After doing considerable research, I decided to buy this product last winter. We were very pleased at first; we couldn't feel any wires, and we liked the timer, though we were expecting it to feel warmer than it did.
But after a month of use, my husband's side of the bed started to shut off prematurely, then after another few weeks, he noticed that the connection between the cord and the mattress pad was arc-ing!! There were literally sparks coming off of it!
I really hope this is a very rare defect, because the thought of that thing catching fire right by his head is really scary. I really wanted this product to work, and now I'm nervous about buying any kind of electric warming device for a bed!
I'm still in the process of trying to return it to the company, sorry I don't have any information yet on their customer service.

This electric mattress pad is wonderful. I live in an old two story house and even with the furnace on, the bedrooms stay about 59 degrees. The high setting is really really warm (hot), making it like a full body heating pad. I love it. (And the cats think it's pretty swell, too.) I've had Sunbeam products in the past and have always been satisfied with their performance. When searching for a mattress pad, I specifically looked for Sunbeam and again was not disappointed.

Initially I thought I would purchase an electric blanket. My acupuncturist suggested a heated mattres pad. He uses them on his treatment tables and I believe it helps. I've had my mattress pad for a few days now and its been GREAT. I'm guessing because of Global Warming, Southern California is experiencing an unusually cold, and I mean below 40, winter. Turning on the mattress pad an hour before going to bed ensures a nice toasty bed. The temperature control is great as well.

This is not a fluke, either. My roomate's did the same thing. They seem to lose the ability to produce heat with normal, regular use. I'd like see one with a longer use life.

This is a nice thick mattress pad. The wires are padded and it is washable.

it gets more than warm...it gets like an oven under the covers. It's too hot to sleep w/ but it warms up the bed quickly and nicely. I turn it on 15 mins before bed and it is nice and warm when I get in. The dual heaters is a great feature and the variable temp. is good too.

I wondered whether it would be sufficiently padded so that i wouldn't feel the wiring. It was, and I don't. I think it does the job. Warms up the bed quite quickly (less than 2 minutes). Can't really compare as I haven't tried any other types. I chose this because Sunbeam seems to be a reliable brand.

2010 Winter over. an update. One side is going out. I am happy with the life-cycle. Orgional thoughts below.

In short, an amazing product. Now my 3rd winter with this Queen sized heater. I am glad I went Queen as it has 2 separate controls. I set one for '2' or '3', the other at '4' or even '5'. Max is 10, no half-steps.

Very low power usage. Heats quickly. If I get a little warm or cold, I just go to the other side.

Heat wires are not really noticeable (to me). Only once did the controllers 'go nuts'. A un-plug and re-seat fixed that.

Sunbeam says washable... I would go as gentle as possible, being careful to not crimp or smash the heater core.

Controls are easy to find and adjust in the dark. If you are gasping at the price, I suspect the avg. user would see pay-back in 1 short winter season.

I will never go back to any sort of electric blanket again. The mattress pad stays put (no kicking it off).

I have a really thick pillow topper, and the elastic is still holding on to the mattress after 3 years.

This pad warms the bed evenly, and there are no uncomfortable wires, or hot spots. I preheat the bed, and turn it to low on cold nights - when its not too cold I only preheat and turn it off - crawling into a warm bed is great in winter.

This is a great electric matress pad - it heats up quickly and I never need to go higher than setting 5 for a hot bed.