I'm Obsessed With This Cheap, Knock-Off Weighted Blanket
Weighted blankets are like the new Sugar Bear Hair ads we’ve all seen one too many times on Instagram. After getting targeted multiple times by several weighted blanket companies-not sure what this reveals about me, other than maybe I follow too many reality TV stars-I broke down and decided it’s finally time to find out what the fuss is about.
All kinds of weighted blankets have hit the market recently, all promising a better night's sleep if you cover yourself with their hefty, pellet-filled quilt. Intrigued, I did some more digging. While there aren't that many studies out there yet, one caught my eye-though, admittedly, it's a rather small study that was funded by a blanket company. Still, it found that 31 men and women with chronic insomnia reported a "calmer night’s sleep with a decrease in movements" after sleeping with one.
It makes sense: Something heavy on your body that mimics a hug or makes you feel cocoon can put you at ease. I was ready to try it.
The Requirements For A Great Weighted Blanket:
I had three requirements that were non-negotiable: It had to be under $100, it had to be washable, and it had to be breathable enough that I wouldn’t sweat to death in it. (Night sweats are very real.)
I went straight to the Amazon app and went down the list of bestsellers, weeding out the too-cheap-glass-beads-might-break blankets (yes, it’s a very real thing-your weighted blanket can break and beads could spill EVERYWHERE), and the ones that were way out of my price range. I ended up deciding between the YnM Weighted Blanket and the ZonLi Cool Weighted Blanket. I chose the 20-pound ZonLi Cool because of the $89 price tag, the natural cotton fabric that would make it more breathable, and the fact that it was washable. There was also an amazing selection of colors to choose from, which only matters if you don’t use a duvet cover, otherwise the color selection is trivial.
I was searching for a 20-pound blanket, which was on the higher price range for weighted blankets compared to the 10-pound blankets, so the pricing could change by up to $10 if you choose to go lighter.
You want to buy a blanket that’s 10 percent to 13 percent of your body weight (just round up if you’re on the cusp), but if you ever have another person in your bed with you (like I do), most blanket companies recommend you get the 20-pound blanket.
My Initial Thoughts On The ZonLi Weighted Blanket:
The fabric is soft enough to the touch that it wouldn’t necessarily need a duvet, the glass beads stayed in place within the little squares stitched through the blanket, and the beads weren’t loud at all - which was a common fear among potential buyers in the review section. (Just picture it: Tossing and turning in the night, only to wake up due to the crashing sounds of the beads tumbling together? No thanks. And thankfully, not the case.)
Attempting to put a 60”x80” 20-pound blanket in a duvet cover is-excuse my language-a b*tch. Trying to get the corners of the blanket tied into the duvet and then smoothing it out became an actual working hazard, and I nearly knocked all of the books off my shelf and tossed my lamp over trying to fit the blanket fully into the duvet. It’s also a phenomenal arm workout lifting that blanket up and down for 30 seconds.
How It Affected My Sleep:
Ok, now to what you really want to know: But did you sleep better? Did you sleep like a baby?!
Yes. Usually, I sit on my phone for an hour, and then roll around in my bed for 45 minutes before falling asleep, even with four blankets on top of me. That fateful evening I first put the weighted blanket on me, I was knocked out in under 15 minutes.
As much as I've loved it, though, my boyfriend isn't too crazy about it. If one of us tosses and turns, throwing the covers off, you have to fight to pull it back up. And, if you fling it back over yourselves, expect the other person to wake up abruptly, annoyed-because that thing is heavy.
How The ZonLi Compares To Pricier Weighted Blankets:
So what’s the difference between my $89 blanket and the $169 influencer-favorite Blanquil or the $200 SensaCalm blanket? To be honest, not much. The main difference is the removable cover that may or may not come with your purchase. The high-end blankets often come with a super-soft, quilted cover that makes it feel rich and luxe, while mine came with no cover. If you already have a cover you love, you can go with the cheaper option, and you literally won’t notice the difference. Other than the frustration you feel wrestling it into a duvet every now and then.
However, if you want to add a cover to your purchase, the cheapest one is still hovering around $45, which then makes the price difference between budget and expensive $35. Your call.
Follow House Beautiful on Instagram.
('You Might Also Like',)
