Six of the best: winter warming gadgets

Dreamland Heat On The Go Electric Heat Pod, £39.95, from www.johnlewis.com

The humble hot water bottle is marvellous isn’t it? It’s always there when your bed’s too cold, you’ve got a tummy ache or you’re just looking for something comforting on a cold winter’s day. However, Dreamland have given the traditional warmer a techie makeover with their Heat Pod. Instead of hot water, the pod is charged up via mains lead - and even though it takes just five minutes to charge, it will keep warm for two hours. That means it will cost less than a penny to charge up! You can take it out and about with you and the lovely faux fur cover makes it really luxurious.

Like a glove

Proporta Touch Screen Gloves, £9.95, from www.proporta.co.uk

These woolly gloves are so thick and soft you’ll forget you actually bought them for their tech capabilities. So, considering there’s no battery, Bluetooth or wires, how exactly are they a gadget? Well, on both gloves the thumb, forefinger and middle finger have tips that are woven to enable you to touch and operate your smartphone/tablet. They work very well indeed and the only reason you’ll take them off is because your hands are too toasty. The gloves are one size and the snowflake style will see them make a great fashion accessory to your winter wardrobe.

‘Ear this

Audio Earmuff Headphones - Stripes, £9.99, from www.mobilefun.co.uk

Earmuffs are highly underrated by many; hats can make you too hot, but going without can leave you with chilly ears - especially if it’s a windy day. Not only do these ear warmers leave you ready to face the harsh weather, they’ll also allow you to enjoy your favourite tunes too. That’s because they act as headphones and come complete with a 3.55mm cable to plug into your phone/mp3 player. The lead has volume controls and if you don’t fancy listening to music, you can remove the wire from the muffs. There are several designs, we like these stripy ones.

Feel the heat

Slumberdown Winter Warm Electric Blanket, from £20, from www.asda.com

Electric blankets have undergone something of a resurgence over the last few years and there are now loads of options out there. However, it can be hard to find one that’s suitable for use on a memory foam mattress, but we have been assured this one - which is very well priced - is! Place it directly on top of your mattress (before you pop sheets on) and use the ties provided to keep it in place. Before you head to the land of nod, just use the control to decide whether you want the bed to be cosy, warm or toasty. When it’s time for a clean, simply remove the detachable cord and pop it in the washing machine and hang dry.

A great feet

Beurer Heated Deluxe Foot Warmer, £37.99, from www.betterlifehealthcare.com

After a busy, tiring day, there’s nothing quite like returning home, popping on your pyjamas, dressing gown and slippers and relaxing on the sofa. So why not add to the magic by investing in slippers that can be heated? With a fluffy, washable insole, stick your cold tootsies inside and choose between three heat settings. One word of warning; after dipping your feet into them, you’ll feel instantly relaxed and altogether sleepy, so if you’re just popping back home before going out again, these could seriously affect your plans!

Throw it on

Velvety Heated Throw, £69.99, from www.lakeland.co.uk

When you are cold but your partner insists it’s too warm for the heating, grab this luxurious blanket and plug it in. Super soft, the fleece-backed blanket quickly heats up to your desired temperature and is exceptionally snugly! There are six heat settings and you can pop it on for one to nine hours (though you can of course turn it off before that if you’re getting too hot). It’s absolutely perfect for a night in on the sofa and when you’ve thoroughly used it, you can even pop it in the washing machine.

APP OF THE WEEK

Fireplace 3D Lite from from iTunes

OK, you can’t turn your phone into an instant heater but this app will, at least, allow you to pretend you’re sitting in front of a lovely warm, crackling fire! With realistic images, you can decide between a traditional, Victorian or rustic fireplace.

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