Many households have been left struggling with the rising cost of living this winter, with some seeking to avoid turning their heating on whenever possible in a bid to keep their energy bills down.
But with some weeks to go until the weather starts getting milder, how can we keep warm and comfortable without seeing our heating bill skyrocket? Advice from Martin Lewis and his Money Saving Expert team is to "heat the human, not the home" - with electric blankets listed as one of the best low-cost options to keep toasty according to readers.
There are two types of electric blanket - 'underblankets', which fit on top of your mattress to heat up your bed at night, and throws or 'overblankets', which can be used like a conventional blanket over your bed covers or on your lap when you're watching TV. Demand for these handy gadgets has soared in recent months, with hundreds of options available from retailers, so it can be difficult to know which one to opt for.
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We've taken a look at the different electric blanket brands available on Amazon and which ones have racked up the best customer reviews. Here are 13 different ones available that have all received hundreds or thousands of five-star reviews, how much they cost, and what shoppers have said about them.
Homefront Fleece Electric Blanket
Price: £74.95 for Single Size (203x107cm)
Available in four sizes, the Homefront electric blanket comes with nine different heat settings, which can all be programmed via a "user-friendly" controller. The top and bottom of the blanket have separate settings for your body and feet, and the bigger blankets in the range (double, king and super king) also come with dual control for couples to be able to adjust the heat on their side of the bed independently.
Additionally, this blanket comes with an elasticated skirt to help it stay in position on your bed during the night, is machine washable, and is made with a "super soft" fleece for extra comfort. One Amazon shopper wrote: "Very happy with this purchase as I don’t feel the cold in my feet and my legs like I usually do and I sleep so much better as a consequence."
Another said: "Lovely and fluffy! Great at hearing the bed - so useful now the weather is cold. We use it all night (on a very low setting) so keeps us nice and warm without having to have the central heating on."
CozyMate Heated Throw Blanket
Price: £89.99 (160x130cm) - currently on an 18% off deal, RRP £109.99
The CozyMate electric blanket comes in three colours - grey, brown or pink - and also offers nine heat settings and a timer for up to nine hours via an "easy to use controller". The cord is fully removable, meaning that the blanket can be machine washed at 30°C.
Made from "luxurious soft fleece", this blanket has also won shoppers over when it comes to the snuggle factor. One satisfied customer wrote on Amazon: "Literally can't get enough of this blanket. I would live in it if I could!"
Another asked: "Where has this been all my life? It's amazing, keeps me so warm, feels so soft and quality material and make."
Mia & Coco Electric Heated Throw Blanket
Price: £54.99 (160x120cm) - currently on a 38% off deal, RRP £89
The Mia & Coco electric blanket comes in eight different colours including grey, blue and red, meaning that you can choose one to best fit with your décor. Made from flannel and Sherpa, it comes with 10 temperature levels and a nine-hour auto-off timer, and is also machine-washable.
The blanket has nearly 3,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, with one person writing: "The great thing about this is , you can lay it on top of your bed and it warms up the entire bed including the mattress - so no need for an under sheet electric blanket, or a hot water bottle."
Another shopper wrote: "With the increase in energy costs I have turned down my central heating and now use this heated blanket to keep me warm whilst sat on the sofa working on my computer during the day and watching TV with my wife on an evening. It is big enough for both of us to use at the same time."
Slumberdown Wonderfully Warm Electric Blanket
Price: £71.99 for Single Size (150x80cm)
Available in four sizes ranging from single to super king, Slumberdown electric blanket comes with elasticated straps to help keep it in place on your mattress, and is topped with a "super-soft comfort layer" to ensure a comfortable surface to sleep on. This fleece layer can be zipped off for easy machine washing and tumble drying if you want to avoid washing the whole blanket.
This blanket also comes with dual controls and nine heat settings to allow you to adjust the heat on your side of the bed, as well as multi-zone heating areas for the likes of cold feet. One pleased customer wrote: "Really soft under blanket which feels warm even when not on. The dual controls are great as my partner doesn’t like to be too hot whereas I tend to have my side of the bed warmer. Wish I’d bought one sooner."
Another said: "As a base layer the blanket is fluffy and really comfy, even without the heat turned on it’s a comfortable addition. Our heating upstairs packed up and then there was a cold spell of -5 degrees so I ordered this and we’re very glad we did. Let it heat up for an hour on 9 and jump in to a really luxuriously warm bed, then turn it down to 1 or 2 to maintain a pleasant temperature all night."
Snuggledown Intelligent Warmth Double Electric Blanket
Price: £67.99 for Double Size (150x120cm)
The Snuggledown electric blanket claims to cost just 1p to run for eight hours of use, and has three different heat settings to suit your comfort levels. The blanket is additionally machine washable on a 40°C or less cycle, and has the automatic 'shut off' feature to prevent it from overheating.
It is also made with a "soft touch" quilted layer for extra cosiness, and is compatible with memory foam mattresses. On shopper wrote: "Just what was needed to save on heating bills. Heats bed beautifully."
Another reviewer said: "I love getting into the snug heat, eases my back pain, while topper adds a nice bit of support to mattress. Love it."
Fivangin Electric Throw Blanket
Price: £66.99 (160x130cm)
The Fivangin electric blanket comes with nine heating levels and a nine-hour timer so you can adjust it to your liking with a user-friendly remote, and claims to heat up quickly and retain an even warmth. The blanket is also made from fluffy flannel fabric to make it extra soft and comfortable.
The remote and power cord are also detachable for when you need to pop the blanket in the washing machine. One person said: "I use it everyday, especially during these winter months. I use it while working, watching TV and sleeping. Helps save so much electricity bills."
