Yahoo News 10 best electric blankets to keep you warm through the winter
There was a time when heated blankets were the sort of thing you imagined your grandparents having.
But now everyone who feels the cold wants a slice of the action – and who can blame them when you can get everything from 200-thread-count cotton to faux fur options to pop under your bottom sheet.
Plus – and this is probably the most exciting development – there are now oodles of over-blankets, many of which look and feel so good that they’re just as handy for your living area as the bedroom.
Besides deciding whether you want an under or over blanket, think about which features you want.
You can keep some on all night; others turn off automatically after a set time. How many heat settings do you want? Do you need dual controls? Would you like a blanket that responds to your body temperature? And how important is it to be able to bung it in the washing machine and tumble dryer?
We’ve had some seriously toasty nights testing the best of them, taking into consideration everything from how quickly they heat up to whether they live up to the features they promise. We also took into consideration how comfy they were, how easy they were to attach to the bed and how well they washed.
You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. The revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.
Dreamland Boutique hotel mattress protector: From £69.99, John Lewis & Partners
This is the latest electric blanket from Dreamland, with a 200-thread-count cotton percale ensuring it feels particularly luxurious. The elasticated skirt is extra-deep, so fitting it over the mattress is quick and easy, and it’s sumptuously thick yet breathable, so it keeps you as cool in summer as it does warm in winter, responding to your temperature while you sleep and helping to protect your mattress. It comes with dual controls and a “ready for bed” pre-heat button to warm it up in five minutes. It’s machine washable and tumble dryer safe. Available in single up to super king.
Slumberdown perfectly warm luxury electric blanket: From £49.99, Argos
The extra fleece layer on this machine-washable and tumble dry-able blanket is a stand out point. Despite the extra thickness, the corner straps secure it to the mattress without it pinging off every time you go to change the sheets (a common bugbear) and we also like the fact that you can heat up either your whole body or just your feet. The sensor responds to the room temperature and you can keep it on all night, although there’s shut off if you prefer. Plus, there’s a whopping nine settings. But it takes 15 minutes to heat up – longer than others – and it doesn’t seem to get quite as hot.
Relaxwell luxury heated throw: £49.99, John Lewis & Partners
This microfleece throw comes in black, grey and teal, and can double up in the lounge and the bedroom. It’s soft, lightweight and surprisingly large at 120cm by 160cm. It has six settings, and responds to changes in temperature, making sure you don’t get too hot and reducing energy consumption. It costs from 1p per use and reaches the required temperature in just five minutes. It’s machine washable at 40C. You can also tumble dry it on a low setting.
Dreamland intelliheat Sherpa over blanket: £79.99, Dreamland
This is a great investment if you prefer your heat source to be over, rather than under you – handy if you get too hot as you can just toss it aside, although that’s unlikely to happen due to the intelligent heating system which responds to your body temperature. You can keep it on top of your bed or slot it inside your duvet cover, making it versatile, and both sides of the blanket are soft to the touch – one is velvet, the other Sherpa, so called due to its likeness to the wool-lined clothing worn by the Sherpa people of Nepal. Also, the neutral colour means it suits most decor.
Beurer allergy free heated mattress cover: From £58.63, Amazon
This is our top recommendation for those with allergies, asthma or sensitive skin as it has a heat setting that protects against house dust mites (and their eggs), bacteria and mould. The cotton is breathable, making this particularly good for using all year round. It’s comfortable to sleep on, too – although it’s not as deep quilted as some. It stays securely on the bed, thanks to the deep elasticated skirt. It warms up in eight minutes, has six temperature sets and turns off automatically after one, three, six or even 12 hours. Available in single up to super king.
Lakeland velvety electric heated throw: £79.99, Lakeland
Another electric blanket that you can drape over you, this one works just as well for sitting in front of the telly as it does on a bed. It’s available in a soft grey, although we prefer this rustic, country-house style of grey and red check. The strokeable soft fleece is dreamsville for when you’re feeling tired and in need of cosiness and the controls allow you to tailor it precisely to your level of coldness, using the six heat settings which include a “ready for bed” fast preheat setting that means it’s pleasantly hot within five minutes. The auto shut-off can be set to either one or nine hours.
Lloytron superior under blanket: From £26.99, Amazon
This is one of the cheapest electric blankets in our round-up. It heats up in 15 minutes, has three settings and there are dual controls for the double version. The thin wires mean you that can’t feel them when you lie down (a common flaw of other cheaper blankets). It doesn’t get as hot as some blankets, the ties can be a bit fiddly and it’s not machine washable, but it’s great value for money. Available from single to king.
Relaxwell leopard print faux fur heated throw: £119.99, Lakeland
Aesthetically, this has the ultimate wow factor thanks to the leopard print which is great to cuddle up with. It warms up in five minutes, has six heat settings and turns off automatically. It’s machine washable and can go in the tumble dryer, so you can keep it clean with ease and the storage bag means you can put it away in the summer months without it collecting dust. One for the top of a bed or wrapping yourself up in on the sofa, it will do either (or both) your sitting room or bedroom proud.
Lakeland luxury fleece fitted electric blanket: From £59.99, Lakeland
This is a great all-rounder. It takes five minutes to heat up, has six heat settings, offers graduated foot warmth, has dual controls and feels well made. You might even find that you only need to warm the bed up, then turn it off when you get in, as the fleecy cover retains heat really well. There are no annoying tapes as it fits over the whole mattress (including over a mattress topper, if needs be). We imagine it would last many years. Available in single to king.
Dreamland intelliheat harmony dual control heated over blanket: From £59.99, Dreamland
You can drape this satin-trimmed blanket over your bed or slot it inside your duvet cover. It responds to your body temperature, so there’s no need to worry about getting too hot, and it works well if you have memory-foam mattresses that already do the job of keeping you warm underneath. This one is thicker than previous versions, has dual controls and if you have an unusual sized bed, it’s ideal because it can simply drape over. Available from single to king.
The verdict: Electric blankets
The Dreamland boutique hotel mattress protector ticked all our boxes, and some. It’s comfy, warm, quick, intuitive and versatile. But for a fabulous over blanket, we love Lakeland’s leopard print faux fur heated throw.
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