Every category of bedding has received an upgrade in the past decade. Whether it’s memory foam mattresses or custom pillows, technology has allowed our beds to be more comfortable and supportive than ever.
Of course, you’ve probably heard of at least some of these fancy new product types, or perhaps even seen someone receive one as a gift this past holiday season. Weighted blankets, in general, have exploded in popularity in recent years, but the innovative product isn’t actually all that new. In fact, weighted blankets have long been used in the special needs community, helping individuals on the autism spectrum and others. Still, it wasn’t until companies like Gravity Blanket brought their flagship designs to the broader public that people began thinking of it not as a niche medical device, but a general sleep aid for the wider community.
Interested in learning about what the hype is all about? That’s why we’ve put together this guide. Here’s everything you need to know about weighted blankets, from their many benefits to how you can find one that perfectly complements your style of sleeping.
What is a weighted blanket?
There are plenty of good reasons why weighted blankets have become so popular. At its core, it comes down to reducing anxiety, which in turn promotes better sleep. Weighted blankets are pretty much exactly what you would expect them to be — blankets filled with small objects, like pellets, discs or beads of plastic or glass, giving them an added weight that gently hugs the person underneath the blanket. Some of these blankets blend software material, like cotton, with the weights to ensure that the blanket feels a little more like a traditional duvet.
Weighted blankets made for adults range from around 10 to 30 pounds, though lighter options for children exist as well. Weighted blankets are not recommended for infants.
Generally speaking, weighted blankets are sized to an individual, so it won’t necessarily replace the comforter that you already use. The blanket applies a soft, even pressure to your body, which is more effective when it fits you snugly. That said, you may be able to find weight blankets in sizes that fit typical mattresses if you’re looking for one.
Though weighted blankets are usually one piece, others come apart, with an inner, weighted layer and a soft outer cover. Both components are usually washable, and a cover offers more flexibility when it comes to style and color. The cover also dries more quickly than the all-in-one blanket.
What are the benefits of a weighted blanket?
Weighted blankets can be beneficial to anyone, but they’re especially helpful for those who have sleep issues. Blankets gently push on the user’s body, keeping them still during the night and supported until morning. The pressure helps reduce cortisol, which is the body’s main stress hormone, and it also encourages the production of serotonin, which is a hormone associated with feelings of happiness.
According to one study, the “deep touch pressure” offered by the blanket “gives subjects the feelings of safety, relaxation and comfort.” Other studies examining the use of weighted blankets found similar results, with the majority of respondents reporting lower anxiety.
Weighted blankets can also alleviate symptoms in people suffering from insomnia, chronic pain conditions or restless leg syndrome. They’re good for deeper psychological reasons, too, with potential benefits for those suffering from depression and, as previously mentioned, autism.
How should you choose your own weighted blanket?
If you’ve decided that you want your own weighted blanket, then there are a number of factors to consider. For starters, you’ll want to make sure you get a blanket that’s around 10 percent of your body weight. In other words, if you weigh 150 pounds, then a 15-pound blanket will be appropriate for your needs. If 10 percent of your weight falls between two weights of a blanket, it’s okay to choose the heavier option.
You’ll also want to consider the fact that many weighted blankets come in different types of fabric. That’s especially true if you have sensory issues, and if so, you’ll want to make sure you choose a blanket that doesn’t cause irritation. That’s also true for the blanket’s filling — a blend of beads and cotton will feel more traditional, while a filling entirely of beads or discs will be a more intense, closer experience.
Gravity Blanket
Price: $199
Size: 48 x 72 inches
Colors: Grey, navy
Weight: 15, 20, 35 pounds
Materials: Soft micro-fleece, glass beads
Customer rating: 4.1 stars
The Gravity Blanket is arguably the first weighted blanket to bring weighted blankets into mainstream consciousness. The blanket offers a super soft feeling, along with a number of weight options, ensuring that it’s comfortable and comforting, all at the same time.
Gravity is quick to tout many of the benefits of its blankets, including the fact that it could ensure that you get deeper sleep, reduced stress, and more. In fact, according to the company, 72 percent of users reported getting better, more restful sleep, and 54.7 percent reported a decrease in anxiety and stress thanks to the Gravity Blanket. On top of that, the blanket is available in two different colors and even has fasteners and connectors to keep the inner weighted blanket in place inside the duvet. It’s available in three weights, including 15, 20 and 25 pounds.
