even today in the age when Sony has many times-fold went AND came ‘Back To The Future’, a picture of Winter home in rural Japan envisions flooring blocks of tatami made of rice straw, atop where lays a /sitting/ table – multi-purpose for work-at-home as well as family dining – covered by a warm blanket . long-called Kotatsu, this small table has a bright electric heater underneath to warm your legs AND family . one of the most serene naps can be had under in a quiet Winter day in the Japans . good-for-thought, for aside from the Northern regions of Senda AND Hokkaido, Japan has a mild weather : pretty HOT AND humid in the Summer but of a mild Winter .

 

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[ Origin, Development and Variations of heated Ondol floors in Korea ]

now glide over your map North-West to the Korean Peninsula where the Winter is more harsh commonly going under -10 Celsius with more extremes in North Korea, ditto politically AND the state of military in one of the last dictatorial regime on Planet Earth circa 2010 . here home heating has been the floor with historic remains from 5000 B.C. and shown in murals from 4 A.D. relatively modern ondols of the last thousand years used very efficient means : the furnace right outside the room was used for cooking and when done the top was covered (with metal) to allow heat to pass into a hole connecting into the room floor . though initial burning material were straws and wood, modern times enjoyed cheap coals emitting mighty dangerous carbon monoxide, and the death resulting NOT uncommon . post-war development of the Republic of Korea can be seen on eventually switching the source to relatively expensive-but-safe oil in 1970′s, heating circulating water and from 1990′s more affordable gas .

gas safety inspection occur every other month nation-wide and is considered quite safe today, although tap-water inspection done in Europe is unheard of here . drinking tap water has NEVER been the norm in South Korea .

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although still in modern Korean culture a youngling remained in their parent’s home until (arranged) marriage .. then ‘The Miracle of the Han River’ was realized (amid harsh military rule AND demonstrations for democracy where half of the Peninsula was literally covered in tear gas). although this was basically an industrial phenomenon powered by machines AND hard-working labourers, an unbelieveable electronics front was at the horizon : Korean children of the Millennium going off on their own to the Capital of Seoul to participate in twinkling the I.T. Nation bore many, many studio apartments called “one-rooms” throughout the country . developers needed cheap means to heat these tiny apartments in 3~5 story buildings AND needed cheaper means to heat for young (college) students to afford . came the electric ondol panel using midnight electricity (remind you of the term “burn the midnight oil” ?)

smaller, single-residence terms in South Korea (in order of ascending living space):
- MinBak means “staying over in a private house” so you rent a room in a family household . families that do this for a living would have most of their rooms rent out and might even serve meals for their tenant students .

- GoShiTel : ‘GoShi’ means exam. and ‘Tel’ from hotel (or rather motel), thus crammed tiniest single quarters barely enough space for a desk and futon (blanket mattress to sleep on the floor) . where /ideally/ a lone high school graduate would come from the country-side to study HARD for the notoriously strict (entrance is HARD while graduation is lenient) college entrance exam. in South Korea . usually shared bathroom AND/OR shower with others on the same floor, perhaps some with shared kitchen OR meals prepared by the owning family for extra cost . this is usually in a dedicated building 12-stories high but NOT very wide .

- One Room explained here-in WITH individual bathrooom AND shower combined, AND a tiny kitchette : is essentially much smaller than a studio apartment in the States . usually in a 5-story building .

- Two Room NOT necessarily a ‘one-bedroom’ like in the States but may have a separate kitchen or even a bathtub ;)

- Villa is a smaller apartment than those of the modern ‘apartment complex’ hype characteristically 2~3 stories high with only one or a few duplicate complexes facing each other .

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this was easy to constuct : simply embed the electric heating panel on the floor of each studio apartment with a temperature controling knop on the wall . however because electric bill is HIGH (on domestic living quarters, while office space gets substancial discounts) the control would NOT work from 8/9 a.m. ~ 11 p.m. or midnight . and come midnight the electric company will start sending low-powered heat until dawn . this will slowly AND gradually start heating the panel or in the latest models : ‘health rocks’ which will remain heated barely onto the next day . thus you cannot suddenly turn OFF the heat but have to make up your mind the day before . monthy bill for a tenant would roughly come up to W15000~35000 for mild warmth settings .

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[ Korean Electric Blanket and Mattress ]

and the story goes to tell .. no I am NOT the electric blanket-type of a person, NOT to mention jade or any sort of supposedly-healing rock for that matter . but after one hectic day in ShangHai we stayed at a house one night who had a Korean electic mattress - WITH Oriental stones embedded – on TOP of the wide bed . I was even too tired to take that off the bed and besides being a chilly night I doze off . and what-da-ya-know ? I had one of the most soothing sleep I had since dozing off AT the last couture show in Paris . there-after returning home I took out my own electric blanket my mother had bestowed upon me long~ ago and used it sufficiently until it went broke a few months later . (hey, you didn’t think I was the sort of techie who would buy another electric blanket even if I had one working ?!) then bought almost the identical electric mattress I remembered from China .

