Stoov Homey reviewed: the modern hot water bottle

When is a hot water bottle not a hot water bottle? When it’s electric and has no water at all. That’s the idea behind the Stoov Homey, a gadget to keep yourself warm this winter.

Technology changes everything, even if it’s the things you don’t expect. The humble blanket can be electric and warm you up even faster, and the electrics to make it work can even become portable and rechargeable, something Dutch brand Stoov showed when it arrived in Australia last year.

But the blanket was just the beginning, because now Stoov is improving the hot water bottle, too.

You may not have thought a tank of rubber and water needed an upgrade, but if you’ve ever burned yourself on hot water or boiling steam, it might be time to check out the Stoov Homey, an evolution that makes the hot water bottle a touch safer.

What is the Stoov Homey?

The modern interpretation of the hot water bottle, Stoov’s Homey is curious because it is clearly modelled on the classic hot water bottle, but there’s no water whatsoever.

It even says “electric hot water bottle” on the site, but that’s not quite what it is. While the description might imply the Stoov Homey is a water bottle with a small electric heater, it’s actually another of Stoov’s infrared warming systems wrapped around some fuzzy padding and covered in a fabric case.

For our Stoov Homey review, we chose the dark pink velvet-lined model available for $169 in Australia, but you can also choose a grey soft furry edition for $159, as well.

Sufficed to say, these aren’t the classic rubber hot water bottles you had as a child.

What does it do?

But the idea still works the same, at least in principle.

In a classic regular hot water bottle, your bottle warms up from the heat of the hot water. After the first pour, your hot water bottle is quite hot, but over time, it begins to cool. By the time you wake up, the bottle is likely cold, waiting to be poured out for the next night when it can be used.

Stoov’s electric take is similar in theory, but it doesn’t work in quite the same way.

You’ll charge up a replaceable battery and plug it in, and undoing some velcro and leaving the battery comfortably inside the minimal padding at the top. It’s the same battery as used on the Stoov Big Hug, so if you have one of those already, you can just use it, though it comes with one in the box, as well.

Once plugged in, you only need to switch the power on at the back, and then press the hidden button inside the orange Stoov tag.

Using the Homey is exactly like using the other Stoov heating gadgets: press it once to turn it onto the hottest level, and then press the button other times to lower the heat. One dot is 38 degrees Celsius’s warm, two dots is warmer again at 45ºC, and three dots can achieve temperatures as high a 58ºC.

Does it do the job?

Stoov’s Homey definitely warms up your arms as you cuddle it and your seat when left in place, and it can also warm up your bed, too. But does it handle the same level of heating as the hot water bottle it’s meant to replace? Not really.

Each temperature grade affects the battery life: you can get around four hours at the lowest setting of 38, three for the mid-range 45ºC, and two for the super hot 58 Celsius.

And presents a bit of a problem: if you go to bed at 10PM, by midnight (or not longer after it), the Stoov Homey has already run out of heat, even though a regular hot water bottle will still be warm. The difference is that fuzzy velvety exterior, which will at least help make the Homey feel warmer, even if it’s not actually keeping your bed warm.

Meanwhile, a hot water bottle technically does a better job of warming your bed over a long period of time.

What the Homey does better, however, is provide a hot water bottle experience without the risk of hot water hurting you.

That’s a real risk with hot water bottles. You fill them with boiling water, and doing so can end up burning you, or even have the steam from just-filled bottle burn you upon release. Anyone who has burned themselves on a hot water bottle builds up a tactic for what not to do, but this prevents you from getting to that point in the first place.

Granted, you need to do it with some LED lights that won’t turn off, but that might be a small price to pay to stave off memories of hot water burns and such.

What does it need?

What Stoov ultimately needs is to be able to get more out of its batteries. The 58 degrees of heat is nice, but to only run for roughly two hours just isn’t fantastic. Three for 45 degrees isn’t much better, either.

You’re essentially paying for a warm pillow to have and to hold.

Is it worth your money?

The other problem is the price: starting at $159 in Australia, the Stoov Homey doesn’t quite make sense, and even manages to feel way, way, way more expensive than what it replaces.

It’s just too expensive for what it is. A regular hot water bottle is around $5 or $6, and a soft plush cover for the bottle is between $10 and $20. It could be as high as $50, but let’s just go with roughly $30 for most things.

By comparison, the Stoov Homey is roughly five times the cost, and not necessarily worth it. A hot water bottle does a better job of warming your bed for less.

You can’t really buy replacement covers yet, either, and a secondary battery to keep the warmth going will see you back at least seventy bucks.

Stoov also makes a big battery that can last even longer — nine hours at 38ºC, six at 45ºC, and a little over four at 58ºC — but you’ll need to spend $114 to make it last longer. That’s a nearly $300 replacement to a $30 hot water bottle. Yikes.

About the only thing that makes the Stoov better is the safety. Simply put, there’s some here, and none with the standard hot water bottle.

Yay or nay?

Despite its intended use as an electric hot water bottle, it’s not really a replacement for that.

Where the Stoov Homey gets it right is being a compact pillow you can use when you need some warmth. A little like a muscle relaxant or just a warm pillow to hold, the Homey is nice to have in your life, even if it’s not truly a hot water bottle of sorts.

The modern hot water bottle still needs work, but has a starting point worth talking about, for sure. A better battery system and lower price are what we’re looking forward to hopefully in the future.

For now, it’s a handy gadget worth having if you have nightmares of past hot water bottle efforts. Alternatively, you can just get a bigger and heavier blanket, though that mightn’t be quite as fun. At least that’s what the kids think with the pink velvet look making it an instant winner with Ms 3, who constantly grabbed it and hugged it, even when it was off.