In Depth Review
Below we summarize everything you’ll learn from our unique weighted blanket reviews. We discuss everything related to basic facts of gravity blankets, pros and cons, reviews of the best weighted blankets in the market and even finding the best price on a weighted blanket that suits your personal needs the most.
- The Science
- 5 Limitations
- For cooling
- 7 Basics
- for Kids
- for Pets
- 6 Benefits
- for Adults
- Most Affordable
The Science of How they Work..
Deep Touch Pressure aka Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT)
Massage >> DPT
It has been known for centuries that a simple body massage helps humans calm down and relax. ‘Moderate to deep pressure’ as in cuddling, hugging and massaging stimulates ‘deep’ nerve endings which turns on a cascade of events leading to calming down and even falling asleep of individuals. The scientific term for this natural physiological process is ‘Deep Pressure Therapy’ (DPT). DPT is extensively used by therapists for managing conditions like autism, ADHD and anxiety.
DPT
Modern research has shown that DPT such as massage therapy activates the body’s Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) leading to the following hormonal changes:
- decreases stress hormone levels (cortisol)
- increases happy hormone levels (serotonin and dopamine) and
- increases sleep hormone levels (melatonin)
It is these hormonal changes that help people calm down and even fall asleep after receiving DPT.
Massaging is a great way to give DPT (Deep Pressure Therapy), but you can’t keep doing it all night long! This is where weighted blankets, compression clothing, weighted vests etc. come in to play. Studies have shown that weighted blankets, by stimulating DPT, turn on the Parasympathetic Nervous System and help people with autism, ADHD, anxiety and insomnia calm down and sleep better.
7 Things to Know Before You Buy One
Here we discuss about 7 things you need to know before purchasing a gravity blanket. To make sure that you get the best weighted blanket that suits you most, you need to decide which options you want to select out of the 7 options below.
- Type of beads
- The right type
- the right weight
- The right fabric
- The right price
- the right size
- Year-round
Weighted Blanket Facts in Detail
1. Pellets make them heavy
I bet you already knew that. Why else would they be called weighted blankets? Adult weighted blankets can weigh anything from 10 – 30 pounds.
Do you know what makes them so heavy?
- Metal beads
- Micro-glass beads
- Plastic poly pellets
- Metal chains
If you guessed any of the above fillings, you got it right! Congratulations!
2. Finding the right weight
Weighted blankets are available starting as light as 5 pounds or as heavy as 30 pounds. How do you know which is right for you?
- Adults: generally go for 10% of the body weight (anything from 7-12% works fine)
- Kids: generally go for 5% of the body weight (if using for a specific medical condition, it’s best to ask the pediatrician/ medical experts taking care of the condition)
3. Finding the right size
You need to understand that weighted blankets are not meant be tucked in, instead just be draped over. Therefore, they come in smaller sizes than blankets or comforters
4. Finding the right type
There are different types of heavy blankets depending on how they’re made
- Infused weighted blankets
- Box-type
- Wearable weighted vests
- With removable cover
- DIY blankets
- Waterproof gravity blankets
5. Finding the right fabric
Gravity blankets come in a variety of different fabrics such as Chenille, Cotton, Minky (Polyester), Fleece and Bamboo. You also have the option to change duet covers.
6. Year-round vs Winter
Are you looking for a weighted blanket to be used only during the cooler part of the year? Or are you looking for one that can be used during warm summer nights too? There are two kinds. The ones that sweat during summer, and ones that don’t. You need to decide the exact type you want.
7. Best price
Even if everything else is right about a blanket, but the price is not, that is not a good choice. This is why it’s important to get the price right. The least expensive is never the right choice for most products. But you’ll be surprised to learn how inexpensive the best weighted blankets are.
6 Benefits (Pros)
Here we discuss about the 6 major health benefits weighted blankets have on sleep and general composure of adults, kids as well as pets.