yes you guessed it : there are electric blankets in Korea but mattress sell uncomparibly because it is an extension of the Korean ondol floor both on the floor as well as on the bed . and again in the arena of small electronics independent manufacturers noted in their own field sell best than your usual conglomerate electronics branch in the likes of SamSung or LG .

considering the long~ ondol instinct embedded in Korean culture people have flocked out to purchase electric mattress in the age of IMF AND continuing recession, thus makers have added more, more and out-right outrageous specifications to their existing products than bringing the retail price down -_-

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the best place to buy for the beginner is at your nearest SuperMart where they will have a whole section by now . most important to feel the surface for yourself and NOT to buy solely on the internet (where the price is the cheapest like in any product nowadays) because many have ordered from posted pictures only to find some too thin, for especially on the health-rock-embedded models it has to hold rigid on top of the bed so go see the thickness for yourself . I am sure no one will complain if a foreigner tries for him/herself on the spot .

below are the myriad of choice you have with much variations in material AND the rocks embedded . no health effect is proven scientifically so far but has to do with the still-many left myteries of the Orient alongside the cures of accupunture AND ginseng . some fabric AND/OR rock combination will effect your body AND mind depending upon each person just as you would react to waters of certain Hot Springs dispersed around the Korean Peninsula .

 

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[ Available Sizes of Korean Electric Blanket or Mattress ]

  • smallest would be portable Electric cushions for the chair still coming in single, double AND triple for the sofa,
  • single mattress for one person to lie on,
  • double mattress where temporature controls are separately divided for advanced models,
  • triple mattresses for king size beds but you should measure each for different manufacturers’ products may NOT reflect American bed size standards .

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[ Price of Korean Electric Blanket or Mattress in Double Size ]

  • W 40000 in basic Double Size Electric Mattress,
  • W 70000 for Quality Electric Mattress with refined texture and threadings,
  • W140,000 for Electric Mattress with a mixture of Jade and Ceramic, 
  • W240,000 and more for combinations of the above plus actual gold lining,
  • electric bills for any of models made in the Millennium is negligable for all is made for this in mind .

 

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[ Various Material and Functions in Korean Electric Blanket or Matress ]

  • jade and ceramic retains heat after turning off, where some are powdered for those who don’t want rocky surfaces .
  • infrared remote control,
  • surface coating includes : water-proof, mites repellent or even block electro-magnetic waves,
  • whole lot of materials in cotton, yellow soil, silver lining, charcoal,

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[ and some dubious applications ]

  • liquid type – water circulates to heat the mattress,
  • massage capabilities built in thicker bed-types,

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[ Noteable Manufacturers and Brands ]

  1. Hanil Medical Supplies – most popular brand with exquisite fabrics, Doubles W90000+
  2. ilwol – becoming the next best seller with many variations, Doubles W50000 ~ 100,000
  3. GooDeulJang – offers colors pink and purple-based colors other than your usual beige and brown lines, Deluxe Doubles W140,000
  4. HanSol Medical Supplies – sell more electric mattresses that resemble home floor tiles of wood pattern, Basic Doubles W40000 ~ 60000
  5. BoKuk – sell more simple electric mattresses that fold for storage similar to futons along-side blankets, Basic Doubles W40000 ~ 70000

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if your local supermart does NOT carry any model above, fine if you like the surface, look AND the price . for larger supermarts offer product support on their own and the manufacturers as an option . although current models have multiple safety features built-in even on the cheapest ones, you would also like to check if they are inscribe to a well-known insurance company – it would show clearly on the box or wrapping .

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- Korea Tech BLog, November 2009 -

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[ January 2012 Update ]

although not as with harsh Winters as North Korea, Southern dwellers enjoy a distinct 4 Seasons and there the notion that Korean immigrants to the States prefer Mid-West or the more crowded North-East than Southern California where a bulk of the early settlers went searchin’ for their own ‘Dreamin’

I am in nature also a soft-bed person, however after the trip to China fore-told above bought the jade-stone mixed iLWol matt and threw it over our high-bed and have survived another Korean Winter in ooze . yes, we had an electric blanket but went kaput just-in-time and I have also lived in Japan with the warmth of the good ol’Kotatsu under-heated flat-sitting table where an afternoon nap can be quite soothing .

 

now the manufacturers have thrown-in all sorts of mind and body (short of the Soul) healing stones for marketing and iLWol still dominating the market a new concept arose last Winter from Solgo Bio Medicalintroducing heat-emitting carbon conductors resembling the Korean-tradition of charcoal heating as a safer source of warmth ridding of conventional electric-heating wires .

in theory : all this is supposed to increased health-aiding infrared rays while reducing harmful electomagnetic waves .

ofcourse matts are meant for the increasing populace of the elders and designs as such and they really are selling the fantasy of the noble kingdom where traditionally normal people have had no access to :

    

all controlled by their intelligent computer chip //

it really is daunting to choose one from a wide models for you have to sleep a full night to realize which rock or soil-type is effecting you mind and body . so it might be best to go for the best-selling one for elders would have exchanged enough experience on-Line nowadays . and by on means are the rock or soil-embedded matts cheaper than simple conventional electric blankets while the price difference also come depending on for a single person or more and whether the heat can be controlled independantly for each side ..