My husband and daughter gave me a weighted blanket for Christmas and it has changed my life. The warm, heavy cover feels like a warm hug and although I still wake up a few times a night, the comforting warmth and sheer weight of the blanket have prevented me from hopping out of bed – as I have a tendency to do – and have lulled me back to sleep in very little time. I knew weighted blankets could help you fall and stay asleep but I had no idea how well one would work for me.
I was so excited by this discovery, I told my friends and family and my brother and I bought two more, one for each of my parents. They were really intrigued by the weight of the box when they received it, and were surprised to find two, Sherpa-plush lined blankets inside. Although their sleep needs are very different, my father suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease and has been waking up in the middle of night, confused and anxious, while my mother’s anxiety is related to her husband and family’s well-being, the blankets satisfied their needs. My dad took to the soft, heavy blanket immediately and it had the promised calming effect on him. As for my mother, although it took her a few days to adjust to the extra weight, (it can take some people up to two weeks to get used to a weighted blanket) she has since grown to love it.
Weighted Blankets are great for adults and children who have problems with anxiety, insomnia, sleep deprivation or sensory processing disorders. They’re designed to weigh approximately 10% of the user’stotal body weight and relax by simulating the feeling of being held or hugged. They come in all a variety of colors, weights and fabrics and they’re generally made to cover one person.Your weighted blanket should be large enough to cover your body, not your bed. I fold mine up in the morning and stick it on the end of the bed, like a throw.
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Top 5 Weighted Blankets
Most Popular
The Quility Cotton Weighted Blanket with Removable Duvet Cover is a 100% cotton blanket that helps with relaxation and temperature control for better sleep. It’s ultra-breathable and comes with a soft duvet cover that is removable and machine washable.
Quility blankets contain millions of premium micro-glass beads that evenly distribute the weight to ensure they’re balanced for your comfort and tranquility. The blanket-duvet cover combo is available in six colors and in 13 different weights from 5 lbs-blankets (ideal for a child weighing between 40 and 70 pounds) to 30 lbs-blankets (good for adults weighing up to 300 lbs). If you’re looking for a blanket that’s soothing AND will go well with your current bedroom décor, this is an excellent choice.
Best Value
The Waowoo Adult Weighted Blanket Heavy Blanket with Premium Glass Beads is soft and comfortable and oh, so wonderfully heavy. Like most weighted blankets, its filled with glass beads that are spread out in little individual compartments to ensure they’re evenly distributed. The fabric is light and lets your skin breathe. It’s washable and can be used as is, or covered with a duvet. The Waowoo Adult Weighted Blanket is dark grey, so a duvet cover is definitely an option if grey’s not your thing. Keep in mind, you’ll need a duvet cover made especially for weighted blankets as they are sized differently than those for regular blankets. At $39.99 the Waowoo Weighted Blanket is a great value. It’s Amazon’s choice and was the one I asked for and received for Christmas. I love it, and often have to retrieve it from my daughter’s room or the living room sofa, it’s so popular with everyone in my household.
(A good duvet cover option for this blanket is the YnM Duvet Cover for Weighted Blankets. It comes in over 20 colors and interesting patterns.)
Softest
The BUZIO Sherpa weighted blanket doubles as a weighted blanket to support better and deeper sleep AND a Sherpa fleece blanket featuring an ultra-soft fleece top. Its plush Sherpa underside feels gentle and warmth and adds a luxurious, fluffy touch to your sleep. Sewn together with decorative edging, BUZIO Sherpa blankets tend to be more resistant to fade, stain, and wrinkles than cotton ones. The BUZIO comes in 8 different colors and can weigh as little as 5 lbs (for kids weighing between 40 and 70 pounds) and as much as 25 lbs (great for adults weighing up to 275 lbs). This is the blanket my brother and I bought two of, one for each of our parents.
Best Cooling
One of the things I love about my weighted blanket is the added warmth it provides. I tend to run cold so I like to be covered from head to toe and be extra warm when I sleep. But what if you, like my husband and daughter, tend to run hot? Do you really want to add 15 pounds (or more) of weighty (and cozy) goodness to the equation? Not likely.
Enter the WONAP Cooling Weighted Blanket. Made of 100% breathable Natural Bamboo fabric, it is designed to use all year-round. Thanks to its cooling and breathable fabric, it stabilizes your body temperature and helps you to sleep more comfortably all year round. So, while the cool touch of the bamboo blanket keeps you cool all night, you’ll still benefit from a deep and relaxing sleep and still feel comfortable, even during warm summer days.
Best for Kids
Although many of the top rated, weighted blankets are available in child-appropriate weights and sizes, they generally come in solid colors or practical. If you’re looking for something a bit more fun and whimsical, the Haowaner Minky Kids Weighted Blanket comes in eight different patterns and colors offering everything from space and dinosaurs to unicorns and deer. Customised for children between the ages of 4 to 15, Haowaner weighted blankets are proved to facilitate kids’ sleep with constant cuddle-like pressure, which will calm them down when they are overstimulated.
Didn’t find the pattern or color you had in mind? Check out the Sivio Weighted Blanket for Kids. The 100% breathable natural cotton blankets come in 15 different patterns and colors. They’re soft, machine washable and come in beautiful patterns – cars, tigers, dinosaurs, cats, leopard print and superheroes are just some of the fun designs offered.
How Heavy Should My Weighted Blanket Be?
In order to decide which blanket weight is right for you, multiply your body weight by 10% and add a pound. (Blanket weight = 10% x body weight + 1 pound.) If that seems too heavy, or not heavy enough, there is some leeway. A good rule of thumb is to aim for a blanket weight that is between 7% to 12% of your body weight.
| BLANKET WEIGHT | BODY WEIGHT |
| 3 lbs | 25-35 lbs |
| 5 lbs | 40-60 lbs |
| 7 lbs | 55-80 lbs |
| 8 lbs | 65-90 lbs |
| 10 lbs | 80-120 lbs |
| 12 lbs | 95-140 lbs |
| 15 lbs | 140-180 lbs |
| 17 lbs | 135-200 lbs |
| 20 lbs | 160-240 lbs |
| 25 lbs | 200-300 lbs |
| 30 lbs | 240-360 lbs |
If you are taller than 5’9”, you should choose a weighted blanket with a length over 80” long, otherwise the blanket may not be long enough to cover your feet. Also keep in mind that it can take anywhere from seven to 14 days to get used to a weighted blanket so if it feels a bit strange at first, don’t fret. It can take some getting used to. If you’re concerned you might not like the feeling of being weighed down, start off with a lighter weight.
And finally, weighted blankets are designed to be used by individuals for optimal weight distribution. Each member of a couple should use their own weighted blanket.
Have you tried sleeping with a weighted blanket? What did you think? Love or hate them?