Blog

Oct 20, 2024

3 best electric blankets, tried and tested | CNN Underscored

Best electric blanket: Serta Luxuriously Soft Plush Electric Blanket Best budget electric blanket: Bedsure Electric Heated Thick Striped Blanket Best heated throw blanket : Sunbeam Ultimate Lofttec

Best electric blanket: Serta Luxuriously Soft Plush Electric Blanket

Best budget electric blanket: Bedsure Electric Heated Thick Striped Blanket

Best heated throw blanket: Sunbeam Ultimate Lofttec Foot Pocket Electric Heated Throw

The best electric blankets are among the most cost-effective solutions to staying toasty in the cold months. Sure, there’s something magical about fall and winter, but they also come with disadvantages, including high electricity bills and freezing temps. It’s not like you can just sit in your home and pile on layers of clothing all winter to save money. And as great as they are, a down comforter or a weighted blanket won’t be enough.

Electric or heated blankets serve a purpose when you don’t want your central heating or space heater to run all day and night. According to HowStuffWorks, “Modern electric blankets are based on thin carbon wires that are energy-efficient. The consumption of energy depends on its wattage, typically between 15 to 115 watts.” That’s nothing compared to how much space heaters use.

As ubiquitous as they are — Amazon alone has hundreds of options — no two electric blankets are alike, so I thought I’d whittle down that list for your convenience. For a few weeks, I kept things very toasty in my bed and on my couch to put several electric blankets through their paces. Of the 11 I tested from top brands like Sunbeam, Serta, Bedsure and Pure Enrichment, I found three I feel confident recommending to anyone.

Get ready to stay cozy all winter with one of these best electric blankets.

It’s not just its heating performance that’s impressive here; this Serta electric blanket is also luxuriously soft as well as thin and lightweight enough that you can use it during the warmer months if you don’t turn on the heat.

You wouldn’t know this heated blanket was inexpensive if you didn’t look at its price tag. It’s so soft, fluffy and velvety to the touch, and thick enough to keep you warm without the heat on during less frosty nights.

You’ll love cuddling on the couch with this fluffy and lightweight heated throw blanket from Sunbeam. It comes with a unique extra feature: a spacious foot pocket to keep your toes as toasty as the rest of your body.

Choosing the best of the 11 blankets I tested wasn’t easy. Each was distinctive, as surprising as it sounds, but there was no one clear winner. It was a close game between three blankets from Serta, Bedsure and Homemate, with each electric blanket bringing its strengths (and weaknesses) to the table.

Ultimately, the Serta Luxuriously Soft Plush Electric Blanket came out on top. While the Homemate Heated Electric Blanket matched its heating performance during my tests, the Serta blanket was simply superior in feel and maintenance.

This ETL-certified heated blanket is made of a plush and cozy fabric that’s not only luxurious to the touch — and I would go as far as to say that it’s the most luxurious-feeling of the bunch — but also miraculously effortless to wash. Per the manufacturer’s instructions, I simply threw it in my washer on a gentle cycle with warm water, then tumble-dried it on low heat. That’s it. No presoaking, preheating or hauling a heavy damp blanket over the clothesline.

As a bonus, the fabric came out of the dryer thicker and fluffier, not to mention in just as good of shape as when it went in, proving its durability. It comes with a five-year warranty, but I doubt you’ll use it.

Unlike 82% of the electric blankets in my product pool, this one doesn’t have a Sherpa side. However, that doesn’t get in the way of its heating performance or make it feel less cozy. I actually think that not using Sherpa was a wise choice. Sherpa is heavier and higher maintenance, and it tends to be rougher and produce more static if it’s lower quality, and you don’t have to worry about any of that with this one.

The best flannel sheets of 2024, tried and tested

Although it’s not the thickest of the blankets I tested, I still think it’s plenty thick. I actually prefer it this way, as it means I can use it on warmer fall and spring nights, enjoying enough insulation even with the heat off without drowning in a pool of sweat.

With the heat on, it is among the best, hitting the appropriate temperatures at its lowest and highest heat settings within 10 minutes, maintaining those temperatures after an hour and keeping those temperatures consistent throughout its surface area. Plus, it’s one of only four models in my product pool that hit 95 degrees Fahrenheit at the highest heat mode, even though most promised a peak temperature of over 100.

