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If you’re trying to keep your thermostat a few degrees lower this winter—or are just prone to being cold—an electric blanket is a must-have for your home. Also called heated blankets, these cozy coverings give off impressive heat that will keep you warm on even the worst winter days, and they’re perfect for cuddling up on the couch or snuggling into bed at night.
However, electric blankets can be expensive, and many are prone to issues like cold spots and uncomfortable wires. We wanted to see which ones are actually worth the money, so we tested seven different options over the course of a few months. Our favorite is the Sunbeam Mink Sherpa Heated Blanket (available at Amazon for $39.87) , which works well and is made from thick, cozy fabric that hides the inner wires.
The Sunbeam Royal Mink Sherpa Heated Electric Blanket won us over with it's simple design and snuggly comfort.
For one of the best comfortable electric blankets that’s perfect for one person, you can’t go wrong with the Sunbeam Mink Sherpa Heated Blanket. It comes in a variety of colors to match your decor, and the throw-size blanket has a soft fleece fabric on the top and a thick, cozy sherpa on the bottom. Because the material is thicker than most, it does a superior job hiding the wires inside the blanket, and overall, it’s much more comfortable to cuddle up with than many of the other blankets we tested.
In terms of functionality, the Sunbeam Mink Sherpa Blanket is simple but effective. It has four heat settings to choose from, and the controller is simple to operate—there’s just one button to turn the heating level up, and a small row of lights indicates the current setting. It generally took around 4 or 5 minutes for the warmth to increase when we adjusted the setting, and there were noticeable differences between all four options, ranging from barely-there heat to really toasty warmth. Still, even on its highest setting, the electric blanket was never uncomfortably hot, and we liked that it automatically shuts itself off after four hours, which was more than enough time for most lounging sessions.
The blanket is machine-washable, and unlike other products, you can simply put it into the washing machine on the gentle cycle—there are no wacky instructions you have to follow—and on a regular low-heat dryer cycle. Our only real complaint about the Sunbeam heated blanket is that the power cord is shorter than most, so you do have to sit fairly close to a power outlet.
If you want the best electric blanket and are willing to pay for it, the Sleep Number Warming Blanket is the one to get.
If you don’t mind spending a little more on an electric blanket, the Sleep Number Warming Blanket has a luxurious design that’s worth the splurge. We often noticed thin materials and haphazard sewing in many of the blankets we tested, but this product is truly well-made. The fleece fabric is nicely hemmed and incredibly thick and soft. The coziness provides impressive warmth even when it’s not plugged in, and is one of the best electric blankets on the market.
The Sleep Number Blanket is available in either queen or king sizes, and there are three color options. Both sizes come with two controllers, allowing you to set the warmth on each side of the blanket independently. (This feature is handy if you’re sharing the blanket with a partner.) The controllers have a large blue dial that you turn to increase or decrease the heat, but we didn’t love their design. They show the number of the heat settings on the front of the controller, but the dial doesn’t click into place or make a sound when you change the setting. The units also felt a bit cheap, which was disappointing considering the price of the blanket.
This electric blanket has 11 heat levels to choose from, and while there’s a noticeable difference between the lowest and highest options, the change in warmth from one setting to the next is fairly small. We often had to increase the blanket by two or three levels before there was a discernible difference. The blanket can be machine-washed on a gentle cycle and put in the dryer, making for quick and easy maintenance.
Dual heat zones with separate controllers
Only available in large sizes
If layering is your thing, then the Sunbeam Royal Ultra Fleece electric blanket is our top recommendation.
Many heated blankets cannot be layered with other blankets, as doing so will cause the coils to overheat, but if you like to use an electric blanket with your comforter, the Sunbeam Royal Ultra Fleece is safe to layer on your bed. It comes in a full range of sizes and several muted colors, and the larger queen- and king-size versions have dual heating zones and two separate controllers—one for each side of the bed.
This best electric blanket had the best controller design of all the options we tested. The controllers are compact and easy to use, with a digital screen that shows you the current settings. There are up and down arrows to adjust the heat level, and unlike many other electric blankets, this one lets you adjust the auto shut-off time between one and 12 hours. This is particularly useful if you just want to use the blanket to pre-heat your bed in the winter.
