Best Weighted Blankets Review

3 Best Weighted Blankets: Reviews and Buying Guide

Do you like the feeling of a tight hug or being wrapped with blankets at night? Then you might be curious about the best weighted blanket and its potential benefits. 

Weighted blankets have been used in occupational therapy for a long time. It provides a soothing sensation and is quite often used to help people with autism. However, this is not the only benefit of a weighted blanket. 

In this article, I share the main benefits of weighted blankets and a brief review of 3 top-notch weighted blankets, their pros and cons.

What Is a Weighted Blanket?

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A weighted blanket is a type of a heavy blanket that weighs around15 pounds or more. It is filled with evenly distributed weight that can range from 5 lbs to 30 lbs. The blanket should apply light pressure over the entire body, but should not be too heavy as it may interfere with sleep. 

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How Does the Weighted Blanket Work?

Weighted blankets apply firm pressure over the entire body. This therapy is more known as deep pressure stimulation, that can also come from massage, or cuddling. Deep pressure stimulation regulates the nervous system and promotes hormonal changes that can be beneficial for your sleep, mental health, and overall health.

Using a weighted blanket is a helpful method to reduce anxiety, achieve a feeling of calmness, and simply relax after a busy day. 

Who Might Benefit from Using Weighted Blankets?

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The weighted blanket is a great choice for the entire family, both kids and adults. If a child is hyperactive, anxious, and over-stimulated, the deep touch and pressure of a weighted blanket will help calm down, relax, and focus. 

If you’re stressed out after a long working day, have trouble falling asleep or waking up, the weighted blanket can help generate a deep sense of calm and relaxation that you need so much. 

People with the following health issues may reduce painful and bothersome symptoms with the help of the weighted blanket:

  • General stress
  • Sleep disorders like insomnia
  • Neurological and mental disorders
  • Autism and/or sensory processing difficulties
  • Mood disorders like depression and anxiety
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder
  • Restless Leg Syndrome
  • Fibromyalgia, arthritis, and chronic pain

6 Benefits of Weighted Blanket Therapy

Boosts Mood and Reduces Stress

With a weighted blanket, you can get deep touch pressure stimulation which reduces cortisol (stress hormone) levels and increases the production of happy hormones such as oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine. 

In other words, weighted blanket therapy recreates a warm and gentle feeling of being hugged, making us feel calm and relaxed, helping reduce stress and pain, and sleep better at night.

Improves the Quality of Sleep

If you’re a restless person tossing and turning all night, a weighted blanket might be a good solution to get a better sleep. The blanket’s pressure stimulates the production of serotonin, which is a precursor of melatonin. 

Both serotonin and melatonin play important roles in regulating the body’s biological clock but they perform different jobs.

  • Serotonin is a natural happiness drug that not only enhances mood but gives a boost of energy in the morning. It helps us wake up and not to feel lethargic.
  • Melatonin brings you to a more relaxing and sleep-ready state, helping you get a restful night’s sleep. 

The weighted blanket can help reset your sleep clock and improve your rest by regulating serotonin and melatonin production. This is a helpful tool to maintain healthy sleep patterns.

Decreases Anxiety

Millions of people on the globe suffer from anxiety. At some point every one of us has this feeling of uneasiness and worry when you get overwhelmed with some bothersome thoughts, overthinking, and struggling to fall asleep.

Anything can trigger anxiety, including a job interview, exam, or changing environment while traveling.

A weighted blanket is one of the effective methods to reduce activity in the nervous system and battle anxiety. Its soothing effect reduces such symptoms as fast heart rate and breathing and helps fall asleep faster.

Deep pressure stimulation of the weighted blanket may also help people suffering from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Helps Ease Autism Symptoms

For children with a sensory processing disorder such as autism, life can get challenging. Noisy places, bright colors, and other distracting moments can be overwhelming for a child. 

A weighted blanket can help calm down and relax. The gentle pressure of the weighted blanket gives a feeling of a warm hug that makes the child less anxious and more focused. 

Helps Relieve Symptoms of Mental and Neurological Disorders

PTSD. The weighted blanket has therapeutic benefits for people who went through traumatic event. Many veterans, people who got into car accident and survivors of a physical assault suffer from PTSD. Weighted blankets can help them improve symptoms such as anxiety, high blood pressure, and pulse rate.

OCD. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder can have absolutely different symptoms like fear of germs, being obsessed with order and symmetry, ruminations, hoarding. 

What unites all the patients suffering from OCD is low serotonin levels. The deep touch pressure stimulation of a weighted blanket can boost serotonin levels and reduce the severity of OCD symptoms. 

Tourette’s syndrome. The weighted blanket cannot cure this neurological disease, but it may help relieve symptoms like tics and repetitive movements such as shoulder shrugging and eye blinking. In other words, it will reduce fatigue and anxiety and improve the quality of sleep.

Relieves Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

The calming effects of the weighted blanket also help people suffering from chronic pain. It is especially helpful for people with fibromyalgia. It’s a complex disease that causes muscle and joint issues, chronic widespread pain, depression, fatigue, and sleep problems. 

The chronic pain and fatigue associated with fibromyalgia significantly impact your productivity and quality of life. Medication combined with alternative methods like deep pressure stimulation provided by the weighted blanket can help you find relief and get the restful sleep you need.  

