Category Archives: Heated Products

Reasons You Always Feel Cold (and what to do about it)

When you are always cold regardless of the temperature or season, life can be a bit more challenging. For example, your performance at school or work could suffer due to an inability to concentrate, and you may find it virtually impossible to get comfortable enough to sleep soundly every night. In addition, you might also restrict yourself from certain activities such as skiing or snowboarding for fear of being too cold to enjoy the outing.

Pinpointing the root cause of your temperature sensitivity can go a long way towards helping you manage the condition; unfortunately, there are a large number of possible triggers to consider. Here are a few of the most common ones:

Medical factors

Cause: You have a very low BMI. This often means you don’t have enough body fat to provide adequate insulation against the cold and/or your metabolism is too slow to generate adequate body heat.
Cure: Check with your doctor about embarking on a weight gain program featuring lots of healthy proteins and fats.

Cause: You suffer from hypothyroidism, a disorder in which your thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone. Greater sensitivity to cold is one symptom of this condition.
Cure: After being diagnosed by a doctor, you will likely begin a regimen of hormone therapy to regulate your body’s hormone levels.

Cause: You have Raynaud’s Syndrome, in which the arteries near your extremities spasm, leaving your fingers and toes feeling cold and numb.
Cure: Mild forms of the disease can be treated by wearing warm clothing, such as battery heated gloves or socks, while the severest forms may require chemical injections or nerve surgery.

Environmental factors

Cause: The furnace in your home is set too low.
Cure: To warm up without increasing your heating bill, try using electric blankets on your bed, electric throws on your sofa and armchairs, and heated towel warmers in your bathroom.

Cause: You work in an office that is too cold for comfort.
Cure: Install a radiant heating panel under your desk to keep your legs warm, use a heated footrest for your feet and toes, or try a compact, energy-saving space heater that fits on your desktop.

Cause: You don’t bundle up enough for the temperature or weather conditions.
Cure: Wearing multiple layers and covering up with Gerbing Gyde heated clothing, including vests, fleeces, shells, gloves, and pants, can protect you from even the harshest winter elements.

These are only a handful of the possible medical and environmental factors that could be causing you to feel cold all the time. If you suspect you suffer from a serious medical condition, see your healthcare practitioner as soon as possible. Otherwise, try one of the suggested cures listed here to warm up at work or at home.

Prep Your Dorm Room for Winter

Typical college dorm rooms and apartments rarely meet anyone’s idea of a cozy living space, especially in winter. Thanks to drafty windows, bare floors, and a glitchy heater that either runs way too hot or not at all, dorms can be downright miserable once outdoor temperatures begin to dip.

Fortunately, you don’t have to let things get to that point. With a few choice heated accessories and a little extra time, you can convert the room to a warm and inviting place that will be the hit of the entire building. Here’s how to do it:

Put a heated floor mat under the area rugs in the room to help keep your feet warm when you’re walking around.
Use a heated mattress pad (we even have extra-long twin sizes to accommodate most dorm beds) so you can sleep comfortably through the night without having to turn up the thermostat. This is a terrific option for green campuses or for anyone that wants to save some money on winter heating bills.
Cover drafty windows with insulating film or bubble wrap to block out cold air while keeping in warm air. Or if your budget allows, invest in some heavy curtains to achieve the same effect in a more decorative package.
Run a piece of weather-stripping tape along the bottom of all doors to further seal the room against cold drafts. If you’re crafty, you can try your hand at DIY draft stoppers.
Keep a heated electric throw at your desk, chair, or futon so you can stay nice and toasty while reading, studying, talking with friends, or watching a movie.
While it may not have an effect on the temperature, string lights or other holiday décor can be the perfect touch to give your dorm room that warm and cozy feeling.

Remember, winter break only gets you out of the dorm for a few short weeks. So to make the rest of the season tolerable, follow these tips for prepping your dorm room before the cold and nasty weather sets in.

Why Cats Love Sunlight & Heat

Every cat owner is familiar with the way their feline companion craves heat. Whether it’s snoozing in a narrow beam of sunlight, curling up on a laptop keyboard, or nestling inside a cardboard box, your pet naturally gravitates toward the warmest spot in the room. As it turns out, there are specific biological reasons that explain why cats love sunlight and heat.

