1. The Winner: Gravid Weighted Blanket

Author’s pick: Ranks #1 out of all weighted blankets

My experience with the Gravid Weighted Blanket was the best weighted blanket experience by a large margin. I enjoyed many nights of peaceful sleep while using it and I didn’t have any issues with it at all – in fact, it was the most comfortable weighted blanket of the bunch. While all the other weighted blankets seemed almost identical, Gravid stood out from the pack because of its details: precise stitching, a thoughtful zipper mechanism and premium fabrics. It’s clear that they put a lot of thought into the design.

Although I was a little reluctant because of the higher price, I decided to give the Gravid weighted blanket a try during a warm spell, so I purchased one with a removable Tencel cooling cover (The “Natural Breeze”), instead of the minky cover that seems to be standard with most weighted blankets. For the most part, I found this to be a pleasant change — I liked having an additional cover that could be washed and that provided a moderate amount of extra warmth, yet was breathable enough so that I didn’t overheat on hot nights, or during the day if I used it for a nap on the couch. I definitely prefer the soft plushness of a minky cover, but I imagine it could get too hot during the summer. The Gravid’s tencel cooling cover was reminiscent of silk — smooth and cool.

I purchased the Queen 60″x80″ (15-lb) size. The size and weight were fine and I was impressed with how the Gravid conformed to my body, without making me feel suffocated. Unlike some of the other blankets I tried, the Gravid maintained its balanced weight distribution even after numerous nights. The glass microbeads stayed in their designated squares, and there wasn’t any bunching or pooling.

I have no concerns about the longevity of this product whatsoever. It is the highest quality blanket by a long shot, and the unique ZipperTech™ system ensures that the weighted inner blanket will always be securely fastened to the outer cover. As the weight is always pulled tight, evenly across the surface of the cover, there’s no worrying about the outer cover tearing after years of use. This is a big contrast to the other blankets that mostly used small fabric ties that will almost certainly tear after being pulled on by the weight of the blanket.

Attaching the outer covers to the inner weighted blanket was a breeze. It is intuitive and fast, you literally can’t attach it the wrong way. And I can get a cover on an off in less than five minutes. I did however have to maneuvre the zipper around the corners so that it wouldn’t catch on the outer cover. A minor hiccup.

I had a pleasant chat exchange with Gravid’s customer service team to discuss a question I had about my shipment, and they responded immediately. It’s quite re-assuring to know that there is a real person available on their chat 24/7.

2. The best weighted blanket under $100: Simplesleep Weighted Blanket

★ Simplesleep Weighted Blanket & Removable Cover

Check Price on Simplesleep.ca

1. ↑

   Direct from manufacturer!
   (Sold out on Amazon)

What I liked:

1. ✓

   Best value for the money spent

2. ✓

   Premium, breathable fabric layers for staying cool

3. ✓

   Contains fine glass microbeads, rather than plastic pellets

4. ✓

   Washable, removable minky cover provides extra warmth when needed

5. ✓

   Unique quilted chevron pattern ensures even weight distribution

6. ✓

   Durable zippers won’t snag

7. ✓

   Fast shipping – arrived next day!

What I didn’t like:

1. ✕

   Currently only available in gray

1. ←

   Direct from manufacturer!
   (Sold out on Amazon)

Author’s pick: Ranks #1 out of all affordable weighted blankets (under $100)

Hands down, the Simplesleep Weighted Blanket was the best weighted blanket in the affordable category (under $100), and it’s the one that I’d recommend to anyone looking for a great weighted blanket while being price-concious. Simplesleep strikes a great balance of value, quality, comfort, and design.

It’s a little hard to describe the feeling of lying under a good weighted blanket — some people compare it to a hug, but I like to think of it like being in a cocoon. It’s not a claustrophobic feeling, but rather a comforting, peaceful feeling. Lying in bed with the Simplesleep on top of me helps to drain away the stress of the day and relieves my anxiety. I immediately feel safe and snug under the blanket, and I start feeling drowsy almost as soon as I get into bed.

People often think they’ll feel trapped under a weighted blanket, but my experience with the Simplesleep hasn’t been like that at all. In fact, the hugging feeling of the Simplesleep is one of the most effective (and most natural) methods for relieving anxiety that I’ve ever found. However, in order to achieve this “hug,” it’s important to choose a blanket that’s appropriately heavy. It should be somewhere between 5% and 10% of your body weight (7% of your body weight is actually ideal).

