Don’t launder your heated bedding more than you absolutely have to. UL has developed safety standards for heated bedding, and both UL and ETL test products sunbeam heated blankets to ensure they meet them. Drengenberg said that advances in the construction of heating wires and thermostats have also led to safer products.
His primary focus is outdoor products, specializing in products like sun shirts and backpacking gear, but he has worked with composites and household items. And right now you can snag a Queen-size machine washable and dryable electric blanket for nearly 30 percent off its original price. At night, you spend an average of eight hours in a single room sleeping.
We checked each blanket for wires to discover which felt the most like a normal blanket. Here the texture of the Bedsure electric blanket did a great job of concealing the heating wires. The blankets with the widest temperature range and the most even heating are the Bedsure and Woomer Electric Heated Throw.
I considered heated blankets at a variety of price points and only chose products with an auto shut-off feature and warranty. I focused on blankets that were certified by one of the 21 Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories like UL Solutions or Intertek. I further established specific criteria to determine which blankets are best.
Don’t fold, bunch up, or pinch your heated bedding while you’re using it. That could cause excessive heat to build up, damaging the wires or even causing a fire if other safety mechanisms fail. We could feel the wires in this blanket—but we could feel the wires in all the top blanket contenders, and the Velvet Plush’s wires were relatively sunbeam heated throw less noticeable than those of some other models. Once we had the blanket on the bed, sandwiched between a comforter and a top sheet, the wires were less bothersome but still noticeable. Since the blanket lies on top of you instead of under you, the wires don’t have the potential to create pressure points or to dig into your body.
This blanket is a bit thinner than you may expect or want, but the thin material is what ensures the blanket heats up easily and quickly. The preheat setting lets you warm your bed up just before you go to sleep, which is one of the best features of this blanket. The five-year warranty gives you peace of mind, just in case anything goes wrong. On top of all that, this is an affordable blanket that comes in a variety of colors and sizes. I was able to easily adjust the temperature in the middle of the night without trouble because the controller illuminates in the dark, a common feature in all the heated blankets I tested. The sleep mode button allows you to adjust the length of the auto shut-off to between 1 and 10 hours, designated by an “H” on the LED screen, which is a good detail for groggy nighttime operation.
When plugged in and turned on, the wiring heats the blanket, providing more heat. When the temperatures drop and you just can’t seem to get warm, a blanket that does more than contain your body heat can make all the difference. They usually have several heat levels and an automatic shutoff for safety. The Sunbeam Velvet Plush Heated Throw graced my couch for 2 weeks, where I gave it a thorough going-over.