How hot should a heating pad get?

Mainstream consumer pads typically top out around 150°F on their highest setting, which verified-purchase reviewers describe as plenty warm for most users. Specialist subreddits like r/ChronicPain note that people with thicker clothing layers or deep muscle pain often want hotter pads, and that's where medical-grade moist heat models earn their premium price (with a real burn risk, per community warnings).