Thermotex–Far Infrared Premium Heating Pad – Platinum – Pain Relief – Warms and Relaxes Muscles – Large Size for Back, Shoulder, Arms and Legs – 17 in. x 13 in.

I have very stubborn issues with plantar fasciitis that defy my attempts to lessen the irritation. I've been using this far infrared heating pad for a few weeks now and it's really helped. The heat it generates is at first subtle and then grows quite warm over time. I can tell this is really far infrared due to the fact that the heat felt is more on the inside of my foot than on the outside. A short time with this pad does a great job treating the underlying irritation of the fascia. I was surprised at the quality of this pad and the strength of it. The one thing to understand about it is that it consists of three separate FIR panels connected together inside of a very nice fabric shell. While this does give the pad some flexibility, the three panels are of course rigid. You can, for instance, wrap this around a leg or even an arm successfully but if you need to treat a smaller area, you'll have to work at positioning it correctly on one of the emitters. FIR devices have a ways to go before they become small enough to be both effective and flexible, but for now this Thermotex unit is not only the the best I've found but is much more than I expected.

I use Thermotex and Venture IR heating pad brands, here are the pros and cons. Overall IR heat works very well for me. I get results within about an hour of muscle flareups. After getting such great results I now own multiples of both brands.Thermotex Platinum Pros:Heat goes the deepest of any brandYou can use directly on skinHas calmed muscle flareups, headaches, migraines related to myofascial pain syndrome.It's fairly stiff, but you can fold it aroundCons:Takes about 5-10 minutes to warm upCan’t sit on it or you’re not supposed, must lie on itIt can be hard to hold it on some areasLong term reliability is not great. A section on two different pads has stopped working. One pad was under 1 yr warranty, so I sent it back and they replaced the inside, but shipping to Canada was pricey. The other pad was past the warranty. Definitely get the extended warranty on their website. Thermotex customer service is excellent.Venture IR Largest Heat Pad Pros:Can fit around anywhereCan sit on itAuto shutoff, with a shift to cooler temperature at 1 hr.10 hour auto off (not sure why 10).Small size is 30 minutes auto off (1 hr would have ideal)Can be set up with a battery pack, to make it portable. I did this with the small size.Cons:IR heat doesn’t go as deep as ThermotexYou cannot use on bare skin, which is more inconvenient than I thoughtThe power light is extra bright. On the large one it dims though.

Been using the Thermotex Far Infrared Heating Pad – Platinum for a little over a year.During that year my wife and I have switching between a handmade pad filled with rice that you heat in the microwave, a generic $30 electric heating pad from Walgreens, and this Thermotex. The Termotex is by far our least favorite. It has several problems:1: It takes a long time to warm up, about 10-15 minutes.2: It is uncomfortable and not very form fitting. It’s made up of three plastic panels wired together. Each panal is inserted into a pouch in the cover. Each panal is very ridged. The cloth cover can fold in two places, so it can fold around a straight limb. But if you have a spot on the side of your neck, or the top of your shoulder it will not be flexible enough to reach it.3: It gives very little perceived heat. And there is no low/med/high. Just on/off. Just to note, it uses 14 watts.4: The manufactures says not to lay on it or it can be damaged.5: The heat feels no different than any of the other pads we have. Except that it’s not much heat at all. Thermotex markets it as such: “After just 20 minutes of use, the soothing infrared wavelengths penetrate up to 2.36 inches into the applied area.” I believe some infrared might make it through the black cover. But I can feel the cover getting warm, and when I press into the pad I feel more heat. That makes it seem that a lot of the power is just going to heating the pad up, and not emitting infrared light.6: The heat is very mild. You can hardly feel the heat. I would often check the power switch to make sure I didn’t flip it off. Unfortunately it was always still on. The best way I can describe the heat is when you are up and walking about and you steal your wife’s seat while she goes to get something, it’s that kinda warm, and it’s gone in 30 seconds to a minute. It is not the kinda warm like: I feel like an icepick is lodged in my back and I need the closest thing to burning me to dull the pain for 2 minutes to loosen me up. If you need this kind of quick relief take an old sock and fill it halfway with rice, tie the open end up and microwave it to your desired heat and lay it on/lay on it for 1-2 minutes. Be carful to not burn yourself. Cost is only an old sock, 50 cents of rice, and the power to the microwave.7: My wife and I don’t find any relief from the Thermotex. Our other pads do a much better job of wrapping around and heating the affected area.8: It is expensive! I’m no stranger to paying for a premium product. But I expect a premium product to be user friendly, comfortable, and most importantly: work! We found it did not do any of these.I thought it might have a longer lasting affect for deep tissue or bone/joint pain. I’ve had those kind of injuries or pain 3-4 times. Each time I used the Thermotex for multiple days. I feel it caused more discomfort and problems trying to use it then if I had nothing. If I didn’t use it I at least would have been comfortable and been able to relax the whole time. Instead I struggled to get it in the right spot, I was uncomfortable, and I felt no relief. My condition improved once I gave up with the Thermotex pad, took Ibuprofen, stretched, and did mobility exercises for the same period of time as using the pad. Felt much better after that.All that to say, it doesn’t work well and is not worth the money.