Do you struggle to fall asleep at night, even though you’re exhausted? Do you live alone and find yourself missing human contact? Do you deal with the struggles that come with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), anxiety, or autism? If so, a weighted blanket is very important, because it can help with all of these issues.
Weighted blankets provide at-home deep pressure therapy, which stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the part of our nervous system that helps us calm down. It lowers heart rate, blood pressure and breathing to give us an overall sense of calm. If you find yourself getting stressed before bed, then a weighted blanket is a great way to remind your body that you are safe and it’s time to sleep.
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The Gravity Blanket is a weighted blanket that is built to last. It comes with an inner blanket that is filled with glass beads divided into quilted squares so the weight always stays evenly distributed, plus a super soft microfiber duvet cover that zips over the inner blanket for ultimate comfort and washability.
Reason to Buy: Holds up to all kinds of wear and tear
The Bearaby Napper is not like other weighted blankets. There are no plastic pellets, no glass beads, only layer upon layer of organic cotton, woven into a beautiful, breathable, machine washable blanket with up to 25 pounds of weight.
Reason to Buy: Same deep pressure, classier design
In your search for a weighted blanket, you’ve likely come across products that cost upwards of several hundred dollars. While we love many of these blankets (and even included some of them on this list) we understand that they aren’t exactly budget-friendly. The Helix Weighted Blanket, coming in at under $100 for the 10 lb option, does a good job of alleviating anxiety and comforting sleepers at a price that’s much easier to stomach.
Reason to Buy: Comfort that won’t break the bank
You may be concerned that the heaviness of a weighted blanket will interfere with your ability to stay cool at night, in which case you should consider the GhostBed Weighted Blanket. The TENCEL cover of the GhostBed is cool to the touch and the glass microbeads that make up the fill don’t trap heat like some other weighted blanket materials do.
Reason to Buy: Keeps you chill all throughout the night
The Casper Weighted Blanket can only be purchased in one size: 50”x70”. Roughly the dimensions of an average throw blanket, the Casper is a great option for sleepers looking to take an afternoon nap on the couch or add some extra weight to just their side of the comforter at night.
Reason to Buy: Big comfort in a small package
Unlike traditional comforters, it might be difficult for you to find a weighted blanket in the exact size that you need. The Hush Weighted Blanket, on the other hand, comes in Twin, Queen, and King. This makes it a good option for your child, yourself, or you and your partner. Nothing says comfort like snuggling up with a loved one under a nice, big weighted blanket.
Reason to Buy: King size option means maximum coverage for couples
The nice thing about weighted blankets is that anyone can use them. We all experience anxiety and insomnia from time to time, and weighted blankets can help with those things. Generally, people who are claustrophobic (afraid of small spaces) tend to dislike weighted blankets, but otherwise, most people can get a lot of pleasure out of a weighted blanket.
That being said, weighted blankets tend to be especially useful for people with issues regulating their nervous system. This includes people with ADHD, anxiety and autism spectrum disorders. People with these issues typically experience sensory sensitivities, emotional dysregulation, and trouble relaxing. A weighted blanket isn’t a cure, but it can be a very helpful tool for self-regulation and relaxation. Take a look at our article on mental health and sleep for a more comprehensive overview on how they’re related.
Related: Sleep and Anxiety
Weighted blankets are more than just heavy blankets. They are made from specific materials that give them the best weight and weight distribution for sensory relief. Below, you’ll find a quick summary of the various materials commonly used in weighted blankets so you can decide which is the best option for you.
Plastic Beads: Most weighted blankets are filled with very small pellets or microbeads which give the blanket its heft. Blankets filled with plastic beads (sometimes called poly pellets) have several pros and cons to consider. Plastic beads are safe, cost-effective, and machine washable, but they tend to clump, and people who are especially sensitive to texture or noise may dislike them (you can hear plastic beads rub together if the blanket is close to your ear).
Glass Beads: Like plastic beads, glass beads are safe and machine-washable, but the resemblance stops there. Glass beads are heavier than plastic ones, which means you need fewer of them to make your blanket the same weight. That means weighted blankets with glass beads tend to be thinner and less bulky. Glass beads are also hypoallergenic and typically cause fewer sensory issues than the plastic beads, but they are definitely more expensive.
