With the cost of living soaring for everyone across the country, people are looking for more affordable ways to keep themselves warm this winter. Many are struggling their to warm their homes with central heating because it's just become far too expensive.
I've been conscious of my own energy usage thanks to skyrocketing inflation rates, bills and food prices, but one thing I can't stand is being cold in bed at night. When I say receiving an electric mattress topper as a gift changed my life, I am not exaggerating.
I waved goodbye to the days of dithering in bed because it's just so cold during the winter months, and greeted warmth and cosiness with open arms. Confusingly, electric mattress toppers are often mistaken for electric blankets, so if you've overlooked the former, now is the time to consider investing in one.
I've had my electric mattress topper for a number of years now and, not to be dramatic, I can't imagine life without it. My original electric mattress topper was rather pricey, retailing at £119 from Dreamland. However, I know that we're currently in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis and if mine were to break, not only would I be gutted, but I'd simply be unable to justify such a high price point.
To make sure I had a backup mattress topper (just in case!) I decided to buy a Dunelm alternative for £30 - which is significantly cheaper than my original - but does it still pack a punch?
The cost of running electric mattress toppers
Electric toppers cost roughly 2p per hour to heat a double bed, meaning an eight-hour sleep will cost just 16p. This has been calculated using the UK Price Guarantee (October 2022) electricity rate of 34 pence per kWh.
If you like to be toasty when you sleep, then this is significantly cheaper than keeping your heating on all night - which would cost around 91p per hour - or £7.28 for a night's sleep of heating.
Pre-mattress topper I'd usually have my heating on between 10pm and 12am, and then back on at 6am until 8am when I'm usually up and out of bed, so the electric mattress topper would save me £3.50 a day, which works out at £24.50 a week. That's £98 a month - so it really does add up.
My routine
I have nothing bad to say about my Dreamland mattress topper at all. It heats just half of the bed, meaning if your partner prefers to be cold, then they can do their own thing whilst you're toasty warm. It prevents any late-night arguments - put it that way!
Compared to the Dreamland version, the Dunelm topper only has three settings, whereas its pricier counterpart has six. This made me a little apprehensive to try the cheaper alternative, but I was determined to give it a fair chance.
I rather enjoy putting it on its highest setting (six) while I clean my teeth and do my skincare routine so by the time I get into bed it's nice and toasty - if not a little OTT sometimes.
While I read in bed, I'll usually turn it down to a four, and then I'll pop it on a two or three to actually sleep. Sometimes, I'll just heat it up with a six though, and then turn it off if it's not that cold.
The Dunelm mattress topper has a less complicated-looking remote than the other, as it has fewer things going on, making it look more 'basic'. But sometimes basic isn't a bad thing. The remote also looks cheaper, but given it can save you such a large amount of money then I'd say it's a minor bugbear.
When unpacking the Dunelm option, I was feeling a little unsure - I was convinced that nothing could compare to my expensive model. Surprisingly, Dunelm went and blew me away with their £30 offering, and it wasn't in the way I was expecting.
Trying the Dunelm mattress topper
Because my Dreamland blanket is in the main bedroom, I opted to put the Dunelm version in the guest bedroom and decided to spend a warm (but lonely) night in there to test it out to see what it had to offer.
As I would normally, I set the electric blanket on its highest setting and went to get ready for bed. I proceeded to tentatively peel back the covers and get in - and I was left gobsmacked.
It was toasty warm - not quite as warm as the other mattress topper, but it was definitely more than I was expecting. It may be £89 cheaper, but that doesn't mean that it's any less mighty, and it left me questioning whether the more expensive one was actually worth it. £89 is not to be sniffed at, especially during the current climate.
I decided to save my judgment for the morning, however, changed the setting to a two, and settled in for the evening.
In the manual, one is low heat, two is medium heat, and three is high heat - so I was happy with a medium so I didn't overheat during the night.
And, the medium heat was just fine throughout the night. I wouldn't say it beat the Dreamland one, but it's definitely functional and would be just fine to use daily - especially if you're a mattress topper novice.
The Dunelm topper seemed to heat up in fewer places than the Dreamland one, but it was easy enough to find the heat and get comfortable.
Of course, there's also the fact that this could save you a lot of money during the cold winters. £30 may seem like a lot of cash to spend upfront, especially if you've never felt the benefits of the product, but you'll save at least that in just a week of opting for your mattress topper, rather than keeping the heating on all night long.
Do you have any recommendations for products that can help warm your home? Email us at danielle.wroe@reachplc.com
