Best weighted blankets in 2021

Choosing the best weighted blanket for you begins with why you need one. Are you dealing with insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, or a need to sleep deeper and feel calmer in bed? If so there are definitely weighted blankets that can help. In this product guide we round-up the top rated options for a range of budgets. On average, weighted blankets range from 5lbs to 30lbs, and the best one for you will weigh roughly 8-12% of your body weight. If in doubt, start with a lighter weight. They’re suitable for most people too, but ask your doctor first if you have a health condition such as type 2 diabetes or asthma (see our buying advice section).

Fans of weighted blankets say that sleeping beneath the added weight helps them feel calmer, reduces anxiety in bed and eases insomnia. The research is inconclusive on this front, but you only have to read the thousands of positive user reviews to know they’re onto something here. From our extensive research, the best weighted blankets get their weight from an even distribution of a heavier material – usually thousands of tiny glass beads – that are securely stitched within the layers of the blanket to offer a gentle pressure all over your body, helping you to feel more relaxed for sleep. 

This feeling of being ‘held’ is similar to a baby being swaddled, and helps your body’s stress hormones decrease (and the happy ones increase). This is ideal if you are often kept awake at night with anxiety or insomnia. Do you sleep hot and are worried about overheating? Then look for a weighted blanket designed with a cooling cotton cover, as these provide pressure but less heat. Alternatively, if you are looking for extra warmth during sleep, pick an option with a fleece lining.

For more great ways to sleep well, check out our best mattress guide, as well as our round-up of the comfiest pillows for sleeping. For now, let’s take a look at the best weighted blankets for adults.

The best weighted blankets in the US

The Luna Weighted Blanket ticks a lot of boxes. First, it’s available in a selection of sizes and weights from full size (12lbs) to king (20lbs). Then there’s the color selection, which ranges from polka dots to calming light blue. 

Eco-savvy shoppers will love the 100% breathable cotton cover certified by Oeko-Tex that guarantees non-toxicity. The glass bead fill means there are no synthetic materials inside that would harm the environment or overheat your body as you sleep. That fill material provides even pressure across your entire body, so you won’t feel any weird pressure spots.

In addition to helping you relax easier for better sleep, the Luna Weighted Blanket is super-soft and easy to wash by hand or on the gentle cycle in your machine. Compared to some of the pricier US weighted blankets, it sits at the more affordable end of the spectrum too.

The Luna weight chart guide advises choosing a blanket weight that’s 8-10% of your body weight, and to start with a lighter weight if you’re unsure. For individuals who weigh 120-150lbs, for example, pick a 12lb blanket weight. If you weigh 250-280lbs, pick a 25lb blanket weight.

Restful sleep is guaranteed with YNM’s super-plush and snug weighted blanket, available in a range of patterns, sizes and weights to suit your body and sleep needs. The glass-bead fill sits evenly within stitched pockets between layers of breathable cotton, giving you even pressure distribution across your body. The sizes range from single to king size, with heavier weight options available the bigger the size you choose. 

Ideal for promoting deep sleep, helping with insomnia or just general relaxing, the affordability (look out for huge discounts online) of the YNM Weighted Blanket makes it ideal for occasional use. We’d also highly recommend this one for daytime naps on the sofa.

It’s worth knowing that while the YNM Weighted Blanket can’t be washed by hand or in the machine, it can be spot-cleaned. If that sounds like too much hassle to you, YNM sells a fantastic range of washable covers to slip over the top of your weighted blanket. The Quilty Weighted Blanket (No 7) comes with a removable, washable cover as standard.

This blissful weighted blanket from Baloo ‘molds to your body like a gentle hug’. Sounds good, right? Made from 100% pure cotton, the Baloo Weighted Blanket is cooling and breathable. This helps keep your temperature balanced as you fall asleep under the soothing pressure of the glass-bead filling. And you’ll be able to keep your cool in another way too, as Baloo’s blanket is also an eco-friendly choice with lead-free glass beads and certified toxin-free cotton. 

