Weighted blankets have become quite the rage these days. But what’s the fuss about? Do weighted blankets really work? This extensive guide will answer all your questions about weighted blankets, including our top 10 product recommendations for adults.
Our Method Of Selecting These Weighted Blankets
We used a comprehensive methodology to compile this list by researching medically-reviewed sources and actual customer feedback and reviews. We made sure to focus on blankets with high-quality materials, even distribution of weight, and durability. These work well with extra firm mattress toppers that help reduce back pain for a more comfortable sleep. We came up with a list that you'll have a hard time picking from. You can trust that all the blankets featured in this article are some of the best options on the market. They can help lessen hip or back pain so you can get some quality sleep. Additionally, this list of weighted blankets come with pros and cons that are easy to see, so you can skim for your best bet fast.
The 10 Best Weighted Blankets for Adults
1. CoolZen Ultra-Cooling Weighted Blanket
Best Overall Weighted Blanket for Adults
The CoolZen Ultra-Cooling Weighted Blanket is hands-down the best blanket on the market. Made of a cooling 100% cotton, the blanket is breathable and bordered by 12 concealable loops to attach to the duvet, so it can look just as lovely all on its own.
CoolZen’s inner blanket comes pre-washed, but can be hand-washed or dry cleaned if necessary. The included duvet is machine-washable, making care and cleaning a cinch for you. This blanket is made of high-quality materials – including a heavy-duty zipper that never snags – that are sure to last a long time.
How CoolZen Feels
CoolZen’s cotton blanket is ultra cooling and filled with fine glass beads for added weight. The beads are kept in place with tight stitching and a 7-layer design.
One of its most unique features is the chevron-quilted pattern. While most weighted blankets use squares to distribute beads across the blanket, the chevron pattern does the job more effectively. Instead of beads shifting to corners and creating a lumpy feel, the weight in a chevron corner is merely distributed to the middle of the neighboring chevron.
The blanket comes with a super soft, plush minky cover for cooler months. And it stays super soft, even after several washes. The 12 blanket fasteners help keep the blanket from bunching within the duvet, as well. So you’ll be free of annoyance and filled with cozy, restful sleep through the night.
Bottom Line:
CoolZen’s weighted blanket includes a durable, breathable blanket that keeps you cool and a soft, plush, washable cover to keep you warm. It’s expertly crafted to spread weight evenly across your body, so you can enjoy the full benefit.
2. Gravity Blanket: The Weighted Blanket for Sleep
Most Popular Weighted Blanket for Adults
Gravity is a well-respected weighted blanket brand. Though weighted blankets did exist before them, Gravity’s 2017 Kickstarter campaign drew attention back to the weighted blanket industry.
This high-end weighted blanket option comes in multiple weights and 3 colors (navy, grey, and white), but only offers one size, meant to fit a single person. The inner blanket is hand wash only, but the outer shell, or duvet, is machine washable.
How Gravity Feels
The inner blanket is made of 100% cotton and filled with fine glass beads to add weight. A square gridded pattern keeps beads within their “pockets”, so the weight stays evenly distributed across your body (though perhaps not quite as well as the chevron pattern).
The micro-fleece duvet delivers an ultra-soft, plushy feeling. It’s sure to keep you cozy and warm, and is great if you’re cold all the time. It features buttons and ties to attach and remain connected to the cover, as well as an upgraded zipper system, so the inner blanket doesn’t shift within the outer shell.
Bottom Line:
Gravity’s weighted blanket is a premium-grade option designed to keep weight spread across your body. Its included cover will wrap you in a super soft, snuggly hug.
3. Luna Adult Weighted Blanket
Best Adult Weighted Blanket for No-Bead Shifting
Luna is a no-nonsense weighted blanket that keeps weighted glass beads locked in place using a couple of different methods. The beads are actually woven into the fibers of the innermost layer of the blanket, so they’re not going anywhere. The blanket also has a tightly stitched grid pattern to keep beads from shifting around. So no matter how much you shift (though, likely not much, with a weighted blanket), Luna’s blanket weight will remain spread equally across your body.
