The best weighted blanket for 2020: Layla, Gravity, Bearaby and more – CNET

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Layla

The Layla weighted blanket has limited size and weight options, but the blanket makes up for that with a well-made, luxurious-feeling product. The Layla comes in three sizes: Twin, Queen and King. I tested the Queen, which weighs 20 pounds. To be fair, it is challenging for me to move and maneuver the heavy blanket (as it’s about 7 pounds over my recommended weighted blanket weight). However, it feels amazing to be under it and sleep.

The high quality blanket is double sided: one side of the blanket is black fabric and the other side is lined with a synthetic mink in a charcoal color (that has the “minky” feel that so many people are after these days). The fuzzy side feels soft and cozy, perfect for those looking to curl up and fall asleep with a good book on a cold winter night and it is machine washable. This is key, as this blanket isn’t meant to be used with a removable cover.

Some weighted blankets remind me too much of sewn together cornhole bags, but I found the Layla to be more coherently a blanket and far less noisy than others. The Twin size blanket starts at $129, but it feels more high-end than the price would indicate.

— Rebecca Fleenor, CNET writer

YnM

YnM’s weighted blanket is highly rated on Amazon and for good reason. It’s sturdy, has seven breathable layers and comes in five different sizes and nine weight options from 5 to 25 pounds. Oh and it starts around $50, making it one of the best weighted blanket options for those on a budget. That means if you’re dealing with anxiety, ADHD, or restless leg syndrome, this is the sensory blanket you use to see if some deep pressure helps your sensory processing. I bought this weighted blanket for myself last fall and I love it. To be honest, I think it played a key role in helping me feel calm in the stress and aftermath of a difficult breakup.

The inner blanket itself is well-made and filled with glass beads — not poly pellets. It’s a great weighted blanket for adults and YnM sells many different machine wash friendly duvet covers that /make it far easier to keep the blanket clean. The outer cover options are available in a variety of fabrics, including the soft gray minky cover I have.

— Sarah Mitroff, CNET editor

Bearaby

One notable thing I like about Bearaby’s The Napper blanket is the fact that it’s designed in a big, knitted pattern. Though it makes it hard to pick up and fold neatly sometimes, I do wonder how much of that is due to its weight and not about its open-netting design.

Its benefit though is that it is aesthetically pleasing and its weighted material feels more open and “light” (even though it’s not at all light) than other weighted blankets, which I was afraid would be too hot or stifling to get a good night’s sleep. When I used it on my couch or to sleep in bed, it didn’t feel hot. The breathable cotton is soft and high-quality. It actually feels a lot like the simple cotton scarf American Apparel used to sell a few years back.

At $249, the blanket runs on the expensive side — in fact it’s more expensive than all of the other blankets in the list except for Gravity (which is also $250). You are paying for the novel texture, the fact that it objectively looks good on a living room couch and, according to the company, because it’s made of ethically sourced organic cotton. Because this blanket isn’t made with glass beads or plastic pellets, the weight distribution stays even, making it less likely to slide off when you’re napping or falling asleep in bed for a restful night of sleep.

If you’re looking for a weighted blanket more for its utility and don’t care about its design I’d say skip it and try out a less expensive option. While laying under it did feel nice, I didn’t notice much of a difference in my level of anxiety or ease of sleep — but that doesn’t mean it won’t help someone else get a good night of restful sleep or feel more calm.

Want a more traditional weighted blanket? The company also has a weighted comforter for sleep.

— Lynn La, CNET senior editor

Baloo

Baloo’s 15-pound comforter is like the Parachute of weighted blankets. This premium weighted blanket looks and feels luxurious while remaining incredibly minimalist. I can attest to the fabric’s breathability, the even distribution of weight and the softness of the cotton. Plus Baloo uses chemical-free glass beads as its “weight” and still finds a way to be very, very quiet while offering a pleasantly deep pressure. Bring on the deep pressure stimulation and serotonin!

The blanket is sold as a full- or queen size comforter and includes loops for attaching your own cover or one of Baloo’s. The verdict: Baloo’s benefits are also its flaws. The blanket is surprisingly thin given its weight and never left me sweaty, but I longed to sleep under my thick, fluffy comforter.  A duvet cover may be just the ticket for achieving the feel l’m looking for when I sleep.

Without a comforter cover, the blanket’s soft cotton also resulted in it landing on the floor in the middle of the night, which could interrupt your night’s rest. Also, Baloo makes its comforter smaller than average to avoid slippage, but, at that size, it’s not sharable between two people. If you sleep next to a partner, consider that you may need two separate blankets.

At $169, it’s midrange for a weighted blanket. I’d recommend Baloo to anyone looking for a minimalist weighted blanket that would look clean and crisp draped over a bed or sofa — it does look very pretty on display. But, for the purpose of sitting on the sofa and reducing stress after a long day, I’d go for one of the cheaper options.

— Sharon Profis, CNET executive editor

Sensa Calm

After years spent sleeping beneath a towering stack of comforters — we live in Maine — my 9-year-old daughter has transitioned to sleep under the 10-pound SensaCalm Stock Weighted Blanket ($199) with the Cooling Silky Satin Duvet Cover ($129). She likes it and after a few weeks I’ve detected no issues with its quality or design. It certainly does its job — laying heavily, with its weight evenly distributed — well enough. But, at almost $330, it’s on the pricier side. 

