The Top 6 Neck and Shoulder Heating Pads/Wraps (2020)

A high-quality neck and shoulder heating pad is undoubtedly one of the best drug-free ways to quickly relieve your neck and shoulder pain at home.

And:

When you relieve your neck stiffness and pain, you also prevent those neck-related headaches.

Through our research, we’ve narrowed all neck heating pads down to the three best ones in 2020, to save you a lot of time exploring all of them yourself.

The 6 heating pads for cervical and shoulder pain you’ll find below are all:

1. Designed especially for the neck and shoulder area, high-quality materials.

2. Long enough to wrap around your shoulders

3. Heat up fast

4. Easy to use

We’ve included special features for each neck warmer pad, pros and cons, and our fluff-free reviews to help you decide which one is the best for you.

✅ The 6 Best Neck and Shoulder Heating Pads

What’s the best electric heating cushion/wrap for your neck?

If you’re in a hurry, here’s our summary first (we recommend reading on to see the pros and cons of each heating pad):

	Our Rating	Type
Hammacher Schlemmer	🥇4.9	Electric Weighted
Sunbeam 885-911	4.5	Electric Moist+Dry
Theratherm	4.4	Electric Moist+Dry
UTK Infrared Wrap	4.4	Electric Infrared Heat
Huggaroo Microwavable Neck Wrap	4.7	Microwave + Aromatherapy
Brookstone Herbal Hot & Cold Neck Wrap	4.6	Microwave + Aromatherapy

Best Electric Neck & Shoulder Heat Pads

If you are looking for the best neck heating pad – we recommend choosing an electric heating pad, to keep the thermotherapy effect long enough to work.

Let’s start with electric ones, and below you’ll find the 2 best microwaveable neck wraps in 2020.

1. 🥇 Hammacher Schlemmer Neck and Shoulder Heat Wrap

Hammacher Schlemmer neck & shoulder wrap – top pick – check today’s price

Though it’s called a neck & shoulder wrap, the Hammacher Schlemmer high-quality pad covers not only the neck and shoulders but almost the entire back, with weighted edges and magnetic closure, that keeps it in place.

With the easy-to-use controller, you can choose from 4 temperature settings and the treatment time.

This heat wrap is the ultimate pain and stress reliever after work, travel, or chronic neck pain.

The cover is soft against the skin, and overall this is the best neck heating wrap on the market, by far.

Size: 25″ L x 19″ W x 3/4″ D (neck section is about 5 inches wide)

Hammacher Schlemmer Neck Wrap Pros

• High quality, durable
• Stays in place – slightly weighted edges and magnetic closure
• Covers almost the entire neck and back
• Soft and comfortable cover
• Machine washable
• Adjustable temperature settings
• 2-hour automatic shut off
• Long power cord (9-foot)

cons

• People with pacemakers can’t use it

✅ Check sale price on Hammacher Schlemmer

2. Sunbeam Renue Neck Wrap

Sunbean Renue Neck & Shoulder heating pad – best price on Walmart

The Sunbeam neck heating pad is designed as a perfect fit for your neck and shoulders because once you put it on, it stays put.

(It has slightly weighted edges and a magnetic clasp for a secure fit)

It warms up fast and is very comfortable to use.

Size: Size: 14″ x 22

Weight: 1.7lbs

Power: standard 110v

Sunbeam Neck Heating Wrap Pros

1. You can choose from 4 heat settings to find the exact fit for you (through a digital controller)

2. The cover is made from soft micro-plush which feels nice around your neck

3. 2-hour shut off – plenty of time to relieve your neck pain

4. You can choose either dry or moist heat

5. Long electric cord

6. 1-year warranty

7. Fully machine washable

8. Reasonable price on Walmart

Cons

1. It contains magnets, so people with a pacemaker, ICD, or an internal insulin pump can’t use it. However, you can remove the magnets from the side flaps and resolve this problem.

2. It’s not the most lightweight neck heating pad (due to the magnets)

Alternatives from the same brand:

Sunbeam has a few more neck heating pads which you can consider:

The XL model is bigger and covers most of your back too (size 25 x 25 inches).

The XL Massaging model has 4 massage options to supercharge your neck pain relief.

Sunbeam XL neck heating wrap – check today’s price

3. Theratherm Moist Heating Pad – Hottest Neck Heat Pad

TheraTherm neck heating pad – see today’s price

The Chattanooga Theratherm neck heating pad uses flannel covering which draws moisture from the air and delivers intense heat (88-166 degrees Fahrenheit) to your neck and shoulder area.

Size: 16 x 9.5 x 3 inches

Weight: 2.6 pounds

Power: Standard 110v

Theratherm neck heating pad Pros

1. Lightweight, easy to move around with

2. Flannel covering feels nice on bare skin

3. A digital controller allows you to control temperature and treatment time (up to one hour before it shuts off)

4. UL and cUL classified.

5. Doesn’t get very wet, you won’t need a towel under it

6. The cover is removable and washable

Cons

1.  The timer can be set to 1-hour maximum, after that you’ll have to turn it on again. However, you can restart the timer immediately.