The fabric on the Simplesleep was very comfortable and much higher-quality compared to the other affordable options. I have no doubt this will hold up well over time.

The 15-lb Simplesleep weighted blanket is perfect for me –it’s just weighty enough to keep me feeling secure and to prevent me from tossing and turning during the night, but it’s  not excessively heavy. The weight distribution is by far the best of any weighted blanket that I tried, which is largely thanks to its excellent design. Although many weighted blankets are filled with cheap plastic pellets, the Simplesleep contains tiny glass microbeads, each under 1 mm in diameter. Because the microbeads don’t shift around, they’re extremely quiet and have never disturbed my sleep, unlike the annoying “beanbag” sound that always accompanies some other weighted blankets. 

The Simplesleep features seven layers of fabric, which keep the glass microbeads in place, and it has a unique chevron pattern. These small, quilted pockets are a great feature — rather than the microbeads bunching up in the corners if they shift, they simply move closer to the center of the neighboring chevron. All of the other weighted blankets I evaluated had square pockets (of various sizes), which invariably cause the filling to shift to the edges and feel uneven. 

The Simplesleep is very appropriately named — not only does it immediately calm me and help clear my mind of the day’s worries, but it also stays cool throughout the night. This was something I worried about when I first heard about weighted blankets, and in my experience, not all weighted blankets stay cool. The Simplesleep does, however. The fabric is extremely breathable, so temperature regulation is never a problem. The blanket itself is 100% cotton, which is ideal for warmer nights when I want a light, breezy feeling against my skin. The Simplesleep comes pre-washed and ready to use the moment it arrives. 

For colder nights, the Simplesleep comes with a removable, double-sided minky cover that provides two additional layers of warmth. This cover is ridiculously comfortable, and can also be used on its own as a super soft fleece blanket. It’s definitely the thickest and most luxurious of any minky cover I tried. Both the blanket + removable duvet cover are machine washable and haven’t  lost their softness, even after multiple washes.

The design and quality of the removable cover really set the Simplesleep apart from its competitors. The cover attaches securely to the blanket with 8 attachment loops, which are very discreet and don’t ruin the appearance of the blanket when the cover is off, in contrast to the unsightly ties I noticed on some other weighted blankets. Although it’s only available in gray, which seems to be the most popular color for weighted blankets, the Simplesleep looks great and matches practically any bedroom color scheme.

I also want to point out that the Simplesleep is the only weighted blanket I found with a durable, high quality zipper . This zipper always unzips easily, without tugging or pulling, and it has never snagged on the fabric.

I ordered the 15lb  blanket which is Twin sized (48″ x 78″) and covers me perfectly, without spilling off the bed. The Twin-sized Simplesleep is available in three different weights (15 lbs for people 100-150 lbs, 20 lbs for people 150+ lbs, and 7 lbs for children). My husband, who is taller and heavier than I am, sometimes borrows the Simplesleep blanket for a nap and it fits him fine.

The Simplesleep is a relatively new product, so I was initially wary about what it would be like. I really shouldn’t have worried. Everything about this blanket proves that it’s a high-quality item, from the small, uniform stitching that prevents the beads from moving around, to the durable zippers that won’t break or snag, no matter how many times you zip the cover on and off. It was also designed in Canada, which is always a bonus!

3. Hippo Hug

After sleeping under it for about a week, I was generally pleased with Hippo Hug’s weighted disc blanket. I liked all the blocky bitmap design, although it clashed a bit with my bedroom decor. It certainly has plenty of other positive features, including a soft, reversible minky cover which is patterend on one side and solid on the other.

The cover is not removable and should seldom be machine washed (as per the manufacturer), as the weighted discs (instead of glass beads) can cause the fabric to weaken and tear in a wash cycle. In general, the stitching of the blanket is pretty good, so I’m hoping that the discs stay in place over time, too.

At 60″x40″, the Hippo Hug weighted blanket is certainly big enough to properly cover me in bed. I ordered the 15lb option. I chose the 15-lb weight for this product based on some online reviews that said the 15-lb Hippo Hug blanket felt strangely heavy – I believe that’s a result of the weighted discs sewn in place. As the weight is concentrated in circular discs that span the length and width of the blanket, you definitely notice the individual sensation of each disc. So it feels heavier, but I have a hard time melting away into sleep because of this sensation. 

