Questions

Everything below comes from the manufacturer's manual for the LJ-Y703, the unit we ship.

The heat

How hot does it get?

Three settings: 50°C, 55°C and 60°C, which is 122°F, 131°F and 140°F. A short press on the heat switch moves you up the ladder and then off again. Start at the lowest. It is warm enough for most people most of the time.

How fast does it warm up?

Five seconds. It uses graphene heating technology, and it is the single reason to own one of these instead of a hot water bottle.

What is the vibration for?

Four modes, M1 to M4, on their own switch beside the heat. Run them alongside the warmth or leave them off entirely. Some people find the hum helps as much as the heat does, and some people never touch it. Both are a perfectly good way to use it.

The battery

How does it charge?

Over USB-C, so any cable you already own will do. About five hours from flat, on a 5V 1A input, which is any ordinary phone charger. There is no dock and no proprietary plug to lose.

The cable we include has a USB-A tail for the wall plug. If yours is one of the newer USB-C only plugs, just use your own cable instead.

Can I use it while it is charging?

No. Charge it, unplug it, wear it.

Does it turn itself off?

Yes. It shuts down after 30 minutes if it stops detecting movement, which the manufacturer built in as a safety backstop.

Wearing it

Will the strap fit me?

It is a woven strap with a slider, so it adjusts to you. If it does not fit, send it back within ninety days.

Can I wear it under my clothes?

Yes. The side that faces you is padded rather than hard, so it sits against skin or a layer without scratching. It is a warm object strapped to your middle, so you will know it is there. That is rather the point.

Can I sleep in it?

Please do not, and the manufacturer says the same. The 30 minute auto shut-off is there as a backstop rather than as permission. Use it while you are awake.

Where should I put it?

Wherever the ache actually is that day. High on the stomach, low on the belly, or turned around onto the lower back. There is no correct position, only the one that helps.

Looking after it

How do I clean it?

Wipe the shell with a barely damp cloth and let it dry. Do not put it in water and do not put it in a washing machine. There is a battery inside it.

Is it safe on skin?

Start on the lowest setting and work up whenever you want more. Skip it over broken skin or anywhere that feels numb, and take it off when the warmth stops feeling good.

Who does the manufacturer say should not use it?

The manual states that the pad is not for use by people who are pregnant, people with cervical tumours, people with active gout, people with heart disease, or on unhealed skin wounds. It also says do not use it while sleeping. We quote them rather than paraphrase, so the list is theirs. Anyone it applies to should talk to a doctor first, and the ninety days covers it either way.

The honest bit

Is this a medical device?

No. It is a warm object with a strap. Heat helps a lot of people with cramps, which is a fair thing to say, but it is not a diagnosis and it does not replace one. If your pain is severe, or it is getting worse month on month, that is worth a real conversation with a doctor. We say that because we would say it to a friend.

Buying it

How much is shipping?

Nothing, anywhere we ship. Free on every order, with no minimum to reach. The price on the pad is the price you pay.

How long is delivery?

Two to four weeks. The checkout shows you a real date range before you pay, and that is the range to trust. It ships from our supplier rather than a warehouse we rent, and we would rather tell you that here than let you find it at the payment screen. If you need heat this week, this is not the week to order one.

We are new enough that two to four weeks is the range our carrier quotes rather than an average we have measured ourselves. When we know our own number, the shipping page will carry it, with the date we measured it.

Do the ninety days start when I order?

No, they start when it arrives. The wait does not eat into the window you have to change your mind.

Where do you ship?

Twenty-eight destinations, and shipping is free to all of them: the United States and Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland, fifteen countries across Europe, then Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The shipping page names every one.

If your address is somewhere else, the checkout will not accept it. That means we cannot reach you yet rather than that we forgot you. Write to us through the contact page and we will tell you honestly whether it is coming.

Will I pay customs or duty?

Inside the United States, no. Outside it, possibly. Import duty and sales tax are set by your own country and collected when the parcel arrives. We do not collect it, we cannot control it, and it is not included in the price you pay us. Whether anything is charged at all depends on your country's threshold.

Which colour should I get?

White or pink, same pad, same price. Pick the swatch on the product page before you add it to the basket, and the colour is named on the line in your cart so you can check it before you pay.

What if I do not get on with it?

Send it back within ninety days for a refund. The whole policy is on the returns page and it fits in a paragraph.