A career in finance landed Tim O'Regan in Russia, Poland, and other Eastern European countries with tough winter climates. While there, he came upon a non-toxic heating gel that was reusable. It wasn't long before a business idea began to form in his head.
Working closely with a designer, O'Regan came up with Wonder Warmers, gel-filled heat pads that can be put underneath clothing and inserted into shoes. The pads, which range in size from a pair of small hand warmers to large pads for areas like the back and shoulders, work quickly and can be reused up to 100 times.
Besides warming cold body parts, the pads are used in heat therapy. O'Regan has major sports teams, such as the Miami Dolphins and the Boston Bruins, as clients.
For the holidays, O'Regan made warmers with cartoon Santas and other holiday icons, such as dreidels. The idea is "to make using a product for aches and pains a little more fun for baby boomers," he explained. O'Regan doesn't plan to stop at Warm Wonders. He will soon introduce cold pads to his product line.
Some of the coolest toys this year are coming from small toymakers that are quietly revolutionizing how kids play today. Here are five companies that just may score the hottest toy of 2011.
