Table pads vs. table warmers: Newbie ?

[GreenKitteh: Being Green]

OK, brace yourselves, dumb newbie question ahead:

I am in need of a pad to cover my table. If you use a table warmer, does it replace the pad, or do you use both? I know they serve different purposes, and I would hate to ruin a warmer by getting oils/etc all over it, but if there is a product out there that serves both purposes, I would be interested in it.

Also, I have Oakworks' Nova table and it's pretty wide. I am hesitant to buy any sort of table covering online that doesn't list dimensions, because I'm afraid it may end up being too small. Recommendations? I live in MN so, the warmer the better.

I was looking at this inexpensive one on amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002ISPR0/qid=1134064266/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl121/002-6742718-9186411?v=glance&s=hpc&n=507846

 

[Hybrid]

Table warmers are great. The best one I've used was a twin bed size mattress warmer ($28), but I can't use it on my new table because it will interfere with the mechanism. I haven't tried my new table warmer, (MW version- $49) yet, but my suite-mate has that one, and it seems to work really well. She does not lay a pad over her warmer, I do.

In fact, my table is multilayered. Ha! I have a thin jersey fitted sheet over the table, then the warmer, then the fleece pad. I have a couple of clients who like the oil treatments, so on those days, I lay down another sheet over the fleece bad, then use my regular sheets over that.

I know, I'm nuts, but I learned this trick from a long-term therapist. I went to her for a massage, and her table was so nice and cushy. Then she showed me how many layers she had on there... we laughed, but then I went right to my office and did the same thing.

The most important thing is to wash the table layers often. Nobody likes to get on your table and smell old oil residue, they will notice that much more quickly than they will how many layers you have.

Stacey

 

[Cavs fan 4 life]

Well I too learned about the joys of layering from one of my MT teachers, who I went to for a massage about a year after graduation. LOL

He said that clients didn't want to get off his table, because they said it was like "floating on a cloud"... so I decided to do my best to copy him.

He had an Earthlite Spirit, I have the Avalon... so I'm not going to be able to match him perfectly (his was manufactured with more foam padding) but...I try!

He had an egg crate foam pad, then a wool sheepskin (Fleece), followed by a regular mattress pad and then flannel sheets.

I followed his example ... just throwing in an electric table warmer below the regular matress pad to warm clients up in the chilly weather. As a matter of fact, I use flannel sheets pretty much all year 'round now.

I really like my wool sheepskin fleece. (I think I paid around $60 for it at a Home Goods many years ago... it IS washable.) Supposedly the wool sheepskin helps keep you warmer in winter by reflecting your body heat back to you.

The one at Amazon, well it's so cheap, it doubt it's really wool. It could be regular "fleece" like you could buy at any fabric store I guess. *shrug* In which case the cost is probably fine.

You could try somewhere online for a wool sheepskin table cover or twin mattress pad cover. Never having tried the plain "fleece" ones I don't know how the wool and regular "fleece" compare as far as making the client feel warmer in winter or cooler in summer.
http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/mattresspads.html


Massage Warehouse offers the Snugfleece wool ones:
http://www.massagewarehouse.com/

 

[Kevin Colts 4-0 :D]

Hey Jess...I got my table warmer at WalMart.com, it is a twin bed mattress warmer...my table is 32" wide and it is plenty big.

I layer too...Table, eggcrate foam, table warmer, felt/flannel mattress cover, sheets. blanket. I keep thinking about the wool thingie...I really like the felt/flannel thing as it protects the warmer from the clients and protects the clients from the warmer, it is easy to slide the bolster in and out, it is easy to haul home to warsh it if someone gets in under the sheets. "gosh, this sheet is kind of scratchy." Duh.

 

[Bond Reeves]

mine is layered much like stresssolutions. table, eggcrate foam, small warmer, fleece pad, a warming mattress cover and then a fitted sheet to keep it all in place. then the clients sheets go on top of all of that. i would say it doesn't matter how wide your table is. if you purchase something that fits a twin bed, it'll fit your table. my table itself is 30" wide and i have extra arm extentions that add another 6" to the width and i've never had trouble with anything not being wide enough.

