2

The Top 6 Neck and Shoulder Heating Pads

A high-quality neck and shoulder heating pad is one of the best inexpensive and drug-free ways to quickly relieve your neck and shoulder pain at home while speeding up healing and recovery from neck injuries and chronic pain.

And:

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

This post contains affiliate links. Click here to read my affiliate policy.

Through our research, we’ve narrowed all neck heating pads down to the six best ones in 2021, 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:

• Designed especially for the neck and shoulder area, high-quality materials.
• Long enough to wrap around your shoulders
• Heat up fast
• 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.

👉 Related: the best neck traction home devices | the best cervical pillows

Is a Heating Pad Good for Neck and Shoulder Pain?

Using thermal therapy via heating pads for neck and shoulder pain is relatively inexpensive, comfortable, easy to use, and effective. A neck heating wrap dilates blood vessels in the area and promotes blood circulation, which allows for more nutrients and pain-relieving blood components to arrive and speed up healing – naturally.

This is why heating pads are also very beneficial for menstrual back pain.

✅ 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	Price
Pure Relief	Best Electric	Electric Weighted 110° F- 140° F	$49 on Walmart
Huggaroo Microwavable Neck Wrap	Best Microwaveable	Microwave + Aromatherapy	$35 at Huggaroo
Sunbeam 885-911	Tallest collar	Electric Moist+Dry 110 F-160 F	Check Price on Amazon
Theratherm	Hottest Heating Pad	Electric Moist+Dry 88 F-166 F	Check Price on Amazon
UTK Infrared Wrap	Best Infrared (for severe pain)	Electric Infrared Heat via Jade stones Weighted 103 ℉-159℉	Check Price on Amazon
Brookstone Herbal Hot & Cold Neck Wrap	Best Aromatherapy	Microwave + Aromatherapy	Check Price on Amazon

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 cervial heating pads, and below you’ll find the 2 best microwaveable neck wraps in 2021.

1. Pure Relief Neck and Shoulder Heat Wrap Best Electric

Though it’s called a neck & shoulder wrap, the Pure Relief 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.

To get the full heat potential, you can use the built-in loops and an optional elastic belt – that come inside the package.

With the easy-to-use controller, you can choose from 4 temperature settings (warm/low/medium/high) and the treatment time. It shuts off automatically after 2 hours.

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, with the best warranty (5 years!), and customer service.

• Size – 29″L x 24″W x 1″H
• Weight – 2.6 pounds
• Temperature settings – 110° F –  140° F

Pure Relief 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
• 5-year warranty!

✅ Price – Check sale price on Walmart

cons

• People with pacemakers can’t use it

2. Sunbeam Renue Neck Wrap Longest Neck Collar

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, it has 4 heat settings (the lowest setting is gentle and not too hot), and you can choose from dry or moist heat.

Sunbeam heating pads are also featured in our list of the best extra large heating pads of 2021.

• Size – 14″ x 22″
• Weight – 2.65 pounds
• Temperature Settings – 110 F – 160 F

Sunbeam Neck Heating Wrap Pros

• You can choose from 4 heat settings to find the exact fit for you (through a digital controller)
• The cover is made from soft micro-plush which feels nice around your neck
• 2-hour shut off – plenty of time to relieve your neck pain
• You can choose either dry or moist heat
• Long electric cord
• Machine washable

✅ Price – check today’s price on Amazon

Cons

• 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.
• Doesn’t cover more than top shoulders

Alternatives from the same brand:

Sunbeam has a few more neck heating pads that 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.

The Sunbeam 885-911 neck heating pad is a non-expensive yet highly effective neck pain relieving tool. It warms up fast, it’s comfortable and stays put, and it has 4 heat settings.

3. Theratherm Moist Heating Pad  Hottest Heating Pad

The Chattanooga Theratherm neck heating pad has a 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
• Temperature Settings – 88 F – 166 F

The Theratherm neck heating pad is a very effective neck pain relief tool. The deep moist heat seems to penetrate deep into the aches and pains of the muscles.

Theratherm neck heating pad Pros

• Lightweight, easy to move around with
• Flannel covering feels nice on bare skin
• A digital controller allows you to control temperature and treatment time (up to one hour before it shuts off)
• UL and cUL classified.
• Doesn’t get very wet, you won’t need a towel under it
• The cover is removable and washable

✅ Price – check today’s price on Amazon

Cons

• 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.
• 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 Best Jade & Infrared

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

Far Infrared heat penetrates much deeper than conventional heating pads, and won’t burn your skin. The FIR heat is generated through natural jade stones (healing stones), which emit infrared waves when heated.

A  shielding layer around the heating wires reduces EMF to zero, and the stones produce negative ions. Numerous studies show negative ions produce biochemical reactions that relieve stress, relieve depression, boost energy, and boost the immune system.

This heating pad has the most solid construction, a digital timer with temperature control, and a Velcro strap to keep it in place.

And that’s not all:

The timer can be set to 4 hours (!) continuous use!

Related: The 5 Best Infrared Heating Pads for Back Pain

• Size – 27.6 x 24.6 x 0.5 inches. The heating area is 10 x 14 inches
• Weight – 2.2 lbs
• Temperature Settings – 103℉ – 159℉

✅ Price – 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!

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 Neck Wrap with Aromatherapy Best Microwaveable

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.

• Size – 14 x 17 inches
• Weight – 3.5 pounds

✅ Price – check for sale prices at Huggaroo!

2. Brookstone Herbal Hot & Cold Neck Wrap

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

• Size – 12.2 x 7 x 3 inches
• Weight – 3.9 Pounds

✅ Price – The best price and warranty found on Amazon!

What is the Best Heating Pad for Neck and Shoulder Pain?

In 2021, the best neck and shoulder heating pads are Pure Relief (best electric), Sunbeam Renue (longest neck collar), Theratherm (best moist heating pad), UTK infrared neck wrap (best infrared), Huggaroo neck wrap (best microwaveable), and Brookstone hot and cold wrap.

Choose the one that fits your needs and preferences most, and check for price, return policy, and warranty.

How Long Should You Keep a Heating Pad on Your Neck?

In most double-blind clinical studies (with positive results from thermal therapy) the subjects received 15-20 minutes of treatment, at least twice a week. Infrared heating pads require less treatment time due to the deeper penetration into muscle tissues. It is safe to use a neck heating pad for more than 20 minutes (up to 30 minutes) – every day – until the pain is significantly reduced.

(See the list of studies at the bottom of the post)

We recommend using your neck heating pad as soon as possible after developing painful flares or stiffness to speed up the healing process.

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 6 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 of the highest quality and includes 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 pad 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.

Dehghan M, Farahbod F. The efficacy of thermotherapy and cryotherapy on pain relief in patients with acute low back pain, a clinical trial study. J Clin Diagn Res. 2014;8(9):LC01-LC4. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2014/7404.4818

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.