Although the Hippo Hug weighted blanket uses weighted discs, which is definitely preferable to plastic pellets, I wasn’t particularly impressed with the overall weight distribution. The discs are locked into place, making the entire blanket feel rigid, and it was hard to readjust my body position comfortably while under it. This lumpiness isn’t visible, so it doesn’t detract from the appearance of the blanket, but I could definitely feel the unevenness as I was lying under the blanket in bed. 

Another slight drawback is that the Hippo Hug weighted blanket is just a bit too hot. It would probably be fine during the winter or in places with cool weather all year round, but it’s not really breathable enough for summer use. 

4. Gravity Blanket

For years, the Gravity Blanket was the only weighted blanket that most people had ever heard of. However, after trying it out for myself, I’ve concluded that it has since been surpassed by other products when it comes to comfort, style, and size options, not to mention affordability.

On the positive side, the Gravity Blanket is a very well-made product — and it should be, considering that it’s one of the most expensive weighted blankets on the market. The feel of the duvet cover is very plush, although I haven’t yet washed it to see whether it maintains its luxurious feel after a trip to the laundry room. The stitching is close and precise, which keeps the plastic pellets in place throughout the night, even if you’re someone who moves around a lot. It’s unclear if the plastic pellets used to weight the blanket are BPA free.

The Gravity Blanket is only available in two sizes — Twin and King/Queen. The twin (“original”) size is perfectly sized for individual use. It’s long enough to cover anyone from head to toe, and the weight distribution is ideal across this size. It’s supposed to be available in 15 lbs, 20 lbs, and 25 lbs, but most weights were out of stock at the time of writing. Check their website for updated availability.  

On the other hand, the King/Queen size is designed to accommodate two people under a 90″x90″ weighted blanket, and weighs a whopping 35 lbs. This might be fine if you and your partner both want to sleep under a particularly heavy weighted blanket, but it’s far too compressing for an individual. This is the size I regretably ended up trying because I really wanted the blanket to properly cover my entire body at night. 

Unfortunately, it was both too hot and too heavy, especially for just one person. Even when sharing the Gravity Blanket with my husband, who doesn’t mind falling asleep with a weighted blanket on the couch, we both felt pretty suffocated. In my experience, weighted blankets are much more comfortable, and effective, when used individually, as each person has a different body temperature and moves around to varying degrees in his or her sleep. 

5. Quility Weighted Blanket & Removable Cover

The design and feel of the Quility Weighted Blanket really appealed to me when I first ordered it. I liked having so many options to choose from in terms of size, weight, and colour. When the weighted blanket first arrived, I was impressed with the plush feel of the minky cover, and pleased with the color I had ordered (I chose the 60″x80″ (15 lbs) grey cotton blanket with an aqua cover). Quility also advertises a cooler 100% cotton cover for their weighted blanket, but this is sold separately and didn’t seem to show up in any Amazon searches. 

Overall, the Quility weighted blanket seems to be well made, with high-quality stitching, fine glass microbeads, and multiple layers of fabric. It was more breathable than I had been expecting, and sufficiently large to fully cover me in bed. 

I was less impressed with the zipper quality, as the zipper snagged the first time I removed the minky cover. It hasn’t broken yet, but it’s far less durable than I would have expected for the money, and clearly not a premium zipper. 

I was also a bit disappointed in the Quility’s weight distribution. Although it has quilted squares, the glass microbeads seemed to pool into the corners, making it feel somewhat awkward and lumpy. Although I was able to sleep under the blanket, I was aware throughout the night that it wasn’t laying evenly across my body.  And for some reason, it felt particularly heavy on my knees, ankles, and feet. I looked into Quility’s refund policy and was pleased to see that they do offer full refunds, no questions asked, but I ended up keeping the blanket, mainly for use on the sofa.

Since then, the Quility has worked well as a casual throw blanket. Since it’s available in so many sizes, a Quility weighted blanket could be a useful addition to a child’s bed, as it comes in much lighter weights (5 lbs, 7 lbs, and 10 lbs), and in single and twin sizes. For couples, the Quility weighted blanket is also available in a King/Queen size, with 86″x92″ dimensions and weights ranging from 12 lbs to 25 lbs. 

