Sunbeam Automatic Blanket: Snug as a Bug in a Rug on Cold Winter Nights
Written: Dec 16 '04 (Updated Dec 16 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Reasonably priced, easy to set up, works well, keeps heating bills down.
Cons: Dial control tough to operate at night.
The Bottom Line: The Sunbeam Automatic Blanket with Satin Binding is a great way to keep comfortable while you sleep in the winter, while saving money on heating bills too.
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| mrs-j's Full Review: Sunbeam Automatic Blanket with Satin Binding |
A fact of life that my husband learned early on is that my toes and nose are perpetually cold in the winter. Sometimes they even get cold in the summer! I think cold winters are simply horrid, which is why I'm so glad to be back in the balmy south. Even still, the temperatures here do occasionally creep down into the thirties. Because she knows how much I hate the cold, my MIL bought me a Sunbeam Automatic Blanket with Satin Binding for Christmas last year.
About Sunbeam and this Automatic Blanket
Sunbeam has been making household products for more than 100 years. They manufacture all sorts of household products - blankets, blenders, rotisseries, humidifiers. You name it, Sunbeam manufactures it.
Far from the very basic blankets of old, this blanket has a number of very useful features. It's made from an acrylic, polyester blend with satin trim. Sunbeam calls this an "Easy Care" fabric and even though I approached washing it the first time with much trepidation, it actually washed very well.
The king-sized blanket has dual controls with a 10 hour auto-off feature. The control set has a backlit LCD display that glows just enough to see it in the dark, but not so brightly that it disrupts my sleep. The blanket has a Preheat function that heats up the blanket quickly for a half hour and then settles back to the dialed-in temperature. Sunbeam claims that this blanket utilizes their special "ThermoFine" warming system that senses and adjusts to send warmth where it's needed most. I don't know that I buy this, but hey it sounds nice. These blankets come with a five year limited warranty from Sunbeam.
The blanket is available in the following sizes:
- Twin (62" x 84") with Single Control
- Full (72" x 84") with Single Control
- Queen (84" x 90") with Dual Controls for the most personalized comfort
- King (100" x 90") with Dual Controls for the most personalized comfort
Setup and Use
Setting up the blanket for the first time is simple. Simply lay it flat with the label side facing up. This is important, as I'll discuss later. Thread the temperature control gauge wire under the bed frame and place the controllers on each side of the bed. Plug the controller plug into the blanket (there's only one way that it will fit, and it snaps in nicely), turn on the blanket and go, it's that simple.
Heed the Label Up Warning!
Those of you out there who make the beds, please heed the 'label facing up' warning. Last year my husband went to put this on our bed for me. I didn't go with him. We went to bed that night and I set my dial on a comfortable "2". He set his on "2" as well. My side toasted right up. By the middle of the night I was roasting! I turned my blanket off and it just got hotter and hotter. I vaguely remember in a fevered state my husband coming over as he got up in the night to go to the bathroom, and pulling the blanket up over me (I had kicked it off). He whispered, "Awww, poor thing you're cold." He got back into bed.
The next morning I complained about boiling alive and he complained that his side never heated up. I cut my eyes at him, "Did you put this thing on right?" He gave me his adorable clueless shrug. We checked. As it turned out, he had been controlling my side and I had been controlling his. He was cold so he cranked his blanket up (thereby roasting me). I turned off my side in order to get some relief from the heat (thereby freezing him). We had a good laugh about it and to this day when I kick off the blankets as I sleep he makes it a point to say, "Aww you're cold..." when he puts them back on me. It usually makes me chuckle while half asleep.
How Well the Blanket Works
The blanket works quite well, although I often find that the rest of me is too warm while my toes still feel chilled and clammy. Such is the nature of the beast that is me. I don't think any blanket can fix that. I find that the control pad is a little annoying to have to dial up and down during the night while I'm in a sleepy haze. I inevitably end up cranking the blanket up and down at least twice during the evening.
I keep my blanket set on four usually, sometimes dropping down to two. Mr. J keeps his side down at two. It's nice to have the dual zone controls. And the fact that I like my side warmer often means that the cats come to sleep with me at night. Bonus.
The automatic shut-off feature is very nice. We go to bed at 10 and usually get up by 6 so eight hours is all we spend under the blankets. If we sleep in, the blanket usually shuts off at about the time we get up.
Summary
I really like using this blanket and it helps us keep our heating bills down in the winter because we aren't having to heat our whole house just to we can sleep cozily. Sunbeam's automatic blankets are reasonably priced, easy to set up, easy to clean and work well.
Warranty & Customer Service
Sunbeam provides a 5 year limited warranty for this product. Warranty service should be handled directly through Sunbeam.
Customer Service Phone: 1-800-892-7684
Sunbeam Bedding Website: http://www.sunbeambedding.com
Recommended:
Yes
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mrs-j
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"Man was made for something better than disturbing dirt." - Oscar Wilde
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