After a long day of hiking or trail running, I generally find my muscles are sore. Even with my comfortable Gregory Deva backpack, my shoulders and neck can get stiff.

Besides doing pilates, which helps keep me flexible and works out my core, I have always turned to using my Original Bed Buddy hot/cold pack. While I’m writing gear reviews or new blog posts, I just heat it up in the microwave, then drape it over my shoulders, or else put it around my lower back.

So when I got the chance to review the new and highly Bed Buddy product, the Plush Therma Therapy Neck & Hand Wrap, I jumped at the chance.

Similar to the Original Bed Buddy, the new Plush Neck & Hand wrap offers moist heat without using water. If you haven’t tried using moist heat to relax muscles, you’re missing out!

I put the new Neck & Hand wrap to the test…after a trail pounding 6 mile run last Saturday, I grabbed for the Neck & Hand Wrap:

• Feel: A+. The new Bed Buddy is much softer than my Original Bed Buddy. The new one is made of plush, velvety material. At first I was concerned that it could get dirty easily, but the heating elements are removable so the cover can be washed easily.
• Effectiveness: A. It definitely helped relax my neck muscles, and it did an equally good job as my Original Bed Buddy. These products all use moist heat which is much better than dry heat because it allows quicker, deeper penetration into your joints and muscles. While the hand wraps are nice, it prevents me from multi-tasking. I guess I could watch TV and relax my hands 🙂
• Environmental Friendliness: A. It is filled with 100% all natural ingredients! That’s far better than most products on the market, especially electric warmers. Plus, it is reusable. My Original Bed Buddy is several years old.
• Price: B. The new Neck & Hand Wrap has an MSRP of $25.99, double the price of the Original Bed Buddy. I’d be willing to pay more for the soft washable cover, but if you are tight on cash the Original Bed Buddy works just as well.