- Sleep Quality
- ADHD, OCD, Autism
- Anxiety
- Sleep Medications
- RLS
- Deep Pressure Therapy
Weighted Blanket Sleep Benefits in Detail
1. Improves sleep quality
Weighted blankets can do wonders to those who are sleep deprived, by
- Relieving anxiety
- Alleviating stress/ depression
- Increasing melatonin production
- Releasing calming hormones/ chemicals
- Mimicking Deep Pressure Touch (DPT)
- Lowering cortisol levels
2. Fights Anxiety induced Insomnia
The modern, busy lifestyle is the root of most anxiety, stress, and depression among Americans. Such individuals are known to have high-levels of the stress hormone known as ‘cortisol’. Consistently high cortisol levels can disrupt your sleep and even lead to chronic insomnia in some. Insomnia, in turn, makes anxiety, stress, and depression symptoms worse. The vicious cycle can make people very sick. Weighted blankets, by stimulating deep pressure touch and releasing feel-good hormones such as dopamine, acts to decrease cortisol levels helping such individuals break this vicious cycle and conquer insomnia caused by stress and anxiety.
3. Alleviates symptoms of RLS
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), aka Willis-Ekbom Disease, affects as many as one in ten adult Americans. It is a neurological disease characterized by an urge to move legs when at rest. For obvious reasons, RLS also interferes with sleep. Application of pressure can temporarily depress this urge to move. Thus compression socks have been used to achieve this over the years. The only problem is that they can be too tight and uncomfortable when wearing for long periods of time. Weighted blankets can provide this external pressure in a milder and more comfortable way than compression socks. Therefore, weighted blankets are known to alleviate symptoms of RLS not only when going to bed, but also when watching TV, working on the computer etc. etc.
4. Alleviates symptoms of ADHD, ASD, OCD, PTSD etc.
This almost sounds fake, wouldn’t you say? How can a simple weighted blanket be the solution for all of these? It’s actually through the simple mechanism we explained earlier. The extra weight stimulates deep pressure touch (DPT) sensory receptors which in turn causes release of calming hormones (serotonin and dopamine which are found in low levels in kids with OCD and autism) resulting in all the beneficial effects. They’re also sometimes known as sensory blankets for this reason.
But please be aware that weighted blankets are not a magic pill that can cure all of above complex conditions permanently . The blanket provides a temporary relief which is often enough to get the job done for better focusing at school, or relaxing before falling asleep etc. This is why many therapists recommend weighted blankets or sometimes even wearable weighted vests for adults/kids with some of the above disorders.
5. Alternative for sleep medications?
What’s the alternative to a weighted blanket (aka gravity blanket) ? The obvious answer is various types of sleep and anti-stress medications. They’re neither cheap nor healthy in the long run compared to a weighted blanket which is a one time investment!
6. Secret of DPT
As mentioned earlier, these heavy blankets are able to improve your quality regardless of whether you’re suffering from sleep deprivation/ insomnia or not. The weight creates something known as Deep Touch Pressure (DTP) aka Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT) which stimulates release of calming hormones/ chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin as well as well known sleep inducing hormones such as melatonin. The result is a sense of safety, relaxation, comfort and deep sleep.
5 Cons (drawbacks) of Gravity Blankets
Weighted blankets have many health benefits, but like anything else on planet earth, they have a few drawbacks as well. But, as far as we’re concerned the benefits outweigh the drawbacks by many a mile!
- Expensive
- Bead Leakage
- Bulky
- Can be too warm
- Uneven weightdistribution
Weighted Blanket Limitations in Detail
1. Expensive
If you didn’t guess already, the beads, the fancy stitching of beads on to the blanket, the removable and washable cover etc. etc. adds to the overall price of the blanket.
2. Not travel-friendly
They’re heavy and bulky, which make them difficult to take them with you when you travel around.
3. Too warm
If weighted blankets did the trick during winter and helped you fall asleep, and it was too warm during the warm summer nights, what would you do? This can be a bit of a problem, but fortunately, there are weighted blankets made of cool outer covers so that they can keep you cool (to a certain extent) even during warm summer nights.