Luna also offers a plethora of choices in size, weight, color, and pattern. But before choosing a fun pattern, keep in mind that you may want to purchase a cover separately to ease the laundering process. The blanket itself can be washed – only on a cold, gentle cycle or hand-washed – and must be hung to dry.
How Luna Feels
This hypoallergenic, 100% cotton blanket is breathable, cool, and soft. With the inner glass beads sure to stay in place, your whole body will feel evenly cooled and cuddled.
Bottom Line:
Luna is an ingenious weighted blanket option with weight woven into its fibers and locked in place with tight, gridded stitching. With so many options of weight, size, color, and pattern, you’re sure to find something you’ll love.
4. Baloo Soft Weighted Blanket
Most Sleek Weighted Blanket for Adults
Baloo’s Soft Weighted Blanket is elegant and aesthetically pleasing. The white, quilt-style blanket looks clean and sleek amidst any environment and comes in a lovely quilted pattern. It’s also available in several sizes and weights.
The Baloo is dense, meaning that even at a heavy weight, it’s surprisingly thin. It’s also only weighted only in the middle portion of the blanket – the part that will be covering your body – and not on the edges that hang down. These two factors make it easy to machine-wash and dry. Though it must be dried on low heat, it dries pretty quickly. Overall, this lovely blanket is durable and easy to maintain.
How Baloo Feels
Baloo’s weighted blanket is made with 100% cotton, providing both breathability and insulation, depending on the temperature. This makes is a great option for those who run both too hot or too cold. The weighted glass beads that fill it are locked in place with a unique double-stitched quilt pattern that features squares with bordering piping. Though it doesn’t come with a cover, its machine-washability and sleek look don’t necessarily call for one.
Bottom Line:
Baloo Soft Weighted Blanket is insightfully designed in both look and construction. The clean white quilted pattern looks beautiful, and the thinness of the item makes it easy to clean and care for.
5. YnM Weighted Blanket
Best Weighted Blanket for Adults with Lots of Color Choices
YnM Weighted Blanket is a popular budget option. It offers tons of color and pattern choices, as well as several sizes and weights to choose from. While it can be machine-washed, it is recommended to be hand-washed most of the time to prevent wear and tear. You can also order a cotton, bamboo, or minky cover separately to help protect the inner blanket.
How YnM Feels
YnM’s blanket is constructed with 7 layers that contain more glass beads and less fiber fill, helping it to stay breathable. Made of cool 100% cotton, its small gridded pattern is finely stitched to keep beads contained and evenly distributed throughout the blanket.
Bottom Line:
A favorite value weighted blanket choice, YnM provides a variety of choices in colors and sizes. Designed with breathability in mind, it’s made to keep weight locked in place so you can enjoy the full effect of a weighted blanket.
6. Degrees of Comfort Cooling Weighted Blanket
Best Adult Weighted Blanket for Year-Round Use
Degrees of Comfort Cooling Weighted Blanket is known for its versatility. It includes 2 duvet choices for a blanket that suits every season of the year. One is “Coolmax”, and made with a moisture-wicking material that keeps you cool and dry through the night – ideal for warmer months. The other, “Cozyheat”, is made of a warm, minky plush material that’s perfect for cooler times of the year.
These outer shells can both be washed and dried in a machine at home (though the inner shell cannot). They are attached to the inner shell with 10 attachment points, which keeps the blanket from bunching within the cover.
How Degrees of Comfort Feels
Degrees of Comfort’s weighted blanket has a filling unique to most of its kind. Instead of glass, the weighted beads are nano-ceramic, which feel smoother and are denser, requiring less filling for the same weight. They are more durable than plastic but more comfortable than glass is.
The blanket is stitched with small square pockets to prevent the clumping of beads within the blanket, so it always remains evenly spread.
Bottom Line:
Degrees of Comfort’s all-season weighted blanket includes 2 covers made for summer and winter. You’re sure to stay comfortable wrapped in evenly distributed weight that can be adjusted to cooling or warming throughout the year.
7. ZonLi Adults Weighted Blanket
Weighted Blanket for Adults with the Best Deal on Duvet Options
Though ZonLi Adults Weighted Blanket doesn’t include a cover with purchase, it offers a great deal on them. When you buy one of ZonLi’s bamboo or minky duvets along with your purchase of the weighted blanket, you’ll get 30% off on the duvet.
