We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. What to Buy Personal Care & Medical Devices The 9 Best Heating Pads of 2024, Tested and Reviewed The best heating pads help soothe aches and pains—curl up with one of our tested favorites By Madison Alcedo Madison Alcedo Madison Alcedo writes on health, beauty, lifestyle, and travel topics. Her work has appeared across several lifestyle publications. health's editorial guidelines Updated on November 27, 2024 Medically reviewed by Mohamad Hassan, PT Medically reviewed by Mohamad Hassan, PT Mohamad Hassan, PT, DPT, is a physical therapist at Premier Physical Therapy in Chicago. He works in both outpatient rehab and in-home physical therapy. learn more Fact checked by Richard Scherr Fact checked by Richard Scherr Rich Scherr is an updates strategist and fact checker for Health.com. He is a seasoned journalist and editor with over two decades of experience, he has held several leadership roles at major publications. health's fact checking process In This Article View All In This Article Our Top Picks Reviews Our Testing Process What to Know Who We Are Health 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. 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. 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. What to Look for in a Heating Pad 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: Multiple Heat Settings: Select a product with a range of heat levels to help you find the most comfortable temperature for your body. Auto-off sensor: Use an electric heating pad with an auto-off feature to prevent the device from staying on too long. This is especially useful if you’re prone to falling asleep.Shape: When choosing a heating pad for targeted pain relief, selecting a device that fits well around the affected area is important. Different heating pads are designed to fit specific areas of the body, allowing them to conform to the shape of the body and provide the necessary relief. Our Top Picks Best Overall: Pure Enrichment PureRelief XL Electric Heating Pad at Amazon $40 Jump to Review Best for Neck and Shoulders: SALE Pure Enrichment PureRelief Heating Pad at Amazon $60 $40 Jump to Review Best for Travel: Sunbeam GoHeat Portable Heated Patches at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Back Pain: Sunbeam Heating Pad for Pain Relief XL at Amazon $25 Jump to Review Best Microwavable: SALE SuzziPad Microwavable Heating Pads at Amazon $32 $25 Jump to Review Best Wearable: SALE Sunbeam Heating Pad Back Wrap at Amazon $50 $35 Jump to Review Best for Menstrual Cramps: SALE Yeamon Portable Cordless Heating Pad at Amazon $30 $18 Jump to Review Best for Feet: Gintao Electric Heated Foot Pad at Amazon $33 Jump to Review Best Massager: Comfier Heating Pad with Massager at Amazon $44 Jump to Review Best Overall Pure Enrichment PureRelief XL Electric Heating Pad PHOTO: Health $40 $35 at Amazon $29 at Walmart $40 at CVS 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: Size: 12 in x 24 inMaterial: Micro plush, polyester Temperature Range: 105 degrees to 140 degreesFeatures: 2-hour shut off, 6 heat levels, machine-washable fabric, LED remote controller Health Best for Neck and Shoulders Pure Enrichment PureRelief Heating Pad PHOTO: Amazon $60 $40 at Amazon $50 at Target $61 at CVS 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: Size: 29 in x 24 inMaterial: Micro-mink Temperature Range: 110 degrees to 140 degreesFeatures: LED remote controller, 4 heat settings, machine-washable fabric, auto-off feature, adjustable elastic belt Best for Travel Sunbeam GoHeat Portable Heated Patches PHOTO: Health View on Amazon $75 at Walmart 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: Size: 3 in x 5 inMaterial: Latex-free adhesive patches, lithium batteries Temperature Range: N/AFeatures: 3 heat settings, rechargeable control unit PHOTO: Health PHOTO: Health Best for Back Pain Sunbeam Heating Pad for Pain Relief XL PHOTO: Health $25 $23 at Amazon $23 at Walmart 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: Size: 12 in x 24 inMaterial: PolyesterTemperature Range: N/AFeatures: 3 heat settings, sponge included, machine-washable fabric PHOTO: Health PHOTO: Health Best Microwavable SuzziPad Microwavable Heating Pads PHOTO: Health $32 $25 at Amazon View on Suzzipad.com View on Shein.com 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: Size: 8 in x 12 inMaterial: Plush fabric, linen, flaxseed, clay beads, millet Temperature Range: N/AFeatures: Microwavable Health Best Wearable Sunbeam Heating Pad Back Wrap PHOTO: Health $50 $35 at Amazon $35 at Walmart $57 at CVS 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: Size: 23 in x 15 inMaterial: Micromink Temperature Range: N/AFeatures: 4 heat settings, auto-off feature, hands-free design, moist-heat option PHOTO: Health PHOTO: Health Best for Menstrual Cramps Yeamon Portable Cordless Heating Pad PHOTO: Health $30 $18 at Amazon $35 at Walmart View on Yeamonbeauty.com 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: Size: 9 in x 5 inMaterial: Velvet, elastic, plastic Temperature Range: 113 degrees to 149 degrees Features: Vibration massager, 3 heating modes, USB chargeable, auto-off feature, wearable design PHOTO: Health PHOTO: Health Best