Pure EnrichmentPureRelief Neck & Shoulder Heating Pad - 4 Heat Settings, Auto Shut-Off, Universal Fit, Magnet Closure, Soft Micromink, Storage Bag, 5-Year Warranty, Machine Wash (Charcoal Gray)

Great product! Reliable heating, auto shut-off is convenient and holds up over many, many washings. Magnets that close at neck are nice feature and it fits well heating neck, shoulders and upper back.. Soft fabric has stayed soft and bag included is nice for storage. Owned for several years with no problem!

I got the PureRelief Neck & Shoulder Heating Pad because I don't have a lot of patience with back massage devices but I have trouble with anxiety and tend to carry a lot of tension in my body when I am stressed. I also have a tendency to get "hurts-all-over" sore when I'm hungover, sleep-deprived, or sick.I hoped this heating pad would help relax my mental and physical tension, and boy does it ever. I've always enjoyed using an old-fashioned hot water bottle for the same purpose, but even though I appreciate its old world charm, a water bottle is a lot putzier to get ready, and it's harder to apply the correct temperature to the correct area. So let's discuss why this heating pad is such a game-changer.1. What are the pros and cons of this particular heating pad?>> Feel <<The heating pad is 14" x 22" which is large enough to curl soothingly around your neck and shoulders, without being so large as to become heavy and bulky. It has weighted magnetized edges to encourage it to stay in place and I find the weight adds to the comforting feeling.I haven't had any problems with it sliding around, in the context of sitting at a desk working or on a couch relaxing. It is flexible enough to contour to your body, in fact, once you've used it a few times, the weights tend to settle in a way that accommodates your body and how it needs to hang for you. The first time I used it, I wasn't overwhelmed by how well it fit me, but after taking the time to make sure I had it positioned right, and using it that way a few times, it became more and more comfortable.Don't forget that even though it's designed to hang around your shoulders, you can just as easily drape it across your lap like a blanket. It's really got a lot more functionality than just shoulder stress.The fabric is very soft, and although it is two-tone for extra style, the same nice fabric is used top and bottom.>> Functionality <<There is a simple control switch that hangs at the perfect length so you can grab it easily, but it isn't hanging against your body being a nuisance. Basically at arm's reach. It has 4 settings - from warm to high. I find that medium is about as high as I want it, and low is often a good temperature, but high might be more appropriate if you like a lot of heat intensity or are wearing more clothes. It reaches its goal temperature within a handful of seconds and turns off automatically after 2 hours.It can also be used for moist heat therapy, which is even more effective because it provides deeper penetration of the tissue and elicits a stronger response from temperature receptors. It also has a more rapid effect on the tissue. You can do moist heat therapy simply by dampening one side of the heating pad (e.g. misting it with a spray bottle, or patting it with a damp cloth.)Amazingly (to me, anyway), this pad is fully machine washable on the gentle cycle, and can even be put in the dryer on low. Technology is amazing.It also comes with a storage bag, and it has a super small profile once it's all rolled up and packed away, so you don't have to worry about it taking up valuable space in your cupboard (as though you're ever going to put this baby away...)2. Why Heat Therapy?It's obvious that heat therapy has an immediate psycho-physiological soothing, comforting effect. Even grasping a hot mug of tea helps me feel less anxious and physically "tensed," but I was uncertain what "science says" about the effectiveness of heating pad devices.So here's the skinny for fellow-noobs.The kinds of pain that are most likely to benefit from heat are:1. soreness from over-exertion2. osteoarthritis, muscle knots, and cramping3. "hurts-all-over" pain, caused by various medical conditions, drug side-effects, vitamin D deficiency, and sleep deprivationIt's most effective to use heating pads for 20 minutes, with a 20 minute break, rinse and repeat 3-4 times.It's NOT good to use heat therapy on an injury with inflammation... that's when you use ice.3. In Summary.We live in a stressful world. You should have as many tricks up your sleeve as possible to deal with it. This is a great one.

NO HEATING PAD IS PERFECT, this one is mostly ok-for what it is. (Your results may vary.)Although this heating pad does what it says it will-heats, turns itself off, is very piliable AND has a soft, cleanable cover, has weighted edges and 2 neckline magnets that help it stay in position; once in position however, its EFFECTIVE AREA OF RELIEF is smaller than the overall dimensions would lead you to believe. The weighted edges reduce the extent of the heating wires by AT LEAST 2" in from each edge across the shoulders, so the "22" dimension has maybe an 18" width of heating wire. The heated shoulder area front to back is reduced from the overall dimension by a similar amount. So from partway up the neck out to about the end of the clavicles (COLLAR BONES) is where the heating wire are for someone who measures about 18" ACROSS THE CLAVICLES.Keeping that in mind, in terms of body size, when used as designed to be used, I would suggest that any MAN with a torso that cannot COMFORTABLY fit into a man's MEDIUM size T shirt will likely find this at least a little (and maybe a LOT) too narrow across the shoulders to help much for BOTH of one's shoulders at the same time, and to not expect any relief further outboard the point of one's shoulder, with nothing down the outer width of the shoulder's surface, although it does extend down the front and back a very short distance.If you have ONLY neck issues or ONLY neck and shoulder TOP/neck muscle issues it may very well satisfy your needs completely.By trial and error, I've found that If ONLY one shoulder needs attention, or if the issue is down the SIDE of the shoulder/arm a few inches or more to the FRONT or the BACK of the shoulder, the pad seems to work BETTER when the neck portion is OUTBOARD rather than towards the neck (hanging down over the outside of the shoulder) and the main portion of the pad is run from front to back over that shoulder. That way the neck "flap" hangs down and is able to be pulled/pressed against the skin down the side of one's arm, somewhatoverlapped by the front and rear sections of the pad, thereby surrounding the front, back, and side of that one shoulder area.Which is better than a standard rectangular pad would do.If you have rotator cuff issues you might be better served with a conventional heating pad or a microwave-heated pad with MORE moist heat capability.I like the fact that the neck section actually has heating wires running through it, as some others don't.What I don't like is that its difficult to keep the neck portion of the pad in direct contact with one's neck- (for the greatest amount of heat transfer) and the entire pad for that matter, unless one is lying down or reclining while pressing the pad between one's self and a surface (which is NOT recommended in the instructions). The pad's weighted edges HELP, but alone that is insufficient to make maximum heat transfer with one's skin everwhere all at the same time-unless maybe worn under something ike a snug shirt.