Oh no.... I'm turning in to my grandad!! (Tesco Value EB06 Electric Blanket)

Member Name: yackers1

Product:	Tesco Value EB06 Electric Blanket
Date:	14/12/08 (294 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Loads

Disadvantages: Can't sleep with it on

With the cold nights setting in, and looking like they are going to get colder, I thought it was time to admit I am getting older and invest in an electric blanket. I have never had an electric blanket before and though they were only for OAPs but how wrong I was. I much prefer jumping in to a warm bed as opposed to a cold one and having to lie in the foetal position for half an hour in a bid to warm up.

I ended up buying my electric blanket on a whim whilst on a shopping trip to Tescos, where the EB06 electric blanket is sold. This blanket is available in single and double sizes. The double sized blanket cost £14.99, which I thought was good value for money, even though I did not know how much they cost from other retailers at that time.

I bought the double sized electric blanket and naturally assumed that it would be huge and cover most of the bed. When I opened up the box I was disappointed since the blanket measures of 107cm x 122cm, which is wide enough but not long enough to cover the whole mattress.

What this blanket lacks in size it makes up in power and heat generation. I find that I only need to turn the blanket to number 3, the pre heat setting, for about half an hour before bed to get it really nice and toasty.

****In the box****

The box contains the blanket, the control switch and an instruction manual.

The manual is actually really useful. It contains a safety guide which is basically a list of 'Do's' and 'Don'ts', electrical information, preparations for use, how to secure the blanket, details on the operations and controls, care and maintenance, storage and warranty information.

I'm glad that I read the manual since it stopped me doing things, like sleeping with the blanket on, that I clearly would have done.

****Securing the blanket****

Securing the blanket is really easy and involves the following steps:

1) Place the blanket on the mattress.
2) Pass the middle tie cord under the middle of the mattress and through the middle eyelet on the opposite side.
3) Pass the end cord under the corresponding bottom corner and then pass it through the eyelet and tie.
4) Repeat for the other corners.

Once the cords are all tight the blanket is held securely to the mattress and will not move anywhere. I am a bit of a "tosser and turner" (so to speak) in bed and have had no problems with the blanket coming lose and moving around.

The control has 3 settings, being gentle heat, medium heat and pre heat. The instructions recommend to pre heat the bed for 1 - 2 hours before use with standard bedding, although in my experience it does not need this long. I have found that half an hour is more than enough.

****Care and maintenance****

This blanket cannot be machine washed, hand washed or dry cleaned. The only way of cleaning it is to perform wet and dry rubbing, which involves sponging the blanket with water containing a neutral detergent or mild soapy solution and then rubbing with a dry cloth before leaving to dry naturally.

This treatment is recommended for any stains, so I guess the way to overcome this is to avoid drinking in bed so that it is not possible to stain the blanket.

When the blanket is not in use it needs to be stored in a cool, clean and dry location. The instructions recommend not to put in any sharp creases when folding.

****Warranty****

The EB06 electric blanket is covered by warranty for a period of 12 months from the date of purchase.

****Would I recommend it?****

This is my first ever electric blanket so I do not have any others to compare it to, however, I would definitely recommend the EB06 since it secures to the mattress firmly and doesn't move around, it warms the bed up in around half an hour, it has three settings (although, in my opinion, only the pre heat is needed), it makes the bed really toasty and at £14.99 it is great value for money.

Summary: The best way of achieving a noce warm bed