Heated Blanket or Weighted Blanket – Which One is the Best for You?

Imagine you come home after a long day at work, change, eat, and then when your head hits the pillow, you are immediately taken into a peaceful slumber. The relaxation this imagination carries is uncanny, right? However, what we also understand is that with the winter months approaching, bringing with it the long nights, finding sleep will become hard for many.

If you dread the toss and turns the cold weather will bring, or if you already find it hard to sleep at night, we are sure you must have thought of investing in comfier and high-quality bedding. If you have, then we are sure your options might have come to a final tie between heated blankets and weighted blankets. Want to know which one might work best for you? This article has you covered.

What is a Weighted Blanket?

The weighted blankets are a literal hug in the form of a fleece bedding blanket. What initially started as a tool to ground patients who suffered anxiety-inducing side effects in conditions like autism, these beddings filled with beads have gained massive popularity. They are now available in many shapes and sizes.

The weighted blanket, as evidenced by its name, is heavy in weight and provides deep touch pressure, equally distributed throughout the body. Not only does this pressure stimulate a feeling of a hug, but the calming effect and grounding weight keep an individual from tossing and turning all night, encrypting them into a peaceful slumber, too. The blanket has grid squares in which beads are filled with equal measures to create equal weight in all positions. 

Reasons You Should Use a Weighted Blanket

Now that you know what a weighted blanket is, we are sure you must want to know whether purchasing or using these blankets might be ideal for you. We have this aspect covered for you as well. There are multiple reasons one should use a weighted blanket. Some of the top ones are:

• The weighted blanket helps relieve anxiety. These blankets help people achieve a sense of protection in the form of a hug, which ultimately helps calm their anxiety and stress.

• The weighted blankets are made from high-quality materials like fleece and beads, which ensures that the blankets remain durable for long.

• The weighted blanket induces a calming effect, boosting serotonin – the feel-good hormone.

• The weighted blankets also help relieve the stress hormone cortisol and normalize blood pressure and heart rate. This works wonders in providing relief to those with chronic pain. 

What is a Heated Blanket?

While a weighted blanket is great, next on our list is heated blankets. The Heated blankets – also known as electric blankets- provide heat and warmth through electricity. Yes! You heard us right. These blankets have wires running throughout them, plugged into an electrical outlet. When connected to the electric output, electricity taps in the heat, immediately spreading throughout the blanket, keeping the user warm and toasty.

While the initial concept of this electric blanket was to keep older people with poor circulation warm, it has moved long past it. Today, many people of all age groups use heated or electrical blankets, making them feel cozy warm throughout the night. The heated blankets also come with a temperature control gauge so users can adjust their warmth level according to their preferences.

Who Invented the Heated Blanket

The innovation dates of heated blankets back to the late 1940s. The modern electric blanket was pioneered by George Crowley, an engineer at General Electric. Crowley developed the initial concept, which involved embedding electric wires within the fabric of the blanket to provide adjustable warmth.

This breakthrough aimed to assist those with poor circulation, but it quickly became a popular choice for anyone seeking additional comfort and warmth during colder months. The product gained popularity in the 1950s when it became more widely available on the market. His invention paved the way for the modern heated blankets we use today.

Crowley’s invention has evolved significantly over the decades, incorporating advanced technology for enhanced safety and user control, and remains a popular choice for staying cozy through the winter season.

Reasons Why Using a Heated Blanket is a Great Idea

While the heated blankets don’t work the same way in reducing anxiety as the weighted blankets, they serve other significant purposes. The primary reason why using a heated blanket is a great idea remains the same for the purpose of what it was invented for. The heating element of these blankets help people whose natural biological sense doesn’t provide enough warmth and leaves them with crippling chills because of poor circulation.

Moreover, this blanket is handy for those living in colder regions or a house with poor insulation or warmth. The electric blankets help keep your feet, nose, hands, and all other parts in staying warm, ensuring that you get a restful sleep.

What is the Difference Between the Electric Blanket vs. Weighted Blanket?

Now that you understand the types of blankets and the reasons that make both heated and weighted blankets so great, we believe the next step would be gaining a thorough insight into their differences. This is because while the benefits each blanket provides are great, the difference will help you decide whether a heated blanket or weighted blanket is better for you.

Comfort and Security

The outer cover of the electric blanket is made from flannel, which provides equally remarkable benefits. Flannel is fire resistant and ensures complete user security despite the blanket being hooked to an electric outlet. Moreover, flannel tends to keep its shape intact even after multiple washes. You can make your pick in cotton or polyester, depending on your preference.

In contrast to the heated or electric blankets, the weighted blankets come with a soft or absorbing material and an inner lining or cover. The inner lining of the weighted blankets is filled with pebbles or plastic beads, which work as weighted fillers that help add weight to the blanket.

Ease of Use

The electrical blanket comes in two forms: thin and thick covering. The thick blanket works pretty well for light sleepers; uncomfortable distractions can repeatedly make their eyes pop open. This is because the thickness of this blanket prevents you from feeling the wires running through it.

However, if you tend to sleep through anything, thin electric blankets might work well for you and will come at a lesser cost.

On the other hand, the weighted blankets weigh around 5 to 30 pounds. The question is, though, how would you pick the right size blanket to help you sleep properly? When purchasing weighted blankets, you can figure this out by calculating 5% of your body weight and then picking a blanket that falls within the approximate weight category.

Cleanability

Blankets would also need a good wash once the winter season ends, like any other bedding essential. Hence, understanding how these blankets are washed and the difference between them is essential before choosing either to purchase.

The electric blankets are machine washable, providing immense ease to keep them clean. You will have to detach the temperature controller and give it a gentle wash in cold water. These blankets are of two types: cotton or polyester, both of which are washable and can be dried easily too.

Heated Blanket vs Weighted Blankets – Which One is the Best for You

The heated blanket vs. weighted blanket is equally great for very different reasons. Hence, narrowing the best pick to provide adequate sleep can be challenging. While weighted blankets are exceptional, given the soft and easing pressure they provide to your body, it is the warmth one looks for when choosing a blanket.

Hence, if you live in colder regions and are tired of your feet and nose constantly feeling cold and your head hurting when you wake up in the morning, you should go for a heated blanket. With their temperature controlling gauge, these blankets will provide you the ease of setting warmth typically to your needs, ensuring you don’t get too hot. They do not weigh a lot to make you uncomfortable as well.