4. Bead Leakage
This is a problem of low-quality weighted blankets. Poorly sewn blankets leak glass or poly beads. Fortunately, there are plenty of better-quality gravity blankets that have been stitched using high-quality computer-aided technologies that are guaranteed leakage resistant.
5. Uneven distribution
- This is again a characteristic of low-quality blankets. If there is no mechanism to hold the glass beads in place, they will shift to the edges of the square/diagonal compartments. But fortunately, the best heavy blankets avoid this problem and ensure even distribution of beads within and between the different compartments.
Best Heavy Blanket
Under this section, we’re going to list and review the best gravity blankets for adults, kids, and pets. In addition, we have reviews on top rated cooling weighted blankets as well as reviews on weighted vests. This latter group is especially useful for kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
- Best Kids
- Best Weighted Vests
- Best Adult
- Best Pet
- Best Cooling
The following sections list and review the best gravity blankets under different categories.
Best Adult Weighted Blankets
There are literally 100s of adults’ weighted blankets in the market. Most of them are of decent quality. We obviously can’t review every single one of them. Feel free to read the customer reviews on any brand that interests you and make an educated decision. If you’re not sure on a particular brand, do drop us a line and we’ll see if we can be of any help. Below, we review two of the best known adult heavy blankets of 2020.
Major Features of the Luna adult weighted blanket are as follows.
10 different weights
5, 7, 10, 12, 15, 17, 20, 22, 25, and 30 lbs
6 different sizes
36″ x 48″, 41″ x 60″, 48″ x 72″, 60″ x 80″, 48″ x 72″, 80″ x 87″
16 Colors/Patterns
a variety of shades and designs from blue to pink to green to grey to choose from
7 layers
And 8 ties to ensure that no leaks take place
Medical-grade glass beads
Hypoallergenic, Oeko-Tex Certified and Non-Toxic, evenly placed glass beads dispersed in natural breathable cotton for even weight distribution
Other features
- Uses precision computer-aided sewing
- Machine washable
Manufacturer
Luna Review
Major Features of the Manta weighted blanket are as follows.
Glass beads
Evenly distributed premium-quality glass beads that are sewn into each pocket for even weight distribution
Other features
- 100% cotton
- Machine washable
1 weight
17 lbs
1 size
60″ x 80″
Cons
Doesn’t come with a removable duet cover
Manufacturer
https://mantasleep.com/products/manta-sleep-weighted-blanket
Manta Review
Best Weighted Blankets for Kids
There are a variety of weighted heavy blankets that have been produced for toddlers and older children. Generally, gravity blankets are not recommended for children under 2 years as the the possibility of suffocation from a heavy blanket cannot be ruled out for infants and very young children. The lightest weighted blankets start at 5 pounds for a 36″ X 48″ sized blanket which is ideal for a single sized bed. This type of 5lb blanket is most suited for a 40-70lb child.
Major Features of the Quility childrens’ weighted blanket:
4 different weights
5 lb, 7 lb, 10 lb and 12 lb
3 different sizes
36″ x 48″, 41″ x 60″ and 48″ x 72″
Duvet Cover
Comes pre-attached with a removable, soft and super-comfy minky duvet cover which is great for cold winter nights.
Year-round use
During warm summer nights, simply unzip the minky duet cover and remove it to stay cool
Micro glass beads
The weight is created by millions of premium, hypo-allergenic, non-toxic, odorless, micro glass beads
Other features
Has a breathable 100%-cotton outer layer
Manufacturer
https://quilityblankets.com/products/weighted-blanket
Quility Kids Review
Major Features of the Maxtid Childrens’ Blanket
4 different weights
3 lb, 5 lb, 7 lb, and 10 lb
2 different sizes
36″ x 48″ and 41″ x 60″
2 sided gravity blanket
use minky side inwards during cooler nights and the smooth side inwards during warmer nights for year-round use
Rhomb-pocket design
The individual, 3.5×3.5″ rhomb-pocket design
Glass beads
Premium glass beads are evenly distributed inside the individual pockets
Weighted lap pads
- They also produce 2lb and 5 lb weighted lap pads (12″x18″ and 16″x22″)
- Recommended as calming/relaxing therapeutic tools both at school and home
Manufacturer
https://www.maxtid.com/kid-sweighted-blanket
Maxtid Review
Cooling Bamboo Weighted Blankets for Summer
If you’re dependent on your weighted blanket for a good night’s sleep yet it makes you sweat during warm summer nights, what do you do? You can have the AC on all night long, but that’s not healthy on your wallet or the environment. Fortunately, there are weighted blankets made just for warm summer nights. Some are dual sided; you turn side A inside during winter and side B inside during summer. These are obviously the most economical because you only spend for one blanket.
