Fruitless, unless it’s for your peach: Big Hug XL electric blanket review
This blanket wants to heat me up with its infrared technology. But our date is anything but heartwarming and cosy.
Cuddly fabric and cosy warmth across the entire throw. That’s my idea of the perfect electric blanket. In the last few cold weeks of winter, Stoov provided me with a Big Hug XL heated blanket to test out. Its grey wool fabric and infrared heating technology are supposed to provide the cosy warmth I want so much.
But does it really deliver in terms of looks as well as comfort and functionality? Read on to find out.
As a self-confessed electric blanket enthusiast, I’ve already reviewed Beurer’s Cosy Weight heat pad.
Design and finish
The Big Hug XL electric blanket is made from synthetic wool. While it’s meant to be reminiscent of natural sheep fibre, it actually looks pretty plain and grey, without any eye-catching design. As for size, the blanket is 135 cm long and 45 cm wide.
Source: Kim Muntinga
At first glance, the woolen fabric doesn’t seem particularly high-quality. However, it’s robust enough to serve as a seat pad without bothering me or pressing anywhere.
The design and finish of the Big Hug XL seem solid, and on closer inspection, I can’t find any flaws or faults. The seams are clean and even with no loose threads. Overall, the blanket looks durable. I even like the simple design.
Features and what it’s like to use
The Big Hug XL has three heat levels. On the first, it reached roughly 29 to 30°C, with only a slight increase to 31.5 to 32.5°C on the second. According to my measurements, the third and highest level reaches 38 to 39.5°C. This is disappointing and not in line with the advertised heat settings (38, 45 and 58°C).
I’d have liked the electric blanket to actually get hot and not just coast along at two degrees above my body temperature. And that’s at the highest setting. Talk about the epitome of product disappointment.
Source: Kim Muntinga
Source: Kim Muntinga
Let’s look at what it’s like to charge. Maybe it can redeem itself in this area. You can use the electric blanket wirelessly with a rechargeable battery or plug it into the mains in the traditional way. Depending on the heat level, the battery lasted between two and four hours. You operate it via a control panel on the side of the blanket and switch it on and off from a button on the back. Meanwhile, the touch button on the front lets you switch heat level. There’s no option to control it via an app and instead you always need to fiddle about with the blanket itself.
That’s pretty inconvenient as you have to stand up and turn around each time you want to change the level. A remote control or app would’ve been a handy addition for tech-savvy users.
Source: Kim Muntinga
Source: Kim Muntinga
The Big Hug XL has an overheating safety feature designed to automatically switch the blanket off if the temperature gets too high. (Although it makes me wonder what the brand’s definition of too high is. After all, it can’t even make it to 40°C.) I couldn’t reproduce this situation when I was testing the blanket out. So I haven’t experienced the automatic switch-off feature myself.
Practical test: comfort and heat distribution
The heat-up time is an important aspect for me, as I don’t want to have to wait long for my blanket to be warm. After switching it on, the Big Hug XL takes almost ten minutes to reach its top temperature of about 39°C. After almost five minutes, it reached about 32°C. That’s a long time – at least compared to other electric blankets and cushions.
However, my biggest criticism is of the blanket’s heat distribution, which isn’t at all even. The largest heat area is in the bit you sit on, so it mainly just toasts my privates. Who needs that? I’ll take my peach chilled, thanks. You’ll find a second heat zone on the lower back. The only thing is, it feels rather small and doesn’t quite reach the temperature of your derrière’s heat zone. I wonder who came up with this rubbish.
Source: Kim Muntinga
Source: Kim Muntinga
The blanket doesn’t direct any cosy warmth to your shoulders, neck or upper back, which is a real shame. This means the electric blanket isn’t suitable for me at all, as I’m often tense in those areas and find warmth helps. It’s not acceptable that at most an eighth of the 135 × 45 cm surface gets warm. For an item that calls itself an electric blanket, it’s a fairly paltry display.
The Big Hug XL also leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to comfort. Its woolen fabric doesn’t feel particularly nice against the skin. For an electric blanket that’s primarily intended for cosy evenings, this is a significant drawback. The company’s pressing issue ought to be switching to a softer, more skin-friendly material to improve comfort. Although the fabric is robust enough for sitting on, it’s not cosy. And that’s what relaxing evenings under an electric blanket are all about.
In a nutshell
Big Hug XL: anything but peachy
Unfortunately, Stoov’s Big Hug XL didn’t win me over. Although the quality and finish are solid, there are significant drawbacks when it comes to heating performance and comfort. Uneven heat distribution and a maximum heat level that’s too low make the blanket unsuitable for cold winter days. The woolen fabric doesn’t even feel particularly nice against the skin. While the blanket is straightforward to operate, the controls aren’t modern, so there’s no app or remote. Overall, it falls far short of my expectations of a good electric blanket.
Pro
- Solid design without visible flaws
Contra
- Uneven heat distribution: only two small heat zones (one right under your bum)
- Excellent bum heating: what the peach?!
- Maximum heat level needs improvement
- Long heat-up time – as much as 10 minutes
- Scratchy, synthetic wool
- Lack of modern controls such as an app or remote control
Header image: Kim Muntinga
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