for Feet Gintao Electric Heated Foot Pad PHOTO: Health $33 at Amazon 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: Size: 22 in x 20 inMaterial: Flannel Temperature Range: N/AFeatures: 3 heat settings, auto-off feature, remote control PHOTO: Health PHOTO: Health Best Massager Comfier Heating Pad with Massager PHOTO: Health $44 $40 at Amazon $37 at Walmart View on Comfier.com 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: Size: 45 in x 9 in Material: Velvet, polyesterTemperature Range: N/AFeatures: 2 heat modes, 3 massage settings, auto-off feature, wearable design PHOTO: Health PHOTO: Health Our Testing Process To find the best heating pads to treat pain and cramps, the Health team tested heating pads in our New York-based lab and in our homes. We tested 17 heating pads, including microwaveable devices, electric heating pads, and portable patches, to determine which ones were convenient, effective, user-friendly, and functional. Before using each product, we analyzed how to set up each heating pad and the additional features that each pad provided. Then, we used these products on different portions of the body and made note of how long it took for the product to heat up, as well as what settings seemed to work best in treating pain and discomfort. After using each product, we made notes of the positive characteristics of each product and what could be changed to improve the experience. Our Experts We then spoke with the following about what they recommended individuals look for when selecting and using heating pads: Quy Nguyen, MD, an OBGYN with UCLA Health Shane Davis, MD, a physiatrist and non-operative sports medicine Specialist at Tufts Medical Center What to Know About Heating Pads How Heating Pads Help With Pain Dr. Davis explains that heat causes the blood vessels to dilate, which leads to increased blood flow and oxygen supply. Additionally, heat makes the tissue more elastic and flexible, which can alleviate pain and cramps. It can also help with joint stiffness by improving movement and reducing tightness, resulting in less pain. One 2018 study looking at the benefits of heat therapy for menstrual cramps and pain found that heat therapy ranging from 104 degrees to 113 degrees eased menstrual pain. Those who used heat therapy for pain or cramping experienced more relief than those who used a placebo. Temperature Settings Dr. Davis suggests starting at a lower level when using a new heating pad and then increasing the temperature if needed. He warns that the device will get hotter the longer it is against the skin, so a lower temperature prevents any future discomfort. During those first few seconds and minutes, the heating pad is warming the skin, so when you leave it at one temperature, it will be hotter at twenty minutes of use, he says. You want to avoid harming yourself and burning that area of the skin. Frequency of Use Heating pads are safe to use daily if an individual finds they assist with pain relief. Dr. Davis advises using heating pads for about fifteen- to twenty-minute increments, depending on the individual. Dr. Davis warns against leaving the device on for extended periods, such as throughout the night. Staying awake while using the device is important to ensure your safety. This will help you avoid any potential hazards or negative reactions. Dr. Davis advises monitoring the device's temperature to prevent burns or damage to the material you're working with. Additionally, you should monitor your skin to ensure you're not experiencing any rashes or irritation. When to Avoid Use Numbness or Neuropathy: Dr. Davis recommends against using a heating pad if you experience numbness or neuropathy in the intended area. It could prevent you from realizing if the device is too hot against your skin. Skin Conditions: Individuals with a rash or skin conditions in the area where they are using the heating pad should avoid heat therapy as it can worsen the skin condition.Vascular or Blood Flow Issues: If you have vascular or blood flow problems, it's best to consult a doctor before using a heating pad on certain body parts. Heat causes more blood flow, which can worsen swelling if you recently injured yourself. Therefore, it's not the best option in the first few days. Who We Are Danielle Zoellner is a Boston-based health and wellness writer for Health.com. Growing up in a household of healthcare professionals has fueled her passion for topics relating to health, fitness, wellness, and the medical industry. Danielle has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and English from the University of Missouri. As someone who has experienced extreme menstrual cramping, Danielle has found that a heating pad that heats up quickly and offers multiple heat settings works best to relieve the pain, such as the Pure Enrichment PureRelief XL Heating Pad. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit 1 Source Health.com uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Jo J, Lee SH. Heat therapy for primary dysmenorrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis of its effects on pain relief and quality of life. Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):16252. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-34303-z