Major Features of the YnM Bamboo weighted blanket:
10 different weights
Choose from 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, 17, 20, 22, 25, or 30 lbs
5 different sizes
36″ x 48″, 41″ x 60″, 48″ x 72″, 60″ x 80″, and 80″ x 87″
21 Colors/Patterns
21 color combinations and designs
2 Duets
Choice of (A) Cooling Bamboo Duvet or (B) Soft Warm Minky Duvet
Quiet glass beads
Premium glass beads don’t make any noise when rubbing against each other (none of the other high-quality ones do either)
Other features
- Small-sized, 4.7″ x 4.7″ square compartments for even weight distribution
- 3D lock-bead sewing method eliminates bead leakage
Manufacturer
https://www.ynmhome.com/weighted-blanket/
YnM
Major Features of the WONAP gravity blanket:
8 different weights
Choose from 7, 10, 12, 15, 17, 20, 25 or 30 lbs
5 different sizes
41″ x 60″, 48″ x 72″, 48″ x 78″, 60″ x 80″, and 86″ x 92″
Single color
Available in Folkstone grey
Bamboo fabric
The outer cover is made of natural bamboo fabric. The cold touch of the bamboo fabric and glass beads keep you cool all night-long and therefore suitable for year-round use (even during summer)
Premium glass beads
Filling is from premium-quality glass beads
Other features
- Relatively small 4″x4″ diamond-shaped compartments
- Noiseless – no movement of the glass beads
- Machine-washable
Manufacturer
https://www.facebook.com/wonapcom
WONAP bamboo
Best Price – under $30
This Weighted Blanket Review is unique because it’s not just a listing of the Top 10 Best Weighted Blankets! Most online weighted blanket reviews assume that the consumer already knows everything about weighted blankets. While we’re sure most of you that come here are already aware of the major benefits of these blankets, we have briefly explained their major features so that you’re completely aware of both the Pros and Cons of Weighted Blankets before you jump in on the weighted blanket bandwagon. Here is a structure of this page showing you how we have organized this review of the best-weighted blankets.
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Weighted blankets can be as expensive as $400, but fortunately, there are very reasonably priced blankets as well. The best price on weighted blankets we found was under $30 for a high-quality gravity blanket.
It would be a MISTAKE to look at the price only !!
There are very cheap, low-quality weighted blankets that will not be a wise investment in the long run. We want you to keep away from those. Here are some features you need to look at before choosing a weighted blanket.
Top 2 Best Affordable Weighted Blankets
This inexpensive Hypnoser weighted blanket has the following features.
10 different weights
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 15, 17, and 20lbs
4 different sizes
36″ x 48″, 41″ x 60″, 48″ x 72″, 60″ x 80″
6 tabs
For attaching on to a duet cover
4″ x 4″ diamond pockets
Ensure even weight distribution and leak-free design
Premium glass beads
Noise-free operation
Best Price
All the premium features are included for under $30. This is one of the most affordable weighted blankets in the market.
Other features
- Uses computer programmed precision sewing
- Machine washable: but recommended to use a duet cover so that the blanket doesn’t need to be washed unnecessarily
Manufacturer
Hypnoser Review
Major features of the budget-friendly Viki weighted blanket are as follows.
