Is It Cold In Your Home? Then You Need To Get A Heated Blanket!

If it’s a cold winter night, many of us will pile on blanket after blanket to stay warm. Even if you have central heat in your home or apartment, it can be hard to keep warm while you sleep. Body heat never seems to generate enough warmth, and your older blankets just aren’t cutting it anymore.

A heated blanket is a great option for those looking to add some extra warmth to their sleeping situation. To make sure you’re getting the best electric blanket out there, make sure you do some research to find the perfect fit for you and your home.

Do You Need a Heated Blanket?

So, the question is: do you need a heated blanket? Before you decide whether or not to invest in one, it’s important to consider the pros and cons. It can be a worthwhile addition to your home and a great fit for everyone. There are a variety of other options available based on your needs and desires, such as heated mattress pads, a space heater, or even a hot water bottle. Choosing whether or not you want a heated blanket is the first step in creating a cozy home during the winter.

What is a Heated Blanket?

First things first, what exactly is a heated blanket? A modern electric blanket has the look and feel of a regular comforter or throw blanket, but it has internal heating wires and a cord that plugs into an outlet. Heated blankets are often made of super-soft polyester, fleece, acrylic, or cotton.

Most electric blankets have a remote control that allows you to adjust spot temperatures and turn them off without unplugging them. Although it is not safe to keep an electric heated blanket on all night, they are great for heating your bed before you go to sleep.

How to Choose a Heated Blanket

When you begin your search for the best electric blanket, it can be overwhelming. Making sure you choose “the best” blanket out there can seem impossible when considering how many options are available. There are a variety of resources, such as the Electric Blanket Institute, that highlight trusted heated blanket brands.

To choose the best electric blanket, consider your personal needs. Think about the kind of fabric and look you want. Is fleece your vibe? Or are you looking for a cozy acrylic? The size of the heated blanket is also important to consider. They come in a variety of sizes, from a simple throw blanket to a king size.

Heated Blankets We Love

Amazon product

Benefits of Heated Blankets

There are so many benefits to an electric heated blanket. If it’s a cold winter night and you find yourself losing sleep, using a heated blanket can help. They add extra warmth to any bed, couch, or futon. Who doesn’t want to be extra cozy when they sleep?

Better Sleep

Tossing and turning in bed can lead to losing sleep. When you’re cold or uncomfortable, you naturally have a harder time falling asleep. According to Cleveland Clinic, if you feel too hot or too cold while sleeping, it can disrupt the REM sleep cycle and increase wakefulness.

Using a heated blanket as part of your sleep routine can help you create an optimal sleeping environment. If you don’t want to leave the heater on all night, warming your bed up with an electric heated blanket may do the trick. As you turn off your blanket and drift to sleep, your body heat keeps the warmth in your bed. A heated blanket can help you sleep better, wake up well-rested, and improve your overall health as a result.

Save Money on Heating

Depending on where you live, an average winter night can range from 60°F to below freezing. Heating your entire house or apartment uses a ton of energy and can cost a lot of money. Using space heaters can be useful for warming up a small space, but they can still be pretty pricey.

When you use a heated blanket, you’re saving money and energy. They provide extra warmth that a regular blanket can’t, while being more stylish than a regular old heating pad. Also, they are cheaper than space heaters, which can go for over $100.

Heated mattress pads are also another great money-saving option for heating your bed. Just remember they provide more direct and intense heat than an electrical blanket.

Improve Your Mood

Using an electric blanket can have short and long-term effects on your overall mood. Warming up your bed with a heated throw or blanket helps you use less energy creating body heat as you fall asleep. Falling asleep on a cold night will feel less stressful, and you will inevitably wake up in a better mood.

Long-term use of a heated blanket during the winter can help improve sleep, which helps you feel better during the day. Sleep and mood are known to be intertwined and greatly affect well-being and mental health. The better you sleep, the healthier and happier you will be. If an electric heated blanket helps you get a better night’s rest, then it’s worth the investment.