The Gravity Blanket is available from Amazon for $199, which may sound like a lot, but it’s really not bad considering the high quality on offer here.
ZonLi Weighted Blanket
Price: $43.99 – $117.21
Sizes: 36 x 48 inches, 41 x 60 inches, 48 x 72 inches, 60 x 80 inches, 80 x 87 inches
Colors: Light Grey, Dark Grey, Pink/Purple, Navy Blue, Atrovirens Tree, Grey/Black
Weight: 5, 7, 12, 15, 20 pounds
Materials: Microfiber cotton fabric, glass beads
Customer rating: 4.6 stars
If you’re looking for a great weighted blanket on a budget, then it’s perhaps worth considering the ZonLi Cooling Weighted Blanket instead. There are a few great reasons to go for this blanket. For starters, it’s available in a huge range of sizes, weights, and colors, so you should be able to find something that best fits your needs.
Even better is the fact that this blanket was built to keep you cool during the night. According to the company behind the blanket, it offers two layers of 100 percent cotton fabric, which is great for temperature control. It also offers layers of microfiber to prevent the leakage of the glass beads, and a layer of padding to make for a comfortable experience.
The ZonLi Cooling Weighted Blanket is available from Amazon for between $43.99 and $117.21, depending on the size and weight you buy.
Layla Weighted Blanket
Price: $129
Sizes: Twin, Queen, King
Colors: Gray
Weight: 15, 20, 25 pounds
Materials: 300 thread count cotton, polyester, glass beads
Customer rating: 4.5 stars
Layla has become a favorite company among those who want to buy their bedding online, and while its weighted blanket may not be its most-sold product, it’s still a great product. There are a number of things to like about the Layle Weighted Blanket, including the fact that it’s made from premium materials, and that it offers a different feel on either side of the blanket. so you can get a slightly different feel depending on what you’re in the mood for.
On one side of the blanket, you’ll get a 300 thread count cotton that’s clean and comfortable. On the other side, you’ll get a 100 percent polyester/mink fabric, which has a fur-like feeling to it for an even softer feeling to it. On the inside of the blanket, you’ll find small glass beads, which is between two layers of polyester, which in turn helps ensure that the blanket is quiet during the night, even when you move around a lot. The use of glass beads, according to Layla, helps ensure that the blanket is quieter, smoother, and finer than blankets with plastic pellets.
Quility Premium Adult Weighted Blanket & Removable Cover
Price: $69.70 – $199.70
Sizes: 36 x 48 inches, 41 x 60 inches, 48 x 72 inches, 60 x 80 inches, 86 x 92 inches
Colors: Grey Cotton + Aqua Minky Cover, Gray Cotton + Grey Minky Cover, Grey Cotton + Navy Blue Minky Cover, Grey Cotton + Patterns Minky Cover, Light Grey Cotton + Ivory Minky Cover, Light Grey Cotton + Pink Minky Cover
Weight: 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, 20, 25, 30 pounds
Materials: Cotton, Glass Beads
Customer rating: 4.7 stars
If you’re really particular about the products you buy, then it’s well worth considering this weighted blanket. Why? It’s available in a range of sizes, a range of weights, and a range of colors, so there should be something there for everyone.
There are other advantages to this blanket too. Notably, it’s built with an impressive seven layers, and those layers are built for supreme comfort and offering a weighted feel that nicely hugs the body. According to Quility, the cotton used here is nice and breathable, and as a result, you’ll stay nice and cool during the night. While the blanket is a little more expensive than some others on this list, it’s far from over-the-top, and still offers excellent value-for-money. You can get it for between $67.90 and $199.70, straight from Amazon.
Good Knight Weighted Blanket
Price: $45
Sizes: 60 x 80 inches
Colors: Grey
Weight: 17 pounds
Materials: 100 percent cotton, poly-pellets
Customer rating: 4.6 stars
If you’re curious about the idea of a weighted blanket, but not yet sold on the idea and don’t want to spend a ton of cash on one, then it’s worth considering the Good Knight Weighted Blanket, which is 60 x 80 inches and has a weight of 17 pounds. Sure, there aren’t as many options for customization as some of the other options on this list, but if you are interested in the idea and the weight and size suits your needs, then it’s an excellent option.