Cats have higher heat tolerance than humans. The average body temperature of a healthy cat is around 101 degrees, and they don’t begin to feel pain from heat until the temperature rises to 126 degrees. This greater tolerance for heat not only allows them to cope better when temperatures soar, but also prompts them to seek external warmth to maintain their 101-degree equilibrium.
Cats are predators. From stealthily stalking a bird or mouse to waiting patiently for just the right moment to pounce on unsuspecting prey, cats use their brains far more than their brawn. This brain activity consumes tons of energy; so any help cats get in the form of external heat is energy they can divert from simply warming the body to powering more complex functions.
Cats have turbo-charged metabolisms. Metabolic processes such as maintaining body temperature, digesting food, and preserving a healthy coat all require a constant influx of energy. Again, cats can conserve some of their energy expenditure by using external heat sources like sunlight and heated pet beds to help warm their bodies and keep their metabolism running more efficiently.

Now that you understand a bit more about why your cat seeks warmth, you can make its life a lot easier by placing heated cat pads or heated pet beds in strategic places throughout your home. Check out CozyWinters today to view our indoor and outdoor heated pet products that will help keep your cat warm and snug in every season.

8 Ways to Save on Your Utility Bills

Now that summer is just about in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look ahead to the cooler temperatures of fall and winter. While at first the change will feel like a welcome relief from the months of heat and humidity you’ve been suffering through, you’ll eventually find yourself seeking effective ways to warm up. In the past this might have meant spending a bunch of money to heat your home and water—but that doesn’t have to be the case going forward. Check out these eight terrific tips for trimming your utility bill in the colder months:

Saving on water bills

Lower the temperature setting of your water heater to a maximum of 120 degrees (or less, if you can stand it). This will warm the water sufficiently for showers and other uses while saving 10% or more on heating costs.
Take shorter showers. The math here is simple: the less time you spend in the shower, the less water you use and the less you pay, so get in, wash up, and get out.
Install a Warmrails heated towel rack in the bathroom. A heated towel rack thoroughly dries towels to keep them mold and mildew free, thereby eliminating the need for frequent, or daily laundering.
Run the clothes washer and dishwasher only when you have full loads, and use the cold or warm water settings (as opposed to hot) whenever possible.

Saving on heating bills

Use electric blankets or heated mattress pads to warm the bed at night. This will allow you to turn the thermostat way down or completely off and save money on overnight heating costs.
Switch your ceiling fans to the winter setting to make the blades rotate clockwise or reverse of their summer direction. The clockwise spin pushes warm air all the way up against the ceiling where it will then be forced to recirculate back down into the room.
Place heated floor mats under the area rugs in your home to provide targeted warmth in occupied rooms. Under area rug heated floor mats are a far more energy efficient warming method for the living room, media room, and home office than heating the entire house for the sake of one or two people.
Check the caulking and weather-stripping around doors and windows, and make sure the attic insulation is up to snuff. A poorly insulated home is extremely costly to heat because cold air is constantly coming in while warm air is always leaking out.

Check out the CozyWinters website to order the heated towel warming racks, electric blankets, heated mattress pads, and under area rug warming mats mentioned above and use the other money-saving ideas from this post to start prepping your home for the long winter to come.

5 Amazing Motorcycle Rides and Destinations in America

While motorcycles can serve as a fun and economical form of daily transportation, that’s not why most people buy them. The real reason we buy them is so we can spend hours (or days or weeks) cruising along scenic highways featuring plenty of twists, turns, and natural beauty. Fortunately, the US is filled with amazing motorcycle rides and destinations, including the following five favorites:

Pacific Coast Highway: Immortalized in countless films and TV shows, the PCH begins in Monterey and extends 123 miles to Morro Bay. Along the way, you’ll be treated to unbeatable views of looming cliffs and the Pacific Ocean, with the opportunity to stop at Big Sur, Hearst Castle, and other notable places.

Beartooth Pass: This 68-mile stretch of highway spanning from Montana to Wyoming is situated atop the Northern Rockies at an altitude of 10,947 feet, allowing you to see alpine plateaus, glaciers, waterfalls, lakes, and dense forests as you maneuver around the numerous switchbacks that ultimately lead to Yellowstone. At this height, it would be smart to wear a heated motorcycle jacket and heated gloves to keep warm on the ride. CozyWinters now carries several styles of Gerbing Gyde lightweight jackets with multiple heat settings, as well as leather, cowhide, or premium twill gloves that offer supplemental heating without sacrificing dexterity. And if you choose the optional Thermogauge Bluetooth adapter, you can control the heat settings of all your Gerbing Gyde apparel through a single Smartphone app for unbeatable ease and convenience.

Coastal Highway 1: Those with a hankering to explore quaint towns and shops, sample fresh-from-the-water seafood, and photograph lighthouses that date back to the 1790s must head all the way east to travel along the 170-mile expanse of Coastal Highway 1 from Kittery to Bucksport, ME.