Disadvantages of Heated Blankets

A heated blanket is almost universally easy to use, but it’s not going to work for everyone. There are certain disadvantages of owning an electric blanket that may be deal-breakers for some people.

Not Pet Friendly

If you’re a pet parent, you know nothing sounds better than cuddling up with your furry friend on a chilly winter night. However, it’s important to be cautious when using a heated blanket or heated pad around your pets. Cats, dogs, and other pets have higher or lower body temperatures than humans. What may be cozy to you may be too hot for them. The heating element of an electric blanket may be uncomfortable for pets.

The temptation to chew can also pose a risk. If your dog decides to chew on the fluffy fabric of a heated throw, they could hurt themselves by chewing into a wire, cord, or internal coils. Overall, it’s important to practice common sense when it comes to electric blanket safety for your pets.

They Can Be Dangerous

Heated blankets are wonderful for many, but can be dangerous for some people. In particular, doctors advise people with diabetes to use heated blankets and mattress pads with caution. Diabetes can cause circulation issues in the hands, feet, and other areas. Problems with circulations can make people less sensitive to heat, increasing the chances of overheating.

It is also recommended that older adults with dementia and Parkinson’s avoid using electrical blankets. Sometimes medical conditions commonly seen in older folks can cause temperature sensitivity. Improper or unsupervised use of an electric blanket can cause discomfort, overheating, and even burns.

Not Easy To Clean

Like all well-loved things, a heated blanket is bound to get dirty at one point or another. All modern electric blankets are made to be machine wash friendly, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy to clean. You have to be extra careful that you are washing and drying your blanket at the appropriate temperature. Damage to the internal wires and coils can occur if you are not careful.

The Spruce has great instructions on how to wash an electric blanket. Always remember to make sure the blanket is completely dry before plugging it in after a wash. Cleaning your electric blanket takes more effort than your average throw blanket, but with some TLC, it can last for years.

Heated Blankets We Love

Amazon product

Electric Blanket Safety

Many people have the preconceived notion that owning an electric blanket is dangerous. A lot of fears tend to come from bad experiences with older electric blankets. While concerns about heated blankets being a fire hazard are understandable, modern electric blankets are designed with safety in mind. There are many tips and guidelines to follow if owning a heated blanket is a safety concern.

Take Care of Your Heated Blanket

One of the best electric blanket safety tips is to make sure your heated blanket is well taken care of. Never buy a secondhand heated blanket. Buying used can increase the chances of damaged internal wires, a frayed cord, or malfunctioning heating wires. Look for a tag on your blanket ensuring it’s been tested and approved by a testing agency, like UL.

When winter is over and warmer temperatures arrive, be sure to safely store your electric blanket. Gently roll your blanket instead of folding it. Folding it with harsh creases can ruin wire and internal coils, preventing your electric heated blanket from functioning properly next time you use it.

Turn Off Your Heated Blanket

As tempting as it may be, do not keep your heated blanket on all night. They’re great to use as part of a cozy bedtime routine, but remember to turn them off before you drift into sleep. Sleeping with an electric blanket on is a fire hazard and can cause overheating and other health risks.

One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning recommends using a heated blanket to warm up your bed before you get in. You can still feel the warmth from the heated blanket for up to an hour after turning it off. In addition, you can look for an electric blanket that has a timer built into it. That way, you can still enjoy the warmth of the blanket without the worry of turning it off manually.

One Thing at a Time

When it’s freezing outside, it’s natural to want extra warmth when you’re cozy in bed. However, don’t go overboard. One thing you should never do is combine an electrical blanket with another heated item. For example, don’t combine your electric blanket with a hot water bottle or heated mattress pad. Using more than one heating element can be a fire hazard or even cause burns.

Also, if you are using your heated blanket as an electric underblanket, make sure you’re not burying it underneath a bunch of heavy comforters and duvets. Simply putting a light comforter or throw blanket on top is good enough.

