ThermiPaq Hot/Cold Pack – Medium, 12 x 6 in, Blue

Overview

The ThermiPaq Hot/Cold pack, made by Carex Health Brands, is a reusable pack filled with a clay-based thermal ceramic compound that holds heat after microwaving and cold after an hour in the freezer. Carex’s caution tag says the pad stays flexible after freezing and forms to the body, so it can be moulded to the back, knees, ankles, elbows or shoulders, and it comes in a soft cloth cover with hook-and-loop straps that hold it in place.

This is the medium size, which Carex lists at 6.5 × 12 in (SKU TPF5201LP; the box reads Medium 6 in × 12 in) and about 0.5 in thick; an extra-large 9.5 × 16 in version is also made. Carex’s instructions give microwave times by oven wattage (see the specifications) and say the heat lasts 20–30 minutes before settling to a lower level for about another hour; a frozen pad stays cold for up to about an hour of use. The cover shown by Carex is blue.

Key features

• Clay-based thermal ceramic filling; reusable
• Heat in the microwave, or chill in the freezer (ready in one hour)
• Stays flexible after freezing, so it shapes to the body (Carex caution tag)
• Soft cloth cover with hook-and-loop straps
• Medium size: 6.5 × 12 in per Carex (box: 6 × 12 in), about 0.5 in thick
• Also made in an extra-large 9.5 × 16 in size

Specifications

What’s in the box

• ThermiPaq medium pack in its cover with strap
• Instructions

Good for

• Warm or cold sessions on the shoulder, back, knee, ankle or elbow, held in place by the straps
• Households with a microwave and a freezer
• Reuse over many sessions rather than single-use packs
• Shaping around a knee or elbow, since the clay stays pliable when frozen

Things to consider

• Carex warns that misuse can cause burns: always heat and use the pad inside its cloth cover, never against bare skin. Stop using it and consult a physician if there is discomfort.
• Do not exceed the heating times; the pad keeps getting hotter for about 3 minutes after leaving the microwave, so test it first. If it swells while heating, switch the oven off and wait before opening the door.
• A pad kept in the freezer is defrosted (30% power for double the time) and rested five minutes before normal heating; allow an hour in the freezer before a cold session.
• A microwave is needed for heat; it is not an electric heating pad. The medium pack covers roughly a 6 × 12 in area; the extra-large version covers more.

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