Cold hands and feet? It’ll warm you up again

Thermopads have a wide range of uses. There are pads that mainly ensure warm hands. Others are placed in the shoes so that the feet remain pleasantly warm even on icy walks. And then there are pads that are attached to the bottom layer of clothing and can even warm the upper body, stomach or chest. An important purchase criterion could also be the reusability of the pads. While some end up in the trash after just one use, others are used multiple times. Their purchase is therefore not only worthwhile for cost reasons, but also for environmental reasons.

How do thermal pads work?

As “wdr.de” reports, thermal pads usually consist of a mixture of water and acetic acid salt, i.e. sodium acetate. This mixture is first heated, which ensures that the salt retains the heat even when the mixture cools again. Experts speak of “supercooled liquid”. This is placed in a plastic bag with a metal plate. If this plate is now bent, sound waves are created which crystallize the salt contained in the sachets and thus restore the stored heat. If the pocket warmer is to be used again, simply heat the pad to store the heat again. Disposable pads, on the other hand, do without the plate. They contain a filling which releases heat in contact with the air as soon as the cushion is unpacked.