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We love a weighted blanket for soothing anxiety, and as a comforter to sleep with, but these days, a number of people are using weighted throw blankets to stay warm and cuddle on the couch too.
The best weighted throw blankets are sized to cover your legs or body while you’re working in the living room or curled up for a movie, with light pressure that gives you the feeling of being “caressed.” Unlike a weighted comforter, which should cover most of your bed and is designed to help you (and a partner) fall asleep, a weighted throw blanket is slightly-smaller in size and can be used for sleeping solo, or just as decor when draped or hung over your sofa or chair.
You can use a small or twin sized-standard blanket as a weighted throw, you can also find weighted throw blankets covered in fuzzy sherpa or velour fabric for extra coziness. But as with any weighted blanket, it’s most important to calculate the correct blanket weight for your body size, keeping in mind he surface area of the blanket itself.
How to Find the Best Weighted Throw Blankets
If your blanket is too light, you won’t feel the effects. But if it’s too heavy, it could be too uncomfortable to use at all. Here is how to calculate the right size, as well as some other factors we look for in the best weighted throw blankets.
Weight Ratio: Recommendations vary somewhat, but the weight of your blanket should fall somewhere around 10 percent of your body weight, plus one pound. So an individual weighing between 140 and 190 pounds will usually need a 15 pound blanket, and so on. If you’re unsure, or if you have other health concerns, size down. You want to feel “hugged,” not trapped.
Weight Distribution: Weighted blankets are made with weighted nano beads, commonly made of plastic, glass, or ceramic, sewn into individual quilted squares in the blanket. The better constructed the blanket, the more evenly these beads will be distributed, and therefore the more evenly it will apply pressure to the body.
Fabric: The best weighted throw blankets these days are made with fuzzy fleece or sherpa fabric just like any other cozy throw blanket. This makes them a little less high maintenance and couch-ready right off the bat. Most of our picks are machine-washable too, making the material easy to care for.
