For iPhones and Android smartphones
The all-purpose weapon against bites from mosquitoes and wasps? Mobile insect bite healer from Heat It in the test
It could be prettier, but it works great: The Heat It insect bite healer is simply plugged into your smartphone and three clicks away.
© star / Christian Hensen
Insect bites are as much a part of summer as sunscreen. Hardly anything can be done against the painful attacks – but against the consequences. Because the itching can be relieved with heat. At least that’s what the Heat It insect bite healer promises. The test should show whether it works.
For a moment, you weren’t paying attention and bang – the insect bite is in place. While you have to do a lot to arouse the gentle tempers of bees, wasps, horseflies and mosquitoes simply behave impudently – and show no mercy. Creams and sprays can be used to prevent the sting itself, but anyone who has spent a mild summer night near the shore knows that not every insect flees from the smelly tinctures or candles. The question of how such a sting can be treated as efficiently as possible so that the itching subsides and the healing is less disruptive is therefore more interesting.
The keyword is: insect bite healer. They work with heat and are supposed to provide relief through local heat effects. Corresponding devices come in all shapes and colors, but most of them have one thing in common: They run on batteries and are usually located where you just can’t reach them – in some drawer.
Heat It is always there
Unlike the mobile gadget from the German company Heat It, which is available from around 27 euros for iPhones and Smartphones with USB-C connection are. The device is simply attached to the bunch of keys and plugged into the phone when required – the phone takes care of the power supply and operation.
The principle works like this: A small heating plate is heated to around 51 degrees Celsius. This is pressed on the affected skin area for between four and nine seconds. Various reactions are triggered by the (absolutely moderate) heat pain (local hyperthermia). On the one hand, the heat should ensure that the insect proteins that cause the itching are destroyed. On the other hand, it is said to activate nerve receptors that have an antipruritic, pain-relieving and vasodilating effect. One corresponding study can be found, for example, at the provider “Bite Away”.
The device from heat it has the already mentioned advantage of always being there. Nevertheless, in the test it worked just as well as a competitor product with a battery. As soon as you insert the stick into the respective connection of the smartphone, the associated app opens. This consists of large, simple tiles that can be used to quickly define how the treatment should proceed. There are three time periods to choose from, a child or adult mode and an option if it is a very sensitive part of the body.
The app is as simple as it can be: First you select the degree of heat and the duration of the treatment, then just click on start and it gets hot. Alerts appear in the app when needed.
© star / Christian Hensen
Then you press “Start” and off you go. The device heats up briefly and shows on the smartphone exactly when to touch the area of skin. Then it gets hot for a moment and then – the itching actually subsides. At least in the test we can confirm that it really helps. Where before a mosquito bite caused people to think about the advantages and disadvantages of an amputation out of sheer madness, there is calm after using the insect bite healer.
The differences between the various modes are very clear, if you choose the full-length adult mode without an option for sensitive skin, you will be grilled noticeably hotter than in the less painful levels. But: Even in hardcore mode, of course, no burn blisters remain – it just pulls a little more clearly and a little longer.
Defects in the design – there is a risk of loss
The design of heat it unfortunately something went wrong, if not completely wrong. Because: The device itself is not part of the housing that is attached to the keychain. This can lead to the bite healer coming loose at some point – at least that’s what customers often call a defect. A cable tie around the entire gadget, which can be pushed aside for use, should help. The manufacturer could certainly solve this better and more visually appealing.
At the same time, one could also work on ensuring that the heating surface is always exposed, meaning that it is defenseless against fluff and other dirt in places where a key is kept.
Conclusion: It helps – and that’s the main thing
Function top, design actually flop. Here the German manufacturer Kamedi has to do it again. Of the Heat It Insect Bite Healer is a really great idea and works perfectly, but has two avoidable weaknesses. But: If you are one of those people who look for a perfect target for mosquitoes and other insects, you should consider this purchase. It helped in the test and has now – with a cable tie – become a permanent part of the bunch of keys.
The price for Android devices and other smartphones (but the app is only available for iOS and Android) is 27 euros iOS counterpart costs almost 40 euros. The manufacturer explains this as follows: “We would love to offer the Heat It for iPhones at the price of the Android version. Unfortunately, that is not possible. The stick with Lightning connector is an official Apple MFi-certified product, additional components are included necessary and together with a more complex production, the surcharge cannot be avoided.”
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