The 5 best weighted blankets of 2024, tested and reviewed --[Reported by Umva mag]

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Imagine that feeling of being comforted by a deep, embracing hug; it slowly quiets your racing mind and lulls you into a gentle, restful sleep. For many people, the best weighted blankets do just that: the constant pressure helps ease insomnia and anxiety and provides a source of calm and comfort. Though only limited research currently supports such claims, weighted blankets are extremely popular, and in our own subjective experience, they work.

We have a decade of combined experience testing bedding products, including weighted blankets. For this guide, we put 14 of the most popular weighted blankets through several objective tests and slept with each for at least three consecutive nights. 

Our top pick is the Bearaby Napper, an incredibly comfortable weighted throw attractive enough to display on your bed or couch. For a less expensive option, the Luna Luxe Cotton Weighted Blanket is durable, comfortable, and comes in various colors and weights. 

Learn more about how Business Insider Reviews tests and researches home products.

Our top picks for weighted blankets

Best overall: Bearaby Napper - See at Bearaby

Best budget: Luna Luxe Cotton Weighted Blanket - See at Luna

Best cooling: Baloo Weighted Comforter- See at Amazon

Best comforter: HomeSmart Products King Size Weighted Blanket - See at Amazon

Best heated: Pure Enrichment WeightedWarmth Weighted Throw Blanket - See at Walmart

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Best overall

The weight of the Bearaby Napper comes entirely from the dense organic cotton strands hand-knit into one of the most aesthetically-minded weighted blankets we've seen. It's available in six colors and four weights ranging from 10 to 25 pounds.

This is a hefty blanket. We originally tested the 15-pound version, which tipped the scales at 24 pounds. We contacted the company to verify that they sent the correct item, and they assured us they did. We recently retested the 15-pound Napper and the 25-pound Napper. The 25-pounder was accurate, but the 15-pounder was a little off at 18 pounds.

A heavy and bulky blanket can be tough to shift around, and if it's going to live on your couch, it will take up quite a bit of space. We moved it to the bed. The blanket is designed for one, but we found it drapes nicely over two people. Bearaby also offers a six or eight-pound child's size, the Nappling, and a 25-pound design to fit queen and king-sized beds. 

Despite its cotton construction, it's not quite a cooling blanket — Bearaby does offer one called the Tree Napper, which is made with TENCEL as well as a cozy velvet offering— but it doesn't trap heat thanks to the open weave. The holes are pretty large, though, so if you are bothered by some toes or fingers poking through, you might want to look elsewhere. The open weave also makes it prone to stretching if you need to pull it up. It hasn't become misshapen in any significant way, thankfully. 

The Napper is machine washable and can go in the dryer in a delicate setting. We wanted to see how the blanket washed and dried, but it didn't fit in a space-saving apartment-sized washing machine.

Read our full Bearaby Napper review. 

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Best budget

Weighted blankets tend to be very expensive, but Luna offers an excellent weighted blanket at an affordable price.

We tested the 15-pound queen-size blanket, and the glass beads inside were barely noticeable, producing no beanbag effect. Unlike many other cheap weighted blankets, which are loaded with chemicals, the Luna Luxe Cotton Weighted Blanket is Oeko-Tex-certified to be free of harmful materials.

The blanket is much thinner than some of the others we tested. It stayed breathable and was light enough to adjust easily. It wasn't as cozy as others, but it's a great option to layer with your usual comforter or use during the warmer months.

As we've continued to test these blankets, the Luna has become a travel-sized weighted blanket for when we're on the go. We wouldn't recommend taking it on an airplane — it's a bit bulky for that — but the Luna is thin enough for a road trip. 

According to our scale, the blanket was a true 15 pounds, but that weight was dispersed over a queen-size surface area, making it feel lighter. 

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Best cooling

If you sleep warm or simply want a weighted blanket option that doesn't contribute to your overheating, a weighted blanket that emphasizes breathable materials will become your new favorite. 

The Baloo Weighted Comforter is OEKO-TEX® certified with a cotton shell filled with lead-free glass beads for weight.  The blanket is sustainably made of all-natural materials, with no polyester in sight. Baloo aims to be "carbon neutral and ocean positive" by partnering with Sustainable Surf to support reforestation projects. It backs the comforter with a lifetime warranty.

The comforter is just outstanding to sleep under. We tested the full/queen in 20 pounds, which weighed closer to 22 pounds. At 84 inches by 81 inches by our measure, it was large enough to cover our 6-foot-tall tester completely. While sleeping with the Baloo Weighted Comforter, we experienced excellent sleep quality, with minimal restless moments. It kept us cool through the night, despite a tendency to overheat.

The Baloo Weighted Comforter features loops for a duvet cover. Or, you can forego the cover and just wash the entire blanket when it gets dirty. We didn't notice any degradation in the blanket after washing it.

While pricey, we think the Baloo comforter is an excellent option, considering its eco-friendly credentials and breathable nature. We just wish it was available in more colors. Baloo, however, does offer a blanket-sized version, too. Pay attention to measurements, though, as while the blanket version is available in full/queen and king sizes, these models simply cover the top of the bed instead of draping like a comforter. 

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Best comforter

 

If you don't want to sleep under a stack of blankets or compromise your bedroom's look, you'll want a weighted comforter, and Homesmart Products makes oversized queen and king weighted comforters in various weights up to 50 pounds. 

At 88 inches by 104 inches, it's also an ideal blanket for couples who want to enjoy the comfort of a weighted blanket without sacrificing intimacy. They even offer a unique split-weight version that we haven't seen anywhere else. 