The blanket itself is 100% cotton and is bordered by 8 loops to attach to a cover. The inner shell is recommended to not be machine-washed. This is why buying a cover is suggested, to keep it protected and easy to clean and maintain.
How ZonLi Feels
With 6 layers to keep glass beads in place, as well as reinforced stitching and quilted square pattern, ZonLi’s weight should keep evenly distributed throughout the blanket (although a few users have experienced bead leakage).
Bottom Line:
ZonLi’s weighted blanket is a great choice for those looking for a deal on a duvet. With a variety of options in material, color, and pattern, you’re sure to find something that looks fantastic.
8. Quility Weighted Blanket with Soft Cover
Adult Weighted Blanket with the Best Customer Service
Quility’s Weighted Blanket offers incredible customer service. If you have any trouble with your purchase, you can contact their customer care team within 90 days, and they’ll do whatever they can to resolve the issue. They also have a pretty generous no-questions-asked refund policy. If you’re trying out weighted blankets for the first time and aren’t sure what your preferences are, these factors could make Quility a good starter weighted blanket for you.
The blanket includes a duvet and comes in several weights and sizes, and a handful of cover colors, too.
How Quility Feels
Quility’s dual-sided cover is a soft minky plush that’s textured on one side and smooth on the other. It is machine-washable hang dry, while the inner blanket must be hand washed and hung dry or dry cleaned.
While the blanket is expertly crafted with dense stitching and square pockets to keep beads spread out, some users say the fill shifts and pools in the corners, with beads moving around excessively within the squares. Some others also experienced zipper snags.
Bottom Line:
With a generous refund policy and excellent customer service, Quility could serve as a perfect starter weighted blanket for those trying them out for the first time and unsure what to look for.
9. Weighted Idea Cool Weighted Blanket
Weighted Blanket for Adults with the Most Size and Weight Options
Weighted Idea Cool Weighted Blanket comes in 15 various size and weight choices, giving you plenty of options to consider. The blanket is dry clean only, so it is recommended to purchases a washable outer shell for easier cleaning and care.
How Weighted Idea Feels
Weighted Idea’s quality 100% cotton is soft, breathable, and cozy. The glass beads that fill the blanket are held in place with precise stitching in a square quilted pattern that keeps the weight evenly spread across the blanket.
Bottom Line:
Weighted Idea Cool Weighted Blanket offers several choices for weight and sizing, ensuring a perfect fit for anyone in your family looking to try a weighted blanket.
10. Smart Queen Cooling Weighted Blanket
Best Budget Weighted Blanket for Adults
At $27.99, Smart Queen Cooling Weighted Blanket is one of the most affordable on the market. Available in a range of sizes, Smart Queen also offers one of the largest weighted blankets out there – a California King (88”x104”).
The inner shell features discreet loops around the edges to connect to a duvet (which must be bought separately). Since the blanket doesn’t withstand machine washing very well, it’s recommended to be dry cleaned. For this reason, it’s also encouraged to purchase a protective cover to keep the blanket clean.
How Smart Queen Feels
Made with premium cotton, Smart Queen’s weighted blanket is constructed with 7 layers to keep the glass beads contained and still, as does the quilted pattern.
Bottom Line:
If price is a concern, Smart Queen’s weighted blanket provides a budget-friendly option for anyone looking to experience the benefits of using a weighted blanket.
What Is A Weighted Blanket?
A weighted blanket is a blanket filled with beads, ball bearings, pellets, or simply woven with heavy yarn to add extra weight. Typically ranging from 5-30 pounds, this added weight is intended to help you feel “hugged” by the blanket.
How Do Weighted Blankets Work?
The filling of a weighted blanket is usually distributed throughout the blanket with tight seams and quilted pockets to keep the weight evenly spread across it. It mimics deep touch stimulation, which can help to reduce cortisol and increase serotonin, melatonin, and oxytocin. These hormones bring about a feeling of calmness and can be especially helpful to those with sensory processing disorders, anxiety, insomnia, depression, and other health conditions.
