Stoov Big Hug review: A warm piece of comfort you can take anywhere

As the BOM alerts for sub-zero temperatures start popping up in the mornings here in Canberra, it’s always a battle to stay warm. Dutch lifestyle brand Stoov have an answer with their range of portable heated pads, cushions and more. 

Stoov have sent over their Big Hug for me to check out. The Big Hug is a rechargeable heat pad, with three heat settings that can warm up to 42°C. It’s battery powered, or able to be used with an AC adapter with the infrared heating technology safe to use for long periods.

The Big Hug comes in a grey fabric,or you can opt for a Woolly upgrade made of recyclable fibres which is reminiscent of a sheepskin for $20. There are two sizes to choose from, the standard (110x40cm) for $204, or the larger XL (135x45cm) for $239. You can also update the standard battery which lasts up to 3 hours to a larger battery which can last up to 6 hours

I’ve been using the standard Stoov Big Hug with the grey fabric for a couple of weeks now and here’s how it went. 

Setup

It’s an easy thing to set up the Stoov Big Hug. It arrives in a recyclable cardboard box and is rolled up with an elastic strap that includes an adjustable toggle to secure it for transport or storage. 

The box also includes the charger and of course the battery which plugs into the cable inside the pad with a twist and lock connector, then slips neatly into the pocket at the top of the Big Hug, with velcro securing it in place. The pocket has a bright orange side on the front, but grey on the back and you can’t miss it when you see it.

To actually use it, it’s as easy as putting it on a chair, couch or any seat. It fits well on my low-back sofa, as well as on my office chair, with the battery pocket draping nicely over the back to hold it in place. 

The controller is simple. Turn on the rocker switch on the bottom, then hit the big power button to turn it on. By default, the pad goes to the highest temperature (38-42°_, but you can press the button again to drop to medium (35-39°) or down to the lowest setting (28-32°) with another push. To turn it off, you can just hit the power button a final time and the lights shut off, showing it’s powered down.

Battery and charging.

There’s two sizes of battery for the Big Hug. It comes standard with a standard 2,600mAh battery which lasts from 1.5 to 3 hours – and you can upgrade to the larger 4,500mAh battery which lasts anywhere from 3-6 hours. You also get the charger in the box, so you have everything you need.

Charging is easy, there’s a port under the red Stoov tag on the left with a rocker switch for power next to it. When the pad is charging the status light blinks and when it’s done it goes solid. 

The battery estimate for the standard battery is definitely correct, with the difference depending on how hot you want the pad to get. Use it on the hottest setting and it lasts an hour and half, whereas the lowest will get you through to 3 hours.

I found I was often starting out on the warmest setting when I was cold, then dropping the heat down as I got warm to simply maintain my body temperature. 

Charging was generally pretty good, with the standard battery able to be charged in around an hour. I only did this a couple of times as you can simply plug the Big Hug into any powerpoint without worrying about battery life. 

In use

No beating around the bush here, I loved the Stoov Big Hug. 

It’s so easy to have it on your chair in the lounge, or at work and it’s light and easy to move if you want. It goes anywhere with you, from the lounge to the office, and even outdoors on the patio, or at the kids sport for your outdoor chair. 

The Big Hug is easy to use, with the single button and LED approach simple enough for anyone to use and understand intuitively. 

It warms up quickly when you’re sitting on it, and the adjustments to the heat are easy to make using the control pad. The simple single button and indicator LEDs are easy for anyone to use. 

The only issue I had was the charging. There are two main things. First, I’d love to see a USB Type-C connector being used instead of the barrel style charger.  Second, even though the charging cable is a decent length, having the charger on only one side was an issue when the power point was on the other side – this just means making sure you have the battery charged, which ultimately isn’t that hard. 

Should you buy it?

The Stoov Big Hug is a must buy for people in colder climates. 

In a large house, it often doesn’t make sense to have the heater running all day for one person, so the Big Hug was fantastic to keep me warm, and with the solar panels on the roof, it was cheap to use during the day.

At $249 it isn’t cheap, but it will also keep you warm all day, for very little cost, and the versatility of the pad with the battery is also a big factor. Being able to move it from place to place with ease was a big plus. 

If you want to check it out, you can head over to the Stoov website and check out the Big Hug, or any of their other cushions, bottles and more.

06:51 PM