Is the heat function strong enough to matter?

Reviews split here. Verified-purchase reviewers on walmart.com describe the heat on units like the Nekteck and RENPHO as gentle rather than therapeutic, with one walmart.com reviewer of a competing unit calling the heat 'too hot for me.' A few RENPHO buyers on walmart.com suspected their heat element wasn't working at all. If heat is the primary feature you want, treat it as a 'nice to have' rather than a substitute for a heating pad.