Keep Your Home Warmer This Winter With These Simple Items

A drafty door, a window that leaks in frosty air, an uncovered air conditioner unit — all these little things add up, creating a less-than-ideal home environment when the temperatures dip to the single digits. Don’t shiver or crank the heat just yet. Many options are available if you’re looking for relatively affordable products to winterize your home quickly and easily. Here are some of our favorites, from cushioned floor pads for better insulation to heated mattress pads.

_{Prices are accurate as of December 5, 2024. Subject to change.}

Magzo Door Draft Stopper

Few things are more frustrating than relaxing on the couch or cozying up in bed and noticing a draft coming in from under your door. If you want a simple way to remedy this without pulling out your toolbox, check out this weighted wind blocker. It’s made from high-quality cotton and glass beads and has loops on either end for you to hang it from a door knob or in the closet when it’s not in use. You can also quickly move it from room to room based on where the draft is coming from. That portability makes it more convenient than permanent door draft stoppers, which sometimes require a tricky installation. 

Redford Supply Co. Pipe Insulation Tape

If the thought of frozen pipes sends chills up your spine, you need this pipe insulation tape available in easy-to-cut adhesive foam rolls. It’s ideal for protecting pipes against harsh rain, snow, and wind and can even be left on during the warm summer months to stave off any negative effects from high temperatures and intense sun. It’s also impressively strong and flexible — it can stretch up to seven times its length and bend without snapping. 

Hodeamy Heated Under Desk Floor Mat

Stay warm and toasty while you work at home with this heated floor pad, which fits perfectly under tables and desks. It has eight adjustable heat settings, ranging from 80 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, and a safety auto-shut-off that powers down the mat after three hours. The thermal side is waterproof, insulating, and flame-retardant, while the opposite side has non-slip silicone that prevents it from moving around when in use. Even better? It’s energy-saving and makes no noise, which is a plus.

Sunbeam Heated Electric Mattress Pad

I absolutely love Sunbeam’s heating pads, so I was immediately interested when I came across the brand’s heated electric mattress pad. Available in sizes twin through king, this pad boasts 12 heat settings and a stretchy design that fits mattress heights up to 16 inches. There’s also an optional 12-hour automatic shut-off, which is a great safety feature, and an easy-to-use digital controller with a backlit LED screen for nighttime use. It’s also not stiff or scratchy, which is essential, and provides even heat distribution — no cold toes here. 

Dualife Thermal Insulated Room-Darkening Curtains

These blackout curtains aren’t just for keeping your room darker while you sleep — which is great if you’re a night owl or work overnight shifts — but they’re also thermal-insulated, which helps to regulate a room’s temperature better. This is important during the winter when you don’t want any cold air leaking in. These have a stylish grommet design for easy hanging and a weighted hem to keep them in place. Their smooth textured silk appearance also adds a stylish spin to any room you put them in. 

XFasten Transparent Weather Sealing Isolation

If you’ve had it up to here with drafty windows, this simple and straightforward weather-sealing tape blocks gaps and drafts, keeping frigid air out and warm air in. It has a heavy-duty, puncture-resistant design that creates an air and watertight seal, so you don’t have to worry about this coming off during extreme weather conditions, including wind and blizzards. The tape holds up well for long-term waterproofing and it also cleanly peels off, leaving no annoying wax or sticky residue behind. 

Beyond tape, other options exist to help fend off drafts. If you need something that covers the whole window Duck’s Window Shrink Film Insulator Kit comes with enough materials to cover 10 windows and requires just a blow dryer for setting. Or, if you prefer to use caulking, Flex Seal gets the job done — this rubber spray can also be used on wood, glass, metal, and beyond, making it an all-in-one product you can use in all different areas of the home. I’ve used all three before and each is helpful, although the tape may be the quickest to figure out. 

Foozet Double-Insulated Indoor Air Conditioner Cover

This might be an obvious product, but before I rounded up this list, I realized I don’t even have an air conditioner cover installed yet, even though we’re well into the chillier months. I have this double-insulated one in my cart, which features an inner lining and a quilted outside cover that are stitched together. There are adjustable straps on each side as well as an elastic cord that helps it stay snug on all different types of units. The best part is you don’t have to lug window ACs out — just throw this on, and you’re good to go until summer.

RugPadUSA Non-Slip Rug Pad

It’s no surprise that rugs are one of the quickest ways to insulate a room better, especially if you have cement or tile floors. To get the most out of the rugs you already have in your home, consider this cushioned rug pad, which you can slide right under your floor coverings to create a warmer, more insulated foundation. It’s available in three thicknesses from ¼ to ½ inch, and helps with sound absorption, too. A bonus? Its natural rubber non-slip backing keeps it in place, so you don’t have to worry about anchoring it down with furniture. 

Featured Image Credit: Bogdan Kurylo/ iStock