These Electric Heated Blankets Are Perfect for Cozying Up This Winter

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When it’s cold outside, the heat is, quite literally, on—at least on the inside. Come wintertime, everyone is cozied up indoors and huddled around their space heaters and fireplaces to warm up their personal spaces. But when it comes to sleeping in the chiller temps, sometimes those small heaters aren’t enough. Sometimes, chilly nights call for a blanket that, as Homer Simpson would say, feels like a big, toasty cinnamon bun.

Enter the heated blanket, an electrified and safe way to keep your bed sheets warm while you’re nodding off. These handy blankies come with remotes that allow you to control how warm your sheets feel before and during your time under them. They’re also helpful for post-exercise muscle soreness, endometriosis, and period cramps, where localized heat can relax muscles, accelerate recovery, and increase blood flow. So get ready for the cold seasons ahead, and check out these excellent electric blankets we've rounded up below.

Looking for more goods to keep you and your lifestyle toasty? Check our picks for the best temperature-controller mugs, smokeless fire pits, and winter coats.

The Best Heated Blankets

• Best Overall: Sunbeam Royal Luxe Heated Blanket

• Best Upgrade: Thermee Micro Flannel Heated Electric Blanket

• Best Temperature Range: Degrees of Comfort Heated Blanket

• Best Smart: Eddie Bauer Smart Heated Electric Throw Blanket

• Best Heated Mattress Pad: Sunbeam Heated Mattress Pad

What to Consider

How Do Heated Blankets Work?

Generally, heated blankets are made of synthetic fabrics interwoven with insulated wire heating elements to heat up. When plugged into an electrical outlet, these wires convert electrical energy into thermal energy, evenly transferring heat throughout the blanket. These wire heating elements are protected by the insulation, so there is no risk of electric shock.

Electric blankets are a safe and energy-efficient way to stay warm, but you should always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines regarding their use and care—and please, don’t leave any heating element on when you aren’t around.

Safety

Heat and fabrics typically shouldn’t mix—that’s how fires happen. Most heated blankets have plenty of safety features that protect against fire hazards and injuries. Most modern electric blankets have an automatic shut-off feature that prevents them from overheating in case you forget to turn your blanket off. If you’re looking for an electric blanket while you nod off at night, consider reaching for one that automatically turns off after 10 or 12 hours or features a timer.

Controllers for these blankets feature multiple heat levels to prevent you from overheating. Choose something slow and low to pre-warm your sheets before lying in bed or put one atop your sheet or duvet for optimal performance. Remember that cheaper heated blankets have wiring you can feel on your skin, so to avoid that uncomfortable touch with more affordable options, put your electric blanket atop something heavier than a sheet.

The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) recommends not putting anything—like your body or another blanket—on top of an electric blanket when it’s on. It cautions against folding or tucking in electric blankets, as this can pose a fire risk. If there are any signs of charring or fraying on the cord or blanket, you should stop using your electric blanket and dispose of it immediately.

As is the case with any heated item, it’s essential to make sure that you turn your electric blanket off when it’s not in use; you may also want to fully unplug it if you’re leaving the house for additional safety.

Most heated blankets are made with a soft fleece or velvet cover made from polyester, which is pleasant to the touch and often blends well with sheets you may already have on your mattress. While few heated blankets today are made from cotton, it’s best to avoid any you encounter with cotton covers, as they’re more flammable. Your best bet is to stick to synthetic materials that withstand heat.

Size

You’ll need to grab an electric blanket in the proper size for it to work best. It’s better to go with your regular mattress size than smaller in this case or you’ll risk warming only one side of your bed. You should be able to find heated blankets that will fit beds from twin to California king sizes. Electric blankets marketed as throws are best for sofas and couches.

Do you sleep with someone else? Invest in a heated blanket with two temperature controllers. Typically found in queen sizes and larger, these dual controls allow partners who sleep together (or people and pets!) to distribute the electric blanket in half evenly. If one of you sleeps hot, you can customize your heat settings to prevent sweating overnight, and vice versa.

Care

Despite using wiring to conduct heat, electric blankets are sometimes machine-washable. Most items on this list can be tossed into a washing machine after a night of, say, accidentally spilling an entire packet of Taco Bell hot sauce over your sheets while watching Netflix. (We’ve all been there...right?)

To wash your heated blanket at home:

• Unplug the temperature controller and power cord, and set aside.

• Toss your blanket in the wash on a gentle cycle with mild laundry detergent and cool or warm water.

• Once the wash cycle is done, let the blanket completely air dry.

• Always ensure your heated blanket is dry before plugging in your controller and using.

A rough wash or high-heat dry cycle can damage your blanket’s wiring. We recommend you wash your blanket once every two to four weeks.

How We Selected

The best electric blankets are cozy, adjustable, and perhaps most of all, safe. We did some research to find the top heated blankets that fit that criteria. We considered the top products recommended online, and consulted thousands of reviews from consumers who’ve purchased heated blankets from major retailers. We sorted through hundreds of electric blankets and only chose these eight with consideration to adjustability, variety, safety, and comfort.

Royal Luxe Heated Blanket

Our pick for Best Overall is easy to use and offers plenty of features. Its remote has 12 warm settings to toggle through, so you can set the blanket’s heat as low or high as you’d like. It’s also made with a soft microfleece fabric that makes it delicate to the touch, and a 12-hour auto-shutoff feature means you can fall asleep while using it and rest easy without worrying about turning it off. A built-in sensor evenly distributes heat throughout the blanket and ensures the cover won’t overheat.

