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Where To Buy A Heated Blanket
For the technical side of this piece, I consulted with Joel Hawk, a veteran of Illinois-based UL Solutions, who oversees the testing of heated blankets for the agency, for his insight into how to shop for and store these products. UL is an organization that created a nationally recognized safety standard called Electrically Heated Bedding UL 964 and independently tests electric blankets to ensure they meet the necessary requirements.To learn about the health benefits of heated blankets, I spoke with TPI Level 1 certified physical therapist Cindy Langer, founder and owner of BodyFit Physical Therapy in Connecticut.
where to buy a heated blanket
When selecting blankets to test, I extensively studied online ratings and reviews. I considered heated blankets at a variety of price points and only chose products with an auto shut-off feature and warranty. I focused on blankets that were certified by one of the 21 Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTL) like UL Solutions or Intertek. I further established specific criteria to determine which blankets are best. For throws, I evaluated each on my couch or at my desk. For heated blankets intended for use on a bed, I evaluated each blanket before, during and after an approximately 8-hour sleep.
All the blankets I tested had auto shut-off, whether that was over 8, 10 or 12 hours. Each product I tested also had an accredited third-party certification logo, either from UL Solutions (UL) or for Intertek (ETL), on their instructions or tag. Read on for why you should look for that logo and auto shut-off while shopping.
I learned from reading ratings and reviews and from my own testing experience that heated blankets can be fussy. Sometimes they suddenly stop working for a variety of unclear reasons like a thermostat breaking down, loose connections or power surges that can cause overheating, so a good warranty is key. Lifetime limited warranties, 5-, 3- and 1-year warranties were among the best protections I found.
The circular remote is easy to operate. One button turns the unit on and off. A heat/timer button toggles between the two. Hit the plus or minus button to adjust the heat settings, which range from 1 to 10. It has auto shut-off that will turn off the blanket 10 hours after the controller is turned on (which was a similar range to most other blankets I tested), but you can also set the timer to shut it off sooner. The controllers lit up when I adjusted my heat settings in the dark.
Berkshire Blanker offers a 90-day satisfaction guarantee. After 90 days, the brand will consider any items for return that are defective due to materials or craftsmanship. Compared to any of the other blankets I tried, the VelvetLoft Striped Heated Blanket definitely has a much sturdier, longer-lasting feel than any of them, too. It heated up fast and kept me warm.
Bedsure Fleece Electric Blanket: The fluffy sherpa underside of this blanket definitely brings on the heat. However, you can feel the wires on top and underneath the blanket. The Bedsure has lengthy 16 feet cords, easy-to-operate controls that illuminate at night and one-click preheating that warms the blanket to level 10 automatically. The blanket, which has a 5-year warranty, shuts off at 8 hours, which is less than some of the other blankets I tried.
Only buy blankets that have been approved by nationally recognized testing agencies, such as UL Solutions (UL) or Intertek (ETL). The Beautyrest blanket had an entire section in the manual dedicated to its UL certification, which I appreciated.
Electric blankets can definitely give you the boost of warmth you need at night. For me, additional heat on my back has helped me find comfort when my back issues flare up. But heated blankets are not for everyone. If you suffer from a health condition and are unsure whether a heated blanket would be safe, consult with your doctor.
I'm a writer specializing in the outdoors and travel. I splits my time between Alaska and Colorado, where when I'm not writing, I spend my time camping, hiking, fishing, and snowboarding (often with dogs in tow). My byline can also be found in The New York Times, National Geographic, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, and beyond. Connect with me on Instagram (@byebaileyberg) and Twitter (@baileybergs).
Combine chilly temperatures with a drafty house, and you could end up with high utility bills. But using electric bedding to heat your bed costs just pennies a night. We think most people will be happiest with a heated mattress pad, which traps heat a bit better. The Sunbeam Zoned Heated Mattress Pad allows you to adjust the heat of three different areas along the pad (six if you get the queen or king size), and it also adds plush comfort to your bed, with less noticeable wiring than other models. If heated mattress pads are sold out, or you want the ease of a blanket, we recommend the Sunbeam Velvet Plush Heated Blanket.
This process led us to seven mattress pads and eight electric blankets to test. In 2022, we tested one additional mattress pad, our current pick, since our previous mattress pad pick was experiencing prolonged stock issues.