Another shopper wrote: "This heated throw blanket is fantastically soft and great to snuggle up under when watching tv on the sofa and also to lay on when going to bed. It uses less power than turning on the heating around the house and has a timer so you can fall asleep with it on."
Pawque Heated Throw Blanket
Price: £68.94 (152x127cm)
Available in seven colours and four sizes, the Pawque electric blanket comes with 10 heating levels and timer settings, promising to "ease up every stiff muscle or tension in your body". Equipped with an auto-off safety feature and machine washable, the blanket is finished with a ribbed fleece top and Sherpa lining for a "velvety" soft touch.
One shopper praised the blanket in a five-star review: "I've used it since Christmas and I love it! It definitely feels like you're being hugged. Puts me right to sleep. If I could give it more stars I would! Worth every penny!"
Another said: "I’m obsessed with my new blanket. I got it for Christmas and have been sleeping like a dream ever since."
Dreamcatcher Electric Throw Blanket
Price: £69.99 (160x120cm) - currently on a 26% off deal, RRP £94.99
This Dreamcatcher electric blanket comes in four colours, promising a fast heat-up time and easy-to-operate controls as well as the auto shut-off safety feature. Nine different heat settings are available for this blanket, which is machine washable when detached from its controller, and it also comes with a two-year guarantee.
An impressed shopper wrote on Amazon: "I love this blanket, best thing I have ever invested in. After being diagnosed with Raynaud's I have to keep warm, this blanket allows that with comfort and easy clean - I take it every where with me."
Someone else who had bought the blanket said: "It's by far the warmest heated blanket I've had, heats up really quickly and it's the most lightweight so I'd highly recommend. In the evenings when I'm sitting still I can turn my heating off as I'm toasty and warm under this blanket."
Bauer Soft Touch Heated Throw Blanket
Price: £54.99 for Double Size (160x120cm)
Described as a "luxury" buy, the Bauer electric blanket claims to cost just 4.2p per hour to run and has 10 separate heating levels as well as a timer that you can set for between one and nine hours. Currently available in grey or brown with a choice between two sizes, the blanket is also made with a "deluxe soft touch" plush material.
"What a buy!" one shopper exclaimed in their review, saying they had invested in the blanket after "really struggling" with the rising cost of living. "Actually really impressed and going to buy another one when I can afford it. Is it worth the cost in my book."
Another customer wrote: "We absolutely love this and use it in the living room on the sofa. It looks great, it's soft to touch and it heats up very quickly. Our cats also love it."
Livivo Heated Electric Over Blanket
Price: £59.99 (160cmx130cm)
The Livivo electric blanket comes in chocolate, cream, grey or pink colours, and according to its manufacturer costs as little as 1p per hour. Equipped with adjustable temperature control and nine heat settings, the blanket is made from a fluffy fleece material and is washing machine friendly.
One reviewer who described the blanket as "wonderful" in their five-star review said: "I live in a large cottage that needs the heating on to be cosy even though I have two wood burners that are on most evenings thorough the winter. This fleece blanket is cosy and warm, I could leave the heating off on milder winter days and not bother lighting the fires quite so often!"
Another satisfied shopper wrote: "Warms up really quickly, very soft and will hopefully save some money on bills. Has a timer on it so turns off and still stays warm for a bit longer. Love it so far!"
Sweet Dreams Electric Blanket
Price: £77.99 (200x107cm)
The Sweet Dreams electric blanket promises to be "unlike any other electric blanket you have seen before", and comes with a quilted plush finish for extra comfort. Available in sizes ranging from single to super king to fit your bed, the blanket has nine heat settings and 10 timer options on a "super simplistic control" to help you achieve a toasty night's sleep.
One shopper said: "This blanket is the best I have ever purchased had quite a few since 1956. Once my feet are warm I turn it off and hey presto, the heat is still there until I fall asleep. Never had such a good blanket."
Someone else added: "Where has this been all my life! I had an old-fashioned view that electric blankets were not safe and were uncomfortable to sleep on. Definitely not the case with this electric blanket. It is soft to lie on and is made to a very high standard. I would thoroughly recommend this electric blanket as a comfort to look forward to after being in a chilly house all day."
Silentnight Comfort Control Electric Throw Blanket
Price: £49.99 (200x107cm) - currently on a 17% off deal, RRP £59.99
The Silentnight electric blanket from the popular brand comes covered in a "super soft" fleece, and heats up within a few minutes with three heat settings available. Again costing as little as 1p an hour to run, the blanket comes with an LED controller so you can programme it to your comfort.
On the cheaper end of the top-rated blankets on Amazon, shoppers were still left impressed. One person wrote: "Ideal for watching the TV and saving on heating bills. I was surprised how warm they were and how cheap to run."
Someone else said: "Very happy with my purchase. Given the cold winter we are experiencing, it's nice to snuggle up under this lovely warm and soft throw."
GlamHaus Heated Throw Blanket
Price: £62.99 (160x130cm)
The GlamHaus electric blanket comes in nine different colours from neutral grey to bright pink to suit your personal taste, and is fitted with six different heat settings and a nine-hour timer. With "velvety soft" coloured fabric on one side and "luxury" fleece on the other, the reversible blanket is perfect for snuggling up on the sofa.
One shopper said: "These throws have saved me a small fortune in heating bills. I now own four of them and they all work superbly. Cannot recommend highly enough."
Another added: "I am 81 and feel the cold as have bad circulation so with rising fuel costs it's a luxury for me to have heating on high all day but this wonderful throw allows me to be warm all the time with heating only on low. Highly recommended for anyone who is on a strict budget but feels the cold."
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