However, compared to several other blankets we tested, this Sunbeam blanket was very thin, and you could easily feel the wires through the fleece material. It has a larger-than-average border around the edges that doesn’t have any coils for heating, and it’s not the softest fabric, either, so we think it’s best used along with your favorite sheets and comforter.
Safe to layer with other blankets
Fabric isn’t very soft
The Beautyrest Heated Faux Fur Throw is the electric blanket of choice for the design-conscious.
The Beautyrest Heated Faux Fur Throw Blanket has a stylish design that will help elevate your decor while keeping you toasty warm. The front of the electric blanket is made from a delightfully soft faux fur fabric, and there are several fun patterns to choose from, including animal-print options like leopard. The reverse side is a soft fleece fabric, but because this material is thinner, you can sometimes feel the blanket’s wires through it.
The Beautyrest throw has three heat settings, and we were impressed by how quickly it heats up. It was toasty warm in just two or three minutes, and there were noticeable differences between the various heat levels. We also liked that the blanket’s plug is at the corner of the blanket—not the middle—which made it easier to keep it out of the way while lounging on the couch.
That said, there were a few things we didn’t love about this electric blanket. It’s expensive, especially for a throw, yet the construction was mediocre. In particular, the blanket’s edges were hemmed very roughly, exposing the cut portion of the fabric exposed. Additionally, the blanket automatically shuts off after just two hours of use, forcing us to turn it back on in the middle of our lounging session.
The Tefici Electric Heated Blanket will keep you warm without breaking the bank.
If you’re shopping on a budget, the Tefici Electric Heated Blanket is a decent option for warming up in the cold weather. It’s made from a fleece fabric and comes in a few different colors. There are three sizes, depending on if you want to use the blanket for lounging or on your bed.
This electric blanket is on the thinner side, and you can feel the coils when you’re lying underneath it. The construction is also below average, with messy hems and exposed edges. The blanket has three heat settings to choose from, and while the controller is easy to use, it’s a strange peanut-like shape and much larger than necessary. Still, the blanket provided plenty of warmth, and we liked that the cord comes out of one corner of the throw instead of the center, which is more convenient for lounging.
The Sunbeam Microplush’s construction is not as nice as the other blankets in this guide—its wires are thick and a bit rigid. The wires are all the more noticeable thanks to the Microplus thin fabric. That said, it does offer a nice preheat feature with a separate button on its well-designed controllers.
The Microplush’s preheat function can be turned on by clicking a single button, instead of having to hunt for it through a menu of other features, which is nice. It also comes with a five-year warranty that should ensure long years of service, provided you treat it well.
With wiring that can barely be felt inside of the best electric blanket, the Perfect Fit Soft Heat Warming Blanket feels very much like a regular polyester blanket. While soft and cozy, it doesn’t offer the fancier features of our top pick, like separate heating zones for feet. However, this electric blanket does provide consistent, subtle heat, which peaked at 90.8℉ during testing.
However, we were unimpressed with the controller’s limited functionality: There is no way to set a specific auto shutoff time, for example. We also have issues with the blanket’s warranty support.
While the Perfect Fit comes with a five-year warranty, our research uncovered that some customers have had difficulty having their warranty honored. Taking a close look at the company’s website, we found that multiple links lead to content unrelated to Perfect Fit products. And, when we called their warranty support number, we received no answer.
With this in mind, the Perfect Fit might not be a great buy right now.
If you love plush, cozy blankets, the Beautyrest Microlight-to-Berber Reversible Heated Blanket is right up your alley. This dual-sided blanket features a super soft velvet on one side and a wonderfully cozy sherpa material on the other, making it incredibly warm and welcoming before you even turn on the heat!
This plush electric blanket comes in a number of rich colors, and its queen and king sizes have dual controllers, so partners can set their respective zones to different temperatures. Each controller comes with 20 heat settings—much more than standard—and since the fabric is fairly thick, its wires aren’t as prominent.
