Size: 125 x 180 cm in 6kg weight (13.2lb) - ideal for child on single size bed, or for use on a sofa, couch or settee. Medical experts suggest a blanket between 7-12% of your body weight Start by reading the care label. Then, according to the instructions, soak your weighted blanket in a tub filled with cold or lukewarm water and mild detergent for 15 minutes. Then, rinse and repeat until you're left with nothing but clean water. Or, wash your blanket in a machine. Another option is to have one placed on top of a lighter tog duvet, so you can easily remove one or the other as needed. In the winter, both together has the additional benefit of warmth and weight to help encourage a good night’s sleep. The verdict: Weighted blankets Prior to Simba's blanket entering our lives, we'd regularly wake up our partner with tiny movements like rearranging the covers or scratching our nose (yes, this actually happened).

So what have you got to lose? Why not give our Slumber Weighted Blanket a try just like Sharlee and see the benefits for yourself. Lastly, since the weighted blanket is going to be snug against your skin, it needs to have decent temperature regulation. After all, few weighted blankets are going to help you keep your cool if you're melting under there! What's the best cover material? All in all, we're big fans of the Simba Orbit blanket and are even considering getting one as a gift for a light-sleeping relative.

The best weighted blankets for 2023 are:

Lastly, be mindful of how you layer your weighted blankets during colder months. If the weighted blanket is breathable, you can cover yourself with the weighted blanket and then throw on a duvet on top. However, if the cover is a bit more stuffy, you can do it the other way around and rely on the duvet cover instead. According to research, applying “firm, but gentle” pressure, otherwise known as deep touch pressure, stimulates our body's parasympathetic system. Washable weighted blankets are the ones filled with glass beads, poly pellets, steel shot beads, or the ones entirely made from organic cotton. You can wash any of these by hand or in a washing machine (provided that they fit). Also, if they come with a removable cover – you can wash the cover in a washing machine, as well. We might not buy a weighted blanket with the chief criteria being looks, but if we’re to happily use it often, it must suit the interiors of our home and match our tastes. If grey is your thing, most of the weighted blanket market has you covered, but for those who love a bit of colour or prints, Karmara is the brand for you. Something we especially liked about the Baloo weighted comforter is its 100 per cent cotton exterior and interior and that it’s made with only natural and chemical-free materials. The result is a breathable, super-soft blanket that helps you adapt to changing temperatures for a comfortable night’s sleep.

But there are also more expensive ones like those from Simba and John Lewis. Where to buy weighted blankets? The cotton is super-soft next to the skin and breathable for ultimate comfort, which our tester found helped them sleep much better than without the blanket. And we particularly like that this weighted blanket works just as well draped over the bed as it does in the living room on a chair or sofa. The design is gorgeous and comes in a range of colours, including a berry red, green, grey and blue. We were also impressed by the ethical production process that ensures every worker at each stage is paid a fair wage. When looking for a weighted blanket, it’s important to know which features to look for. It’s not enough just to buy the first weighted blanket you come across. Many important features make up a good weighted blanket – like the weight, the material, how breathable it is etc.

Do weighted blankets work?

Weighted blankets tend to come at various weight points. And some weighted blankets have only one weight option. And, as a general rule of thumb, you don't want to overdo it and get a weighted blanket that's too heavy for your build. However many women aged over 60 recognise that the quality of their sleep has been reduced, and they are trying more ways to try and fix this, so they can sleep better and get the rest their bodies need. Henderson recommends practising deep belly breathing when using a weighted blanket, to help activate our “rest and digest” response. “The mind’s focus is then on the sensation of the blanket and the breath, not any thoughts that had been racing beforehand, meaning it can also be used as a mindfulness tool when used in this way,” she explains. What is the science behind weighted blankets?