How To Choose A Weighted Blanket
There are so many varieties of weighted blankets on the market, and it can be difficult to know what to look for or what you’ll like. In the end, testing things out for yourself is one of the best ways to discover what feels good to you. However, there are several key features to keep an eye out for in your search.
What To Consider When Purchasing A Weighted Blanket
Price
Many weighted blankets fall somewhere between $100-300, though there are several options under $100 (many of which are mentioned in this list). Your budget and the quality of product you’re looking for can help determine your ideal price point.
Materials
Weighted blankets can be made with a variety of materials, including cotton, bamboo, cotton-poly blends, and other specially formulated fabric blends. The fabric you choose can help determine the breathability of the blanket.
A weighted blanket’s cover can come in various fabrics, including cotton, bamboo, linen, and minky plush. Your temperature preferences can help you choose the style that’s right for you. If your preferred blanket makes you a little bit too warm to be comfortable, you can always pair it with a cooling mattress pad. Normally this product is designed for hot flushes but anyone who wants to have the best sleep is welcome to try this combination.
Fill
Weighted blankets can be filled with all sorts of materials to add weight. The most common of these are poly pellets, glass beads, and ball bearings, but many other fillers are also used. In general, synthetic materials tend to be warmer and less durable, while natural materials, such as glass beads, deliver a more breathable experience that lasts longer.
Easy Cleaning and Care
Some weighted blankets are easier to clean and maintain than others. Be sure to check out the cleaning instructions before purchasing, if at all possible. If your weighted blanket cannot be laundered at home in a machine (as many cannot), it’s highly recommended to use a washable cover to protect it and keep it clean.
What Are The Benefits Of Weighted Blankets?
Weighted blankets offer many benefits to those who use them, some of which include the following:
Improved Sleep
The Journal of Sleep Medicine and Disorders demonstrated in a study that weighted blankets help people lie more still at night and achieve a deeper sleep. Those with restless leg syndrome can significantly benefit from this factor.
Weighted blankets also deliver deep touch pressure stimulation, which has been found to increase melatonin and serotonin, reduce cortisol, and thus improve sleep. This better balance of hormones can be especially instrumental for those with anxiety or insomnia who have trouble sleeping at night.
A Calming Effect
Anyone who suffers from depression, anxiety, panic attacks, OCD, PTSD, or bipolar disorder may find significant benefits from using a weighted blanket. The extra weight mimics a “hug” feeling to increase oxytocin, which lowers blood pressure and increases a feeling of security and peace.
Helpful for People with Autism, ADHD, or Sensory Processing Disorders
People who experience trouble processing the senses may benefit from the added weight in a weighted blanket. The deep touch pressure can help desensitize a person to the feeling of being touched, thus helping them to concentrate and feel safe and calm.
How Do You Clean A Weighted Blanket?
Because weighted blankets are made in a variety of ways with a variety of materials, they all have different cleaning needs. Some are more durable and can withstand a home laundering machine with no issues. Others are more delicate and can only be dry cleaned or spot cleaned. Always check the cleaning instructions included with your blanket to find the best approach.
Let’s review the most typical approaches to cleaning a weighted blanket.
Dry Clean Only
Some weighted blankets can only be dry cleaned or spot cleaned (and sometimes hand washing is okay, too). It’s important to stick to this rule, as these blankets could be permanently damaged if they are run through a home washing machine.
Machine Wash Outer Shell Only
Many weighted blankets highly encourage the use of an outer shell, or cover, with the blanket. This way, you can protect the blanket from getting dirty and then simply launder the cover in your machines at home.
Machine Wash and Air Dry Inner Shell
These weighted blankets’ inner shells are able to be washed in your washing machine (typically with cold water on a gentle cycle). But be careful to make sure the inner shell is not dried in a machine. Instead, it needs to be air-dried by hanging up or laying flat.
Machine Wash and Machine Dry Inner Shell
These more durable weighted blankets can withstand being cleaned in a washing machine and dried in your dryer. Be sure to adhere to the instructions for the wash cycle and drying, as these blankets still typically need to be washed on delicate cycles and dried with low heat.
What Size Weighted Blanket Should I Get?
