It comes in multiple colors, including Red, Beige and Chocolate, and in mattress sizes ranging from Twin to California King. A quality heated blanket can be your favorite snuggle buddy all winter long. From romantic movie marathons on a super cozy couch to curling up with your new favorite book in bed, electric blankets are a must-have for staying warm during all kinds of cold winter weather. These top-tested picks will not only heat your bed but provide much-needed comfort with soft, plush fabric that you’ll love being wrapped up in all day.
The system also employs patented carbon-based polymer Positive Temperature Coefficient sensing capability to provide more uniform heat. With home heating costs on the rise and a move toward preserving natural resources, the low wattage of SoftHeat is an incredible boon to those looking to save money and energy. The Department of Energy estimates sunbeam heated blankets the average electric blanket to use 400 watts , and the low voltage SoftHeat blanket uses only 73 watts according to our test. In the end, the Sunbeam should be an affordable option for those who want a lower-heat electric blanket to pair with other bedding, but those who something very hot or cozy might want to look elsewhere.
Once you turn on your blanket and choose your heat level, electricity flows through internal wires that run evenly throughout your blanket. The wires inside many of the electric blankets monitor temperature and auto-adjust throughout the night to maintain even warmth throughout your bedding. However, a lot of electric blankets have thin wires, high price tags, and bad heating, so we set out to find which ones are worth it. After weeks of research and testing, we found that Sunbeam Velvet Plush Cozy Feet is the best electric blanket you can buy.
Close behind in ranking for the highest temperature were the Serta and SoftHeat blankets, at 105.8 and 105.7 degrees respectively. The Sunbeam Olive Sherpa & Mink blanket ran at the lowest temperature setting, with a high of 85.4 degrees. On its highest setting), but you do experience warmth once you are wrapped up in its cozy softness. The one-person blanket measures 50 by 60 inches and is perfect for use on the bed or couch. And because it comes in festive red, green, and champagne, this throw will look particularly cute for the holiday season — but it won’t look out of place if you leave it out all year round.
This metric’s winners are the Bedsure and the Serta Super Soft Heated. Both of these blankets have a nice soft microfleece on one side and a cozy sherpa fleece on the other. Having two side options adds a nice weight and conceals the heating cords, making them cozy with or without being heated. Two things set this blanket back, the heating wires and the maximum temperature. While the fabric is comfortable, the wires running throughout the blanket are noticeable and can take away from the experience. Then we have the temperature range, which maxed out at 84˚ and is what most blankets experience on the medium setting.
The Sunbeam Microplush Heated Throw’s polyester material is soft, but low quality and without the heating element on, it’s not very warm. With an MSRP of $80, the Sunbeam Reversible Heated Throw Blanket is one of the more affordable options on the market, but given its performance, we wouldn’t say it’s worth its full price. Unfortunately, after testing a few different heated blankets, we found that uneven and insufficient heating was a downfall of many models. So if you are set on buying one, don’t spend a lot of money on a potentially unreliable product.
Mattress pads are also easier to use safely because they lie flat and don’t bunch or fold , which could cause overheating. But blankets are better if you already have a specific mattress topper that you love or you don’t want to add extra padding to your mattress. If you use heated bedding only occasionally, it’s also easier to swap in an electric blanket than it is to change the mattress pad. This design is available in four neutral shades and in twin, full, queen, and king sizes to complement your bedding. This blanket from Perfect Fit features ultra-thin wires that are evenly spaced 3 inches apart throughout the blanket to prevent cold spots.
Additionally, the wires inside this blanket were very stiff—you can feel them immediately when you lie under it, and they made the blanket difficult to fold. How to shop for an electric blanketWhen shopping for an electric blanket, there are several features that our experts recommended considering. Avoid putting anything on top of the electric blanket when it’s in use, including other blankets or pets. “When we first get up, our muscles are very stiff, especially as it gets colder,” Urban explained. If you have arthritis pain in your joints, hips, legs and/or back, he recommended structuring your wake-up routine around laying in bed for about 20 minutes with the heated blanket on before getting up.
Since it has many of the same options as the Sunbeam Sherpa Mink throw, such as an easy-to-use controller and three-hour auto-shut-off, it offers plenty of bang for your buck. The Tefici has three heat settings, and it took 5 minutes to reach the low setting, which hovered between 74-78F, and another 10 minutes to hit the highest temperature, a very toasty 105F. The Tefici comes in a larger size — 84×62″ — which could easily fit a twin or full-size bed. The description of this throw is “flannel,” but it’s really micro-plush and is very soft to the touch. The plush is thick enough on both sides so the heating wires, spaced at 3.25″ apart, are barely noticeable to the touch.
We used setting 3, 6, and then 10/High for our controller settings. We used the standard deviation to determine even heating of the blanket. The Woomer Electric Heated Throw is a great middle layer to go in between sunbeam heated blankets you and your comforter in bed. It is soft and thin, allowing it to fit under the comforter on your bed without adding any bulk, and the 4-hour auto-off timer means no rolling over half awake to ensure it’s off.