Hydrofarm Jump Start MT10006, 17 Watt UL Certified Seedling, 8.875"x19.5", Black

So there are a lot of heat pads out there. I just needed one that works. That's it. The concept is simple right? But when you start researching all the products out there, it gets confusing. Which one do you buy? You start reading reviews and start reading about fires! Oh hell no. So I did a lot of YouTube reviews on these pads. Finally found one where the guy looked like he knew what he was talking about and found these pads on Amazon.These pads warm up the temp maybe 10 to 15 degrees. So if it is 40 degrees in your basement/greenhouse these pads (and I think all heat pads) will bring the temp up to 55ish. A lot of seeds germinate around 60 to 70 degrees. That being said you're have to wait till early spring or late winter to get the temp up where you need it. They are reliable and accurate in temperature and they make all the difference. I've had them for one year so far so good. They don't get too hot, I don't think that's what you want anyway. They simply raise the temp to where you can germinate seeds. I hope they work this spring as well, so as far as longevity I don't know yet as I've been only using them for a year. Another thing is that the heat is transferred throughout the pad pretty evenly. So even at the edges (2 inches off the edge) you'll get good germination. My germination rates since using these have been close to 100%These pads simply work and they do a good job of it. Happy I got what I thought I was paying for. Bought 6 of them.

Temperature controller required. Last year I bought their two smaller heat mat sizes (3×20 and 8x19.5), but this year I needed a bigger mat for my 1020 trays. I decided to try to save some money by going with cheaper "brands"...I tried inkbird and ac infiniti's 20x20 mats . Straight up Garbage, both stunk my room up with VOCs worse than a cheap Walmart camping tent. Irritated my lungs and gave me headaches. Not only that, but they took forever to hit the temps i set for my seed trays. Basically the thermostat always had them on and I'd open my grow tent up to that nauseating toxic plastic smell. Designed in California my right nut, you can find identical ones on a certain b2b website that drop shippers love to use. Place a large enough order to place a custom design, yeah so the blue ink is the only thing designed. Meanwhile they dyed the floor of my grow tent black.I should have stuck with a brand I knew would work from the start.These mats get much hotter than the 'infrared film' baba bologna and don't stink like noxious plastic from the late 90s. Perfect for starting peppers in a room that normally sits in the 50s to low 40s.Yes for a mat this size and wattage, a controller is highly recommended. I moved this monster of a grow mat inside a 4x4 grow tent and with the target tray temp of 75 it keeps it there with ease. Infact, it brought the whole tent up to 68 from 50.

I used to germinate seeds in flats on top of my refrigerator, but after moving to a new place where this didn't work anymore, I needed something else. I tried germinating some seeds last year without anything special, and while I still had good luck, some took a while to come up, and I knew I could do better with some gentle bottom heat. That's why I bought this mat (the 9-by-19.5-in. version, in my case) for this year.My germination rates seem to have improved from last year, but I was expecting that. If one of the cheaper options (e.g., warm place or top of fridge) doesn't work for you or you want more control, you may want to try this. Being new to heat mats, I wasn't sure exactly what I needed, so I bought a thermostat, the  Hydrofarm MTPRTC , just in case. The mat will only raise the temperature about 10-20 degrees above the room, so with my cool apartment, I probably didn't need this (until I discovered the next trick), but I'm glad I bought it anyway. If you're as unfamiliar with it as I was, here's how it works: the thermostat plugs into the wall, then the heat mat plugs into the thermostat. The thermostat has a probe you insert into the soil, and it will turn the outlet on the thermostat (into which the heat mat is plugged) on or off as needed to maintain the temperature you set on the thermostat. So, it's a lot like a timer, but based on temperature instead of time. If you plug the heat mat directly into the wall, it will just stay on all the time, since the mat itself includes no "regulator" like this. This isn't inherently bad, but I'd at least monitor the temperature and compare it to what you want if you do this instead.The "trick" I learned, which is also mentioned in the instructions: insulating under the mat helps. My thermostat is now able to keep the mat off for longer than before. I used to have the mat set directly on my counter under the assumption that it wouldn't dissipate that much heat, but I think I was wrong. Even after the simple step of setting the mat on top of a folded towel, the soil has had an easier time staying warmer, and I'm saving electricity by not keeping the mat on as much. You may have better luck if you use a sheet of actual insulation, but even a towel underneath showed improvement for me.As a final note, I measured the electricity usage of this with my Kill A Watt meter. As stated, it uses about 17 Watts when on (which is, in fact, any time it's plugged in to a live outlet, since there is no switch on the mat itself). It's also UL listed. In summary, I'm glad I bought this product. It's working well so far. I haven't had it for that long yet so I can't comment on its longevity, but I'll update this review if it dies unexpectedly.

Ordered this for this 2104 growing season. Admittedly they are not as big as I thought - but that is not a fault of the product, however they are enough room. I can get 6 -six packs into the trays I bought (cheap aluminum pans) and I can only fit one pan per mat - thought I could get two :( My fault.The mats are pretty stiff plastic and come rolled up in the box - so expect to have to set something with some weight on them for a day or so to get them flat. Plug them in and the heat and the weight should get them usable overnight.I have my seed set up out in an unfinished garage -it gets really cold out there and I had no trouble germinating my seeds with these. I set some cardboard under my trays to insulate better. Soil stayed at 75 with no problem. I did wrap my shelving unit to keep in the heat. Even when the trays came off the mats I kept one or two plugged in as a heat source - it's much cheaper than a heating unit! It kept the chill off the tiny plants.

This heat mat worked very well when I grew vegetable plants from seeds. The mat definitely increased the growth rate of the seeds. First time I used a mat, but very pleased.

Wish we would have purchased this a long time ago! Easily fits 4 seed trays, but we have squeezed 5 on it in a pinch.

My wife loves this. It increases germination time in a cool environment.

Love this ! Used it all last year to start my seeds and it worded perfect. Will be getting another so I can start more seeds at one time.

Duró solo dos meses, tuve que pedir un otro pad térmico de otra marca de emergencia. No lo volvería a comprar.

These have worked well for a few seasons now, and have produced healthier plants than I could using light alone. I purchased two, and that has been enough to pump out a steady stream of seedlings for my small garden.I found that these fit neatly under most standard, rectangular seedling trays. They have never overheated, even when I let the soil go dry! They have proven to be well made and have a smooth, rubbery texture. The manufacturer specifically says to not get them wet or submerge them in water, but they have not failed even though I have subjected them to this adverse, unadvised condition. As long as you store them flat, and do not fold them, they should last for many years.The extra warmth gives your plants a big boost in their beginning stages; my bush beans and peas have grown colossal, and it's barely mid-may! The heat is also really good for maintaining tropical and desert plants. Depending on the species, some exotic plants can start looking a bit sad if your climate is too cold.I would recommend these to anyone who starts plants indoors before the frost is gone, or who has unique plants that only flourish in hot climates.