Growing up in cold, damp England in the 1940's and 50's a hot water bottle was an absolute necessity, especially in a home that lacked central heating (or any kind of heat, for that matter, other than a coal fire in the living room). Even here in Colorado my wife complains about feeling cold, so I decided this item was just what she needed. I recommend reading the instructions, printed in red on the plastic bag it arrives in. It would be easy to discard the plastic bag in one's eagerness to try See full review