Its dual-temperature feature, available in its twin, queen and king sizes, works beautifully. When I set the two controllers to different heat settings, there was a clear difference in temperatures, making it ideal for couples with vastly different comfort levels when it comes to heat.

Sadly, I do not like the controllers themselves. They are big and thick and clunky to hold, which makes them annoying to grab in the middle of the night when you’re half asleep. To their credit, they’re each attached to a long, 14.5-foot cable. The controls themselves are also intuitive to use and let you change the heat setting and set a timer in one-hour increments for up to 12 hours.

Having a timer is a vital safety feature, but I also appreciate that its default auto shutoff is set to three hours. That may seem annoying because you’ll have to wake up in the middle of the night to turn it back on. However, I’d rather deal with a shorter shutoff time and just remember to set it to run for longer when necessary than have my blanket stay on for 10 hours unattended because I completely forgot to turn it off.

At $130 for a queen, the Serta Luxuriously Soft Plush Electric Blanket is one of the more expensive models I tested. But considering its performance, features, comfort, durability and low maintenance, it’s worth every penny.

The Bedsure Electric Heated Thick Striped Blanket is one of the heated blankets that made it to my final three for best overall. In the end, the fact it’s a struggle to wash and dry held it back. That, however, doesn’t stop it from being a great contender.

This is the first heated blanket I tested from the product pool, and it set the bar high with its beautiful ribbed flannel design, soft and fluffy materials (the back is Sherpa) and incredibly easy-to-use controller, not to mention its great heating performance.

Like my top pick, this blanket is one of the few I tested that managed to hit 95 degrees at its highest setting and reach its above-90 temperature range within 10 minutes. Throw in its medium-thick design and you can rest assured it’ll keep you warm and comfortable during the winter months.

I say medium-thick here because it isn’t the thickest blanket I tested. But make no mistake: It has enough insulation to keep you toasty during the warmer months of fall and late spring even without the heat turned on. Another upside to this is that while it’s thick enough that you don’t notice the heating wire running through it, it still keeps things light in terms of weight.

This might be a good time to segue into its most glaring flaw: It may be lightweight when dry, but boy did I struggle to haul it over my clothesline post-wash. This isn’t exactly the easiest electric blanket to clean. Per the manufacturer’s instructions, if you want to machine-wash it, you first have to presoak it in cold water with mild soap for 15 minutes, then wash it on slow for two minutes before spin-drying it to remove all the excess water.

After that, you have to drag it into a preheated dryer to tumble dry for 10 minutes. Then, it still comes out quite damp and, therefore, heavy, meaning you have to hang it to dry completely. I can attest the whole process isn’t just tedious but also energy-draining. However, considering you only have to wash it a few times a year, it may not be so bad unless you’re like me and you despise doing laundry.

No matter the heat mode, the temperatures are consistent throughout the blanket. The controller, which is thin and easy to grab, is intuitive to use and has a decently sized backlit LED display. It also comes with a timer, so you have a say in how long you want it on.

It’s robust as well. After all that tedious washing and drying, it survived without any visible damage or effect on its performance. It also survived some abuse (or love, depending on your perspective) inflicted by my cats, who especially loved making biscuits on it. The fluffier the material, the better the biscuits are, after all.

Safety is also prioritized here, as it comes with overheating protection and a default three-hour auto shutoff, as well as ETL and FCC certifications. If something does happen to the blanket with regular use while following the manufacturer’s recommendations, it also comes with a 30-day free-return policy and a five-year warranty.

Perhaps the best thing about this heated blanket, though, is its price tag. There’s a reason it still made my top three as the best budget pick: The full size I tested is only $70, while its queen version starts at a mere $85 — $45 cheaper than the top pick.

The best down comforters of 2024, tried and tested

The Sunbeam Ultimate Lofttec Foot Pocket Electric Heated Throw isn’t portable in a cordless, battery-powered kind of way — those tend to be more expensive, smaller and best for travel rather than home use. But it is lightweight, something that will keep you warm while lounging on the couch and that you can keep wrapped around your body as you waddle over to your kitchen to make your favorite cold weather drink.