The Beautyrest Microlight-to-Berber Blanket isn’t the quickest to heat up, though it does have a preheat feature to warm up your bed before you climb in. Plus, once it gets to temperature, your bed will stay warm. In testing its reversibility, we found that the heat is more noticeable when the velvet side is facing down: The sherpa is so thick that it blocks some of the warmth from reaching you.
Unfortunately, the controllers kept this electric blanket from ranking higher. They’re unnecessarily big and blocky, and also hard to adjust and read. A piece of translucent plastic over the digital display makes it impossible to read at certain angles, and the buttons themselves are somewhat hard to press.
Additionally, while the blanket does deliver a range of heat, we were expecting more of a difference between the lowest and highest settings. In general, we weren’t able to feel a difference if we only nudged it up a few numbers.
The Sunbeam Quilted Fleece Heated Blanket was the least welcoming of the bunch. It’s made from polyester like many others, but it’s neither soft nor cozy, and I didn’t want it against my bare skin. Additionally, the wires inside this blanket were very stiff—you can feel them immediately when you lie under it, and they made the blanket difficult to fold.
One thing that’s different about this best electric blanket is its two separate heating zones are served by a single connector. For this reason, you have to set the cords up in a specific way to ensure the controllers end up on the right sides of the bed. I didn’t realize this until I had already spent 10 minutes threading the cords under the bed. It was frustrating, but also my fault for not reading the directions more carefully.
Another problem was that the cord connecting the two controllers was a little too short to reach under my bed, so if one controller got jostled or pulled, the other one fell off the side table.
This model has 10 heat settings and a 10-hour shut-off, but that’s about it in terms of features. It seemed to get warmer than other blankets, even on low settings. When I used it overnight on setting 2, I woke up uncomfortably warm after a few hours. As such, I would be concerned about using this blanket on a high setting overnight.
Not very soft or cozy
The Westinghouse Heated Blanket was disappointing, especially for a higher-priced model. It’s made from a thin polyester fleece, and you can feel all of the wires inside. The controllers were large and clunky, and while some of the marketing material claims the blanket has an adjustable timer, there are only buttons to change the heat setting. In addition to being fairly uncomfortable, we also had some safety concerns with this blanket. During one use session, we began to smell burning plastic, which made us think the plug was overheating. We stopped using the blanket immediately, and overall, we don’t recommend it to anyone—there are much better options for a more reasonable price.
As you might expect, testing electric blankets required a lot of sleeping.
I’m Camryn Rabideau, a freelance contributor here at Reviewed. I’ve been reviewing bedding for years now and have personally tested more than a dozen heated blankets— for work and personal use. My partner and I live in a drafty old farmhouse in New England, so we often rely on heated blankets to stave off the chill on particularly cold nights. My cat and I also enjoy cuddling up on the couch with an electric blanket to relax at the end of the day.
We ran a variety of tests to find the best heated electric blankets available today. After unpacking each blanket, we looked at the construction, and I put my background in textile science to use as I evaluated the material quality and stitching. We also checked each blanket’s care label, which is generally a large tag on the front of the blanket, to see if the blanket could be machine-washed and if there were any specific instructions. For instance, some brands instruct you to fill the machine, let it agitate gently for a few minutes, then turn off the cycle—not the most convenient process. We gave points to blankets that can be put through a regular wash cycle and dried normally.
We also spent several days testing each blanket. We used them to lounge on the couch and sleep in bed, trying out all the settings. We noted whether there was a noticeable difference between heat levels and timed how long it took for the blanket to change temperature. Of course, we also scored each product on its comfort level, softness, ease of use, and whether we could feel the wires while using the electric blanket.
When you're shopping for the best heated blanket there's a few things to take into account.
In general, there are three types of electric blankets: standard blankets that you sleep under overnight, heated mattress pads that you sleep on top of, and throw blankets that you can use around the house. We focused on standard blankets, so the details provided here are specific to those.
With that in mind, here’s what you need to know about electric blankets to make an informed purchase.
