The best weighted blankets in 2019: Gravity, Bearaby and more – CNET

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SensaCalm’s weighted blankets are available with and without polyester fiberfill.


SensaCalm

Stressed out? Want to sleep better? A weighted blanket might be the answer. They are said to help in calming kids on the autism spectrum, help grown-ups manage anxiety and even help with restless leg syndrome. 

Usually weighing between 10 and 20 pounds, weighted blankets provide deep pressure all over your body which promotes the production of serotonin. This neurotransmitter regulates your mood, keeps your digestive system working, helps you sleep better.

Ready to buy? With so many weighted blankets out there, it can be hard to choose. Luckily, we’ve rounded up some of the best weighted blankets you can buy below.

If you’re not sure how to pick, this guide gives you 4 tips for choosing the best weighted blanket. If you are feeling crafty, you can also make your own weighted blanket too, for kids or adults!

Read more: How to make your own weighted blanket


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The best weighted blankets, compared

Price Type of weights Removable cover? Weight options in pounds Sizes in inches
Gravity $249 Glass beads Included 15, 20, 25 48″ x 72″
YnM $69 and up Glass beads Sold separately 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, 17, 20, 22, 25 Multiple sizes*
SensaCalm $89 and up Glass beads Sold separately 3-20 34″ x 50″, 38″x 62″ & 38″x 72″
Bearaby $199 and up Glass beads or layered knitted fabric Sold separately 15, 20, 25 Multiple sizes
Harkla $119 and up Glass beads Included 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 25 Multiple sizes
Baloo $149 and up Glass beads with polyester batting Sold separately 15 or 20 60″ x 80″
Mosaic $79 and up Plastic beads Sold separately 5-25 Multiple sizes

*Multiple sizes include throw blanket, twin, queen and king options, plus other miscellaneous sizes.

Gravity

Gravity is one of the better-known weighted blanket brands thanks in large part to its wildly successful Kickstarter campaign. Now, anyone can buy one of these blankets, which come in 15-, 20- and 25-pound options. Gravity uses glass beads as a filler and has a plush, removable and machine washable duvet cover.

Gravity also recently launched a cooling version of its heavy blanket, which has a special cover that wicks away sweat and keeps your body cool, perfect for helping you fall asleep on a hot summer night.

Read more: 4 Tips for choosing the best weighted blanket for you

What do15 pounds actually feel like? One overly-fed cat laying across your entire body. Eleven basketballs balanced over your frame. Being trapped in the idea of comfort executed by someone who learned the idea from A Christmas Story. Maybe that’s being overly biased, but after sleeping, lounging and consuming Entertainment Media while being squashed by the Gravity Blanket…I have no idea how people live with these things.

The weight’s evenly distributed, which is nice from an “is this made well?” perspective. But in the moment, when the entire blanket feels like this uniform thing on top of you, and you’re scrambling to find an escape route for your feet so they can get some cool air, it feels like the opposite of reassuring comfort. It feels like that Ryan Reynolds movie no one remembers. Regardless of price, regardless of color, the only real question that seems to matter is how you see a blanket fitting into your idea of comfort. Is comfort a tight embrace and the acceptance that This Place I’m in Now is the Place I Will Be For Two Hours? Great, give it a shot, the worst thing that could happen is uncomfortably tossing and turning before shipping it back. 

But if comfort is tied to the freedom of movement, the ability accommodate to the body heat of someone sitting next to you, to easily pop up for a snack or a washing machine timer, then oof. Be prepared to start thinking longingly back to the days when your blanket existed with you, not on you.

On the bright side, after a couple of weeks, my cat finally accepted it as a member of the household and started sitting on it…at which point it officially became his and has yet to be used by another human.

YnM

YnM’s weighted blanket is highly rated on Amazon and for good reason. It’s sturdy, has seven breathable layers and comes in five different sizes and nine weight options from 5 to 25 pounds. Oh, and it starts around $60, making it one of the best weighted blanket options for those on a budget. I bought this weighted blanket for myself last fall and I love it. To be honest, I think it played a key role in helping me feel calm in the aftermath of a difficult breakup.

The blanket itself is well-made and filled with glass beads. The separate machine washable cover is not required, but it makes it far easier to keep the blanket clean. The cover is available in a variety of fabrics, including the soft gray minky cover I have, and starts at $15.

— Sarah Mitroff, CNET editor

Read more: Weighted blankets: How they work, and why you should get one

Sensa Calm

Want a custom weighted blanket? SensaCalm is your best bet. It allows you to customize everything about your blanket, from the fabric to the weight. You pick if you want fiberfill or not, plus you can add snaps for a separate duvet cover and even monogram the finished blanket.

It even has waterproof fabrics, which are good for kids. These machine washable blankets start around $90 for kids’ sizes. The prices go up from there for weighted blankets for adults to fit any size bed. 

Bearaby

One notable thing I like about Bearaby’s The Napper blanket is the fact that it’s designed in a big, knitted pattern. Though it makes it hard to pick up and fold neatly sometimes, I do wonder how much of that is due to its weight and not about its open-netting design. 

