Heated blankets are great to use on the couch or when you’re relaxing in bed. Short-term use is safe as long as sunbeam heated throw no wires or tears in wires are visible. The best electric blanket overall, and the best value for your money.
The three-hour auto-shutoff is convenient for evening use because if you forget to turn it off before going to bed, you won’t have to worry. However, if you’re planning on using this blanket to keep you warm all night, the short time frame for the auto-shutoff may mean you wake up with no heat source. It comes with Sunbeam’s proprietary Thermofine warming system, which senses both your body temperature and room temperature and adjusts to deliver consistent warmth. We love this feature because if your feet are cold, Sunbeam’s warming system automatically senses this change and directs additional heat to your feet.
I have a larger bed, and while I didn’t love being able to see the wires when the blanket is in use, the coziness of the additional warmth trumped that for me. In the morning, I didn’t mind unplugging the controllers and placing them under my bed. I learned from reading ratings and reviews and from my own testing experience that heated blankets can be fussy. Sometimes they suddenly stop working for a variety of unclear reasons like a thermostat breaking down, loose connections or power surges that can cause overheating, so a good warranty is key. Lifetime limited warranties, 5-, 3- and 1-year warranties were among the best protections I found. The digital controller has three heat settings and a 2-hour automatic shut-off.
All of the electric blankets we tried had problems, ranging from unpleasant-feeling fabric to particularly noticeable wires. In our test group, the Sunbeam Velvet Plush Heated Blanket was the best, since its overall combination of softness, performance, controls, and safety features helped it edge out the competition. Some heated blankets use a dial to help you click through their different heat settings, while others have a digital display with plus and minus buttons to set your heat level. Don’t forget to look for a blanket with a “preheat” option, so you won’t be shivering while you wait for it to warm up.
If you suffer from a health condition and are unsure whether a heated blanket would be safe, consult with your doctor. As I learned firsthand, heated blankets sometimes just stop working. No matter what appliance you purchase, it’s always a good idea to look for a warranty. “We usually assume a 10-year cycle for most small appliances,” says Hawk. Compared to the other blankets I tested, the Berkshire Blanket VelvetLoft Striped Heated Blanket was the thickest.
When you think of the high energy and fuel costs to heat an entire home, and how much you could reduce your energy bill by using an electric blanket at night for part of the year, that’s a huge incentive. Since one of the major reasons to purchase an electric blanket is to reduce energy use and save money, let’s take a look at the cost breakdown to use each of these electric blanket finalists annually. We tested the energy consumption of each finalist by first testing the wattage with the Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor. It connects to household appliances to assess its energy use in voltage, watts, and kilowatt hours.
Sunbeam claims its ThermoFine warming system “senses and adjusts to deliver consistent warmth,” and we found this to be true. The Sunbeam Microplush Heated Throw is an affordable and easy-to-use electric sunbeam heated blankets blanket for first-time buyers or anyone who wants cozy supplementary heat while curled up on the couch. If used at night, you may be able to turn down the home’s heat, saving money on your energy bill.
It can also make a great addition to your couch for those cold movie nights. It has a wide temperature range of 74˚ to 90˚, with even heating experienced throughout the blanket. The controller has only one button with four lights indicating heat intensity. This pick has a rechargeable battery pack that makes this blanket completely portable. The brand claims that it takes just 5 minutes to heat up, and it will automatically shut off after 5 hours.
While the instructions weren’t intuitive and I had some issues pairing the blanket with my network, I was able to call customer service for help. Being covered up by fabric, this was difficult to measure with a ruler, so we used a flat palm to run our hand across the surface of the fabric. With all but the Serta and SoftHeat blankets, which have “invisible wires”, we could easily detect the wires running through the blankets.