Electric blankets aren’t as thick or puffy as a winter comforter. Instead, they’re typically more akin to a lightweight summer blanket or throw blanket. Most are made from polyester fleece or velvet, making them soft to the touch.
What distinguishes these blankets from a regular throw is the wiring that runs throughout the material. Unlike a heating pad, electric blankets don’t have a “cover”—the wires are integrated directly into the fabric, and they can’t be removed.
At the end of the blanket is a power cord connector or two, depending on how many zones the blanket has. When you set the electric blanket up, these connectors are typically positioned at the foot of the bed. You can run the cords under the bed, positioning the controller(s) on your bedside table and putting the plug into a nearby outlet.
There are several common features you’ll see on these best electric blankets. First, almost all electric blankets have 10 heat settings and automatic shutoff after around 8 to 10 hours. This safety feature ensures your blanket won’t stay on all day, even if you forget to turn it off.
Another common feature is dual-zone controls. Queen- and king-sized electric blankets typically come with two controllers that allow partners to customize the heat on their side of the bed. This was once a “luxury” feature, but it’s pretty standard today across all brands.
There are also some special features reserved for more expensive electric blankets. For instance, some models have a “preheat” option, which typically heats up the blanket on a warmer setting for 30 minutes or more to get your bed toasty before you hop in. Note that the preheat settings we tested specifically note not to use them when you’re in bed.
Another special feature is a timer, which means the blanket will turn off after a set number of hours. Similar to the preheat option, this will ensure you don’t get too hot overnight, and it will save electricity, too.
If the cold weather makes it hard for you to fall asleep, an electric blanket is an effective way to warm yourself up without heating the entire room. It can also be used to preheat a bed, if crawling into a cold bed is an unpleasant thought. If your feet are often chilled, an electric blanket helps warm up faster and stay warm more effectively than throwing a pair of socks on in bed.
As part of the testing, we tried a highly-rated polyester blanket and I was reminded of how effective regular blankets can be. After testing several electric blankets in a row, I expected to be disappointed by a non-heated version. Other than a bit of chill around my arms, I didn’t notice much difference.
Our heat sensor supported this, noting a peak temperature difference of 1.4℉ between the unheated blanket and our Best Overall pick. So, if the room you’re in isn’t particularly chilly, an electric blanket might not serve you as well as you might be hoping.
One of the first things you’ll notice when you buy an electric blanket is there are a lot of safety precautions. They’re listed in big bold letters in the instructions, but the blankets themselves also sport a big patch with important safety guidelines—and it can’t be removed.
In general, all heated blankets have a few key guidelines for safe use:
Because it’s an electric device that you’re using while asleep, it’s important to follow these guidelines carefully to ensure your safety.
Despite the fact that they’ve been around for many years, electric blankets are still plagued with issues. There are several common problems you might experience if you purchase an electric blanket, and they range from moderately inconvenient to dangerous.
On the mild end of the spectrum, many of these best electric blankets don’t last as long as you might expect, especially considering their high price. If you read reviews on popular heated blankets, you’ll see many users complain their blankets stop working after a few months—sometimes just one “zone” dies out, and other times the whole thing goes kaput. Another frequently cited issue is hot spots, where one zone or area of an electric blanket doesn’t get quite as warm as the other.
However, electric blankets can be dangerous if used incorrectly. Some users report their blankets started smoking or melting at the power cord connection. There’s also a risk of burning yourself if you leave the blanket on too high overnight.
To prevent these hazards, it’s essential to carefully read and follow the manufacturer’s safety precautions. You’ll also want to stop using your heated blanket if there are any signs of fraying, loose wires, or other damage.
You may want to check if there's a year warranty on the heated blanket, too.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time. The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
Camryn Rabideau is a full-time freelance writer and product tester with eight years of experience. She's been lucky enough to test hundreds of products firsthand, and her specialties include bedding and pet products, which often require help from her two dogs, three cats, and flock of rambunctious chickens.
Rebecca Boniface is a certified PADI dive instructor, full-time nomad, and DIY enthusiast.
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