The Baloo Weighted Blanket is extremely easy to look after and can be washed in the machine (use cold water and wash on a gentle cycle), although the company advises customers to take the larger sizes to a commercial cleaner. 

While it’s easy to assume a weighted blanket might make you feel too warm to relax properly, this blanket gives you all the calming benefits of pressure therapy without added heat. Because this blanket is designed to not trap heat, it can be used all year round. That said, there are more lightweight options available, such as the Tranquility Weighted Blanket (No 5).

In the world of weighted blankets, the Gravity Blanket is perhaps the most famous of them all and the one most likely to be gifted. It’s the best choice for anyone looking for a super-relaxing way to ease away stress before sleep and to calm anxiety in bed. As an added treat, the Gravity Blanket comes with a removable micro-plush cover that feels divine to snuggle beneath. 

There are three color options available too (smart navy blue, a cool white and a tranquil grey), so if you’re gifting this blanket, it should fit in with most bedroom decor themes. The Gravity weighted blanket is filled with evenly distributed glass beads. Again, this ensures that you feel a gentle weight across your entire body, rather than in just the odd few spots. The removable cover is secured with a neat zipper, so you can take it off quickly for machine washing. 

According to Gravity, nearly three-quarters of users reported an increase in relaxation and restfulness, as well as deeper sleep, when using this weighted blanket. If stress is getting in the way of your slumber, this is a great option to try. We’d also recommend the cheaper Tranquility Weighted Blanket below, though it doesn’t offer anywhere near as many weight options as the Gravity and the quality isn’t as plush.

If you struggle to sleep because of stress, the Tranquility Weighted Blanket can help you drift off. It’s snug, cooling, comfy and affordable, making it the best weighted blanket for stressed sleepers with little money to spend. The downside is that there are only two weights to choose from: 15lbs for those who weigh 125lbs to 150lbs, or 20lbs for sleepers who weigh over 175lbs. 

While the Gravity Weight Blanket (above) offers more choice when it comes to weight and size, the Tranquility offering wins on value for money. Perks of the Tranquility Weighted Blanket for adults includes a removable and washable cover, but what we really love is the double-sided cover. One side is soft and plush, while the other features BlueCool Technology fabric that remains cold to the touch. Warm sleepers, you know which side is best for you.

Organic bedding and top memory foam mattress brand Saatva lives up to its reputation for high-quality sleep products with this dreamy weighted blanket. If you suffer from allergies, the Saatva Organic Weighted Blanket is the best pick for you because the organic cotton velvet material is free of harmful toxins and aggravating allergens. The cotton is also Fair Trade, in keeping with Saatva’s socially responsible ethos.

As well as being extremely soft, the Saatva Organic Weighted Blanket offers plenty of gentle pressure from the interior glass beads, which are perfectly distributed to help you wind down and feel totally relaxed as you nap or drift off to sleep. Like the Tranquility Weighted Blanket it only comes in two weights (12lbs or 20lbs), so if you need a heavier pick, try the Gravity Weighted Blanket instead or the Quilty Weighted Blanket below.

Saatva’s weighted blanket isn’t the cheapest on our list, but it does outperform all the others by offering a one-year warranty. Better still, you can get it on a 45-day risk-free trial, so you can try it out first to ensure it’s right for you. For the latest offers on the Organic Weighted Blanket, read our guide to the best Saatva mattress sales and deals.

If anxious thoughts keep you awake at night, then weighted blankets can help soothe some of these feelings by applying a gentle pressure over your body to lower your stress hormones. This in turn helps you to feel relaxed, which will help you fall asleep easier. The Quilty Weighted Blanket for adults adds an extra relaxation twist by being both soft to the touch and cooling, so there’s no fear of over-heating. So if Baloo’s cooling weighted blanket is out of your price range, this is the next best option.

