There are a number of reasons why you may want to consider getting your first weighted blanket. Most of them boil down to the fact that the human body starts to produce serotonin when gentle pressure is applied to it. Serotonin plays a very important role in our health and well-being, and it is also responsible for improving the quality of sleep.
In addition to increasing serotonin production, weighted blankets often have a comforting effect on people on the autistic spectrum. If someone you love has been diagnosed with autism or Asperger’s syndrome, you can try getting a weighted blanket for them to help them deal with anxieties and sensory processing disorders that often accompany these conditions.
Here are 12 of the best weighted blankets.
Gravity Weighted Blanket
People who prefer heavier weighted blankets are going to love the Gravity blanket. Available in 15, 20, and 25-pound weight options, it is going to become your ultimate weapon against sleeplessness and anxiety. Gravity recommends that you choose a blanket that weighs the closest to 10% of your body weight, so the Gravity blanket is a great choice for larger, heavier people.
Gravity blanket is only available in throw blanket size as the company firmly believes that weighted blankets should be an individual thing. This makes sense if you consider how different the body sizes of two partners may be. It makes even more sense if you realize that people tend to have different preferences regarding their weighted blankets, and what works for you could easily be a nightmare for your partner. Because of that, we have to agree with Gravity and recommend that you only get weighted blankets for one person and not try to share a large one as a couple.
The exterior cover of the Gravity blanket is made from super-soft micro-fleece. If you enjoy wearing nice, warm hoodies, you’re going to love how the Gravity blanket feels as well. The actual blanket inside the cover is made of high-quality cotton and holds dozens of glass beads that contribute to the weight. Unlike the duvet, it is not machine washable, and you should treat it with reasonable caution to make sure that the glass beads don’t get damaged.
Quility Premium Weighted Blanket
While we do recommend that you get one weighted blanket per person, your partner and you may just happen to share weight blanket preferences. Or maybe you simply can’t stand the thought of not cuddling under one blanket together. Whatever the reason, if you really want to get a couple’s weighted blanket, it should probably be the Quility Premium one.
All Quility weighted blankets come with duvets that can be removed to comfortably use the blanket in summer. The duvets are machine washable, so taking care of your Quility blanket is going to be a breeze. The blanket itself is made from gray cotton fabric, which makes it very practical and offers a stylish, minimalist look if you decide to use the blanket without the duvet. The cotton-flannel duvets are available in a variety of colors, ranging from navy blue to pink. They feel nice and soft to the touch, creating a very comfortable environment to sleep in.
Quility weighted blankets are available in a number of weights, ranging from just 5 to 30 pounds. This way, you can choose a blanket that feels comfortable to you and your partner without having to order a custom blanket. The 5-pound blanket works great for kids, as long as your little one doesn’t prefer a colorful duvet with patterns or cartoon characters; Quility only offers the standard colors for duvets.
YnM Weighted Blanket
Being new to weight blankets, you may rightfully wonder whether they are going to work for you. Of course, most companies do offer a no-questions-asked guaranteed return policy, but sometimes, it just takes more than 30 days to get accustomed to the blanket. Before you send your new weighted blanket away too early or spend a lot of money on a blanket that you end up not using, take a look at the YnM weighted blanket.
This blanket is considered to be an ideal entry point into the world of weighted blankets. While it is very affordable, it doesn’t compromise on the quality to achieve the attractive price tag. This means that it won’t discourage you from using weighted blankets just because it’s a poorly made product, and yet you won’t feel guilty if you never get used to it at all.
That being said, we wouldn’t recommend this blanket to first-time weighted blanket users or shoppers on a tight budget only. It does have a number of advantages besides the low price that make it a viable option for other categories of people. For instance, YnM blankets have weight options in between the most common 10, 15, and 20 pounds, allowing for more flexibility when following the “10% of the body weight” rule. In addition, YnM blankets don’t come with a standard duvet, which could be seen as a drawback, but we actually find it to be another advantage. With the reasonably priced blanket, you’ll still have some cash leftover to order a nice cover from the range of duvets offered by YnM, have one tailor-made for you by another company, or even go DIY and sew your own, fully customizable duvet.
For more amazing options like this, be sure to browse our list of the best wool blankets for winter.
Bearaby The Napper Blanket
Ironically, despite the most popular Bearaby product being “The Napper” and not “The Sleeper,” company founder Kathrin Namm actually set out to create high-quality weighted bedding after being disappointed by what the market had to offer. Her goal was to design comfortable weighted blankets that didn’t harm the environment, and as a result, The Napper, a very cozy blanket that’s made of ethically sourced organic cotton, was born.