There are other advantages to this blanket too. For example, like others on this list, and despite the low price tag, it still has a 100 percent cotton outer layer, along with a design that’s aimed at evenly distributing the weight of the pellets in the blanket. You can buy a duvet cover for the blanket separately, and if you buy a cover with the blanket, you’ll get a 20 percent discount, which isn’t bad at all.
The Good Knight Weighted Blanket is available from Amazon for $45.
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Platinum Health Premium Weighted Blanket
Price: $119
Sizes: 60 x 80 inches
Colors: Celestial Blue/Moonshadow Gray, Lavender Field Purple/Moonshadow Gray, Moonshadow Gray/Chinchilla Gray, Roasted Coffee/Chantilly Gray
Weight: 12 pounds
Customer rating: 4.7 stars
This weighted blanket may not come in as many variations as some of the others on this list, but if the size and weight work for you, then you will get a nice selection of colors, so you can easily customize the blanket to better fit with your home decor.
Many users seem to love the blanket too. Notably, some users suggest that the blanket has seriously helped with insomnia, and that it has helped promote much more restful sleep. On top of that, the outer cover of the blanket is said to be very soft, making it more comfortable to use during the night. And, the blanket has a two-part construction that makes it easier to wash, thanks to the fact that the outer cover can be zipped apart for quick washing and drying.
The Premium Weighted Blanket from Platinum Health is available from Amazon for $119.
YnM Weighted Blanket
Price: $48.90 – $169
Sizes: 36 x 48 inches, 41 x 60 inches, 48 x 72 inches, 60 x 80 inches, 80 x 87 inches
Colors: Many color options
Weight: 5, 7, 10, 15, 17, 20, 22, 25, 30 pounds
Materials: Cotton, glass beads
Customer rating: 4.6 stars
YnM is another company that has made an excellent weighted blanket at an affordable price. This blanket offers perhaps even more variation than some of the other options on this list, thanks to the range of sizes, colors, and relatively small differences in weights. In other words, if you’re in between two weights and not exactly sure which weight is best for you, you might be able to find something a little more appropriate here.
There are other things to love too. The sizes in particular mean that the blanket will be a good option for both individuals and couples alike, plus it has a seven-layer design aimed at ensuring that the blanket is both comfortable and quiet during the night. In fact, YnM says that the blanket is built to ensure no leakage.
Baloo Weighted Blanket
Price: $169
Sizes: 60 x 80 inches
Colors: White
Weight: 12, 15, 20 pounds
Customer rating: 4.6 stars
If you’re looking for a weighted blanket that cuts out the unnecessary features and offers a minimalistic take, then this blanket may be the way to go. The Baloo Weighted Blanket comes in a few different weights, including 12 pounds, 15 pounds, and 20 pounds, plus it’s made from premium materials. In fact, Baloo says it’s the only weighted blanket to meet Oeko-Tax standards for chemical-free construction.
Speaking of construction, it generally makes the blanket easy to maintain too. That’s thanks to the fact that it’s machine washable and dryer-safe, so you can clean it exactly the same way you would clean any other blankets or clothes. Baloo does recommend washing the blanket in cold water with whites and drying on low, but that’s still a whole lot easier than not being able to dry or machine wash the blanket at all.
The blanket sits in with an average rating of 4.6 stars and is available from Amazon for $169.
Mosaic Coolmax Weighted Blanket
Price: $169.95 – $249.95
Sizes: 38 x 60 inches, 42 x 72 inches, 54 x 75 inches
Colors: White
Weight: 15, 18, 20, 25 pounds
Customer rating: 5 stars
If you sleep particularly hot during the night, then this weighted blanket is perhaps the best way to go. Weighted blankets in general tend to be a little warm, however this blanket is built with a fabric technology that combines comfort with an airy breathability.
The blanket has some other advantages to it too. Notably, the blanket is quick-drying, which is helpful for being able to wash the blanket, plus the fabric is generally soft on the skin. The fabric itself is made from 65 percent cotton and 35 percent “Coolmax” fabric, so you’ll still get a relatively soft and comfortable experience.
The mosaic Coolmax Weighted Blanket comes at between $169.95 and $249.95, and it’s available straight from the Mosaic website. It has gotten some excellent user reviews too; even though it doesn’t have hundreds of reviews like some of the others, it sits in with an average rating of five stars, which is pretty impressive.
