I now heat my feet like a grandma
2/12/2025
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Darina Schweizer
I use a foot warmer to try and thaw out my permanently cold boots - without burning them like I did once before. Will my cold feet finally get cold feet?
Apart from getting married, I get cold feet all the time: in woollen socks, in lined shoes, after sport, yes, even in the height of summer. My circulation runs about as smoothly as a blocked pipe. Anyone who says there is no wrong weather, only wrong clothes, I'll shut them up with alpaca socks.
Or I blow it away - with a hairdryer. It's the only way I can get my feet up to normal temperature. However, the thing eats up electricity like crazy. Luckily, I've just tested a slightly more economical 100-watt alternative: a foot warmer. One of those terribly patterned heating bags that are springing up like Fusspilze mushrooms in old people's homes.
A direct route to the big time
When I pick up the toe toaster from the Galaxus shop, I'm amazed: the Beurer model isn't all that ugly. Something has changed in the toe warmer design. Nevertheless, I feel like a grandma. «Chic», says the colleague from the shop mischievously. I laugh - I've often picked up bizarre products from him - and can already feel my hips cracking after his subtle side blow. Stiffly, I stagger home through the cold.
At last! I switch on the foot warmer, put my feet in and set it to the highest level three (what a rhyme). Although cool air seeps through the slightly large opening, after a few seconds I feel a pleasant warmth on my soles: marvellous!
My feet tingle cosily in the washable teddy lining. However, the fact that it is removable has a catch: it slips quickly when I move my feet. There is no fastening here. Or I need larger feet than a 36: the foot warmer fits up to size 47.
My icicle treads are gradually thawing in the foot warmer, but not getting hot. Half cooked, so to speak - perfect for me. For some commentators on Galaxus, however, a little too lukewarm:
After an hour and a half, something happens that also annoys some commentators: the foot warmer switches off automatically. If I want to start another cycle, I have to switch it off, wait five seconds and switch it on again. According to Beurer, this prevents overheating. An unrealistic scenario? As if. I speak from experience.
An almost flambéed foot
Winter 2020: I switch on my grandmother's foot warmer (the best heirloom I've ever had). Because my upper body is also shivering, I spread a blanket over me. This is a mistake. «Something smells of smoke», I think, and then I feel it: the heat on my toes.
I throw the foot warmer off me with a jerk. A black, charred spot forms on the left side. I immediately unplug the device and slap a wet cloth on it. I can already see the headline in front of me:
Charred feet: Grosi (27) sets fire to her flat with a heating bag
Important footnote at the end
Since this experience, the following has been burnt into my memory: Foot warmers do not belong under blankets. Heat build-up and overheating can be fatal in the worst case scenario. I therefore don't consider the automatic switch-off and overheating protection of the foot warmer to be cumbersome, but rather sensible. Also because I often forget to unplug it when I leave the house.
You see, my memory seems to be failing too. The transformation into a grandma is almost complete. All that's missing is a quirky shopping trolley ... Hold my tea ...
In a nutshell
Warm feet at last
What is "warm enough" is a matter of opinion. For me, the Beurer foot warmer hits the right temperature - neither too hot nor too cold. If the opening were a little narrower, it would keep even more heat in. The automatic switch-off after 90 minutes and the necessary restart are for safety reasons, which I appreciate. An earlier model from another manufacturer almost caught fire. The Beurer device, on the other hand, seems well thought out: the teddy lining can even be washed at 30 degrees. However, it slips a little quickly because it cannot be fastened.
Pro
- Pleasant temperature
- 90-minute automatic switch-off with overheating protection
- Washable teddy lining
- More attractive appearance than other models
Contra
- slightly wide opening for small feet
- the removable teddy lining slips out of place quickly
Darina Schweizer
Senior Editor
Darina.Schweizer@digitecgalaxus.chI love everything with four legs or roots – especially my rescue cats Jasper and Joy and my collection of succulents. I’m happiest following the scent of stories about police dogs and cat groomers – or cultivating thoughtful tales in garden flea markets and Japanese gardens.
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