I loved this blanket the moment I took it out of the box. It’s very soft and fluffy and has enough thickness for a throw. It’s thick enough to keep me warm on the not-so-cold nights with its heating element off. And because it is fluffy, I barely noticed the heating coil inside during use.

Its controller is thin and easy to use as well — just the controller I’d want to grab when it’s my chill day, I’m stuffing my face with cheese-flavored junk food and I’m too lazy to get up and wash my nacho cheese-covered hands. It’s stripped-down, though. There’s no timer function, but it does have a three-hour auto shutoff. There’s only a power button that moonlights as the heat mode button, which lets you cycle through three heat settings: low, medium and high. Simple.

Another thing I appreciate here is the easy cleanup. Like the Serta Luxuriously Soft Plush Electric Blanket, I only needed to throw this in the washer and set it to gentle cycle on cold, then tumble dry on delicate at low heat. It came out of the dryer slightly damp, but it wasn’t heavy at all and dried within a couple of hours on the clothesline.

It proved itself durable as well. It came out of the washer and dryer like new, with no visible tearing, pilling or seams coming apart. It even survived its fair share of cat trauma, which is what I will be calling any abuse my cats inflict upon any object they touch from now on.

One unique thing about the Sunbeam Ultimate Lofttec Foot Pocket Electric Heated Throw is its foot pocket, which runs across the bottom end of the blanket. I’m not a big fan of my feet being restricted or feeling restrained, but I did not mind these foot pockets because they’re wide and loose enough to allow my feet to move freely. It’s a great feature if you want your toes warm while watching TV or reading a book.

I’m saving its heating performance for last because it’s not the best I’ve seen. To be clear, I’m not saying it’s bad. It hit 85 to 86 degrees within 10 minutes on low and maintained a temperature range of 88 to 92 degrees in one hour on high.

However, I noticed that those temperatures were neither spread evenly across the blanket nor very consistent. My first temperature test on low gave me a range of 79 to 85 when I did my infrared thermometer sweep. Post-wash, it bizarrely hit 89 on low but only 86 on high at the 10-minute mark.

But it’s not like you’d notice these temperature differences when using the blanket. And since it does carry the UL certification, I don’t think it’s a safety issue, but it is worth mentioning.

Testing the best electric blankets in a three-cat household wasn’t easy. You wouldn’t believe the number of times I had to chase my heat-loving fur babies off the heated blankets so they wouldn’t skew my temperature test results. But, for you, I persevered. You’re welcome.

During my tests, I found one surprising thing about electric blankets: Although they look very similar in size, look and features, no two blankets are the same in feel and performance. So, to get an accurate representation of each model’s heating performance, I had to spend a little more time testing it in the labs (see: my bed and my couch) using an infrared thermometer and a timer.

That’s on top of the hours I spent sleeping, reading, watching TV and scrolling through Instagram under each blanket. I also spent a lot of time washing and drying them, and hauling every single damp (and therefore heavy) blanket over my drying rack or balcony railing. I know … not all heroes wear capes. Sometimes, they wear heated blankets.

I evaluated each pair using the following primary criteria:

For a fair assessment, I also considered the following secondary criteria:

As mentioned, no two blankets are the same regarding performance and feel — not even two models from the same brand or family. I found during my tests that even known brands like Serta and Sunbeam aren’t that consistent across different models. Another thing I noticed with the electric blankets I tested is those that come with a manufacturer’s heating range rating don’t often reach the highest temperature in that range.

So, when choosing the best heated blanket for you, pay close attention to performance. I realize that’s tough to do without buying and testing it yourself, but that’s why it’s important to read online reviews made by verified users and best-tested guides like this one.

Bear in mind that manufacturers and online retailers aren’t often transparent about their blankets’ heating temperatures, which makes reading product reviews even more important, as they’ll give you an idea of how hot a blanket can get.

Most modern blankets are made of flannel, with some boasting a flannel side and a Sherpa side. Some are also made of better-quality materials than others, which means that they feel better on the skin or offer better insulation. Many models come in throw, twin, full, queen and king sizes, but some are sold in only throw sizes.

The material, feel and size of your electric blanket are just as important as its heating performance. Factor in things like skin sensitivity, whether you sleep alone or with a partner (many queen and king sizes feature dual heating controls) and whether you plan on using the same blanket in warmer months.