Ultimately the size of weighted blanket you choose is up to you. There are a few things to keep in mind, though. Weighted blankets are usually smaller than the typical blanket sizing we use for bedding. Since it’s weighted, it will keep you cocooned within the blanket, so you shouldn’t need extra material falling off the edge of the bed (plus, since it’s weighted, that might make you feel dragged down, anyway).
Most of the time, weighted blankets come in twin or queen sizes, and are intended for use by a single person rather than being shared with a partner. One reason for this is because two people may be different sizes, making it difficult to select an accurate blanket weight to suit both users. It’s also tricky to ensure the blanket’s weight is equally distributed between the two people.
There are, however, still many options for large weighted blankets that can be used by two people at once, if that is, in fact, your preference. They just will need to be heavier to accommodate both users.
How Heavy Should A Weighted Blanket Be?
A weighted blanket is best at 5-12% of your own body weight. Most people feel comfortable with a blanket that’s 10% their weight, but some prefer lighter or heavier. If this is your first time trying a weighted blanket, it’s usually best to start with something on the lighter side to get you accustomed to the feeling of sleeping with extra weight on your body. But just because they're weighter doesn't mean you have to wake up every night in a pool of your own sweat. There are cool weighted blankets that gives you the reassuring hug expected from them minus the overheating part.
How To Sleep With a Weighted Blanket
So long as a weighted blanket is safe for you to sleep with — that is, you don’t have respiratory or circulation issues — you can sleep with a weighted blanket every night if you’d like. It can take a few weeks to adjust to sleeping with a weighted blanket, but once you do, you may find it difficult to sleep without one!
If you’re not used to sleeping with extra pressure, or if you find the weighted blanket slightly uncomfortable at first, try sleeping with the blanket covering only the lower half of your body for the first few nights until you adjust.
To get the full, calming pressure effect of a weighted blanket, sleep on your back. This position allows a larger area of your body to be covered with the blanket and distributes the pressure evenly across your body. However, if you’re a side sleeper, that will work with a weighted blanket too! Sleep in the way that is most comfortable for you.
Physical Health Conditions That May Benefit From a Weighted Blanket
Weighted blankets are mainly known for their benefits of relieving anxiety and calming sensory issues, but there is a range of physical ailments that weighted blankets can help as well.
Arthritis and Joint Pain
While arthritis has a few different causes, it is characterized by swelling and tenderness in the joints. Symptoms include pain, stiffness, swelling, redness, and a decreased range of motion. While the treatment for arthritis depends on the type of arthritis it is, studies have found that weighted blankets are excellent for chronic pain, including joint pain.
The deep touch pressure that weighted blankets offer can calm the nervous system, reducing cortisol, the “stress hormone,” and increasing serotonin, the “feel good hormone.”
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition that still remains a mystery to much of the medical community. Symptoms include widespread musculoskeletal pain as well as symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, and insomnia. The deep pressure that weighted blankets provide can offer relief that relaxes the nervous system and calms these pain signals.
Restless Leg Syndrome
Restless leg syndrome, or RLS, is a condition that causes discomfort in the legs, such as feelings of creeping, crawling, throbbing, aching, itching, and the strong desire to kick or move one’s legs. RLS is often worse at night when your legs are at rest. Like with joint pain and fibromyalgia, the deep touch therapy provided by weighted blankets soothes the restless, overactive nerves, relieving or even preventing the sensations of the creepy crawlies.
What Is Deep Touch Therapy?
The reason weighted blankets work is that they provide something called deep touch therapy. Deep touch therapy is the idea of applying gentle but firm pressure to the body, the same type of pressure you would get from a hug. This deep pressure reduces heart rate and calms the nervous system.
These effects are excellent for those with autism, ADHD, and other types of neurodivergence that can result in overstimulation. It also helps reduce anxiety and reduces pain from a misfiring or overwhelmed nervous system.
The idea of deep touch stimulation was first popularized by autism advocate and scientist, Temple Grandin. At only 18 years old, she developed a “hug machine” meant to apply uniform deep pressure to the body. While initially met with skepticism in the scientific community, her machine has since been used in therapy settings and even to soothe animals.
Since then, researchers have studied touch therapy and found it to not only reduce anxiety and sensory issues, but to reduce chronic pain in a simple, non-pharmaceutical way.