5 different weights
5, 7, 15, 20, and 25lbs
4 sizes
36″ x 48″, 41″ x 60″, 48″ x 72″, 60″ x 80″
5 Colors
Choose from dark grey, grey, light grey, blue, and pink
OEKO-TEX certified
Confirms that no harmful chemicals are used during manufacturing.
Inexpensive gravity blanket
A very high-quality blanket with 6 layered-technology for under $30. Almost too good to be true… but it really is true!
Other features
- Breathable top layer with a polyester padded core
- Recommended to spot clean rather than machine washing. This is why it’s best to use a washable duet cover.
Cons
A removable duet cover isn’t included
Manufacturer
https://www.facebook.com/Viki-Weighted-Blanket-424765758319207/
Viki Review
In summary, please make sure that you understand the following pointers properly before you embark on buying a weighted blanket
The Right Blanket Weight
Make sure the weighted blanket has the right weight. Ideally, the weight of the blanket should be 8 – 12% of your body weight in pounds. If you weigh 100 pounds a 10 Lb blanket would work fine. If you weigh 150 or 200 pounds, a 15 Lb or 20 Lb gravity blanket would work just fine, respectively.
Correct Size
Unlike regular comforters, weighted blankets should NOT hang down from the side of the bed. If that happens, it may completely slip out of the bed because its own weight pulls the blanket down. So, for example, if you sleep on a full-size bed which is 54″ x 75″, your weighted blanket should NOT be larger than that.
Sleeps Cool
Just by looking at a weighted blanket, you could tell that they are nice, warm, and cozy. Unfortunately, some of them can be too warm during warm summer nights. This can disrupt your sleep. Fortunately, there are gravity blankets with a bamboo cover (or other heat-absorbing material) which ensures that you stay cool even during warm summers.
Glass Beads
You probably know that weighted blankets are made heavy by placing glass beads, poly/plastic beads or metal beads inside them. Glass beads are generally considered the best and we recommend that you opt for a gravity blanket with glass beads even if you have to spend a few extra dollars.
Even Weight Distribution
One of the major drawbacks of poorly made weighted blankets is their uneven weight distribution. Can you imagine what a waste it would be if all the beads slide down around your body without leaving any weight on top of your body? This is why we say that you should not go for a cheap product even if the price looks very attractive and affordable.
No Bead Leakage
Poorly sewn blankets can have bead leakage. Not only will it be messy, but over time, you’ll lose a considerable amount of beads and weight and your weighted blanket will convert into a light blanket and you certainly wouldn’t want that, would you?
Good Consumer Reviews
I can recommend you a particular product. But I’m only one person. The best scenario for you would be if 100 others also recommend the same product that I recommended. So, please don’t take our word, ALWAYS check the weighted blanket reviews left by genuine buyers.
Price
Last but not least, you should definitely look at the price of the product you’re about to purchase. The best-weighted blanket in my opinion is the one that fulfills the previous 7 features and has an affordable price tag on top of those. That would be best priced weighted blanket; not the one with the cheapest price tag!
Conclusion
Weighted blankets can improve sleep quality not only in people with anxiety-induced insomnia, but in a variety of conditions like autism, PTSD, ADHD, OCD, and RLS. They do this by stimulating Deep Touch Pressure aka Deep Pressure Therapy Stimulation (DTPS) by activating the parasympathetic nervous system which in turn releases feel-good hormones like dopamine and serotonin as well as sleep hormones such as melatonin. These hormones ensure that weighted blanket users stay relaxed, calm and in turn get a full night’s sleep and wake up re-energized.
There are different weighted blankets for different purposes and we have reviewed the best gravity blankets for kids, adults, and even dogs under the relevant sections above.
Belinda Palmer // Author
Currently, I serve as the team leader of the research and author team of Bedroom Solutions. What started off as a hobby has now turned into a passion.
Thank you to all our visitors that have expressed their gratitude via email or commenting here. Please keep them coming, because that’s what makes me burn the midnight oil!
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to shoot me an email or make a comment on that relevant page.
With much love,
Belinda Palmer
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