The 7 Best Heated Blankets in 2023 — Electric Blankets

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Keep cozy on those chilly days with one of these electric blankets.

When it's cold outside, the heat is, quite literally, on—at least on the inside. Come wintertime, everyone is cozied up indoors and huddled around their space heaters and fireplaces to warm up their personal spaces. But when it comes to sleeping in the chiller temps, sometimes those small heaters aren't enough. Sometimes chilly nights call for a device that, as Homer Simpson would say, keeps you feeling like a big, toasty cinnamon bun.

Enter the heated blanket, an electrified and safe way to keep your bedsheets warm while you’re about to nod off. These handy blankies come with remotes that allow you to control how warm you’d like your bedsheets to feel before or during your time under them. So get ready for the cold seasons ahead and check out these excellent electric blankets that we've rounded up below.

Heat and fabrics typically shouldn't mix — that's how fires happen. Most electric blankets on the market have plenty of safety features that protect against fire hazards and injuries. Most modern electric blankets have an automatic-shutoff feature that prevents them from overheating in case you forget to turn your blanket off. If you’re looking for an electric blanket to use while you nod off at night, consider reaching for one that automatically turns off after 10 or 12 hours, or features a timer.

To prevent yourself from overheating, controllers for these blankets have multiple heat levels. Choose something slow and low to either pre-warm your sheets before lying in bed or put it atop your sheet or duvet for optimal performance. Keep in mind that cheaper heated blankets have wiring that you can sometimes feel on your skin, so to avoid that uncomfortable touch with more affordable options, put your electric blanket atop something heavier than a sheet.

The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) recommends not putting anything—like your body or another blanket—on top of an electric blanket when it's in use, and cautions against folding or tucking in electric blankets, as this can pose a fire risk. If there are any signs of charring or fraying on the cord or blanket itself, you should stop using your electric blanket and dispose of it immediately.

As is the case with any heated item, it's important to make sure that you turn your electric blanket off when it's not in use; you may also want to fully unplug it if you're leaving the house for additional safety.

Most heated blankets are made with a soft fleece or velvet cover made from polyester, which is pleasant to the touch and often blends in well with sheets you may already have on your mattress. While few heated blankets today are made from cotton these days, it's best to avoid any you encounter with cotton covers, as they’re more flammable. Your best bet is to stick to synthetic materials that can better withstand heat.

For an electric blanket to work well, you’ll need to grab one in the proper size. It's better to go with your regular mattress size than smaller in this case or you'll risk warming only one side of your bed. You should be able to find heated blankets that will fit beds from twin to California king sizes. Again, electric blankets marketed as throws are best for sofas and couches.

Do you sleep as a couple? If you're looking for an electric blanket for a queen-sized mattress or larger, you'll likely want to invest in one with two temperature controllers. These dual controls allow partners who sleep together to divide the heat distribution of an electric blanket in half. This means that if one of you sleeps hot, you can just customize your heat settings to low to prevent sweating overnight.

Despite using wiring to conduct heat, electric blankets are sometimes machine-washable. Most items on this list can be tossed into a washing machine after a night of, say, accidentally spilling an entire packet of Taco Bell hot sauce over their sheets while watching Netflix. (We've all been there...right?) To wash heated blankets, simply unplug the temperature controller and power cord, set them aside, and wash the blanket as you would any other. Some washable electric blankets can't be tossed into the dryer, so you'll need to air-dry them instead. Always ensure your heated blanket is completely dry before plugging in your controller and using it again.

The best electric blankets are cozy, adjustable, and perhaps most of all, safe. To find the top heated blankets that fit that criteria, we did some research. We considered the top products recommended by competitor publications like Reviewed, The Spruce, and Wirecutter. We also consulted thousands of reviews from consumers who’ve purchased heated blankets from major retailers. We sorted through hundreds of electric blankets and only chose these seven with consideration to adjustability, variety, safety, and comfort.

Looking for more goods to keep you and your living space warm? Check out our picks for the best temperature-controller mugs, gas patio heaters, and winter coats.

Our pick for Best Overall is easy to use and offers plenty of features that make it accessible. Firstly, its remote has 12 warm settings to toggle through, which means you can set the blanket's heat as low or high as you’d like.

It's also made with a soft microfleece fabric that makes it delicate to the touch, and a 12-hour auto-shutoff feature means you can fall asleep while using it and rest easy without having to worry about turning it off. A built-in sensor evenly distributes heat throughout the blanket and ensures the cover won't overheat.