Its benefit though is that its aesthetically pleasing and feels more open and “light” (even though it’s not at all light) than other weighted blankets, which I was afraid would be too hot or stifling. When I used it on my couch or in bed, it didn’t feel hot. The cotton is soft and high-quality and it felt breathable. It actually feels a lot like the simple cotton scarf American Apparel used to sell a few years back.

At $250, the blanket runs on the expensive side. You are paying for the novel texture and the fact that it objectively looks good on a living room couch. But if you are looking for a weighted blanket more for its utility I would say skip it — $250 is a lot to part with. While laying under it did feel nice, I didn’t notice much of a difference in my level of anxiety or ease of sleep.

Want a more traditional weighted blanket? The company also has a weighted comforter for sleep.

— Lynn La, CNET senior editor

Harkla

Harkla makes weighted blankets for kids and adults, weighted vests and weighted lap pads, plus a sensory peapod and hanging swing for children with sensory processing disorder issues.

The first time I used the 15-pound Harkla I expected to feel calmer and relaxed before slipping away to sleep. The exact opposite happened: my heart beat faster than it should be before bed, and I couldn’t get comfortable no matter how hard I tried.

I tried the Harkla while sitting and laying on the couch, laying in bed and just wrapped around me sitting in bed. But every time I climbed under it, as soft and cozy as the duvet around the blanket feels, I start worrying about what time it is, how long I’ve been sitting there, even the outcome of the Forensic Files episode I’m watching (they all end the same btw: with a killer caught by science).

In stark contrast to my aversion to the blanket, my best friend loved it and it put her immediately to sleep on my couch, curled up under it. Which I guess goes to show weighted blankets are an extremely personal thing. I will be sticking to my down feather comforter, thank you very much.

— Caitlin Petrakovtiz, CNET engagement editor

Baloo

Baloo’s 15-pound comforter is like the Parachute of weighted blankets. It looks and feels luxurious while remaining incredibly minimalist. I can attest to the fabric’s breathability, the even distribution of weight and the softness of the cotton. Plus Baloo uses chemical-free glass beads as its “weight” and still finds a way to be very, very quiet. 

The blanket is sold as a full- or queen-sized comforter and includes loops for attaching your own cover or one of Baloo’s. The verdict: Baloo’s benefits are also its flaws. The blanket is surprisingly thin given its weight and never left me sweaty, but I longed for my thick, fluffy comforter.

Without a comforter cover, the blanket’s soft cotton also resulted in it landing on the floor in the middle of the night. Also, Baloo makes its comforter smaller than average to avoid slippage, but, at that size, it’s not sharable between two people. If you sleep next to a partner, consider that you may need two separate blankets. 

At $169, it’s mid-range for a weighted blanket. I’d recommend Baloo to anyone looking for a minimalist weighted blanket that would look clean and crisp draped over a bed or sofa — it does look very pretty on display. But, for the purpose of sitting on the sofa and de-stressing after a long day, I’d go for one of the cheaper options. 

— Sharon Profis, CNET executive editor

Mosaic

The Mosaic Coolmax Weighted Blanket is a breathable blanket designed to keep you cool throughout the night. The fabric is definitely cold to the touch and would be great weighted option for sleepers who run hot. Unfortunately, I’m always freezing and the blanket was way too cold against my bare skin. I had to layer it over another blanket, which made it more prone to slipping off my body. 

The Coolmax comes in four different sizes, with weights ranging from 5lb to 25lb. I tested the Twin in 12lb, which also comes in 10lb, a nice option for smaller folks who find 15lb to be too heavy. 

The blanket is well constructed and the quilted smaller squares keeps the weight well distributed. However, it reminded me of two dozen corn hole bags sewn together and as a constant fidgeter I could not stop playing with the tiny bead bags. Anyone prone to fidgeting would be better off avoiding pellet-based weighted blankets — you could opt for Bearaby’s knitted version instead. 

If overheating is your issue, the $199 for the twin size might be worth the price tag. The Coolmax was definitely well made and cooling. It just wasn’t the right fit for me.

— Rebecca Fleenor, CNET writer

Layla

The Layla weighted blanket has limited size and weight options, but the blanket makes up for that with a well made, luxurious feeling product. The Layla comes in three sizes: Twin, Queen and King. I tested the Queen, which weights 20lbs. To be fair, it is challenging for me to move and maneuver the blanket (as it’s about 7lbs over my recommended weighted blanket weight). However, it feels amazing to be under it.

The blanket is double sided: one side of the blanket is black fabric and the other side is lined with a synthetic mink in a charcoal color. The fuzzy side feels soft and cozy, perfect for those looking to curl up and fall asleep with a good book on a cold winter night. 

Some weighted blankets remind me too much of sewn together cornhole bags, but I found the Layla to be more coherently a blanket and far less noisy than others. The Twin size blanket starts at $129, but it feels more high end than the price would indicate. 

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives. 

source: cnet.com