 

[doppler]

Ok, question about all this table layering... how many and which of your layers are bigger than the massage table? Does it get weird with trying to put sheets over this stuff that's hanging over the edge?

I've seen something of this effect on a table that had an electric blanket on it... twin size is just bigger than a massage table. I like how the warmer sold as a table warmer fits my table perfectly. It was a minor irritation using that table, but I can see it getting out of hand quickly with more and thicker layers.

I'm interested in adding some "cush" to my table, but not sure how I feel about this potential downside.

The organic fleeces and cotton pads, etc, that have been turning up in my searches look much too nice to go cutting to size

 

[HCXY]

All the padding I have bought was on sale.... great deals. I can't stand all that padding sticking out because its bigger then the table so I have to cut it down to size.

 

[James Zaworski]

I'm glad someone replied to this thread, because I was going to search for it today
Just trying to figure out what "layer" the table warmer goes on!
I have to buy a new warmer, as the one I bought really sucks- it turns itself off when it gets too warm- and "too warm" means whenever there is anything on top of it- even a sheet. So it's not working for me anymore!
Anyone have a link to a warmer they have that works great?

Thanks!

 

[Dreamily]

I use this one and like it for the most part:

http://www.massagewarehouse.com/itemdetail~item~231+0042.asp

It only stays on for 99 minutes though, so for two hour sessions I'm having to turn it off and back on to reset the timer in the middle of the massage.

 

[bill g]

Something to think about before putting too much padding on your table, the thicker the padding, the harder you are going to have to work to apply pressure to your client in the massage b/c the padding will absorb the force of your touch.

Besides my Earthlite (2" thick padding), I only use a fleece pad and a table warmer under the sheets and it is very comfortable for my clients (and myself if I have enough break time to take a nap!!)

 

[idodgesubs]

cushy is good

As someone who loves massage, I think the worst experiences I've had have been when the massage table was hard. My breasts ended up hurting and sore. Cushy is very good, in my opinion, especially since not many therapists seem to offer breast cushions.

I tend to get cold when I relax down during a massage so table warmers are like heaven but I also feel that the EMF interference from laying on something electrical may counter some of the benefits.

I guess the best of both worlds would be to heat the table up and then unplug the pad but it might get cold before the session was over......I wonder if there is some kind of pad that would hold heat without electricity?

 

[Lola]

cushy is good

I tend to get cold when I relax down during a massage so table warmers are like heaven but I also feel that the EMF interference from laying on something electrical may counter some of the benefits.

I have extra large water bags (like fomentek) that I used to use in school clinic during the winter because we didn't have table warmers. It was large enough to cover the top third of the table and I used it between the table and the sheet. My clinic clients loved it. If you don't mind lugging the water bag, or want to avoid the electrical currents, its an option.

 

[Starry]

Where to get them?

Those extra large water bags sound great. Where would I buy them? Do you recall where you got yours? Thanks for the tip.

 

[gishkathy]

Now that I am at home, I was able to look up the receipt. This is the place I got them from:
Grandma's Hot Water Bags
http://www.ebodylogic.com/granhotwatba.html
I've had mine now for four years.

 

[Millie]

Thanks!

Thanks so much. I'm going to tell my massage therapist about this.

 

[========]

Before I purchased a twin bed sized table warmer
(from Sunbeam) I always used 2 large flax filled hot packs,
so they would cover the length of the table.
They would have to be folded over twice to fit in the microwave and then refolded the other way & stuck back in
to heat again. This took at least 3 to 5 minutes per side,
but it did give off a lot more heat then my table warmer is capable of. I am considering still using them a bit during the winter months, but between my table warmer and the hot stones, plus flannel sheets and 2 blankets, my clients generally stay toasty !

As to padding, I'm seriously into making it cushy. I have two eggcrate pads, a memory foam type of pad and then the table warmer , a washable wool fleece pad, my fitted twin sized mattress cover, fitted top sheet then the client layer: twin flannel sheets. All the extra padding is also in part for me, as the energy work which I include in most sessions requires me to slide my hands under the body to hold points. Without the cushion for my arm to sink into, it gets uncomfortable for clients and causes my arm to feel like it wants to fall off !