Heat therapy works best for me when it comes to relieving menstrual cramps, and my regular-shaped hot water bottle follows me around the house for the entire period (pun intended). The warmth often provides more relief than painkillers, even! It so happened that I was right smack in the middle of my cycle, so I filled the YUYU Bottle right up there and then.
My first impression of it was how smooth and luxurious the cover was. This pleasant sense of touch made me feel calm and comforted. I then tightened the strap around my waist, and was happy to note that it stayed on firmly – no slipping, sliding or constant re-adjustments needed. I even managed to wash the dishes and clean up after my birds hands-free, while the YUYU bottle provided ongoing pain relief!
I loved that it was ‘surround warmth’, with the heat spreading out to provide better relief, rather than confined to one small section of my body. It brought just as much relief to my back, as I had been sitting and working on my laptop for some time. I also tend to tense up the muscles in my neck and shoulders without realising, and the YuYu bottle could be draped across with ease. I was able to continue working without any hindrance, whereas I’d have to reposition my other bottle frequently.
I bought a weighted blanket a few months ago to see if it’d help with my sleep and anxiety issues, and I’m going to go so far as to say that I prefer the YUYU Bottle, at least for these purposes. In fact, I’ve been using it like a warm bolster every night, hugging the fluffy fleece against my body for comfort. It’s made of grade A, eco-friendly and fair trade rubber from Sri Lanka, combined with a bubbled surface which helps to trap the air within the fabric. This helps it to remain warm for longer, and I usually fall asleep before it even cools down.
While the weight is the point of a weighted blanket, the problem for me is that I have trouble evening out the beads and pulling the cover over me, when I’m already aching and fatigued. The material is also pretty warm, which might be great during winter, but not when I live in a tropical climate year round. The YUYU bottle on the other hand, is lightweight and also much cheaper than a weighted blanket!
We all have expectations when we purchase or receive something, and this was no different. I’d say that what you see on the website is what you get. The YUYU Bottle is exactly as advertised, and met all my expectations. It is a useful product to add to your pain relief toolkit, especially if you rely on heat therapy. It should last a long time if cared for properly, and is flexible enough to be used everywhere and for various conditions.
While the strap is soft and flexible, they are also looking at improving the design in order to make it hardier. And while it fits my body size perfectly, my partner’s dad had trouble tying it around his own waist for his back pain. It works equally as well if you just want to lay it across your pain points, however.
Some suggested ways to use it: drape it across aching muscles or joints. Strap it around to relieve back, gut, or period pains. Hug it to help relieve anxiety and provide comfort. Sling it across your neck and shoulders to relieve tension while you work. The possibilities are endless, it’s suitable for all genders, and they even have a cute kid-sized version with extra protection called ‘warm worms’!
Read Sheryl's complete YUYU Bottle review here
Check out her blog: A Chronic Voice