The Best Electric Blankets – Top Picks and Buying Guide

Buying Guide - How to Buy an Electric Blanket

Many electric blankets today come with adjustable heat settings, so you can use them year round for a variety of needs and purposes. Whether you’re trying to save on your electric bill during cold winter nights, ease period pain, or simply enjoy a warm and toasty feel when you hop into bed, an electric blanket can help.

Fortunately, electric blankets are widely available at major retailers like Target or Walmart, manufacturer websites, and online marketplaces like Amazon. Depending on the size, features, and brand of your electric blanket, the cost will vary, but you can usually find a quality electric blanket between $50 to $150.

We’ve written this guide to help you choose your electric blanket. Learn how electric blankets work, their common design features and safety tips to consider, and view our top picks for the best-reviewed electric blankets of 2022.

How Do Electric Blankets Work?

Keeping a cool bedroom temperature is a critical ingredient for a good night’s sleep. However, if you live somewhere with cold winters, or have trouble sleeping in the cold, an electric blanket can help warm things up to a more comfortable temperature – and quickly at that.

Electric blankets use electricity to heat insulated wire that’s safely enmeshed in between the blanket’s fabric layers. The wire heats up, heating the surrounding fabric, which then warms you up more quickly than your body heat or regular bedding.

Thermoregulation

Humans experience thermoregulation, the process by which the body works to maintain an ideal temperature range. Your internal temperature can climb as high as 100.4 or sink as low as 96.8 over the course of the day. As long as the human body stays within this comfortable range, you’ll be able to achieve the best possible function during the day and rest more easily at night.

In the morning, your body raises its internal temperature to help energize you, making it easier to get things done. But as the day fades, it starts cooling down, preparing you for eventual sleep. Your body continues cooling even after you go to sleep, with your internal temperature hitting its lowest point just a few hours before you wake up.

It’s possible that due thermoregulatory dysfunction or simply having too cold a sleeping environment, you might struggle to experience the right level of warmth at bedtime that can let you sleep comfortably. An electric blanket might be useful for providing the right amount of warmth to keep you comfortable so you can sleep soundly.

Do Electric Blankets Raise Your Electric Bill?

No, quite the opposite. By using an electric blanket, you can save significantly on your electric bill. There’s less need to run the heat since you’ve got your own personal heating device in the bed with you. Many people find they can lower their central heat settings by as much as 10 degrees thanks to using an electric blanket.

Plus, most electric blankets tend to be made of plush microfleece and similar materials, which are designed to provide heat without even turning the electric part on! The wires inside electric blankets are thin and flexible, enabling the blanket to stay soft and feel like a regular blanket, so it’s comfortable to use whether it’s plugged in or not. The thinness of the wires also prevents burn damage while delivering maximum comfort and range in heat.

Can Heat From an Electric Blanket Interfere with Sleep?

Among other things, good sleep is predicated upon proper thermoregulation, referring to your body’s ability to regulate your body temperature. Our core body temperature is tied to our sleep-wake cycle, lowering at night as we tire for bedtime and rising in the morning to energize us for the day.

By maintaining a consistent body temperature while you sleep, your brain has one less thing to focus on, allowing you to enjoy restful sleep. However, temperature changes in your bedroom air, along with body heat from your sleep partner, can all impact your own body temperature. Proper bedding insulates you from these temperature disruptors. For some people, an electric blanket can be a helpful tool.

Are There Other Benefits to an Electric Blanket?

Like heating pads, electric blankets provide the additional benefit of soothing symptoms of menstrual cycles, arthritis, and fibromyalgia – all of which come with pain and discomfort that make it more difficult to relax sufficiently to fall asleep. By relieving the discomfort through the heat of your electric blanket, you can more easily fall asleep.

Who is an Electric Blanket Good For?

• People who have trouble staying warm when they sleep: If constantly feeling too cold wakes you up during the night, you should strongly consider investing in a good electric blanket. With the right temperature setting, the electric blanket allows you to stay just warm enough to drift off to sleep. It’s a very helpful product for anyone whose body struggles with thermoregulation.
• Couples with different temperature preferences: Electric blankets are a great way to avoid disagreements about room temperature settings. One person can sleep with the regular blanket while the other uses an electric blanket.
• People with painful conditions including arthritis, fibromyalgia and painful menstruation: Research shows that heat therapy can improve pain tolerance and relax muscles. Wrapping up in your electric blanket can provide some much-needed relief for those with chronic painful conditions.

