The Best Foot Warmer

Buying Guide

The phrase “having cold feet” has a funny meaning, but actual cold feet can indicate a severe health condition like atherosclerosis, neuropathy, nerve damage or poor circulation. Many who experience these symptoms use foot warmers to help, but anyone who has persistently cold or painful feet should seek a physician’s advice.

It’s also an excellent idea to verify with a professional before buying a foot warmer or massager if you are having significant symptoms, just in case.

People on the go like hand, foot and toe warmers because they fit into shoes or gloves. Some are small pouches, while others look like shoe insoles. They are only suitable for one use, but some can last as long as eight hours. Use them when you’re outside working in the cold, running or bicycling and toss them in the trash when finished.

You take them out of their plastic wrappers to use them; they contain iron, activated carbon (charcoal), a mineral called vermiculite and a bit of water and salt. These natural ingredients heat up in about 20 minutes when exposed to air.

Plug-in and battery-operated foot warmers are designed to heat your feet while you are sitting or lying down. Plug-in and battery-operated foot warmers need to have automatic shutoff features for when people forget to turn them off.

Some of the smaller warmers are designed like miniature sleeping bags so that you can slide your feet right in. These can usually be used for other parts of the body, too. Slide your cold hands in or put the device on your couch’s back and sit up against it. Look for models made of soft materials, with long extensions cords if they are plug-in models.

The best foot warmers and massagers warm up the entire body and provide a sense of well-being. Foot warmers with massagers do double-duty because they also have vibrate functions to massage your feet while they are warming. More expensive models even have mini Shiatsu massager rollers built into them, and you can even use some foot massagers on other parts of the body.

• Never apply stick-on foot or hand warmers directly to the skin.
• Foot, hand and toe warmers get activated when exposed to oxygen, and the longer they are in the open air, the hotter they will get. Be careful; if you leave them outside too long, they can get as hot as 165 degrees Fahrenheit!
• Keep foot, hand and toe warmers away from your cell phone to keep it safe.
• A heated foot warmer that’s big enough for two pairs of feet can provide a pleasant bonding experience.