Many reviews praise this electric blanket for reliability and love how easy it is to throw into a wash-and-dry cycle. Note, however, that even though this blanket is dependable, some say you may need to use it with additional layers if you run on the colder side. You can also feel the wiring through the blanket's microfleece.

Heated Electric Blanket

This extra-thick blanket from Thermee is an impressive piece of heated fabric. For one, it claims to be made with seven layers, including micro flannel, synthetic down fill, electrical cloth, quilt, and sherpa. That’s an impressive sandwich of insulation. It also makes it so thick you can’t feel any inner wiring, according to users.

The included controller has a backlit screen so you can toggle through one of its 10 heat settings, even at night. A memory function also means you can set it and forget it.

An automatic 10-hour shutoff makes it safe to fall asleep with, plus the ability to set a timer for up to 12 hours lets you set a turn-off time manually. The queen and king sizes come with two controllers so couples can divide their heat up, plus, this thing is machine-washable and pill-resistant. This model is also available in 10 colors, making matching your existing bedroom décor easy.

Its biggest downside, according to many users, is its high price. Few say the brightness of the backlit screen is too high, which is jarring to use at night.

Heated Blanket

Here’s a heated blanket available in a full range of mattress sizes that also boasts a whopping 20 different temperature settings. That wide temperature range is great for finding the optimal condition you’d like to sleep in and lay in. It's made from a machine-washable soft micro plush polyester, and it's built to withstand a low dryer tumble. The addition of dual controls for bigger mattress sizes means couples can easily divide heat.

Users say the material is ultra-soft and has a great sheen, though a few reviews say the blanket is extra slippery and slides around when in use.

Electric Heated Throw Blanket

If you're looking for an affordable electric blanket, look no further. This soft flannel piece has an extra-long cord for plugging in just about anywhere and offers four heat settings via a single-button operated controller. Many reviewers state that it distributes heat evenly throughout its body, which is impressive at this price point, and it automatically shuts off after six hours of operation, though it lacks a manual timer. It's also machine-washable but it's not recommended for dryers.

It is fairly barebones in design, but it’ll get the job done as a throw blanket. Just don't expect it to keep your bed warm. It’s available in four sizes and five colors.

Smart Heated Electric Throw Blanket

The smartest option on this list, Eddie Bauer’s Smart Heated Electric Throw Blanket is made for smartphones. Using an app and wifi connectivity, you can change the temperature of your heated blanket manually or by using voice control for hands-free operation. It’s machine washable and can survive a tumble cycle, plus it has reversible textures, with one side featuring a fuzzy sherpa and the other a microplush flannel.

Several users say it’s comfy due to its soft flannel. A downside, according to a few reviews, is that its app is challenging to get working. It also has a short cord and is only available in one size: 50 x 60 inches.

Heated Mattress Pad

If you're looking for an alternative to the traditional electric blanket, Sunbeam makes a mattress pad that works similarly. Stuffed with 5 oz. of polyester fill, the Heated Mattress Pad is plushy, quilted, and ultra-soft. It comes with a controller with 10 temperature levels and the ability to toggle the temperature of each side, so if you sleep with another, you can customize your sleep. Sunbeam also claims this is both machine-washable and dryer-safe.

Users say the mattress pad is exceptionally thick and comfortable and love how quickly it heats up. A few reviews say the power cord length isn't long enough. Still, it's a great option for those wanting something more plush that acts as a mattress topper. Sunbeam also sells a 100% cotton and waterproof version of the pad, for those who desire extra luxury.

Wicked Cozy Heated Throw

Luxuriously soft and plush, this blanket from L.L.Bean ensures evenly distributed temperature throughout its body. The inner wiring is super flexible and thin, which reduces bulk on the overall blanket and leaves it feeling hefty with a thick, insulating top layer. It has one controller with five available heat settings and an automatic-shutoff feature. Many critical reviews point out that it’s extremely soft as a throw should be, with one side made of ribbed silky material, and the other made of ultra-fuzzy microfleece.

A customer favorite at L.L.Bean’s official retail site, many users praise the blanket’s softness, detailing, and easy washability. Several reviewers also commented on the piece’s cord length, however, which is fairly short.

Brookstone I Ultra Soft Plush Electric Heated Throw I 4-Heat Settings Built-in Remote I Machine Washable I White

With four temperature settings and a 4-hour automatic shutoff, this fleece blanket from Brookstone is a cozy and warm electric blanket. It’s also got a super lengthy power cord that measures a whopping 19 feet, which is great for those who need to reach those far-away outlets in the bedroom.

It’s slightly lower in price than our Best Overall pick, which makes it a solid mid-tier choice, and the addition of a limited 5-year warranty makes this a fantastic investment for the seasons to come.

Reviewers say this blanket is mostly warm on its lower half, keeping your feet cozy on those chilly nights. It has few temperature settings compared to other options, but its long cord makes it an excellent device for most bedrooms.

Heated Car Blanket

This blanket plugs directly into your vehicle’s 12-volt electric outlet and stays on until it’s unplugged. It has an ultra-long 96-inch cord, so it can reach anywhere from the backseat to just outside a car window to warm up a camper. It's covered in a soft polyester fleece for extra coziness, plus it comes in six colors.

Those looking for an extra-warm option for winter car camping or naps, however, should note that although this fleece is quite thick, it doesn’t get super warm and it only has one temperature setting. It also doesn't have a timer or an auto-shutoff feature, so it's best used in short spurts.

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