The best weighted blankets

Key takeaways

• Most weighted blankets use glass beads. They’re sewn into small quilted pockets so the weight stays spread out. Knitted blankets get their weight from thick cotton instead and let more air through.

• The best evidence is for anxiety and insomnia in people with mental health conditions. In a Swedish trial of 120 psychiatric patients, people who slept under a weighted blanket for four weeks had much less insomnia than people under a light one. In healthy sleepers, the evidence is thin.

• The “10% of your body weight” rule comes from makers. No study has shown that one weight works best. Pick a blanket you can easily lift off yourself.

• Washing is the biggest day-to-day difference. Some blankets go in the machine whole, and others need a removable cover because the weighted insert is hand wash only.

• Never use one for a baby. US safety agencies and pediatricians say weighted blankets don’t belong anywhere near a sleeping infant.

How we ranked these weighted blankets

We started with the weighted blankets that show up most often in other sites’ best-of lists, then ranked six of them on how the weight is spread, how warm they sleep, how easy they are to wash, the choice of weights and sizes, return terms, and price. Prices are from each maker’s US website, or from Amazon where that’s the usual way to buy, on November 4, 2026. Sale prices are marked as sales, and they change often.

1. Baloo Weighted Blanket - All cotton, and it all goes in the wash

Baloo’s blanket is 100% cotton inside and out, with no polyester lining, and it gets its weight from lead-free glass beads sewn into pockets. A Full/Queen blanket (60 x 80 in) costs $218 in either 15 or 20 lb. There’s also a 12 lb throw for $198 and a King in 20 or 25 lb for $274.

There’s no separate cover to wrangle. The whole blanket goes in the washing machine on a cold, gentle cycle and into the dryer on low or medium, though Baloo says the King should go in a large commercial washer. A cotton duvet cover is sold separately for $54 if you want one. Returns are accepted within 30 days, with free return shipping if you choose it at checkout.

What works: All cotton, so it breathes better than the polyester and minky covers on many blankets, and you can wash and dry the whole thing at home.

What doesn’t: More expensive than budget blankets, and no cover is included.

Best for: Most people, especially anyone who wants a natural fabric and easy washing.

2. Bearaby Cotton Napper - A knitted blanket with no beads

The Cotton Napper gets all its weight from thick, hand-knitted organic cotton, with no beads or pellets inside. The loose knit lets air through the holes, which is the main reason people who run warm choose this style. It comes in 10, 15, 20, and 25 lb, and the 15 lb blanket (40 x 72 in) costs $269. A version knitted from TENCEL, which Bearaby sells as cooler, costs $30 more at 15 lb.

Since the knit is the whole blanket, you wash it whole, cold and gentle in a front-loader (Bearaby says to skip top-loaders), then on low heat in the dryer, possibly twice. Bearaby takes it back within 30 days but keeps a $19.99 processing fee on the 15 lb size.

What works: No beads to shift or leak, a breathable knit, and a look that suits the end of a bed.

What doesn’t: The most expensive blanket here at 15 lb, the sizes are narrow, and it’s heavy and slow to dry after washing.

Best for: Warm sleepers who don’t want beads, and anyone who wants a blanket that looks good on display.

3. Luxome Weighted Blanket - A removable cover with two textures

Luxome sells its glass bead blanket with a removable cover, so you can wash the cover often and the blanket rarely. Covers come in breathable bamboo lyocell or a two-sided version with lyocell on one side and soft minky on the other. The 15 lb blanket with cover (54 x 72 in) was on sale for $165, down from $195. The 18 lb (60 x 80 in) costs $190, and a 25 lb blanket for larger beds costs $280.

Both the inner blanket and the covers are machine washable, except the 25 lb insert. Luxome suggests choosing by size rather than body weight, since its blankets use the same weight per square foot. You have 30 days to send it back, and Luxome deducts return shipping from the refund.

What works: A choice of cover fabrics, a cover you can wash on its own, and a wider 15 lb size than most.

What doesn’t: Getting a cover on and off a heavy blanket takes effort, and the largest insert can’t go in the washer.

Best for: People who want to swap between a cool cover in summer and a soft one in winter.

4. Gravity Cooling Weighted Blanket - A breathable cover for warm sleepers

Gravity’s cooling blanket pairs a glass bead blanket with a removable cover in moisture-wicking fabric made for hot sleepers. It comes in one size (72 x 48 in) in 15, 20, or 25 lb. The 15 lb blanket lists at $209 and was marked down to $159. Gravity also sells its original blanket, from $189 for 10 lb, and a 35 lb version for queen and king beds at $299.

The cover goes in the washing machine, but the weighted blanket inside is hand wash only and has to air dry. If it’s wrong, you can return it within 30 days of delivery at your own shipping cost, though Gravity swaps weights free within 60 days. Its weight guide is based on about 10% of body weight, suggesting 15 lb for people from 130 to 170 lb.

What works: A breathable cover, plus a free exchange if you pick the wrong weight.

What doesn’t: Only one size of cooling blanket, and the weighted insert can’t go in a machine.

Best for: Warm sleepers who want a classic bead blanket and aren’t sure which weight to pick.

5. Layla Weighted Blanket - Cotton on one side, plush on the other

One side is 300-thread-count cotton and the other soft polyester mink, so Layla’s blanket flips with the season. It’s filled with small glass beads plus extra padding that Layla says keeps the beads quiet. It comes in 15 lb (48 x 72 in), 20 lb (60 x 80 in), and 25 lb (80 x 87 in).

The 15 lb blanket lists at $224, and it was on sale for $122. That sale was a flash deal that Layla says can’t be returned. At the regular price, the blanket comes with a 30-night trial and a five-year warranty. The cover isn’t removable, but the whole blanket is machine washable.