6. YnM Weighted Blanket

As it was the least expensive product on my list, I was hoping that the YnM weighted blanket would surprise me. The YnM weighted blanket claims to be made with multiple layers of breathable fabric, and it contains glass microbeads rather than plastic pellets, which are definite pluses. I was excited about all of the different product options — I like having a lot of sizes, weights, and colors to choose from. The YnM blanket is available in weights from 5 lbs to 30 lbs, and sizes ranging from 36″x48″ to 80″x87″. As with most of the other weighted blankets, I chose the 60″x80″ size (15 lbs). 

Unfortunately, the YnM weighted blanket did not fully live up to its promise. First of all, the blanket arrived without any type of duvet cover, which had to be purchased separately. This essentially eliminated any savings that I had made due to the lower price of the blanket itself. That being said, when I eventually did order a duvet cover for my blanket, I was once again pleased to see that there was a decent choice of covers available, including cotton, bamboo, and minky fabrics. I settled on a double-sided cover with one “cooling bamboo” side and one “cozy minky” side, which sounded intriguing. The quality of the cover seems to be pretty good, with pleasant-feeling materials that easily zipped over my YnM weighted blanket. 

However, I wasn’t able to fully appreciate this doubled-sized cover before the weighted blanket itself let me down. After sleeping under it for several nights, the filling started to leak out of the blanket. Unlike the duvet cover, the actual weighted blanket doesn’t seem to be very well-constructed. The quilted compartments have wide, loose stitching and the seams are evidently weak. Having tiny microbeads all over the bed and floor was a pain to clean up, and thoroughly demoralizing, as it meant that the blanket was essentially unusable. I dread to think what would have happened if I had tried to wash it! 

Trying to look on the bright side, I now have a nice additional duvet cover to use with my other 60″x80″ weighted blankets. I’m just hoping that the cover holds up better than the blanket!

Did I get a knock-off blanket? For some reason the item was not as described! From the description the pockets are to be 4.7″ by 4.7″ and the blanket I received is 6″ by 6.5″.

I knew something was up because the performance of the blanket was not nearly as nice as my other weighted blanket with the weight shifting a lot and not applying a constant pressure to my legs. Not sure why I received this dud.

7. Hush Weighted Blanket

The Hush felt very luxurious, and the double-square quilting pattern was pretty. The plush “minky” cover was quite nice to run your hand over. The materials seemed to be very high-quality, but when I lifted the blanket up, I noticed a fair bit of sagging inside the cover. The blanket is held in place by a combination of a zipper and fabric ties around the perimeter of the blanket. Unfortunately, the zipper broke the very first time I touched it, so the remaining fabric ties were the only thing reliably holding it in place. I was a bit disappointed to see many loose threads inside as well especially considering the price point. I will give them a pass on this as these threads are not visible when the blanket is in normal use. The rest of the blanket still feels well-made, but I definitely noticed the sagging when I slept with it.

Hush’s website is easy to navigate, the packaging is very nice, and their marketing photos are clearly leaps and bounds ahead of all the competitors, but unfortunately, during my week-long trial, I woke up once a night to re-adjust under the Hush because of the clumpiness of the blanket inside the cover. The inner part seems to distribute the weight well, but with the zipper immediately breaking, it was only really held in place with the fabric ties, and this caused an uneven, clumpy feeling. I reached out to Hush’s customer support about the broken zipper and never heard back at all. I also found myself feeling too hot under the plush cover, even in my air-conditioned room. So, for one night (Night 4) I tried the Hush with the Iced Cover, and it did help a bit, but certainly not as much of a “cooling” effect as they advertise. This is likely because of the polyester inner blanket which was still causing me to sweat. Coming in at a much higher price than every other brand, I expected more luxury and features out of this blanket, but I was underwhelmed.

Disappointment: The Hush Blanket’s attachment system did not keep the blanket spread out inside the cover

Given my poor experience with the Hush blanket I decided I wanted a refund. This process was extremely frustrating, ultimately leaving me feeling like I got ripped off. I emailed them multiple times, and never got a response. I attempted to chat with their “online” agent, but all I got were programmed, canned responses which were of no help. I left a comment on one of their Instagram posts with my concern and instead of responding, they simply deleted my comment! It’s been over 30 days now since I attempted to get my money back, and still haven’t heard from anyone on their support team. I will update this article if I ever do get my money back.