In an age when central heating was unknown in ordinary homes and even the additional heating of bedrooms was a luxury, pre-warming the bed by electricity could provide a measure of comfort as well as relief for the invalid. Indeed, many claims were made about the effects of gentle warmth for neuralgia, cramp and arthritis, and these were used to sell bed-warming products, rather than the luxury of a pre-warmed bed.

Rigid electric bed warmers

There were two basic types available in the 1920s and 1930s: the storage type, where 20 minutes power provided heat for six or more hours: and a low-power type, designed for continuous use. GEC produced a glazed earthenware bed warmer of the storage type which was extremely heavy and resembled the old stone bed warmer. Some of the storage type were circular and clad in copper so that they looked like old copper warming pans with the long handle removed. Another example, in brown Bakelite, was even designed to look like a rubber hot-water bottle - a rather naive way of making the new technology acceptable to wary buyers. This model, referred to as a 'personal heater' had a thermostat included and so could be used continuously, without overheating.

A design that completely eclipsed these two types was the Belling bed warmer, introduced in the late-1930s. This was a large, two-part steel disc and simply contained a 40-watt light bulb to generate the heat, this also doubling-up as a 'power-on' light, visible through a red panel. The Belling was cheap to manufacture and cost little to run, and could be used either vertically as a bed-airer, or horizontally to warm certain areas only. This popular model was available well into the 1960s in a variety of pastel colours, although even as late this, the catalogue entry read 'nothing to fill or spill': the benefits of electricity still had to be spelt out.

Electric blankets

The first examples appeared in the 1930s in the form of thick, heavy quilts with a heat-resisting element woven into them. The earliest types had the familiar flex with a mid-way on/off control and were intended to be used on top of the mattress. Generally smaller than modern electric blankets, some were no larger than a pad or small rug and therefore could be used by someone sitting in a chair. The term 'electric blanket' was not used until the 1950s and pre-war examples had names such as 'warming pad' or 'heated quilt'. Pre-war makes included Morphy-Richards, Thermega, Thermalux and Auto-Maid.Thinner, modern blankets that took up less space and were easier to fold did not appear until the 1950s.

• 1930 Veret
• 1937 Veret
• 1938 Thermalux
• 1939 Belling Bed Warmer
• 1943 Rothermel RAR Heater
• 1950 Ronning

c1930 Veret UK Made by Hall and Veret Ltd. Almost certainly predecessor of later plastic version.Lightweight, bronze-coloured, anodised aluminium body with brown phenol plastic screw-top, secured by nuts. Various badge designs, announcing that device is 'fool-proof' and 'shock-proof'. Other colours available, such as blue.
1937 Veret UK Made by Hall and Veret Ltd. Cylindrical body resembles 1930s Thermos flask. Central twin element heating internal airspace, accessed via screw-off top. Black phenol plastic body, also available in brown and mottle red/cream (possibly others), no controls. Replaced earlier metal-bodied warmer. Still available in the late-1950s. Patent application date 1937.
1938c Thermalux model M UK Halifax First generation electric blanket, described as 'electrically-heated mattress overlay'. Green quilted pad with slight Art Deco repeating pattern, size 2x5 feet. Other sizes available for 'Junior', single and double-bed. Permanent connection to flex with circular cream urea plastic on/off switch mid-flex - light for 'on' mode. Thermostat heat control in quilt. Recommended time for use is 20-60 minutes; slow operation - takes at least 20 minutes to heat up. Listed in 1938 Hobday catalogue, price range £2/19/6 - £5/5/-. Very rare - luxury item in the Thirties and few have survived. Click here for a close-up of the label.
c1939 Belling Bed Warmer model 90 UK Enfield Large disc resembling (although pre-dating) 'flying saucer'. Used vertically as airer, flat at bed-warmer. Heats using low wattage light bulb which also illuminates small red panel in centre. Pre-war model with simple strip handle, post-c1950 with hoop handle. Early models in cream enamel, later available in pastel blue, pink, primrose, etc. Click here for 1957 Belling catalogue entry.
1943 Rothermel RAR Heater UK Classic 'Bakelite' product, styled as traditional rubber hot-water bottle. Two-part mottled brown phenol plastic, red/black push switch on neck, also available in black. Wire element wound into large asbestos sheet, integral (non-adjustable) thermostat allows continuous use. Patent applied for 1943, possibly a pre-war US design. Variety ofmedical and therapeutic applications claimed in literature.
c1950 Ronning UK Electric footwear dryers, to be inserted into each shoe/boot. Red stove-enamel top, aluminium 'sole'. 8 watts. Three cables to each 'shoe', join up to single flex to plug. Available in range of colours - blue, green, cream, red.