What works: Two textures in one blanket and a five-year warranty.

What doesn’t: The sale price comes without returns, and the plush side can sleep warm.

Best for: Anyone who wants two feels in one blanket and no cover to fuss with.

6. YnM Weighted Blanket - The budget pick

YnM is the cheapest way to try a weighted blanket. Its 15 lb microfiber blanket (48 x 72 in) was $35.99 on Amazon, and it’s sold in many combinations of size, weight, and fabric. The glass beads sit in small 2 x 2 in pockets, and loops at the edges let you attach a separate duvet cover.

It’s machine washable on a gentle cycle and can be tumble dried on low or hung to dry. Amazon’s standard returns apply. Prices swing a lot depending on the fabric and size you choose, so check the exact version before you buy.

What works: A low price, and it all goes in the machine.

What doesn’t: Microfiber sleeps warmer than cotton, and the price you see depends heavily on which version you click.

Best for: Anyone who wants to find out whether they like a weighted blanket before spending $150 or more.

Weighted blankets compared

Do weighted blankets actually help you sleep?

They seem to help some people, mostly people with anxiety or other mental health conditions. The evidence for everyone else is much thinner.

The best-known trial comes from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. In the 2020 study, 120 adults with insomnia and depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, or ADHD slept under either an 8 kg (about 18 lb) chain blanket or a light 1.5 kg blanket for four weeks. In the weighted blanket group, 59% saw their insomnia scores fall by at least half, against 5% in the light blanket group. One person dropped out because the blanket made them anxious.

Other studies are smaller and less consistent.

• A 2024 pilot trial of 102 adults with insomnia in China found sleep quality scores improved about twice as much with a weighted blanket as with a normal one over a month.

• A 2024 review of nine studies in people with psychiatric conditions found weighted blankets reduced anxiety by a moderate amount. A second 2024 review of eight trials found a small drop in anxiety, but its pooled result for insomnia fell just short of statistical significance.

• In a lab study of 26 healthy young adults, melatonin rose about 32% more in the hour before lights-out under a weighted blanket, but they didn’t sleep any longer. One of the authors works for a weighted blanket maker.

• In a 2024 trial of 94 children with ADHD, weighted blankets added about 8 minutes of sleep a night. In a 2014 trial of 67 autistic children, they made no difference to sleep, though children and parents liked them.

Even with look-alike control blankets, people can feel which one is heavy, and that can shape how they rate their own sleep.

How heavy should a weighted blanket be?

The common advice is about 10% of your body weight, and almost every maker repeats it. It’s a rule of thumb that no one has tested. The Swedish trial used a fixed 8 kg for everyone, and a 2026 study that compared 7, 9, and 14 kg blankets found no clear difference in sleep between them.

A more useful test is whether you can comfortably move the blanket and lift it off yourself. If you’re between two weights, the lighter one is the safer choice. Most adult blankets come in 15 or 20 lb. A weighted blanket is also narrower than a regular one. It’s sized to your body and won’t hang over the sides of the bed.

Do weighted blankets make you hot?

They can feel warmer, mostly because of the fabric and the extra layer. In the 2026 study comparing different weights, skin temperature didn’t change between the 7, 9, and 14 kg blankets, so the weight alone doesn’t seem to be the problem. If you run warm, look for cotton or a knitted blanket over minky or microfiber, and pair it with breathable bedding. Our guide to cooling sheets covers which fabrics help.

Who should skip a weighted blanket

• Babies. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says not to use weighted blankets or weighted swaddles for infants, and the American Academy of Pediatrics says weighted products on or near a sleeping baby aren’t safe.

• Young children, without care. In 2022, about 204,000 children’s weighted blankets were recalled after a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old girl died trapped inside the zippered cover. One NHS trust’s guidance says a child’s weighted blanket shouldn’t be used overnight and should be taken off once they’re asleep. Talk to your pediatrician or an occupational therapist first.

• People with sleep apnea. In a small 2024 sleep lab study, breathing interruptions rose from a median of three to five an hour under a weighted blanket, and the authors advised screening for sleep apnea first.

• Anyone who can’t easily move it. That includes people with limited strength or mobility, and anyone with conditions that affect breathing, temperature control, or skin health, which the NHS guidance also flags. Check with a doctor first.

• Anyone who feels trapped under it. If the weight makes you feel confined, it isn’t for you.

Frequently asked questions

Can you sleep with a weighted blanket every night?

Most adults can, as long as you can move it easily and don’t overheat. Trials, mainly in people with insomnia or psychiatric conditions, ran from a couple of weeks to a year without serious side effects. Children are a different case, so check with a pediatrician first.

What is the best weight for a weighted blanket?

Makers suggest about 10% of your body weight, so roughly 15 lb for a 150 lb adult. There’s no evidence that an exact weight matters, so choose one you can comfortably lift off yourself, and go lighter if you’re between sizes.

Are glass beads or plastic pellets better?

Makers say glass beads are smaller and denser than plastic pellets, so a blanket filled with them is thinner and quieter for the same weight. All the bead blankets on this list use glass. Knitted blankets skip beads entirely.

Can you put a weighted blanket in the washing machine?

Some, yes. Baloo, Bearaby, Layla, and YnM can go in the machine whole, though the heavier ones may be too much for a small washer. Gravity’s inner blanket is hand wash only, so you wash its cover instead.

Do weighted blankets help with anxiety?

Two 2024 reviews found a small to moderate drop in anxiety in people with psychiatric conditions. Some people feel calmer under one at bedtime, but it won’t treat an anxiety disorder.

Can kids use weighted blankets?

Never for babies. For older children, follow the maker’s age and weight guidance, avoid blankets with zippered covers a child could climb into, and talk to your pediatrician first. One NHS trust advises against using them overnight for children.