That noted, SensaCalm’s lineup accommodates an unusually high degree of customizability, featuring a wide array of weights, sizes and fabrics — including a handful of waterproof options, making it ideal for people will sensory issues who may have other health issues going on. You can add polyfil for a fluffier comforter or skip it for a flatter, more quilt-like blanket — though, ironically, that option costs more (you’re paying for additional labor). You can also add snaps to connect to one of the company’s many machine-washable duvet covers which start at $110. And you can add a monogram for $25. 

SensaCalm’s blankets start at $90 — and that’s for the blanket for kids. The weighted blankets for adults are costlier. I explored the options on the company’s website and, after selecting all of the extras, was able to build a 20-pound blanket that cost nearly $350. (Sadly, stuffing 350 dollar bills into your current comforter would only add about a pound.) SensaCalm makes its blankets in the US and offers free shipping on domestic orders over $100.

— Justin Jaffe, CNET editor

Mosaic

The Mosaic Coolmax Weighted Blanket is a breathable blanket designed for people who need to stay cool to get a full night’s sleep. The fabric on this cooling blanket is definitely cold to the touch and would be a great weighted option for people who run hot when they sleep. Unfortunately, I’m always freezing when I sleep and the blanket was way too cold against my bare skin. I had to layer it over another blanket, which made it more prone to slipping off my body.

The Coolmax comes in four different sizes, with weights ranging from 5 to 25 pounds. I tested the cooling weight blanket Twin in 12 pounds, which also comes in 10 pounds, a nice option for smaller folk who find 15 pounds to be too heavy.

The cooling weighted blanket is well constructed and the quilted smaller squares keeps the weight well distributed. However, it reminded me of two dozen corn hole bags sewn together and as a constant fidgeter I could not stop playing with the tiny bead bags. Anyone prone to fidgeting would be better off avoiding weighted blankets filled with plastic pellets — you could opt for Bearaby’s knitted version instead.

If you’re a hot sleeper and overheating is your issue, the $199 for the twin size might be worth the price tag. The Coolmax was definitely a well made cooling weighted blanket and it did achieve cooling. It just wasn’t the right fit for me.

— Rebecca Fleenor, CNET writer

Harkla

Harkla makes weighted blankets for kids and adults, weighted vests and weighted lap pads, plus a sensory peapod and hanging swing for children with sensory processing disorder issues.

The first time I used the 15-pound Harkla I expected to feel calmer and more relaxed before slipping away to sleep. The exact opposite happened when I tried to go to sleep: my heart beat faster than it should before bed and I couldn’t get comfortable and fall asleep, no matter how hard I tried.

I tried the Harkla while sitting and lying on the couch, lying in bed and just wrapped around me in bed. But every time I climbed under it, as soft and cozy as the minky duvet around the blanket feels, I start worrying about what time it is, how long I’ve been sitting there, even the outcome of the Forensic Files episode I’m watching (they all end the same btw: with a killer caught by science).

In stark contrast to my aversion to the blanket, my best friend loved it and it put her immediately to sleep on my couch, curled up under it. Which I guess goes to show weighted blankets are an extremely personal thing. I will be sticking to my down feather comforter, thank you very much.

— Caitlin Petrakovitz, CNET engagement editor

Gravity

What does 15 pounds actually feel like? One overly fed cat lying across your entire body. Eleven basketballs balanced over your frame. Being trapped in the idea of comfort executed by someone who learned the idea from A Christmas Story. Maybe that’s being overly biased, but after sleeping, lounging and consuming Entertainment Media while being squashed by the Gravity Blanket… I have no idea how people live with or sleep under these things.

The blanket’s weight is evenly distributed, which is nice from an “is this made well?” perspective. The duvet cover is soft, in the same way as the inside of a fuzzy hoodie from Uniqlo. But in the moment, when the entire blanket feels like this uniform thing on top of you and you’re scrambling to find an escape route for your feet so they can get some cool air, it feels like the opposite of reassuring comfort. It feels like that Ryan Reynolds movie no one remembers.

Regardless of price, regardless of color, the only real question that seems to matter is how you see a weighted blanket fitting into your idea of comfort. Is comfort a tight embrace and the acceptance that This Place I’m in Now is the Place I Will Be For Two Hours? Great, give it a shot, the worst thing that could happen is uncomfortably tossing and turning before shipping it back.

On the bright side, after a couple of weeks, my cat finally accepted it as a member of the household and started sitting on it… at which point it officially became his and has yet to be used by another human.

— Morgan Little, senior manager, social media

Luna

The best part of the Luna weighted blanket is the price. For just $65, you can get a 15-pound blanket which is the cheapest of all the blankets on this list. It uses organic cotton and has a multi-layer design with batting that makes the blanket feel like a thin comforter.

The model I tried out was 12 pounds and, like the YnM weighted blanket, Luna has a basic but sturdy design. This is the kind of blanket you’d want to put a duvet on, because unlike the Gravity, Harkla or Bearaby blankets, it’s not stylish enough on its own to sit out on your couch. It also has ties at each corner, which are there to anchor the blanket in place of a duvet.

I see this as a good starter blanket. If you are curious about trying a weighted blanket, or you think your kids might like sleeping better with a heavy blanket, the Luna is an inexpensive way to find out. It starts at $39 for a 5-pound child-sized blanket and goes all the way up to 25 pounds for an adult weighted blanket.

— Sarah Mitroff, CNET editor