According to UL Solutions’ principal engineering manager for small appliances Joel Hawk, who’s been certifying heated blankets since 2003, “The good news with the blanket history is it went from a really bad reputation into a good one, a positive one. You get a modern-day electric blanket, it complies with the (current) standards.”

Hawk says, “What was unique about heated blankets was the technology. There was a big change in how the industry manufactured heated blankets … The newer technologies can detect how hot the blanket is getting. In the old-fashioned days, they had thermostats embedded into the blanket. Now it’s all electronically managed and with software as well.

“The standard has also evolved,” he says. “Thanks to UL and certifiers in general, everything is always getting more advanced. Even when standards are not updated, things are always progressively getting safer.”

On top of overheating protections, most models also come with automatic shutoffs. So while safety is still vital, there’s no need to stress out over whether the blanket you’re choosing will catch fire. As long as you’re judicious with its use and follow what the manual says, you don’t need to worry.

One safety consideration you should factor in, especially if the user is a child, a senior or someone with a medical condition, is the timer function. Most electric blankets may have auto shutoffs, but not all come with a timer that you can customize.

To ensure you’re choosing an electric blanket that’s safe to use and follows the industry standards, “Look for a certification mark, and that includes the UL logo — UL in a circle,” Hawk says. “Read all the instructions and the markings. Understand them. Save them.”

Why are these certifications important? Because they do not just inspect these heated blankets in their labs, putting them through the worst-case scenarios and evaluating them based on standards like UL 964. At UL Solutions, Hawk says that they “also go to the factories to inspect them four times a year. And so there are ongoing certification compliance measures that are taken. So, it’s not (just) a, you send us this product and get the UL logo and you’re good to go (situation). No, we have an ongoing compliance program.”

It’s very telling that the first thing that came to Hawk’s mind when I asked him about the disadvantages of electric blankets was “washing and laundering!” While consumers are so concerned with whether a heated blanket is safe, the person who’s tested more than his share of them thinks their biggest drawback is the amount of cleaning and maintenance you have to invest.

“I’d say cleaning is the user experience that has some importance,” Hawk says. “You don’t want to dry-clean them unless it says you can dry-clean. You don’t want to throw them in your dryer for long periods. And you should read the instructions that say, don’t put it in the dryer, so you want to hang dry it.”

After washing, drying and hanging 11 electric blankets, I can honestly say that most of them take a bit more effort to clean. A handful are easier to wash and dry; however, most of them need to be presoaked for 15 minutes, then machine-washed for two minutes and rinsed in cold water before spin-dried. Then you’ll need to toss them in a preheated dryer for 10 minutes before eventually hanging them to dry.

If you don’t mind an arduous cleaning process, this may not be a big factor for you, but if you hate doing laundry or have a busy schedule, you may want to pick up something easier to clean.

A solid contender that delivers impressive heating performance, the Homemate Heated Electric Blanket boasts dual heating controls, a soft and fluffy feel, and both UL and ETL certifications. It’s another great budget pick.

The brand may not be a household name like Serta or Sunbeam, but this underdog of heating blankets made it to the top three finalists for my best overall pick. It delivered an impressive heating performance during my tests with its fast heating prowess, reaching a peak temperature of 94 degrees on high and offering a clear difference in temperatures when setting its two controls at different heat settings. It also spread its heat around fairly evenly.

I appreciate the simplicity of its controls. Both easy-to-hold controllers on my test unit come with just three buttons — one for toggling the heat setting, another for setting a timer, and a middle one for power — and a 14.3-foot cable for versatility. It also boasts both UL and ETL certifications and a default eight-hour auto shutoff for safety.

For an inexpensive option that will only set you back $80 for a queen size, it’s also impressively robust. There were no signs of pilling or shedding after I washed it. In fact, the blanket got a little fluffier, thicker and softer post-wash. However, I would also like to note that it’s not very thick out of the box, so I would recommend washing it first before use.

Sadly, the cleaning part isn’t very enjoyable. While machine-washing is allowed, the instructions are a little tricky and the process is much more involved. In addition, I couldn’t find any warranty information that’s easily accessible to general consumers, which makes it a riskier choice.