Additional Fabric: Most weighted blankets come with additional fabric on the inside for padding, but a few weighted blankets get all of their heft from extra fabric. The Bearaby Cotton Napper is the only weighted blanket on this list that gets all of its weight from fabric instead of beads. Layers of cotton are woven together until there’s enough weight for proper deep pressure therapy. These blankets are ideal for people who dislike the feeling of beads inside their blanket, but they can be quite pricey.
Material is obviously an important factor to consider when buying a weighted blanket, but there are several other factors you should consider as well. Do you want a weighted throw blanket, or a weighted comforter? How do you know how heavy your blanket should be? What’s a reasonable price to pay for a weighted blanket? Let’s find out.
After material, weight is probably the most important aspect of your weighted blanket. You want enough weight to cause pressure stimulation and engage your parasympathetic nervous system, but not so much weight that you feel smothered. Some of the most common weights include a 10-pound blanket, a 15-pound blanket, and a 20-pound blanket. Some brands offer a few other options as well, like a 6-pound blanket or a 25-pound blanket.
So which one is right for you? The general rule of thumb is that your weighted blanket should be 10% of your body weight, plus an additional pound of two. So for instance, if you weigh 225 pounds, then the 25-pound blanket is probably the best option for you.
Once you know how much your blanket should weigh, you need to decide how big you want it to be. Some weighted blankets are throw blankets, meant to cover just one person at a time, while others are queen or king size comforters and can cover two people at a time. There are benefits to both sizes and at the end of the day, it all depends on what you want from your weighted blanket.
A single-person weighted blanket provides more pressure stimulation because the weight is focused on a smaller area. If your weighted blanket is primarily therapeutic, then a single-person blanket is probably best. If you are looking for better, more restful sleep, then a comforter-sized weighted blanket may be best. This way, the blanket covers the whole bed so you can shift throughout the night without getting tangled up in a single-person blanket. Because the blanket is larger, the weight has to be distributed over a larger area, so you may want a heavier blanket if you decide to buy a comforter-size weighted blanket.
Blankets can get messy, whether it’s from drool or spilled coffee, so washability is an important factor to consider when buying a weighted blanket. Most blankets that are filled with poly pellets or glass beads can be machine washed and dried, as long as they are small enough to actually fit in your washer and dryer.
Some weighted blankets have a removable cover that you can take off and wash separately, while the weighted part of the blanket is dry clean only. Other weighted blankets are spot clean or dry clean only. Whatever your blanket’s washability, it’s important to know before purchasing.
If you’re interested in keeping your whole sleeping area tidy, check out our mattress cleaning guide.
One of the only downsides to weighted blankets is the heat. The added weight typically adds to the blanket’s warmth, and if you’re already a hot sleeper, it can be a real problem. One way to counteract this is with highly breathable materials like 100% cotton, tencel or bamboo. These fabrics aren’t always as soft as other common blanket materials, like fleece or sherpa, but what they lack in softness, they make up for in breathability. Another way to improve breathability is to look for materials with lower thread counts. Typically higher thread count materials are softer, but they’re also less breathable. If heat is your top concern, the lower thread count is probably worth it.
If breathability is a big concern of yours, you could also check out our article specifically covering the best cooling weighted blankets, or, our lists of the best cooling pillows and best cooling sheets if you’re looking to give your mattress a complete makeover.
Finally, make sure you take price into consideration before you get your heart set on one blanket. Weighted blankets can vary widely in price because of differences in size, weight, materials, and manufacturing costs. Some blankets are sourced and made entirely in the United States, which is typically more expensive than making a blanket in another country and shipping it to the United States.
We suggest checking out the prices of some of our top picks listed above and getting a sense for what a decent weighted blanket actually costs. Then, determine how much you want to spend on your own weighted blanket and find the option that meets your needs without blowing your budget.
And, while we’re on the topic of budget, consider checking out our article on the best affordable mattresses. There are plenty of great options out there that can really improve your sleep experience for a very reasonable price.
Weighted blankets are more than just heavy blankets. They’re carefully constructed to stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system and help you relax. This is useful for everything from getting a better night’s sleep to coping with anxiety, ADHD, and autism. If you’ve been struggling to get a deep, stress-free night’s rest, you might do well to try out one of our favorite weighted blankets.