The Napper certainly looks very stylish, so it’s the product we’d readily recommend to someone who’s looking for a blanket to decorate their contemporary living room couch when it’s not being used. Hand-knitted, it is definitely an eye-catcher, and it also feels delightfully soft to the touch. Since the knitted pattern is so big, the blanket feels very breathable, probably more so than most other blankets we’ve tested. The pattern also makes The Napper a little tougher to fold than you would expect, but it only takes a couple of attempts to figure out an effective way to fold it.
All in all, The Napper looks and feels like a premium weighted blanket, but it doesn’t really offer any practical advantages over most other blankets we’ve mentioned here. If you love the way it looks and know for sure that you like weighted blankets, go for it, and you won’t be disappointed. However, if this is your first weighted blanket, or if you don’t really feel like the design is such a big selling point for you, you might be better off with a less expensive blanket on our list.
CuteKing Weighted Blanket
Speaking of a first weighted blanket, here’s an affordable product that doesn’t feel cheap or poorly made at all. Similar to the YnM weighted blanket, the CuteKing model doesn’t come with a duvet, giving you the opportunity to choose from dozens of options rather than being stuck with a standard duvet the manufacturer designed for you.
Parents looking for a weighted blanket for their kids should bear in mind that the CuteKing blanket is only available in the three standard weight options: 10, 15, and 20 pounds. Even the 10-pound blanket is probably going to be too heavy for a smaller child, making them feel uncomfortable and restless instead of helping them calm down and sleep well. So, you’ll probably want to go with a lighter, 5 or 7-pound YnM weighted blanket for your toddler or pre-teen.
However, if it is an adult or a teenager who’s going to use the blanket, the standard KingCute weighted blanket is a great way to go. Made from durable, dark gray cotton fabric, it is very practical and easy to take care of. We do recommend that you purchase a duvet for your weighted blanket as soon as you can, but you can definitely use this CuteKing blanket without a duvet for a while without it getting damaged.
The glass beads inside the blanket are supported by 7 layers of microfiber. This allows for a very even distribution of the weight on the sleeper’s body and makes the CuteKing weighted blanket a good option for people who prefer their blankets “hugging” their body rather than simply lying somewhat stiffly on top of it.
SensaCalm Weighted Blanket
We decided to start our list with a very customizable product from SensaCalm. SensaCalm is a family-owned business located in Chattanooga, TN. What started as an attempt to help an autistic grandson sleep is now a force to be reckoned with in the weighted blankets market, so you can be sure that your SensaCalm blanket is a high-quality product that has stood the test of time.
If you want to get a fully customized blanket, you’ll have to order it from the SensaCalm website, where you can choose from dozens of colors, patterns, and fabric types. You can have your blanket with or without fiberfill, and there’s even the option of ordering a blanket from waterproof fabric, which is bound to come in handy if the blanket is going to be used by a child. SensaCalm also offers customizable duvet covers to go with your new blanket, and if it’s meant to be a housewarming gift, you can even add a monogram to it.
Otherwise, you can take a look at the SensaCalm stock selection available through various sellers, including Amazon, and have the blanket delivered to your doorstep in a matter of days. You’ll be able to choose from a number of colors, as well as different sizes fitting for everyone from small kids to tall adults.
Mosaic Coolmax Weighted Blanket
If you live in a hot climate, you might feel left out of the whole weighted blanket party. Fortunately for you, there’s a special weighted blanket designed to keep you feeling cool and refreshed at night, and that’s the Mosaic Coolmax blanket. Similar to SensaCalm, Mosaic is also a small company that was born from the efforts of a single person. Since a weighted blanket is a very personal item, it is nice to know that Mosaic products were designed to actually improve your well-being rather than simply being attractive and easy to sell.
The Coolmax is a great blanket for anyone who feels hot and restless under a regular blanket. It is made from a patented fabric that magically manages to keep you cool at night, and it even feels cold to the touch. This is why it may not be a great option for people living in colder climates or those who feel like they’re freezing all the time.
You can choose between different weights and sizes when ordering your blanket from Mosaic. If you want more flexibility, you can contact Mosaic and discuss your custom blanket with a Mosaic team representative. This way, there’s a whole new array of possibilities for your blanket, such as custom weights, combining different kinds of fabric, or unusual sizes. You can even send them your fabric and have a blanket made from it. Bear in mind that all custom blankets are hand-made, so they are going to be more expensive than the stock ones. They are also non-refundable, since they were tailor-made for you.
ZonLi Cooling Weighted Blanket
Both our previous budget picks do a great job making you feel comfy at night, but they’re not designed to keep you cool in warmer environments. If you don’t have a lot of money to spend on your new weighted blanket and live in a hot climate zone, the ZonLi cooling weighted blanket is probably your best bet.
ZonLi is not a very well-known company when it comes to weighted blankets, but they do produce two solid products, the standard ZonLi weighted blanket, and the cooling one. While the standard blanket is a little more expensive than the CuteKing and YnM products without offering any additional benefits or features, the cooling blanket seems to have no competitors in and even slightly above its price range. We don’t really know how ZonLi managed to achieve this, but the blanket does feel great, and we can imagine how it will keep you cool and refreshed all summer long.
