Nowadays, we turn up the thermostat or get under an electric blanket when it's cold in bed. But imagine living in a time without central heating, without double glazing, and your bedroom feels more like a cold storage unit than a cozy cocoon. How did people stay warm? Meet a seemingly simple, but ingenious implement: the bed warmer.
What exactly is a bed warmer?
A bed warmer, also known as a warming pan, is a metal pan with a long handle, usually made of copper, brass, or iron, into which glowing coals or hot stones were placed. This pan was then slid under the sheets to preheat the bed.
Note: you certainly did not sleep with the pan in bed; that would be life-threatening. It was purely to make the sheets more pleasant before going to sleep.
A warm glow with a touch of risk
The bed warmer was functional, but certainly not without risks. A pan that was too hot could scorch the sheets or, worse, set them on fire. Therefore, most bed warmers were fitted with a perforated lid, so that the heat could escape without the coals falling out.
Some people even wrapped the hot contents in a damp cloth, so that the heat was more evenly distributed. You could almost call it a kind of primitive deluxe hot water bottle.
From practical to decorative
Nowadays, bed warmers are mainly seen hanging on the wall in old farmhouses, inns, or nostalgically decorated homes. They are popular as decorative objects, especially because of the warm, shiny copper and the often beautifully engraved lid. Some examples even feature family crests or ornate floral motifs.
Did you know…
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… the bed warmer was often given as a wedding gift? Warmth, literally and figuratively!
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… in some regions, stones were also heated by the hearth and placed in a pan as an alternative to coals?
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… the handle was often extra long, so that one could ‘work through’ the entire bed without having to climb into it?
Why are bed warmers so popular among collectors now?
Bed warmers are more than just antiques; they are a symbol of daily life in earlier times. They connect us to a world without comfort, where ingenuity and craftsmanship went hand in hand. Moreover, each piece is unique: from sober and functional to distinctly artistic.