Can we talk about that $80 heated blanket I bought

I picked up one of those heated throws from a big box store back in November, figured it'd be nice for cold nights. Honestly it worked great for the first two months, kept me warm and the auto shutoff was handy. Then last week the controller started flickering and it just stopped heating altogether, no warning or anything. I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar issue or if I just got a bad unit.

2 comments

2 Comments

luna_kim402d ago

That "controller started flickering" part caught my attention because I had the exact same thing happen with an electric throw I got a few years back from a different brand. It worked fine for about a season and a half, then one night the little lights on the controller started dancing around like a cheap Christmas decoration. Next thing I know, the blanket went cold and never came back on. I took it apart out of curiosity and found the wiring where it goes into the controller was just about melted in one spot. Made me wonder if these things are really safe for long term use, even when they are working right. I ended up tossing mine out because I didn't trust it anymore after that.

taylor.paige2d ago

Gotta jump in here @luna_kim40 because that melted wiring thing is actually more common than people realize. Honestly, it's usually not the whole blanket that's the problem, it's the connection point where the cord meets the controller. That's a weak spot on most of these. Ngl, I think a lot of brands cheap out on the strain relief there, so any bending or tugging over time can make the wires fray and heat up. Tossing it was the smart move, once you see melting like that the internal insulation is already compromised.