Hot Pantz is a heat embedded under garment to soothe menstrual cramps on-the-go. Embedded with cloth heating pads and a rechargable soft battery pack, it is designed to use heat to relieve menstrual pain while being out and about. Created in 2016.

Project Background

In response to pain, bloating, and over all discomfort while trying to do life on my period, I wanted to create a tool that could provide relief while I was out in the world. My period had gotten so bad that I would need at least two days in bed, with a heating pad and plenty of Ibuprofen. I was in graduate school full time and working part time so I couldn’t take off two days per month. I was taking a wearables class and decided to design a garment that could help.

The first iteration took the form of a soft elastic-like band that I could wrap around my hips and lower abdomen to adjust the pressure. I find that heat and pressure reduce the pain. I put a thin heating pad inside to see how it felt. But after interviewing people about their periods, it was clear that it would be better and more comfortable to make the heating pad underwear itself. And they wanted it to feel fun, like a little secret under their clothes.

Once I decided the garment would be a pair of underwear, I started testing and designing my electronic components. I was able find thin cloth heading pads wrapped in a protective plastic-like yellow wrapping. I used two, one for the lower abdomen and one for the lower back. I wired them up to a portable power station to see how much power and amperage they needed/could handle and to figure out how to wire them once they were inside the garment.

Once I got my underwear pattern together, I cut out the pieces and started sewing, weaving in steps to incorporate my electronic components using conductive thread and soft silicone wires. The only hard component was the lithium ion battery and microchip which I ended up housing in soft neoprene fabric. The microchip I used had a USB input so I could charge up the battery connected to my computer if I was at work or school. The battery pack snapped on to the garment with a snap. The final prototype for this project is below.

The final test was washing. I designed the soft battery pack so that it was easy to unplug the battery from the silicone wires embedded in the garment so I did that before attempting to wash. I hand washed and hung to dry. It worked fine the next day!

The development process has currently stopped with this prototype. The difficulties were in the battery — it created a lot of bulk and it took so much power to heat up. With advancements in battery technology and the creation of a soft battery, I would definitely pick this project back up. I’ve had several strangers email me about wanting to know when its ready for the market so they can use it.