Heated Foot Warmers for Home: Plug-In Warmers, Mats and Safety

For cold feet at a desk or on the sofa, a plug-in foot warmer gives steady heat with nothing to charge. A pocket or boot wraps both feet; a flat heated mat lets you rest them on top. In the U.S., electric ones fall under UL 964, the heated bedding standard, so look for a testing lab mark.

Three kinds of foot warmer

Foot warmers for the home come in three broad types, and the right one depends on where you sit and how often you get up.

If you sit in one spot for an hour or more, start with a plug-in pocket. If you get up every few minutes, a mat is easier to live with.

Plug-in foot warmers for a desk or sofa

A plug-in foot warmer is a soft pocket or slipper-shaped boot with a heating element inside. You slide both feet in, pick a setting on the control, and it warms up within a few minutes. Flat heated mats work the same way, but your feet rest on top.

UL 964, the U.S. safety standard for electrically heated bedding, lists foot warmers in its scope alongside blankets, throws and mattress pads on standard 110 to 120 volt household power. That makes the buying checks much the same as for a heated throw:

• A testing lab mark from a recognized lab on the label or the listing.
• Auto shut-off. Many models switch off on a timer. A short timer is a reminder that the warmer is not meant to run all night.
• A removable, washable cover, since the warmer will be on bare feet or socks.
• A cord long enough to reach the outlet without stretching across a walkway.

When a rechargeable foot warmer makes sense

A battery warmer earns its place where there is no outlet in reach, such as a reading chair in the middle of a room. The tradeoff is runtime: it warms for as long as the battery lasts, then needs charging, while a plug-in warmer runs until its timer stops it. Check the listing for the run time on each heat setting and how long a full charge takes, and follow the maker’s charging instructions.

Who should skip a heated foot warmer

Any heater on the feet relies on the user feeling when it gets too warm. Sunbeam’s heated bedding manual says not to use its heated products on infants, young children, people with diabetes, or anyone who is insensitive to heat. Biddeford’s manual for its heated bedding lists much the same: a child under 12, or anyone who is diabetic, sedated, unable to feel heat well or has poor circulation. Those are bedding manuals, so read the one for the warmer you are buying too.

For diabetes in particular, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) advises against putting a heating pad or hot water bottle on the feet, and suggests wearing socks to bed if your feet get cold. For anyone on that list, warm socks and slippers are the safer choice.

Warm feet without a cord

A foot warmer is not the only fix for cold feet. Thick wool socks hold warmth even when damp; our warm socks guide compares wool, fuzzy and sherpa-lined pairs. Lined slippers keep feet off a cold floor; see our slippers guide. A covered hot water bottle warms the foot of the bed before you get in, and a heating pad warms your back or lap on the couch; a large heating pad gives a bigger warm surface for the couch.

Which foot warmer should you buy?

• Cold feet on the sofa or in a chilly room: a plug-in pocket or boot with an auto shut-off and a washable cover.
• Cold feet at a desk: a heated mat you can step on and off.
• Cold feet in bed: warm the bed first, then switch off, or wear socks. Our heated mattress pad guide covers warming the bed from below.
• Cold feet while you move around the house: wool socks under rubber-soled slippers.
• A gift for someone always cold: a plug-in warmer is easy to give and easy to use; see more ideas in gifts for someone who is always cold.

For a full look at heated bedding safety, read are heated throws and electric blankets safe?, or browse all our heated bedding and warmer guides.