Thick, soft and warm with a very pliable heating wire, the Bedsure Heated Blanket boasts 10 heating levels, 10 time settings and dual temperature controls when you get one of the larger sizes. It comes in several colors as well.

This ETL- and FCC-certified Bedsure Heated Blanket is not just soft and fluffy. It also delivers good and consistent heating performance and is thick enough to keep you warm without the heat on and to better veil the already pliable heating wire inside. In all, this electric blanket is very comfortable to burrow under.

What’s not very comfortable to use are its controllers. The bigger sizes come with dual temperature controls, and those controllers are thick, squarish and massive. So while the controls themselves are straightforward to use — with two temperature buttons and two timer buttons so you can easily choose your heat and time settings — the controllers feel cumbersome.

The controllers are not all bad, though. They come with a preheat button, which turns up the heat to 10 for two hours and then dials it down to 5 for eight hours. It’s a great feature to use when you want your bed warm and ready for you before you turn in but also don’t want to sweat during the night. It’s the perfect feature to have on particularly cold nights.

Sadly, the blanket was held back by the fact that it was not easy to clean. Just like the Homemate Heated Electric Blanket, machine-washing it required several steps, and even after tumble-drying it for 10 minutes, I still had to hang it dry for 24 hours. What’s more, while it didn’t sustain any damage during washing, the blue flannel front bled a little into the white Sherpa back.

This PureRelief electric blanket is made of buttery-soft micromink velvet fabric, making it one of the most luxurious heated blankets I’ve tested. It also boasts good heating performance and a controller that’s intuitive to use.

I honestly wish the PureRelief Deluxe Heated Blanket performed better during testing. I liked how soft its micromink velvet material is, even though it’s not that thick and therefore not as well insulated. The heating wire inside is also very pliable, so while you do notice it, it doesn’t necessarily get in the way of your comfort.

When it comes to heating, this UL-certified blanket did manage to consistently hit peak temperatures of 87 on low and 96 on high in my temperature tests. That’s on par with my top pick, the Serta Luxuriously Soft Plush Electric Blanket.

However, the heating implement also consistently failed to spread the heat evenly across the blanket, especially after I washed it following the manufacturer’s instructions. On low, the temperature ranged from 78 to 85, even after an hour. On high after 10 minutes, some spots peaked at 101, while other areas stayed at 88.

Cleaning isn’t very straightforward either. And while the three-button controller is easy to use and comes with an 18-foot cable, it doesn’t offer any timer options and only comes with a 10-hour auto shutoff.

As far as heated throw blankets are concerned, however, it’s still a pretty good option. If you’re particular about the feel of your blanket, you may want to check it out.

An inexpensive heated throw blanket option, this ETL-certified Gotcozy comes with a flannel and a Sherpa side. It’s also durable and boasts a three-hour auto shutoff.

It’s a shame about this Gotcozy Heated Throw Blanket because it does come in attractive colors that I would personally buy. In its own right, this ETL-certified blanket is not just pretty but also cozy and fluffy. It’s also surprisingly robust, considering its thin construction, without a single sign of post-wash damage, pilling or drop in performance. It already has many of the makings of a heated throw blanket you’d want to buy.

However, its heating performance really isn’t anything to write home about. The heating implement did spread heat fairly evenly, but its temperature also only consistently peaked at 77 to 78 on low and 88 on high. With those results, you might as well hide your face under the blanket and use your breath to warm things up.

Another disappointing aspect here is that while it is decently soft and fluffy — and it did get softer and fluffier post-wash — it’s still very thin, and its heating coil is on the stiff side. Not that you will be poked and prodded during use, but you will notice that coil, spoiling the cozy vibe.

While the controller is easy to use, it is on the wider side, does not come with a timer and only has an 8-foot-long cable. So, while I really wanted to like this heated throw blanket, it’s a little hard to recommend.

A slightly pricier version of my top heated throw blanket pick, this Royal Luxe model comes with a warm and fluffy fabric as well as the line’s signature foot pocket to keep you warm even with the heat off.

I’m not quite sure why this model is a little pricier than my best heated throw blanket pick, the Sunbeam Ultimate Lofttec Foot Pocket Electric Heated Throw. While it feels soft and is made of high-quality materials, there are a few things about this model that make it harder to recommend over the Ultimate Lofttec.