The Quilty Weighted Blanket for adults is available in four weights and sizes, so there should be one to suit most people, whether you sleep by yourself or share a bed. Like all good-quality weighted blankets, Quilty’s is filled with glass beads and the seven-layered construction is designed to fit around your body for extra comfort. It also has a washable cover and comes in several colours. So not only does this anxiety blanket look great on the sofa, it can help you wind down after a stressful day.

The best weighted blankets in the UK

Trusted sleep brand Simba is known for its excellent hybrid mattress in a box range and it brings just as much quality and sleep expertise to its Orbit Weighted Blanket. Filled with thousands of weighted glass nano-beads, the Orbit stimulates ‘deep pressure therapy’ to switch off your racing mind and help you relax as you sleep. Simba’s luxury weighted blanket comprises layers of cotton and cushioning, with all those glass nano-beads held securely in quilted pockets to deliver a blissfully relaxing feeling. 

While the cover is plush, rest assured that if you tend to overheat during sleep, the cooling cotton material is breathable and able to regulate temperature. The cover can also be removed and washed in the machine (at a lower temperature) to keep it fresh and hygienic, and without running the risk of disturbing those essential glass nano-beads. The only downside is that, like Simba’s other sleep products, the Orbit Weighted Blanket is available in one colour only: mid-grey.

We often see the Orbit Weighted Blanket on sale as part of a ‘spend £300 to save 35%’ offer on Simba, which can significantly reduce the price of this blanket. For the latest savings, see our round-up of the best Simba mattress sales and discounts. 

This blissful Mela Weighted Blanket is made with 100% cotton so you stay cosy and cool while the gentle weight of the glass beads work their magic to ease your stress and help you sleep soundly.

There’s a good range of weights to choose from here, which should suit most body weights. Adult options start at 5.5kg (for body weights of 50kg and higher) increasing to 11kg (for body weights of 100kg and higher).

As well as being rustle-free and double-sided (with a cooling cotton side and a super-snuggly fleece side), the Mela Weighted Blanket comes on a risk-free 30-night trial. So if you’re unsure of the weight or size you need – or even whether a weighted blanket is for you – then you can try it out and return it for a full refund in case you change your mind

We couldn’t create a round-up of the best weighted blankets without including heritage British sleep brand Silentnight. Here it uses its expertise to create a weighted blanket that delivers ‘calm, relaxation and a great big hug, all wrapped up in one lovely weighted blanket’. 

The Silentnight Wellbeing Weighted Blanket has a soft quilted microfibre cover, with the gentle pressure of the glass beads inside helping to relax your nervous system, calm anxiety and promote deeper, more restful sleep. This anxiety blanket is hypoallergenic and can be machine-washed too, so if you suffer from sleep-disrupting allergies you can breathe easier knowing it won’t trigger any reactions. 

But Silentnight’s weighted blanket is only available in two weights, one size (150x200cm, suitable for a double bed) and one colour (a mid-grey shade). Other weighted blanket brands offer far more choice in terms of weight, blanket size and color, but the Wellbeing Weighted Blanket is great value for money and it’s well-made. The tactile microfibre cover also makes it a strong choice if stress or anxiety keep you up at night, with the blanket’s supportive swaddling quality designed to help you sleep like a baby.

If you’re after a cheap and cheerful weighted blanket for sleeping and napping, then this affordable no-frills option by Brentfords is a great choice. It comes in two different weights – 6kg and 8kg – and will fit a double bed. So not a huge choice in terms of weight or blanket size, but it’s the cheapest weighted blanket in this guide so we can’t demand too much.

The recommendation for weighted blankets is that they should be 8-12% of your body weight, so if you need a higher weight than what the Brentfords Weighted Blanket offers, check out the Mela Weighted Blanket above or the John Lewis Weighted Blanket below, which go up to 11.5kg and 11kg respectively. Brentfords also makes a smaller 4kg option that’s ideal for a single bed or for napping on the sofa.