Common Design Features of Electric Blankets

Like most things, electric blankets have come a long way since their introduction to the bedding market. They offer much more than a single on/off heat setting.

Below are a few of the innovative design features available with electric blankets today. If any particularly appeal to you, make sure to look out for them as you shop for your own electric blanket.

• Heat Settings: Electric blankets typically come with adjustable heat settings, meaning that you have a range of temperature options to choose from. With some models you can actually pre-program these settings, setting the blanket to warm up automatically during a set period before bedtime and automatically shutting off after a certain time to prevent you from waking up in a hot sweat.
• Composition: Electric blankets are typically made from polyester. This fabric is fire-resistant, comfortable, and also thick – key to insulating the coils and wires in the blanket so you don’t feel them scratching at your skin. The plug and controls are typically made from plastic. Some controllers feature a LCD display for easy reading and adjustments during the night.
• Cleaning: Your electric blanket will specify the care instructions. To clean your blanket, you’ll typically remove the plug and controls. The remaining fabric is often machine washable and can be tumble dried on the low heat setting.
• Size: Blankets are available in different sizes that match standard mattress sizes (twin, full, queen, and king). Electric blankets that queen-size and larger usually come with dual control settings so the blanket’s temperature can be adjusted for either side of the bed – perfect for those who share their bed with a partner who prefers a different temperature.
• Warranty: Most quality electric blankets come with a warranty, protecting your purchase. If the blanket burns within a certain time period, you may be able to return it for a refund.
• Low-Voltage Options: Electric blankets come in two main varieties: regular and low voltage. Both of these are designed to be completely safe, but low-voltage electric blankets are even safer and provide less drain on your electricity. However, they do take a bit longer to warm up.

Electric Blanket Safety

With electric blankets, it’s vital to understand how to use and care for them safely. Doing so will help you avoid unnecessary fires, electrocution. Always make sure to read and follow the directions carefully. Read on for answers to common questions about electric blanket safety.

Is an Electric Blanket Safe for Me?

Even when a blanket is working as expected, it can still get uncomfortably hot for the user. For this reason, electric blankets are not recommended for use by certain individuals because of the potential safety risk.

For example, people with diabetes can have reduced sensitivity in their limbs, so they may not recognize when the blanket is too hot for them and burns their skin. Pregnant women should also avoid using electric blankets. Finally, adults with dementia or mental disabilities, as well as young children, are not recommended users either. They may not understand how to adjust the settings properly and put themselves at risk of getting burned.

A possible workaround for these individuals is to place the blanket in the bed before they get in, warming it up, and then removing it before the person goes to bed.

Are Electric Blankets Safe for Pets?

Pets tend to run hotter than us, so avoid using your electric blanket if you share your bed with a pet. You also don’t want your puppy chewing it and exposing the wires.

Cleaning, Care, and Maintenance

Because you spend a little more on an electric blanket than a regular one, you’ll want to do what you can to make sure it lasts as long as possible. Proper treatment of the product will go a long way towards making that happen. In this section, you’ll learn about how to clean and care for your electric blanket and when it’s time to consider buying a new one.

How Do I Care for an Electric Blanket?

When you’re dealing with a heating device, proper care and use is of the utmost importance. Maintaining your electric blanket and following the care instructions is essential.

When using your blanket, don’t bunch hit up or fold it, as that can create hot spots. Always place it as the top layer of your bedding. Do not put pillows, sheets, or comforters on top of it – these can all add additional heat which can result in overheating and burns.

This is especially important if you sleep on a memory foam mattress. These mattresses are particularly sensitive to heat. The heat and pressure from your body is what enables them to contour so well, so avoid placing electric blankets directly on their mattress surface.

When storing the blanket, follow the same guidelines – do not place it under heavy objects as these can damage the wires. Always unplug your electric blanket and keep it turned off when not in use.

Can You Wash an Electric Blanket in the Washing Machine?

Not all electric blankets are machine washable, but most are. You’ll need to remove the plug and controllers before putting your blanket in the washing machine. Use the gentle setting on your washer and the low heat setting on your dryer.

Always review the washing and care instructions for your blanket to keep it in good shape.

When Should I Replace My Electric Blanket?

Brown spots on your blanket are tell-tale sign that it has burn damage. If you see these, stop using the blanket immediately and buy a replacement. Regularly check the cord and electric parts of the blanket for frays to ensure they have not incurred any damage as well.

Do not buy a used blanket, and avoid using the blanket at its maximum setting to keep it from overheating.