2. Not designed to wrap the neck

Pro Tip

Consider combining heat therapy with massage therapy in one device. See the 5 best neck massage pillows.

4. UTK Neck & Shoulder Far Infrared Heating Pad 

UTK infrared heat pad for neck and shoulders – see on Amazon

Here’s why we recommend the UTK cervical heat pad:

1. Far Infrared heat penetrates much deeper than conventional heating pads, and won’t burn your skin.

2. The FIR heat is generated through natural jade stones (healing stones), which emit infrared waves when heated.

3. Zero EMF (electromagnetic field) radiation – a shielding layer around the heating wire reduced EMF to none.

4. The UTK FIR pad generates negative ions. Numerous studies show negative ions produce biochemical reactions that relieve stress, relieve depression, boost energy, and boost the immune system.

5. This heating pad has the most solid construction

6. A digital timer with temperature control

7. Fit for travel – both 110-120v and 220-240v and comes with a travel bag.

8. Stays in place – has a Velcro strap on the pad itself

9. We love the material: soft PU leather (both sides) and non-toxic PP cotton

10. Heat: 103℉-159℉ range

11. The timer can be set to 4 hours (!) continuous use and shuts off automatically.

Size: 27.6 x 24.6 x 0.5 inches. Heating area is 10 x 14 inches

Weight: 2.2 lbs

Cons

• Feels a bit heavy, some people may not like that.
• Price is higher due to the natural jade stones and infrared technology.

Pro Tip

When we watch this page on Amazon, we often come across good sale prices for the UTK heat wrap. If you find it for less than $130 – grab it!

If you think your health deserves the best then the UTK FIR heating pad is the right choice for you.

Best Microwavable Neck Wraps

Microwaveable neck wraps deliver deep, moist heat, and are usually made with soft fabric and filled with heat-keeping natural materials, such as corn, wheat, and flaxseed.

We prefer the ones that come with a soothing scent, created by herbal aromatherapy inserted inside and released when you heat the wrap, which immediately helps you relax and relieve stress as well.

1. Huggaroo Microwavable Neck Wrap with Herbal Aromatherapy

Huggaroo microwaveable neck wrap – check price on official site

This high-quality microwave neck heat pad covers both your neck and your shoulders, which makes it a bit heavier than average (most users prefer a heavier neck heat pad).

Why?

Because the extra weight helps keep it in place and allows you to move around with it – without dropping it or constantly adjusting it.

This 3.5 lbs neck wrap can also be used as a cool pad by freezing it for a while.

👉 Filling: clay beads, flax seeds, wheat, lavender, chamomile, peppermint, spearmint, lemongrass, rosemary, cinnamon, yarrow, white willow, valerian root, yellow dock.

The fragrance is gentle and not overbearing, and the heat lasts for about 30 minutes.

👉 It can also be used for lower back pain, stomach pain and period cramps, joint pain, and arthritis.

✅ Price – the average price for this type of heat pad – check for sale prices on the official site!

2. Brookstone Herbal Hot & Cold Neck Wrap

Hot & cold microwaveable neck wrap – check today’s price

This soft and comfortable heat pad covers your upper back, neck and shoulders perfectly, and has a higher than average collar for all neck sizes.

Like the first one, this one can also be used for cold therapy, which we usually recommend for an acute injury. It stays hot for about half an hour.

👉 Filling: Lavender, White Willow, Valerian Root, Chamomile, Rosemary, Peppermint, Spearmint, Hops, Yellow Dock, Lemongrass, Cinnamon, and Yarrow. 

👉 Can also be used for: abdominal pain, PMS cramps, joint pain, lower and upper back pain

✅ Price – Check this page on Amazon, and if you find it for less than $30 – it’s a great price.

Conclusion

Thermotherapy is scientifically proven effective for mechanical neck pain, and using an electric neck wrap is one of the best ways to use this simple and proven pain relief method – at home.

You’ve just found the top 5 neck and shoulder pads in the market, to help you choose the right one for you. our personal choice is the UTK Infrared Heating Pad, which seems to be the highest quality and includes the amazing infrared heat therapy.

To heal your neck pain for good, we highly recommend incorporating a neck traction pillow (to prevent and heal neck pain at night) and trying the best neck traction device – for home use.

We truly hope you found these neck heating pads reviews useful and time-saving. If you have any questions or comments, please share them with us in the comments below.

To your health and happiness,

The Back Pain Relief Products Team

References

Cramer, Holger & Baumgarten, Christian & Choi, Eun & Lauche, Romy & Saha, Felix & Musial, Frauke & Dobos, Gustav. (2012). Thermotherapy self-treatment for neck pain relief – A randomized controlled trial. European Journal of Integrative Medicine. 4. e371-e378. 10.1016/j.eujim.2012.04.001.