1p an hour to run
ARE you feeling the chill at home - but are too worried to turn your heating on yet?
You are not alone, with around one-in-three British households expected to face higher bills than last year.
The Resolution Foundation has warned that families might shell out £100 more keeping their homes warm compared to last winter.
This is due to standing charges rising despite the price cap calling and the lack of emergency financial support from the government for 2023-24.
But one way to save cash is by warming the person instead of the place, keeping central heating use to a minimum.
Here, ALEX LLOYD tries out ten affordable gadgets that promise to warm you up for a fraction of the cost of putting the boiler on.
Beurer Electric Foot Warmer, £37.45, Amazon -
There’s nothing worse than cold toes and if you’re sitting down all day working or watching telly, slippers don’t always cut the mustard.
This foot warmer costs a bit more to buy but solves the problem perfectly.
It heats up speedily and while it gives out a fairly gentle heat even at the hottest of the three temperature settings, it is consistent and pleasant.
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It’s roomy too, suitable for feet up to size 12.5, and the soft fleece lining is machine washable at 30C.
There’s an automatic shut-off after 90 minutes, but best of all, it only use 24W of energy per hour, which comes in at around half a penny.
The downside, of course, is that you have to take your feet out to go and make a cuppa.
Home Luxury Heated Throw (Blue), £50, Argos -
This plush polyester throw, measuring 160cm by 130cm, has the advantage of looking stylish while keeping you extra toasty than a standard blanket.
The detachable controller has six heat settings and a nine-hour timer, but there’s an automatic two-hour shut off if you don’t set this.
There’s a five-minute heat up time but it felt warm much quicker. It packs a punch too, even on temperature level three.
The throw gets bonus points for being machine washable and being safe to use at night.
While it’s a pricier investment, it’s cheap to run, costing 3.5p an hour.
Ytorgr USB Heated Knitted Gloves, £15.99, Amazon -
These black gloves have a heated pad inside to radiate 40C warmth to your palms and prevent frozen fingers.
The thumb and index fingers are also topped with a different fabric to aid typing and using a touch screen.
In theory you can continue working while you wear but I did not find them as sensitive as I’d have liked.
The heat pad in the left glove was also roughly finished and a little scratchy.
The power cable has a USB connection on the end so you need a compatible plug or socket to use them, and they have to stay plugged in.
This makes them a bit less handy for using outside the home on a cold day, unless you have a portable battery.
Rechargeable ones are also available to buy but are much more pricey.
Blaupunkt Plug-In Heater 500W, £15, B&M Stores
Perfect for space limited families, this nifty 420g heater goes straight into the socket, with no cables lying around.
There’s an LED display for setting the thermostat to between 15C and 30C, and two fan speeds, costing around 13.5p per hour to run.
It has a timer option but shuts off automatically when the room temperature hits the one selected, so it doesn’t burn energy for no reason.
This heater is easy to operate and pumps out a good whack of heat, but finding a suitable socket in our house was tricky, especially as you can’t use it on an extension lead.
But it’s helpful for times when the central heating is off, especially as you can take it from room to room. Just leave 15 minutes for it to cool down before touching.
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Carmen Rechargeable Hot Water Bottle, £14.99, Aldi
Never wait for the kettle to boil again with this high-tech version which has a sealed water chamber.
Instead, you plug it in for 15 minutes to charge, at a cost of about 2.5p a time.
It’s standard hot water bottle size and the grey cover is soft, with a handy pouch to warm up your hands.
The makers claim it retains the heat for five hours. It seemed fairly cool after three when exposed to the room temperature - but it was still warm in the morning when used in bed.
A good buy for anyone who also gets period or back pain, or if you worry about the risk of scolding from traditional ones.
In stores from 14 December 2023.
Warmies Microwavable Boots, £22, Prezzybox -
These fluffy slipper boots come with added warming ability thanks to a padded sole and a layer of dried millet.
When you microwave them on full power for 60-90 seconds, at a cost of less than a penny, the grains retain the heat for a soothing sensation.
The addition of dried French lavender flowers adds a pleasant fragrance but the warmth has a fairly limited lifespan.
These are probably best used to get cold toes back up to temperature after a walk than keep you toasty all day.
My size 5 feet were a little snug in them too and they can’t go in the washing machine.
Kirkton House Long Hot Water Bottle, £8.99, Aldi
Spread the warmth with this sausage-shaped take on the classic hot water bottle, with a soft, fluffy cover.
At 73cm long and a 1.7l capacity, it allows you heat up your whole upper body or leg area at once.
One full kettle of water was plenty to fill it up. Ours took about 2.5 minutes to boil so based on an energy usage of 3000W, this costs around 3.5p.
Despite the shape meaning more exposed sides, it held the heat well and was warm for more than an hour.
The cover isn’t machine washable but can be spot cleaned.
The shape was a little cumbersome to cuddle while sat at my desk, but was ideal for taking to bed.
In stores from 23 November.
Fabric Handwarmer, £3, The Works
These mini hot water bottle-shaped warmers are cheap as chips and heat almost instantly to soothe icy fingers.
Inside the cover is a gel pack with a metal disc inside, which you click to trigger a chemical reaction that warms and solidifies the liquid.
I’ll admit it took me a few goes to get the technique but I was impressed by the immediate blast of heat.
On the downside, they are very small and the warm doesn’t travel well through the cover. You’re best to remove them.
The packs are reusable but you need to boil them water for five to ten minutes to liquify again, which costs around 2p a time.
Fine Elements 2000W Upright Fan Heater, £16, Wickes -
This simple fan heater has two speeds and a thermostat control, and is very lightweight for moving and storing.
It doubles up as a cooling fan in the summer.
But while it is cheap to buy, it’s not the most affordable to run, costing around 54p per hour.
Another downside is it cannot be used with an extension lead, but the cable isn't especially long, and you cannot place it on certain surfaces like carpet, due to a fire risk.
Silentnight Comfort Control Electric Blanket (Double), £35, Amazon -
There’s nothing nicer than sliding into warm sheets on a chilly day and this electric blanket is a cost-effective way to heat the whole bed before you turn in.
It comes with elasticated straps for a snug fit onto the mattress, before you place the sheets and duvet on top.
There are three temperature settings and it can be used overnight, but only on the lowest setting, costing around 1p per hour. There is no timer function however.
The blanket is machine washable and can be tumble dried on a low heat if desperate.
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The downside is you can’t use it as a daytime blanket for work – you’d have to work from your bed to get the benefits.
All running costs are based on the current energy price cap for electricity of 27p per kWh for domestic customers, exclusive of the daily standing charge.