Many reviews praise this electric blanket for being reliable and love how easy it is to throw into a wash-and-dry cycle. Over a whopping 12,000 reviewers give this blanket a 4.4- out of 5-star average rating. Note, however, that even though this blanket is dependable, some say you may need to use it in conjunction with additional layers if you happen to run cold.

This extra-thick blanket from Thermee is an impressive piece of heated fabric. For one, it claims to be made with seven layers, including micro flannel, synthetic down fill, electrical cloth, quilt, and sherpa. That's an impressive sandwich of insulation. It's also so thick that reviewers say that you can't feel any of the wiring inside of it.

The included controller has a backlit screen so you can toggle through one of its 10 heat settings even at night, plus a memory function means you can set it and forget it. An automatic 10-hour shutoff makes it safe to accidentally fall asleep with, plus the ability to set a timer up to 12 hours lets you set a turn-off time manually. The queen and king sizes come with two controllers so that couples can divide their heat up, and this thing is completely machine-washable and pill-resistant. This model is also available in 10 colors, making it easy to match your existing bedroom décor.

Here's a heated blanket that's available in a full range of mattress sizes that boasts a whopping 20 different temperature settings, as well. That wide temperature range is great for finding the optimal condition you’d like to sleep in and lay with. It's made from a machine-washable soft micro plush polyester, and it's built to withstand a low dryer tumble. The addition of dual controls for bigger mattress sizes means couples can easily divide heat.

Over 10,000 reviews give this blanket a 4.1-star average rating. Users say the material is ultra-soft and has a great sheen to it, though a small number of reviews say the blanket is extra slippery and slides around when in use.

If you're looking for an affordable electric blanket, look no further. This soft flannel piece has an extra-long cord for plugging in just about anywhere and offers four heat settings via a single-button operated controller. Many reviewers state that it distributes heat evenly throughout its body, which is impressive at this price point, and it automatically shuts off after six hours of operation, though it lacks a manual timer. It's also machine-washable but it's not recommended for dryers.

It is fairly barebones in design, but it’ll get the job done as a throw blanket. Just don't expect it to keep your bed warm. It's available in four sizes and five colors.

Luxuriously soft and plush, this blanket from L.L.Bean ensures evenly distributed temperature throughout its body. The inner wiring is super flexible and thin, which reduces bulk on the overall blanket and leaves it feeling hefty with a thick, insulating top layer. It has one controller with five available heat settings and an automatic-shutoff feature. Many critical reviews point out that it's extremely soft as a throw should be, with one side made of ribbed silky material, and the other made of ultra-fuzzy microfleece.

A customer favorite at L.L.Bean's official retail site, many users praise the blanket's softness, detailing, and easy washability. Several reviewers also commented on the piece's cord length, however, which is fairly short.

This blanket plugs directly into your vehicle's 12-volt electric outlet and stays on until it's unplugged. It has an ultra-long 96-inch cord, so it can reach anywhere from the backseat to just outside a car window to warm up a camper. It's covered in a soft polyester fleece for extra coziness, plus it comes in six colors.

Those looking for an extra-warm option for winter car camping or naps, however, should note that although this fleece is quite thick, it doesn't get super warm and it only has one temperature setting. It also doesn't have a timer or an auto-shutoff feature, so it's best used in short spurts.

With four temperature settings and a 4-hour automatic shutoff, this fleece blanket from Brookstone is a cozy and warm electric blanket. It's also got a super lengthy power cord that measures a whopping 19 feet, which is great for those who need to reach those far-away outlets in the bedroom.

It's slightly lower in price than our Best Overall pick, which makes it a solid mid-tier choice, and the addition of a limited 5-year warranty makes this an awesome investment for the seasons to come.

Reviewers say that this blanket is mostly warm on its lower half, which keeps your feet feeling extra cozy on those chilly nights. It doesn't have a ton of temperature settings compared to other options on this list, but its long cord makes it a great device for most bedrooms.

Kevin Cortez is a Commerce Editor for Popular Mechanics, Bicycling, and Runner's World. A culture and product journalist for over nine years, he's covered everything from men's fashion and sneakers to e-bikes and video games. He was most recently the style editor for a leading product-recommendation site, and previously covered the music and podcasting industries at Mass Appeal and The A.V. Club. In his spare time, he walks his perfect little dog, Cash, and reads graphic novels. He has also written for Leafly, Input, Vulture and Genius.

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