Stoov Ploov Heated Cushion Review
An effective way to keep warm.
Verdict
Cheap to run, stylish to look at, and effective, the Stoov Ploov Heated Cushion delivers targeted heat and it costs less to run than a hot water bottle.
Key Features
- TemperatureUses an infrared heater to deliver heats between 32° and 42°.
- Battery lifeLasts up to five hours with the standard battery and nine hours with the bigger battery.
Introduction
It’s horrible being cold, and heating doesn’t always target where you feel the coldest, which is where the Stoov Ploov Heated Cushion comes in.
This battery-powered cushion uses infrared heating to directly warm you, proving to be cheaper and more effective than a hot water bottle.
Design and features
- Available in a range of designs and sizes
- Two battery sizes available
- Controllable heat setting
Externally, the Stoov Ploov Heated Cushion range looks pretty much like any other cushion. They’re available in a range of sizes and finishes, ranging from £89.99 to £109.99, so you’ll easily be able to find the one that matches your décor.
What’s different about these is that, inside, they contain a battery-operated infrared heating system that delivers targeted heat.
As standard, the Stoov Ploov Heated Cushions ship with a small battery, which provides 2.5 hours on the high setting (42°), 3.5 hours on the medium setting (37°) and five hours on the low setting (32°). Upgrade to the larger battery (£20 at the time of purchase, £54.99 otherwise) and these increase to 4.5, six and nine hours of runtime.
Given the basic runtimes, I think there’s less reason to upgrade here than there is with the Stoov Big Hug blanket, which uses a more powerful heater that drains the battery faster. That said, if you’d like a cushion to last all night, then get the bigger battery when you buy the system.
Once assembled, the Stoov Ploov Heated Cushion is operated by its simple controls. Press the button once to turn the cushion on in its high mode, then press again to cycle through the power modes and, at the end, turn the cushion off.
You can also press and hold the power button to get an idea of the battery life remaining, based on the number of lights that are lit.
There’s a charging port next to the controls for topping the battery up, and the cushion can be used while plugged in if required.
Performance
- Excellent heat
- Great battery life
- Cheaper than a hot water bottle
With its infrared heater, the Stoov Ploov Heated Cushion warms you using infrared waves similar to how the sun warms you. That is, you get a direct heat that immediately starts to work, making this cushion fast to heat up and efficient in operation.
Using a thermal camera, you can see from the shot below how the cushion warms up, with the heating element at the front. This is the area you want to lean against or hug towards you on a cold night.
Heat comes through quickly from the cushion, and it’s soon warm to the touch, making an immediate difference. On the highest setting, I found that the cushion soon warmed me to the point where I had to dial the setting down a notch or two.
It’s brilliant: with this cushion, I didn’t feel the cold around me, so much. And, it’s not just about comfort. Faced with a bad back, my wife found that the heat helped alleviate the pain in a natural and comforting way.
Battery life is about as Stoov states, which means that a single charge with the regular battery is likely to see you through an evening; upgrade to the bigger battery if you want the heat to go through the night.
Running costs are impressive. Charging the standard battery used 300Wh, which works out to around 0.81p, based on the current energy price cap of 27p per kWh. Filling a 1.5-litre hot water bottle with boiling water would cost around 4.05p. That means that you can charge the Stoov Ploov Heated Cushion five times for the same cost as one hot water bottle.
That’s not the only benefit. While a hot water bottle cools down, the Stoov Ploov Heated Cushion continues to pump out the same heat levels while it has battery power.
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Should you buy it?
You feel the cold
This heated cushion is a great way to bring targeted heat to any room, with running costs way under those of a hot water bottle.
You don’t often need a hot water bottle
If your home’s warm and you don’t use a water bottle often, this cushion may go underused.
Final Thoughts
If you feel the cold and want a way to warm yourself directly, the Stoov Ploov Heated Cushion is a brilliant and stylish way to do so. Its heat is effective, running costs are low, and the product looks great, too.
If you’re working or sitting in a chair, the Stoov Big Hug may suit you more, but the Cushion is a more flexible product that you can quickly move around the house.
How we test
Unlike other sites, we test every heated blanket we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Used as our main heated blanket for the review period
We record how much power the blanket will use on maximum.
We see how evenly the blanket is heated and if there are cold spots.
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FAQs
Aside from size and finish, all cushions use the same 12W heater.
Full specs
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