Of course, it’s not practical for the general public to have a squeeze machine in their homes. A weighted blanket is a perfect replacement. Weighted blankets are a convenient way to receive that deep touch therapy while you sleep. You can choose the weight and size of the blanket according to your personal needs.
It’s still unclear what exactly causes autism, ADHD, other sensory processing disorders, and some chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia. However, it seems clear that calming the nervous system can mitigate some of the symptoms of these conditions that often reduce the quality of life.
Commonly Asked Questions About Weighted Blankets
What are weighted blankets made of?
Weighted blankets are made with a variety of materials. The most common are cotton and bamboo, with many brands formulating cotton-polyester and other fabric blends designed to draw heat away from the body for hot sleepers.
Duvets can be made with the same materials, as well as minky plush or micro-fleece to keep you warm and toasty.
What are weighted blankets filled with?
Weighted blankets are most typically filled with glass beads, poly pellets, or ball bearings, though they can be filled with a variety of materials to add weight. Some knitted weighted blankets are simply constructed with heavy yarn.
What weighted blanket size do I need?
The size you choose for your weighted blanket is entirely up to you. Keep in mind, though, that while you can order a blanket to cover both you and a partner, it’s recommended for individual use so you can have the weight fully distribute over your body. You can take your bed size into consideration, but ultimately, you just need a blanket that will cover your body.
Can you wash weighted blankets?
It depends on the model. With some weighted blankets, the inner shell can be washed at home. With others, only the outer shell, or cover can be. Still, others can only be spot cleaned, hand-washed, or dry cleaned. Consult your weighted blanket’s care instructions to find the specific answer for your product.
Can you put a weighted blanket in the dryer?
This also depends on the particular weighted blanket. While some weighted blankets can be machine-washed and dried, most can only be air-dried. If, however, you are wanting to dry the outer shell only, this can usually be machine-dried with no issues. Again, consult the cleaning instructions for your specific product.
Who should not use a weighted blanket?
While a weighted blanket can benefit many people, some should avoid it. For instance, those with joint issues, respiratory problems, or sleep apnea may not be suited for the product. In addition, anyone who is unable to lift the blanket off themselves should not use a weighted blanket.
If you have a health condition, consult your doctor before purchasing a weighted blanket.
What are weighted blankets good for?
Weighted blankets are good for providing a “hugged” feeling, which can have various benefits. When you’re nestled in a weighted blanket, you’re receiving deep pressure stimulation from the extra weight. This can help you release healthy hormones such as oxytocin (the cuddle or love hormone”), serotonin (“the happiness hormone”), and melatonin (the sleepy hormone) and decrease cortisol (the stress hormone).
Altogether, this balance of hormones can help calm anxiety, improve sleep, and even help with sensory processing challenges.
Are weighted blankets safe?
In general, weighted blankets are safe for most people to use.
There are, however, some people for whom the use of a weighted blanket is inadvisable. These people include those with joint problems, respiratory issues, sleep apnea, or circulation problems. It’s also not safe for anyone who is unable to lift the blanket off themselves.
For pregnant women, weighted blankets are generally thought to be safe. It’s also safe for kids to use weighted blankets, as long as the child is at least 50 pounds and the blanket selected is the appropriate weight for the child’s size.
When in doubt, it’s always a good idea to check with your doctor to find out if it’s safe for you or a loved one to use a weighted blanket.
Can you sleep with a weighted blanket?
Yes! Many people love weighted blankets because of the sleep benefits that come with them. Using a weighted blanket while you sleep envelops you in a comforting hug feeling and helps reduce tossing and turning through the night – both of which can induce a more peaceful, restful sleep.
How much are weighted blankets?
Weighted blankets typically fall between $100-300. But it’s also relatively easy to find budget options under $100. Take a look at your budget, as well as the features that are important to you in a weighted blanket, and determine the price point that’s right for you.
Why do weighted blankets work?
The added weight of a weighted blanket delivers deep touch pressure stimulation to the user. This is thought to induce the feeling of a hug or snuggling, which can decrease cortisol and release essential calming hormones such as oxytocin, melatonin, and serotonin.