3 Best Weighted Blankets

Gravity Weighted Blanket

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Gravity blankets are designed with precise grid-like stitching to help keep the fine-grade non-toxic glass beads evenly distributed. The ties and elastic-button connectors securely keep the inner weighted blanket inside the soft, durable duvet cover.

There are several variants of weighted blankets you may choose from. The main difference between all the blankets is the material used for cover. Each blanket has a weighted inner but the removable cover is done from the different material dispensing on the type of the blanket.

  • Gravity Blanket has a micro-fleece duvet cover in grey, navy, and white colors.
  • The Cooling Blanket has a sweat-wicking duvet cover, which is similar to the fabric used for athletic wear.
  • Modernist Soft Cotton Blanket has a non-toxic 100% cotton, 300-thread count cover designed for comfort and breathability. 

Note: The covers are easily-removable and machine-washable, you can also buy a cover separately and change your cover throughout the year. BUT the inner weather blanket should be washed by hand.

And here are two more types of Gravity blankets that you may get interested in:

  • Gravity Kids. This is a cozy blanket designed for children ages 7 and up. The blanket is made of 100% polyester moisture-wicking fabric cooling fabric that makes the blanket light and breathable. A cute bonus that goes with the blanket is  a weighted dog toy, so your child can hug it and sleep tight at night.
  • Gravity Travel. This is a smaller blanket than the traditional one. The blanket goes with a carrying case which makes it easy to transport. If the travel is a little bit stressful and disorienting for you, this blanket can help you calm down your anxiety.

Mosaic Weighted Blankets

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The owner and cofounder of Mosaic Weighted Blankets – Laura LeMond – had sensory processing disorder and attention deficit disorder as a child. So she was trying to find a solution to reduce the symptoms and have a deep restful sleep, and this is how Mosaic Weighted Blankets appeared. 

Every blanket is quilted in small squares so that the pellets are fixed and don’t slide. This way the weight is uniformly distributed providing maximum comfort and deep pressure stimulation. Also, all the pellets are BPA-free, hypo-allergenic, FDA compliant.

Here are the several versions of the best weighted blanket offered by Mosaic Weighted Blankets:

  • Blanca White Weighted Blanket is a classy variant made of high-quality cotton fabric. It is durable and machine washable.
  • Minky Weighted Blanket is extremely soft and cozy due to the plush minky material. It comes in different sizes and different colors, including Latte, Lavender, Navy, Royal Blue, Ocean Blue, Purple, and others. Also, the minky weighted blanket comes with a duvet cover which can be easily removed and washed in the machine.
  • Weighted Blankets for Kids are available in a small size (38” x 50”), a throw size (38” X 60”), and a twin size (42” X 72”). So it will perfectly fit your child, providing a feeling of warm cuddles and helping fall asleep faster. You can choose from a wide variety of fun patterns, including Owls, Unicorns, Cozy Kittens, and Dinosaur.
  • Cotton Weighted Blanket can brag about its durability, breathability, and softness due to the 100% organic cotton and construction of the blanket with evenly distributed pellets. The blankets are available in different patterns.
  • Coolmax Weighted Blanket is similar to the Gravity Cooling Blanket. It’s a great solution to keep you cool during the night and sleep well. The cooling effect is achieved by a balanced combination of premium cotton and patented Coolmax fabric. The Coolmax fabric makes the blanket sweat-wicking, breathable, and easy-washable just like athletic performance clothing. The blanket comes only in Pearl Gray color but different sizes, weights, and patterns, so you can choose the one that fits your needs and preferences better.
order mosaic weighted blanket

chiliBLANKET

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chiliBLANKET

chiliBLANKET is different from classic weighted blankets. It contains weighted beads and cooling water channels that help reduce night sweats and create an optimal sleeping environment.

You can use chiliBLANKET in tandem with one of two different control units:  

  • chiliPAD Control Unit is an EMF-free hydro-powered mattress pad with a remote control to control the temperature without leaving the bed.
  • OOLER Sleep System has some extra perks such as an app that enables you to program precool or preheat before going to bed, create schedules for each day and replace the annoying alarm with a unique feature that gradually warms up the blanket and wakes you up.

Pairing chiliBLANKET with chiliPAD or OOLER can help reach maximum comfort and have a night of restorative sleep. 

Note: You can order a bundle chiliBLANKET + chiliPAD Control Unit, and save some money. As for OOLER, you can buy it only separately.

Are There Any Risks of Using Weighted Blanket?

With the proper use, weighted blankets are absolutely safe for kids and adults, and can just provide a wide range of health benefits. However, when buying it for your child, you should consider a couple of moments in order to prevent possible problems and mistakes. 

Here are some safety tips for you:

  • The weighted blanket is too heavy for toddlers. Don’t let a child under two years old sleep under a weighted blanket.
  • Don’t use the weighted blanket as a way to restrain your child. It may limit oxygen and even lead to suffocation.
  • If you buy the weighted blanket for children, physically-disabled people, make sure that they can remove in the order to prevent suffocation. Also, if they don’t feel comfortable under it, don’t force them to use it as it may cause the opposite effect.
  • Always calculate a person’s weight before purchasing the weighted blanket. The ideal weighted blanket should be 10% of your body weight.
  • Don’t use additional blankets while using the weighted blanket because it may get too heavy.
  • Make sure to educate your family members and caregivers on how to use the weighted blanket to prevent any kind of unwanted issues.

If you have additional questions regarding the weighted blankets, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, chronic pain, or other health issues, you may schedule a consultation with me.

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