History of Bed Warmers | Before Electric Blankets

Bed warmers were metal pans filled with hot embers or coals, slid under sheets to drive out cold and dampness, used from the mid-17th century until electric blankets replaced them after World War II.

Before central heating and electric blankets, a cold bed was a real problem. The solution was a metal pan on a long handle, packed with smoldering embers. For over 250 years, this simple tool was a bedroom essential across Europe and the United States. The journey from a copper pan with hot coals to the modern electric blanket spans inventors, patents, and a few close calls with fire.

What Was a Bed Warmer and How Did It Work?

A bed warmer, also called a warming pan, was a metal container — usually copper, brass, or silver — attached to a long handle and fitted with a perforated or solid lid. The user filled it with embers, hot coals, hot sand, or even hot water, then slid it between the bed linens before climbing in. The goal was to chase away cold and dampness so the sheets were warm and dry by bedtime.

The earliest documented examples date to Queen Elizabeth I’s reign in the 16th century, with pans made of copper or brass. Over time, the design evolved: early lids had many perforations to let oxygen reach the coals, while later 19th-century lids had fewer holes because users switched to smoldering embers, which produced less smoke and fire risk.

How Much Did Design and Materials Change Over Time?

The handle material changed noticeably. Early pans used wrought or cast iron handles, which were heavy and conducted heat. By the 18th and 19th centuries, wooden handles — typically beech or oak — became standard to reduce weight and keep hands safer. Higher-end models were made from silver and passed down as family heirlooms.

Fuel Sources Through the Centuries

Most people used embers from the fireplace. Some alternatives included hot sand, hot water in pottery containers, and later, hot water in early rubber vessels. The shift to closed metal pans with fewer lid holes made embers the safer, more practical choice by the mid-1800s.

Who Invented the Electric Blanket?

Two names matter here. In 1912, S.I. “Pop” Russell in Chicago invented the first electric heating pad, designed to treat tuberculosis patients with moist heat. His company, Russell Electric Co. (later Northern Electric Co.), began producing electric pads and blankets by 1921.

The modern electric blanket, however, came after World War II. George Crowley, a Navy engineer working for General Electric, developed electrically heated pilot suits during the war. That technology was adapted into the first safe, reliable electric blanket. General Electric patented and sold the design, and the modern electric blanket was born.

Milton Fairchild had also invented a blanket-less electric bed in 1927, but his version never became the standard. Pre-WWII electric blankets were notoriously unreliable and dangerous. Post-war designs, thanks to Crowley’s work, finally solved that.

How to Use a Traditional Bed Warmer Safely

If you ever come across an antique warming pan and want to test it, the method from Cora Millet-Robinet’s 1853 Domestic Economy gives the proper steps. First, select a large quantity of embers, especially red cinders. Let them smolder briefly before use so they don’t go out too fast. Move the pan constantly under the covers to avoid scorching the linens. Never leave the pan in one spot or between sheets too long — fire risk was real.

That last point was a known danger. Perforated lids could let sparks escape, and smoldering coals could ignite bedding. Doctors as early as 1790 advised replacing embers with hot sand to reduce the smoke and fumes that filled bedrooms.

The Belling Flying Saucer and Other Oddities

Between the warming pan and the modern electric blanket, unusual devices appeared. In mid-20th century UK, the Belling company made a pressed steel “flying saucer” shaped warmer. It was about 14 inches across, powered by a 40-watt incandescent bulb inside, and intended to be placed between the sheets before bedtime. It worked, but it was an eccentric footnote compared to the blanket that eventually won.

For modern readers, the best way to get that same pre-warmed bed feeling without the fire risk is a quality electric blanket or a dedicated warming pan made today. If you’re looking for a practical modern version, our tested roundup of the best bed warming pans covers models that heat safely with hot water or electricity rather than open coals.

What About Antique Pewter Bed Warmers?

A note for collectors: antique pewter bed warmers made before the 1950s often contained up to 40% lead. That made them dangerous for holding hot water intended for bed warming, because lead could leach into the water and into the body. Modern pewter reproductions are lead-free, but vintage ones are a different story. If you own one, do not use it for its original purpose.

Checklist: Tracing the Bed Warmer’s Evolution

Here is the condensed timeline of key developments in bed warming technology:

• 1550s — Earliest documented metal warming pans in use (silver, copper, brass).
• 1750s–1850s — Wooden handles replace iron; lid perforations shrink as embers become the standard fuel.
• 1896 — Harper’s Magazine speculates about electric bed warmers as a future invention.
• 1912 — S.I. Russell invents the first electric heating pad for TB therapy.
• 1921 — Russell Electric Co. begins manufacturing electric pads and blankets.
• 1927 — Milton Fairchild invents a blanket-less electric bed.
• 1940s — George Crowley’s heated pilot suits lead to General Electric’s modern electric blanket.
• 1950s onward — Electric blankets become the dominant bed-warming method; warming pans become antiques.

If you are shopping for a modern alternative, skip the antique route and pick a safe electric blanket or a contemporary warming pan designed to hold hot water instead of coals. Our best bed warming pan guide lists the top options available now.