In 2020, we tested one additional heated mattress pad, the Sunbeam Therapeutic Heated Mattress Pad (it now appears to be discontinued), which had come down in price enough to make it worth looking at.
With an overall rating of over four stars across nearly 4,000 Amazon reviews at this writing, this Sunbeam pad is also well liked (for heated bedding). We have also seen fewer complaints for Sunbeam bedding overall compared with other brands we considered for testing. This mattress pad comes with a three-year warranty.
All of the electric blankets we tried had problems, ranging from unpleasant-feeling fabric to particularly noticeable wires. In our test group, the Sunbeam Velvet Plush Heated Blanket was the best, since its overall combination of softness, performance, controls, and safety features helped it edge out the competition.
In our tests, the Velvet Plush got hot and toasty within 20 minutes, similar to the other blankets we tried. The version we received for testing had a manually adjustable dial with 10 heat settings (and no preheat option). The type of controller may vary depending on where you order the blanket.
Like all Sunbeam heated bedding items, this blanket requires a single outlet even for the dual-controller versions. Blankets we tested from other manufacturers required two separate outlets. It also has the safety latched plug for the port at the base of the blanket, another feature exclusive to Sunbeam bedding.
We think the wires in this blanket might shift more over time than those in other blankets (like the Biddeford blankets we tried). The channels sewn into the Sunbeam design are wider, which can allow the wires to shift from side to side, possibly producing hot and cold spots.
You do still need to take some precautions when using heated bedding. Our experts gave us some general guidelines that you can follow to prevent damage to the textile casing, wires, cords, and ports in your bedding:
Regardless of the model, disconnect all the controllers and cords from the port before laundering. You should wash and dry only one item at a time. Never dry-clean, iron, or use bleach on heated bedding.
If you want a well-cushioned mattress pad: Sunbeam Premium Quilted Heated Mattress Pad was our previous top pick, which we eliminated due to ongoing, prolonged stock issues (especially in queen and king sizes). If you can find it, this quilted heated mattress pad with a cotton top and poly fill was the cushiest we initially tested, with virtually undetectable heating wires. Its ergonomic, intuitive digital controls offered plenty of all-over heat-setting options (20) and a preheat option, with the bonus that its king and queen pads came with two controllers (so each side could set and adjust a different temperature). It does not offer zoned heating.
Experience ultimate comfort with our VelvetLoft Stripe Heated Blanket. Our blanket is made from the softest and most luxurious materials, providing you with a warm and cozy feel that is perfect for cold nights.
With ten temperature settings and an easy-to-use controller, you can adjust the warmth to your desired level and stay comfortable all night long. Our blanket also features an auto shut-off function that allows you to choose between 1-12 hours.
If you want to return a product that you purchased directly from this site (for reasons other than quality issues) simply contact us by phone or online. All returns are free, though you will be responsible for shipping costs. We accept returns of items purchased directly on berkshireblanket.com within 90 days only. Items retuned must be unwashed and in original packaging. The refund for the merchandise will be processed back onto the payment method used for the original purchase. (Read our entire return policy, here.)
Re: Where to buy Heating Blanket2012/11/13 13:29 Any furniture/home goods store should have them (Nittori and Cainz are popular in my area of Kanto for example), but be careful when buying... many have warnings about leaving them on all night. If you are having trouble finding one like that or are open to other suggestions, in my very cold house I do a few different things to keep warm at night, none of which involve the AC! First off, I have a kerosene heater that I use to heat the room before I go to bed. I also use utampo (heated hot water bottle) at the end of my bed sometimes. Or, I use a futon heater to heat up the futon before I get in... it feels heavenly after that! A friend of mine also put her futon on a hot carpet and turned it on when she came home. By the time she was ready to go to bed, she could turn it off and the heat would have soaked up through her futon. I would be careful about this option though; like with using the electric blanket you should make sure you are around just in case.Finally to hold heat in, the same home stores often have a lot of options such as insulation for the bottoms of your windows and doors that could help hold head in during winter.Anyway, when you are looking for a blanket, look around at other options too! Most people don't use only one way of staying warm in the winter, and there are a lot of unique and interesting ways to prevent turning into an icicle in your own home.by scarreddragonrate this post as useful 041b061a72