Two methods of hand heating [warmed blanket 40 degrees C (WB) and warm-air box 55 degrees C (WA)] were compared with the effect of no heating (control) in six healthy females. After 30 min baseline, the left hand was either heated for 1 h or not heated. Measurements were made of skin temperature (ST), core temperature (CT), right forearm (FBF) and skin blood flow (SBF), and right forearm deep venous blood oxygen content with and without occlusion of the hand circulation. CT rose above baseline in WB (by +0.2 degrees C, P less than 0.01) but not with control or WA. Abdominal ST rose only with WB (by +0.66 degrees C above baseline, P less than 0.01). FBF increased above baseline values with both WA (by +10 ml.l forearm-1.min-1) and WB (by +12 ml.l forearm-1.min-1), but neither was significantly greater than the control. SBF increased above baseline only with WB (by +202 mV, P less than 0.01), and this was significantly greater than control SBF. With an occluded hand circulation, deep venous oxygen content rose above baseline values with WB only (+6.0%, P less than 0.01) but was not greater than control with either method of hand heating. We conclude that using a warm-air box has less effect than a heated blanket on the measured variables.