The HomeSmart blanket features micro glass beads sewn into 5-by-5-inch pockets to distribute the weight evenly. The blanket is machine washable and dryable. We've washed it several times over the last two-and-a-half years and found it an effortless endeavor. If you want to add a duvet cover, the blanket has 10 loops for tying one on.

We tested the 15-pound and 25-pound comforters and enjoyed both, though the 25-pound was almost too restrictive. We prefer the 15-pounder, but since testing, 20 pounds seems to be the lightest weight available. Thanks to its breathability, it's a great year-round blanket, but it's not necessarily fluffy like a traditional comforter.

The HomeSmart Weighted Blanket isn't without its flaws. After 18 months of use, the 25-pound blanket started to leak beads, likely because one of our pets had worked a hole into it. We tried to contact customer service but couldn't get ahold of anyone.

Read our full HomeSmart King-Size Weighted Blanket review.

Best heated

Weighted blankets are great for that hygge experience, but when you add heat, you take the coziness to a whole new level. The brand that makes the best electric blanket in our guide also makes the best heated weighted blanket. The Pure Enrichment WeightedWarmth Weighted Throw Blanket was the one we kept reaching for on cold winter nights. In fact, reporter James Brains's wife loved this weighted heated blanket so much she didn't want to give it back to him to test.

At 52 inches by 60 inches, it's a little bit too small to cover most people completely, but it got the job done while lounging and watching Ted Lasso. For antsy individuals who like to move around, the Pure Enrichment heated weighted blanket kept us nestled underneath. The micromink and sherpa sides were both comfortable, though we prefer the sherpa side's plush comfort.

The Pure Enrichment WeightedWarmth blanket has four heat settings: warm, low, medium, and high, my favorite setting reaching 105 degrees Fahrenheit quickly. The 9-foot cord is long enough to reach electrical outlets without needing an extension cord or sacrificing comfort. After two hours, the blanket automatically shuts off.

It relies on glass beads for its weight and tips the scales at 13 pounds, which we found was sufficient for its size. We also like the five-year warranty.

The biggest negative is the care instructions, which are so long and detailed that they require a 6-inch-by-6-inch explainer sown into the blanket. For cleaning details, see the Specifics box above.

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What to look for in a weighted blanket

Here are the main factors to consider when shopping for a weighted blanket:

Weight: Select a blanket that's roughly 10% of your body weight. You should be able to move freely under the blanket if you can't, choose a lighter weight. You'll likely want something heavier if you share a weighted blanket with a partner. 

Size: If you're sharing a blanket with a partner with a similar body weight, you'll want a weighted blanket that covers your entire bed. If you and your partner are very different weights, consider two smaller separate blankets in a throw or twin size. Remember that a 15-pound throw blanket feels much heavier than a 15-pound comforter since a larger blanket distributes its weight over a larger surface area. 

Material: Weighted blankets are available in various materials, from cotton and Tencel to microfiber or polyester. Depending on whether you want a blanket with a more breathable design or something cozier, consider the outer fabric. Some comforter-sized designs are also designed to be used with duvet covers or may even come with their own, in which case, designs with loops will make it easy to add a cover of your choice. 

Fill type: Besides considering weight, size, and outer material, the inner fill is important. Weighted blankets rely on micro glass beads, plastic pellets, or steel shot beads, or, like in the case of Bearaby's knit design, the weight of its fabric. We don't prefer one fill over another regarding function, but steel and glass are generally more sustainable than plastic. Ideally, the fill shouldn't shift too much within the blanket or create a lot of noise when shifting under the blanket. 

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How we test weighted blankets

Aside from the general coziness and comfort provided by each weighted blanket, we also evaluated material quality, value, weight options, and aesthetics. For example, a blanket that came in more color and weight options beat out a blanket of equal quality that came in fewer options. We also considered return policies, sleep trials, and how easy these blankets were to clean.

The following are three tests we ran each blanket through to assess general user experience:

Sleep test: One of us slept with each weighted blanket for at least three consecutive nights. We noted how well we slept overall and how the blanket regulated our sleep temperature. We also assessed how well the blanket stayed in place and how easy it was to adjust while lying under it. This test also included making the bed daily (hauling a weighted blanket is harder than it looks).

Wash test: We washed every machine-washable weighted blanket or cover at least once to ensure they held up well and didn't shrink, shed, or otherwise show signs of wear. We noted if the added weight made them more challenging to haul into and out of the washing machine. We also discovered that one of the machine-washable blankets was so bulky it didn't fit into the washing machine. For those blankets that weren't machine-washable, we noted the care instructions and factored that into the cons of the blanket.

Weight test: We wanted to ensure each blanket was the advertised weight. We stepped on the scale with and without the blanket to get an accurate reading. The difference in weight gave us the blanket's weight. We then noted any discrepancies in the advertised weight versus the actual weight.

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Weighted blanket FAQs

Which weighted blanket is the best?

"It's hard for the one-size-fits-all approach because we're all just so unique and have different physiologies," said Rebecca Robbins, sleep researcher, author, and instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School. She suggests looking for brands with sleep trials or buyer-friendly return policies so you can test them.

How often should I wash my weighted blanket?

Brian Sansoni, Senior Vice President at the American Cleaning Institute, recommends treating weighted blankets like any comforter, washing them once or twice a year if they have a cover. If they don't have a removable cover, clean the entire blanket roughly once a month.

Are weighted blankets good for anxiety?

In theory, the answer is yes. However, no randomized clinical trials can speak to the efficacy of weighted blankets in treating anxiety since it would be obvious to participants whether or not they were using a weighted blanket.

The theory is that weighted blankets help reduce some anxiety symptoms, like quickened breathing or heart rate, by easing your autonomic nervous system. 

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