But first, the positives. It does boast the line’s signature foot pocket feature to help keep your toes toasty, and just like on the Ultimate Lofttec model, the foot pocket is spacious enough that your feet won’t feel restricted. It’s also effortless to wash and dry — simply toss it in the washer and put it on a gentle cycle with cold water, then tumble-dry it on delicate.

It’s got its safety basics covered as well. It is not only ETL certified but also comes with a four-hour auto shutoff, which is a good thing, seeing as it doesn’t allow you to set a shutoff timer yourself.

However, its heating performance isn’t all that impressive, peaking at 78 on low and 87 to 89 on high. In addition, while the material it’s made of is soft, fluffy and lightweight, it also can feel like Velcro, which can make it a little annoying to use. I don’t know about you, but I personally do not enjoy having staticky fabric cling to me.

If you want something you can easily drape over your shoulders, this wrap-style heated throw blanket may be a good option. Its heating performance is great, and it boasts a two-hour auto shutoff.

I have to admit that I was at first intrigued by this heated throw blanket’s design. Its wrap-style concept — its top half is split in the middle so that you can easily drape each side on each shoulder and leave the other half to cover your back — sounds like a brilliant way to keep you warm while lounging on the couch.

Sadly, that design does take some getting used to, at least for me, and in the end, I decided that the traditional throw design suits most people best. And I’m speaking as someone who is never without a blanket. I’ve even got a travel blankie that I bring with me on trips.

If that design is appealing to you, however, you’ll be happy to know that this UL-certified heated blanket is soft, comfortable and durable. Its heating performance is impressive as well, consistently peaking at 88 on low and about 95 on high. There were even times when sections of the throw made it to 104. Additionally, it’s easy to wash and dries quickly, making it one of the lowest-maintenance blankets I tested.

Finally, while it doesn’t have any adjustable timers, it does shut off automatically after two hours of use.

The Estingo Electric Throw Blanket is a budget option that’s easy to clean and very durable. ETL certified, it boasts a four-hour automatic shutoff and a controller that’s easy to handle.

For a budget heated throw blanket, this one from Estingo isn’t too bad. During tests, it reached a temperature of 89 at its lowest heat setting and 91 at its highest. Combine that with its soft and fluffy material; thin, easy-to-use controller; and effortless cleaning, and it seems like a solid contender.

However, it does have a performance flaw; at its lowest heat setting, its temperature drops considerably after an hour of use. It dropped from 89 to 81 on my first run and from 87 to 76 on my second after leaving it on for an hour. This didn’t seem to be an issue when you set it on high, however, which made it even weirder.

What’s more, although it is comfortable to use, it’s not thick enough to mask that somewhat stiff heated wire inside. That’s not surprising, considering the price, and the GotCozy Heated Throw Blanket definitely feels worse. But if you want something very cozy and comfortable, this may not be the best choice either.

Keep in mind, too, that it doesn’t allow you to set a timer, so you will have to remember to turn it off or rely on its four-hour auto shutoff. However, it does come with an ETL logo, so at least you can rest assured it’s safety certified.

Another Serta contender, this may not be one of the cheapest options on this list. However, it’s something to consider if you’re looking for one with dual temperature controls.

Of all the heated blankets I tested, this Serta Heated Blanket may be the hardest to recommend. During testing, it did manage to reach a temperature of 94 when set to its highest heat setting, but that was as far as it got on its list of pros.

Its cons list is a much longer one. Even after a few tries, it just couldn’t bring itself to spread the heat evenly or stay consistent with the temperatures. In fact, when I set both controllers to the same heat setting, I drew vastly different results. In one instance, one side managed to hit 89 within 10 minutes at the lowest heat mode, while the other stayed at 81. When I set both on high, one side kept things at around 86 to 88, while the other peaked at 88 to 91.

That’s not all. Though made of fleece and Sherpa, my test sample was rough and not at all luxurious. And things only got worse from there. While it was very easy to machine-wash, it came out rougher than when it came in. It also very faintly smelled like a newborn mouse had died inside its lining. That’s pretty surprising, considering that it comes with ETL’s seal of approval.

I would give this one a skip if I were you.