Blue Ridge Parkway: One of the slowest (45 mph speed limit), smoothest, and most relaxing rides on this list, the Blue Ridge Parkway winds through historic Civil War battlefields in Virginia on up to the dazzling heights of the Smokey Mountains in North Carolina. Those riders feeling more adventurous can easily continue on to Deal’s Gap and the infamous Tail of the Dragon, with its heart-pumping 318 curves in just 11 miles of road.

Route 66: Arguably the most iconic ride on this list, Route 66, which begins in Chicago, IL, and goes across eight states to Santa Monica, CA, is a dream for anyone interested in all things Americana. From kitschy museums and attractions such as the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, AZ, or the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, TX, to ‘50s style diners and modern steakhouses, you’ll experience a road trip like no other as you make your way to the “end of the trail” at Santa Monica Pier.

How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep (Even in Summer)

Numerous studies show that individuals have an ideal sleep temperature that allows them to fall asleep and stay asleep all night. For a majority of folks, the magic number is somewhere between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit, but varies according to personal preferences and the seasons.

So wouldn’t it be great if your body temperature simply held steady all night long? That way, you could just choose a cooling gel pad or electric blanket and be assured of a comfortable sleep.

But that’s not the way temperature works in the real world. In many places, especially the southern states in late summer, outdoor temperatures fluctuate at night and impact your body temperature to the point where you might be sweating when you first hit the sheets, but shivering just a few hours later. Even attempts to control ambient temperature with the use of an air conditioner or heater may not be enough to ensure comfort. That’s where temperature regulating bedding can help.

Made of high-tech fabrics and utilizing phase change materials, temperature regulating bedding:

Proactively manages temperature
Helps prevent moisture (sweat) production before it begins
Cools you down by absorbing and storing body heat when you begin to get too hot
Warms you up by redistributing the stored heat when you begin to get too cold
Performs this function continuously throughout the night
Operates without batteries or electrical cords
Is perfect for year-round use

If you’re having trouble getting a good night’s sleep because you’re either too hot, too cold, or constantly shifting between the two extremes, it’s time to try temperature regulating bedding. Check out the wide selection of Outlast mattress pads, blankets, comforters, and pillows at CozyWinters today and enjoy the deep, restful sleep that the right temperature provides.

Keep Indoor Cats Entertained

Cats that are kept indoors must be provided with lots of stimulating activities to help them cope with the confinement. This stimulation not only wards off boredom and reduces stress, but also prevents undesirable behaviors such as excessive meowing, scratching at furniture, and urinating outside the litter box. So consider trying these ideas for keeping your feline friend entertained throughout the day:

Use our heated windowsill cat bed to create a comfy perch for your pet to sit on while gazing out at birds, passing cars, and pedestrians. This is a simple activity that will occupy your cat for hours all year round.
Leave the radio tuned to a classical music station or play a CD of nature sounds to soothe and comfort your pet when no one is home.
Satisfy your cat’s need to climb by creating safe pathways to the tops of bookshelves and other high places. You may also wish to buy a multistory cat furniture tree or activity center for the same purpose.
Indulge the natural hunting instincts in your cat by hiding treats or dry kibble around your home. Change the locations frequently to keep things interesting—but be sure to retrace your steps every now and then to clean up anything your cat might have missed.
Give your cat new items to sniff, play with, and explore. These might be anything from windup mice and other store bought toys to paper bags, cardboard boxes, or fallen bird feathers and tree leaves.
Teach your cat to walk on a leash or build a secure enclosure for the yard. This will enable your favorite feline to enjoy some of the perks of being outdoors without any of the attendant dangers.
Treat your cat to quality one-on-one playtime and cuddle time as often as possible.

Since every cat has its own distinct personality, it’s impossible to predict which of these entertainment ideas your pet will respond to and which will just be ignored. So why not try them all and then stick to the ones that work best!

Great Father’s Day Gift Ideas

What makes a great Father’s Day gift? Opinions are sure to vary on that one; however, it’s probably safe to say that neckties, cologne or aftershave, and kitschy products emblazoned with slogans like “World’s Greatest Dad” are out of the running. Instead, the best gifts tend to be the ones that Dad not only needs, but will actually use. So based on these criteria, here is the CozyWinters Father’s Day gift guide for 2015:

For the sporty dad

Battery heated stadium cushions and apparel, including vests, foot warmers, and mittens, will help protect your dad from the cold while watching his favorite sports teams in fall and winter. Sporty dads who aren’t content to spectate from the sidelines would also enjoy products like our heated golf cart seat, heated camo hunting vest, and heated ski jacket.