The soft polyester cover is cosy, while the non-toxic micro glass-bead filling is contained within securely stitched pockets. The Brentfords Weighted Blanket also comes in a carry case, which makes it just that little bit easier to transport when you’re using it away from home.

This high-quality weighted blanket from John Lewis comes in a range of weights from 4.5kg up to 11.kg. It has a simple and smart design, but the downside is that it only comes in one size: a 150 x 200cm blanket designed to cover a double mattress. There’s only one colour available too, but it’s a nice, neutral grey. With a range of four weights that suits most adults, this weighted blanket offers more choice in other ways. 

If you tend to feel the cold at night and often wake up because you’re too chilly, the John Lewis Weighted Blanket is an excellent solution for lounging on the sofa or getting quickly warmed up in bed. Customers also report that this is an excellent blanket for easing restless legs. We love the 200 thread count cotton cover, but you should know that this blanket can’t be machine washed, which means it’s harder to care for than something like the Simba Orbit Weighted Blanket. 

How to choose the best weighted blanket for you

When deciding upon which weighted blanket to buy, the first thing to consider is your body weight. The ideal blanket should be 8-12% of your body weight and no more. We look at this in more detail further down in this guide, so for now here are some other things to consider when choosing a good weighted blanket:

• Is it the right size? Make sure you choose the right one for your size of mattress (or slightly smaller). Weighted blankets are designed to sit directly on top of the mattress and not hang over the sides like a duvet. This ensures the weight stays evenly distributed on your body, which is essential if you want to enjoy all the relaxing benefits.
• Is it washable? Some blankets can be machine washed on a cold setting, while others have removable covers that can be washed. The hardest to care for are spot-clean only. Check before you buy, in case you are after a washable weighted blanket.
• Do you sleep hot or suffer from allergies? If you tend to overheat, the best weighted blanket for you has a cooling cotton cover. Ditto if you suffer from allergies, with hypoallergenic materials and organic cotton choices also available.
• Do you have a medical condition? The blankets in our guide are designed for use by healthy adults. If you have chronic respiratory or circulatory issues, asthma, low blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or claustrophobia, then the use of weighted blankets is not advised.

Ultimately, once you know which weight is right for you, then choosing from the best weighted blankets is down to personal preference. If you’re having trouble deciding, then pick a blanket that comes on a risk-free trial so you can see if it suits you. That’s Saatva in the US and Mela in the UK.

What is a weighted blanket?

Also known as anxiety blankets, these heavy blankets are constructed in layers and contain evenly distributed weights – usually tiny glass beads – that provide gentle ‘deep pressure therapy’ all over the body. This sensation of pressure helps to:

• Increase feelings of security during sleep by recreating a ‘swaddling’ effect. This lowers cortisol (the stress hormone) and increases serotonin (the happy hormone). 
• Promote deeper and more restful sleep, which is ideal if you wake due to insomnia, restlessness or perimenopause, for instance.
• Ease some symptoms of stress and anxiety.

Relaxation, deeper sleep and stress relief are the main reasons why people search for the best weighted blankets, although plenty of people have reported that they also offer pain relief, and can calm restless leg syndrome in bed.

How do you use a weighted blanket?

You can use a weighted blanket on your bed, or the sofa as you work, relax or meditate. However, when you first start using one, bear in mind that it might feel a little strange to begin with. From our personal experience with weighted blankets, we’d recommend trying it for a short amount of time at first (take a short nap beneath one). Build up to a longer period of use, such as during a full night’s sleep. 

Some people only ever use weighted blankets for short bursts until they feel more relaxed, while others use them throughout the night to ease insomnia or sleep anxiety. See what works for you, and if worries are keeping you awake, read our expert feature on how to sleep with anxiety.

Most of the best weighted blankets featured above are designed for one person to use – place it under or over your duvet or comforter, or use it instead of. If you share a bed, make sure the blanket is comfortable for both of you. To do this, choose a blanket weight based on the average of your combined body weight. If you differ greatly in weight, you might want to consider using a separate blanket each.

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