These are not necessarily “cuddly” blankets - and you wouldn’t necessarily cosy up in one to watch a movie or read a book. Lastly, cost will inevitably come into your decision making process. Some weighted blankets have very high RRPs but we regularly see them discounted, so if there’s a pricey one that takes your fancy, it’s always worth a look to see if it’s on sale. How we tested the best weighted blankets They can help reduce anxiety and provide a sense of comfort, which is essential for a variety of procedures. You may be able to tumble dry some weighted blankets at low temperatures, but it’s always best to air dry them to avoid damaging the fabric or fill. ☀️

The pressure of the blanket on the body has a calming effect, helping people relax and drift off to sleep. The Aeyla Weighted Blanket is even available in a few weight options to suit a wider variety of sleepers. Be sure to choose a fabric that is comfortable and breathable, especially if you’re looking for a cooling weighted blanket, as you don’t want to get too hot while sleeping. ❄️ If you are looking for a way to ease your osteoarthritis symptoms, a weighted blanket may be worth a try. Medical procedures

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Curious about how the pod feels when on, we came across one comment that read, “ Let me start off by saying that this thing is soooooo soft. The best thing I can compare it to would be a pair of luxurious leggings. It has a lot of stretch and give to it.” It’s important for a product like this to be soft, can you imagine if it wasn’t? Helen tested four of these blankets in her own home. She tried sleeping with each one and also sat with them covering her on the sofa to get an understanding of how they felt in real life scenarios, like a cosy evening in watching TV. Existing data on the benefits of weighted blankets in healthy adults is limited. Still, one study has found that when using a weighted blanket, 60% of patients fell asleep faster, 40% of patients slept longer, 50% of patients had increased sleep efficacy, and 40% of participants snored less (Stevens & Roby, 2019). Some weighted blankets are made with delicate materials like silk or cashmere and can only be dry-cleaned.

The blanket itself is 150cm x 200cm meaning that it’s ideal for one person and although it only comes in light grey, it will definitely match most bedrooms. It also only comes in one size at 7kg. Given that a weighted blanket is meant to be 10% of your body weight, this will suit most people but not all. Even with a silkier feeling material, the Emma Hug doesn’t ever feel like it will slip off the bed overnight and the weight keeps things in place nicely. The tiny beads means the blanket really feels like it moulds to your body and just stays there comfortably. And while it is warm enough standalone, it’s just as cosy to pop the Hug over your regular duvet for an even more snuggly experience. For the washable blankets she machine washed them as per the care instructions to see how they fared in the washing machine and how easy they were to get dry afterwards.

What is a weighted blanket?

As the second most expensive weighted blanket on this list, the Simba Orbit feels very good quality. It’s about the size of a single duvet and only comes in one weight. But, unlike the pricier blanket from Emma, this one comes with a removable cover included. Emma's partnered with One Tree Planted and has vowed to offset its carbon footprint by planting a tree for every product sold. As we’ve seen above, your blanket should be about ten per cent of your body weight, and you can get weighted blanket options ranging from 2 kg up to 10 kg. The Sleep Pod Move is the brand’s newer model, so we decided to take a closer look at its comments section.

In terms of the difference the Move makes for sleep, one buyer wrote, “ I have one of these and I love it! I often feel anxious for no reason, but using this sleep pod has made all the difference in my ability to fall and stay asleep.” Chen, H.-Y., Yang, H., Chi, H.-J., & Chen, H.-M. (2013). Physiological Effects of Deep Touch Pressure on Anxiety. Journal of Medical and Biological Engineering, 463-470.

The Emma Hug weighted blanket features seven layers and a unique pressure-dispersing design to help give you that much-needed "hug" after a stressful day. One of the challenges for autistic people is that they can be easily overwhelmed by stimuli like bright lights and loud noises. 🔦 Give the Sleep Pod 10 nights of sleep before you return it, sometimes, it can take a few nights for your body to adjust to the pressure

The Aeyla All-In-One Kids weighted blanket is specially designed for children with ADHD and autism.The standard size for weighted blankets in the UK, though, is the king size at 150 x 200 cm (59 x 78.7 inches). 🇬🇧 If you’re uncertain whether you can keep the blanket clean (say, if you have pets or small children), you can also opt for a weighted blanket with a removable cover. Weighted blankets may be helpful for some people, but for those with claustrophobia, they can do more harm than good. Some groups of people may need to find other ways to relax.