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What are Heated Mats?

Anna T.
Anna T.

Heated mats are mats that are placed either indoors or outdoors for the purpose of producing heat. Unlike a standard floor mat, a person can use these mats much like she might use a space heater. When placed on a floor, heated mats can warm up the entire surface area of the floor. This is especially helpful in homes that have floors covered in stone or tile, which tend to stay on the colder side. Another benefit of mats that are heated is that they tend to keep heat contained, which is unlike other types of heaters that allow heat to rise.

Many people use heated mats outdoors as well. Heated mats for outdoor use are popular in areas that experience lots of snowy, icy weather. When placed outside in front of an exterior door, the heat from these mats can keep snow and ice from building up in front of the door. As the ice and snow fall onto the heated mat, it will typically melt away. This can make it much easier for a person to get in and out of her home during extremely snowy weather, because the burden of shoveling snow away from an exterior door will likely be eliminated.

Woman with hand on her hip
Woman with hand on her hip

Heated mats are also popular for use in cars and underneath desks. People who have problems keeping their feet warm at work or in the car may benefit from heated mats placed in these areas. Many people who suffer from poor circulation in their legs and feet actually experience improvement in circulation after using heated mats throughout the day. It is common for people to stand in front of fireplaces and heaters during the winter to quickly warm themselves up. A mat that is heated may be useful in much the same way as a heater or fireplace to warm someone up in a hurry.

Some types of heated mats must be professionally installed. Many people use these mats to warm up their entire houses rather than investing in other types of heating systems. These mats can be professionally installed underneath a person's floor so that the heat rises up from the floor continually throughout the day. Many people find that these mats are much more energy efficient than standard heating systems, although it may be more expensive to have this type of heating installed because the mats often have to be customized for the size and shape of the floor for each room.

Discussion Comments

lighth0se33

I have a heated dog mat for my old Doberman. She has short hair and has become very susceptible to cold in her golden years, so I keep her inside.

The mat plugs into an outlet, and since she is well beyond the puppy stage, I don't have to worry about her chewing on the cord. It warms up as she lays on it, and when she's away, it cools off a little.

Still, the mat will stay a good bit warmer than the surrounding air when she is off of it. That makes it heat up quicker when she does lay down.

Before I got the heated mat, she would lay on her pet bed and shiver. To me, the temperature in the room felt comfortable, but I knew that she needed some extra warmth. The mat keeps her from shaking, and her body feels much warmer when I pet her.

cloudel

@wavy58 – I really wish that my office would consider getting radiant heat mats! It's always freezing cold in there.

I think it's funny that the only heated mat we have is right outside the front door. I know it is there to prevent ice and snow from accumulating, but really it is to avoid a lawsuit from someone who might slip in the area.

If they would at least put a heated mat on top of the floor in the breakroom, then we could go in there and warm up a bit. Maybe they are afraid that everyone would spend too much time on the mat if they did!

wavy58

I have radiant heat mats installed under my floor, and I am very happy with them. My ceramic tile floor was always so cold when I used natural gas to heat the house, but now, I can walk across it barefoot and still be comfortable.

I think that when the area under your feet is warm, you cannot help but be warmer. To me, radiant heat is much more efficient than individual vents in every room of the house, because they blow heat through just a few small locations. Radiant heat mats warm up a whole room quickly.

Oceana

I have no doubt that heated floor mats would do a great job of keeping a person warm. I have found that the more my feet are insulated, the warmer I feel. I could wear fuzzy boots with thin pants and still feel toasty.

Walking on a heated mat would be like striding across an electric blanket. I have hardwood floors that stay cool in the winter, and I would love to have heated mats in my home!

If I forget to take my slippers into my bedroom, then I have quite the chilly walk to the bathroom in the night. Then, when I get back in bed, I have so much trouble getting warm again! It would be awesome to have heated mats leading from the bedroom to the bathroom.

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