For the outdoorsy dad

Does your father like to spend most of his summer camping, fishing, hiking, biking, boating, or simply doing yard work? If so, then he’ll appreciate something from our line of cooling products. We carry neckbands, vests, and evaporative hats designed to provide hours of portable cooling power in the face of intense heat and sun.

For the motorcyclist

If your dad is the type of guy who loves riding so much that he can’t bear to put his bike in storage even when winter hits, then take a look at our range of heated motorcycle gear. We have everything from battery heated jackets and pants to heated glove liners and insoles to keep him cozy from head to toe. Be sure to also check out our heated motorcycle seat kit for instant warmth anytime.

For the organized dad

Some dads have adopted the old phrase “A place for everything and everything in its place” as a personal motto. These are the men who can’t rest until all the gear is unloaded, cleaned, and put away after an outing or who never let the slightest hint of disorder creep into the garage or workspace. For a dad like this, nothing would be better than receiving wall-mounted ski and snowboard racks, boot dryers, coat and accessory racks, and similar gear storage solutions.

For the active dad

Dads that work a lot and play a lot can expect to experience sore or tight muscles from time to time—especially as they age. So this Father’s Day, your active dad will appreciate getting one of our safe and effective heat therapy wraps to soothe his stiff back, creaky knees, or gimpy ankles. We offer a variety of wraps, massagers, and pads that provide all-over or targeted relief for the most common sore spots.

These are just a few of the great Father’s Day gifts we have available now and ready to ship before June 21, so visit CozyWinters today!

Dealing with Spring Colds

While getting a cold is never any fun, it’s particularly annoying in the springtime. Instead of being able to go out and bask in the mild weather and sunshine, you’ll be stuck indoors trying to treat your runny nose, cough, sore throat, and general fatigue. These symptoms can linger for anywhere from a few days to up to two weeks, depending on different factors such as the type of virus that initially caused the illness and the strength of your immune system. To help speed recovery, follow these tips for dealing with spring colds:

Stay well-hydrated by drinking plenty of water and other fluids, including juice, tea with lemon and honey, and clear broth.
Run a humidifier—such as one of the quiet ultrasonic models available at CozyWinters—in your home or office to moisturize the air, relieve congestion, and ease breathing. Change the water in the humidifier daily and follow the manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations to prevent the buildup and discharge of mold and mildew.
Supplement the effects of your new humidifier with the use of a decongestant nasal spray or decongestant tablets. Just be sure not to use any nasal spray for more than three consecutive days, as doing so can lead to further congestion.
Gargle with a mixture of 1/2 teaspoon of table salt dissolved in a cup of warm water several times a day to soothe a sore throat.
Fill up on chicken soup to take advantage of its anti-inflammatory properties and natural decongesting action.
Use over-the-counter cough syrups or cold medicines to provide temporary relief for various cold symptoms.

Although the common cold is considered a minor illness, it can cause major disruptions in your life by keeping you away from work, school, or the outdoor activities you love. To get back on track faster, follow the tips listed here as soon as you detect any telltale symptoms.

Battery Storage & Care

In our last post, we talked about how you should wash your battery heated jacket, gloves, and liners before storing them for the summer to help ensure they’re ready for action as soon as you need them again. This time around, we’re going to focus on battery care for those same products.

Most of the battery heated clothing we sell at CozyWinters is powered by lithium ion (Li-ion) battery packs. These battery packs are consumable, meaning they have a limited shelf life, and are designed to last anywhere from 300 to 500 discharge cycles. With proper storage and care, lithium ion battery packs will consistently hit the upper end of their lifespan, so we suggest that you follow these tips:

• Never store a lithium ion battery pack in a completely discharged state. Instead, a 25% to 60% charge is recommended prior to storage.
• Disconnect the battery pack from its connectors and remove it from the device before placing it into long-term storage.
• Store lithium ion battery packs in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and extreme changes in temperature.
• Recharge the battery pack at least once every three to six months regardless of whether or not you intend to use the garment it powers. This will help improve performance and extend battery life in the long run.

The batteries in your CozyWinters heated apparel require special care to keep them operating at peak performance levels and promote overall longevity, so make it a point to follow these guidelines for summer and offseason storage.

Please keep in mind that different manufacturers may have different storage protocols for their batteries, so the above tips are simply intended to be general guidelines rather than specific instructions.

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