The ZonLi cooling blanket consists of multiple layers, all of which were designed to work together and provide the best experience possible. The glass beads are kept in place by numerous microfiber layers, so you can be sure that they aren’t going to start spilling out any time soon. The blanket cover is connected with eight weighted loops for optimal weight distribution. Many competitors only have four or five such loops, so that’s definitely another reason to consider the ZonLi cooling blanket. It is also available in numerous weight options, including the 5 and 7-pound models that are ideal for children, so what’s not to like?
Layla Weighted Blanket
This blanket is not going to impress you with how infinitely customizable it is. You get only a couple of size and color options, and that’s it. However, if you can find a blanket you like among those options, you’ll get a durable, comfortable weighted blanket that will help you sleep better for years.
Layla is a small company that specializes in innovative bedding, so weighted blankets aren’t the only product they offer. Despite that, their weighted blankets definitely feel very well-designed and carefully engineered to be as comfortable as possible. The Layla design team has made some interesting choices with this blanket, resulting in it being two-sided and more similar to a traditional blanket than most other products we reviewed because it isn’t supposed to be used with a duvet.
Just touching the soft, plushy textured polyester side of the Layla weighted blanket makes you want to hug this blanket and never let it go. We are not kidding; it is actually that good. The second side is made of high-quality breathable cotton, and while it is quite soft and pleasant to the touch, we still prefer the furry polyester mink that almost makes you feel like you’re lying underneath a cloud (admittedly, a rather heavy one, but that’s the whole point of this blanket).
Amy Garden All-Seasons Weighted Blanket
While we wouldn’t go as far as to say that this blanket actually is an all-season model, it does perform remarkably well in different environments. Still, we’d probably rather use it during the warmer seasons and get something more substantial for winter. But if you’re a hot sleeper, this just might be the blanket for you.
The Amy Garden blanket is a very simple, almost minimalist product. There are no fancy designs, no customizable options, and not even a duvet included with your purchase. Given how affordable the blanket itself is, we have no issue with spending some more money on a duvet you like. You can get something from the Amy Garden assorted selection of duvets for their blanket or look for a fitting duvet someplace else. After all, you do get to choose from a bunch of colors for the blanket itself, and we couldn’t possibly ask for more considering the price and the quality of the product you get.
What we do have a problem with is the lack of flexibility when it comes to sizes and weights. Since the weight of the blanket increases together with its size, you can’t get a small but rather heavy blanket, or a large but lighter one. This may not be a problem if this is your first weighted blanket, but if you already know exactly what you want from such blankets, you may not find it in Amy Garden products.
Dr. Hart’s Weighted Blanket
There are lots of discussions happening around weighted blankets and whether they actually help people suffering from anxiety, sleep disorders, and PTSD. Well, there’s probably no ultimate cure. and weighted blankets simply might not work for a certain percentage of people, but you know a product is good and effective when it is backed by an expert in a relevant field.
In the case of Dr. Hart’s weighted blanket, the product is not only backed by but also was designed by a practicing neurologist with years of experience. The unique ContourWave design allows this blanket to contour your body shape for an extra degree of comfort. The patented DreamBeads technology relies on quartz beads instead of industry-standard glass beads. As a result, Dr. Hart’s blanket feels extra soft and comfortable, with a very even weight distribution.
For some reason, this blanket is not available in kid-friendly sizes and weights, but you can choose a combination that’ll work well for a teenager as well as a large adult from the offered options. Dr. Hart’s weighted blanket comes in a nice carton box that is perfect for giving it as a gift or as part of a “get well soon” care package.
Degrees of Comfort Weighted Blanket with 2 Duvet Covers
Those who live in climates where cold winters are followed by rather hot summers often need more than just one blanket to keep them comfortable all year long. Don’t go off looking for a place to store your summer weighted blanket just yet. Instead, take a look at the final entry in our list, the Degrees of Comfort weighted blanket.
While Degrees of Comfort does promise some innovations that make your nights under this blanket even more comfortable, we find that they aren’t the major selling points for the blanket. The two duvet covers to be alternated between throughout the year, however, are. Come to think about, this feature does make a lot of sense and should be embraced by other companies producing weighted blankets. Just swap out the cooling microfiber cover for the cozy, fleece one, and your blanket is ready for cold winter nights.
If you’re interested in the other innovative features of this blanket, you’ll probably appreciate the fact that it uses nano-ceramic beads that are extremely durable and help evenly distribute the weight of the blanket around your body. Degrees of Comfort even claims that these beads are better than the glass ones because they promote a cooling effect, but we honestly didn’t notice much difference.