Weighted blanket revolution: Snuggling your way to serenity

Come a little closer. Come in for a hug.

Weighted blankets are often compared to getting a hug and researchers at Harvard have the science to back this up. The even weight distribution of these special blankets serves as a form of pressure therapy. It’s very similar to how babies are often soothed when tightly swaddled. The pressure from a weighted blanket signals your autonomic nervous system to go into “rest” mode. And just as if you were to receive a full-body hug, these blankets help increase feelings of safety, calm and relaxation while reducing feelings of angst, foreboding and distress.  Weighted blankets have even been used by occupational therapists to help people with anxiety or autism.

Now that you want one, how do you choose? Start with the weight. It’s generally recommended to choose a weighted blanket that’s approximately 10 per cent of your body weight. Most blankets are offered in a range of weights, with lighter ones available specifically for children. Also, consider the context: is this for the bed with lots of space (see our favourite bed frames here) or will this be the ultimate napping blanket on a couch with limited real estate? Will this be an item that will need to be cleaned often? Is your aesthetic contemporary or traditional?

Don’t worry, we’ve got the answers here. Keep reading for our well-researched offerings for different types of weighted blankets and the people and lifestyles they’re best suited for.

Best weight offerings: Silk & Snow Hand Knitted Weighted Blanket Best budget: Logan and Cove Classic Weighted Blanket Best cooling: Hush Iced 2.0 Cooling Weighted Blanket Best organic: Bearaby Cotton Napper Best washable: Baloo Weighted Blanket Best plush: Gravid UltraPlush Weighted Blanket 

Why buy: It’s not often you can call a hand-knit blanket elegant, but these chunky, textured loops have a contemporary, architectural aesthetic to them. Made from 100 per cent cotton, they provide all the cozy, weighted comfort of traditional weighted blankets without the worry of pesky glass pellets. This one is available in five different weights/sizes and eight neutral earthy tones. This is the option for those with a design-forward focus.

Weight: 8 – 25 lbs Price: Starting at $190 Where to buy: Silk & Snow

Why buy: This blanket achieves its weight with high-density glass microbeads, which are distributed through square quilting, ensuring their movement is confined to their “pocket”. A seven-layer construction also helps keep the glass beads in place while providing a little extra cushioning as it drapes smoothly, maximizing contact with your body while minimizing bunching. Temperature-regulating fabrics ensure there’s no overheating. To keep costs down, unlike other weighted blankets, this one is offered at only one weight (15 lb, 50” x 72”) and one colour (navy blue). If those aren’t dealbreakers, this is a fantastic option.

Weight: 15 lbs Price: $129 Where to buy: Logan & Cove

Why buy: While all the knitted weighted options provide a cooler experience, the look isn’t for everybody. If you want a more traditional blanket without overheating, this one from Hush has a 100 per cent cool-to-the-touch bamboo cover that claims to wick away moisture. If you’re a hot sleeper, this will keep night sweats from ruining your slumber. It lays on the bed (or sofa) like a traditional blanket and will blend easily into most décor. Available in four sizes and weights to fit most beds: teen, 12 lbs; twin, 15 lbs; queen, 20 lbs and king, 30 lbs. 

Weight: 12 – 30 lbs Price: Starting at $299 Where to buy: Amazon | Hush

Why buy: These blankets are hand-knit using over 250 metres of organic cotton yarn. The looped design not only ensures an even distribution of weight, but the open weave allows air to circulate around the body to keep you cool while still providing that hug-like weight — ideal for warm-weather naps or layering over other blankets when it’s cooler. The ropy texture is ingenious, as it feels as if contact points on the body trigger pressure points that accelerate decompression, signalling the body to relax. The blanket tends to move with you as you move instead of sliding off, almost applying gentle massaging pressure.

Weight: 10 – 20 bs Price: Starting at $332 Where to buy: Amazon 

Why buy: Technically, most of these weighted blankets are machine washable. Just refer to the cleaning tag and calculate around an extra 20 per cent in water weight to make sure your machine can handle this. But this Baloo weighted blanket not only washes and dries particularly easily, but it also comes with a blanket cover (like a duvet cover) sold separately. If your lifestyle requires constant cleaning, slipping off a lightweight cover might be the easiest solution. No matter how well a weighted blanket claims to wash, it’s still a cumbersome task.  Plus, this is like the Logan and Cove blanket in that it uses glass microbeads to achieve its poundage. While quality and durability aren’t an issue out of the box, think about years in the future when seams start to loosen and tiny glass beads begin dropping. Leave this fate to the you in a parallel universe and rest easy by using the blanket cover.

Weight: 12 – 25 lbs Price: Starting at $188 Where to buy: Amazon | Baloo 

Best plush: Gravid UltraPlush Weighted Blanket 

If you want a thoroughly cozy, snuggly experience with your weighted blanket, this comes with the option of a “microplush warming cover”. A “Breeze Cooling” option is also available, meaning you could have seasonal covers to use your weighted blanket throughout the year as the temperature fluctuates. The blanket features a double-stitched grid design with smaller compartments that help ensure the weight stays “4x more evenly distributed than competitors.”

Weight: 15 – 20 lbs Price: Starting at $329 Where to buy: Gravid | Shoppers Drug Mart

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