Alternatives to an Electric Blanket

Not convinced a heated blanket is the perfect fit? Not to worry! There are plenty of cozy alternatives available. It’s important to consider the benefits of all heating options for your home before you commit.

Space Heaters

Space heaters are portable, small-scale heaters that can warm up a specific area or room of your home. Instead of spending money by running the heater for your entire house, space heaters can economically heat up a smaller space.

The main benefit is that space heaters can be used and enjoyed by a group of people, whereas a heated blanket can only be used by a couple of people at a time. If you’re choosing between an electric blanket or space heater, it’s best to think about who will benefit the most.

Cons of Space Heaters

Space heaters are not the perfect fit for every household. Although there are safety measures built into modern space heaters, they still pose safety risks. They cannot be left unattended while on, especially around small children and pets. Furthermore, they are a more dangerous fire hazard than modern electric blankets. According to Sleep Advisor, 79% of home fires were caused by portable heaters that were most likely left unattended.

Heated Mattress Pads

There’s a lot to consider when choosing between a heated mattress pad or a heated blanket. If you’re looking for more direct heat while in bed, a heated mattress pad may work best for you. A heated mattress pad is just like a regular mattress pad, but with internal coils that electronically create heat. Modern-day electrical mattress pads usually let you adjust the heat setting and can turn off with a timer.

This option usually works best for people who share a bed and want to have consistent warmth throughout the cold winter night. Heated mattress pads quickly warm up the parts of your body that are in direct contact with it, providing quick and localized warmth. Using a heated mattress pad can be beneficial for those who live with chronic conditions like arthritis or back pain.

Cons of Heated Mattress Pads

Heated mattress pads can be bulky and lack cushion. The internal coils and wire can interfere with your comfort while trying to sleep. No one wants to roll over in bed and feel hard heating wires on their back!

Professionals do not recommend using a heated mattress pad with a memory foam mattress or memory foam mattress topper. Memory foam is typically made with a heat-sensitive polymer. Putting a heated mattress pad directly on top of memory foam can damage or ruin your expensive mattress. You can always put a regular blanket between the two, but there will always be the risk of damaging your memory foam mattress.

Depending on your needs, the pros of a mattress pad may outweigh the cons. It’s a worthwhile investment if it’s what you need. If you don’t know where to start looking, there are plenty of recommendations online for the best heated mattress pads out there.

Can’t Take the Heat? Get a Weighted Blanket

Do you need a heated blanket, or are you looking for something a bit different? Using a weighted blanket is another option for those who want something comforting without all the bells and whistles of an electric blanket. Weighted blankets are heavier than a regular blanket because they use plastic, glass beads, or dense yarn to add heft.

According to The Sleep Foundation, weighted blankets can help reduce stress, calm the nervous system, and help people sleep better. They’ve been shown to provide sleep benefits for people with anxiety, insomnia, and autism. Feeling cozy and snug under a weighted blanket helps some people feel a sense of calm, much like an infant being swaddled.

Weighted Blankets We Love

Cons of Weighted Blankets

This type of blanket is not for everyone. Some may find them too heavy and constricting. Also, weighted blankets are more expensive than regular blankets. A high-quality weighted blanket can cost upwards of $100. Because of their weight, they are not great for traveling, or even moving around your house. Choosing to go with a weighted blanket may be beneficial for some, but it’s important to consider what you want out of a blanket.

Get the Most Out of Your Heated Blanket

Heated blankets are a wonderful addition to any cozy home collection and can help make the cold winter nights more bearable. Choosing to invest in one can help save money, conserve energy, and contribute to overall happier life. There’s nothing quite like feeling warm, safe, and cozy under a brand new heated blanket.

There are several other options available in addition to heated blankets. Each option provides its own advantages, but heated blankets are the most flexible option. They are easy to store, they are portable, and can easily be shared with a loved one or close friend. If you’re looking to warm up this winter, get a heated blanket.