Electric Blanket Reviews

How to Find the Best Electric Blanket on a Budget

Electric blanket reviews are an excellent starting point for anyone interested in purchasing the best electric blanket. We did a lot of research and found that most electric blankets aren't very well reviewed, but we did find one brand that stood out as a much better value.

First, please remember that all customer reviews are subjective. It's not a scientific process, however when I shop, I always get a better product when I take some time to look at the experiences of actual customers.

We've included some extensive information about electric blankets here so you can be well informed, both about electric blanket reviews and how to choose and them!

How Do They Work?

Electric blankets are manufactured from wires or a heating element and fabric. The heating element or insulated wires are placed inside the fabric, which then heats the fabric once it's connected to power. The most recent blankets on the market operate using 24 volts of electricity and can be designed with an automatic shut off feature.

Types and Features of Electric Blankets

• Single control for entire blanket
  
  
• Automatic shut off - turns off after an hour
  
  
• Dual control blankets - each side of blanket can be set to preferred temperature
  
  
• Pre-heat feature - can set to warm or preheat in order to warm bed or blanket before using
  
  
• Some blankets are designed to leave on low all night
  
  
• Choose from two fabrics - cotton or fleece

Electric Blanket Reviews - Buying Tips

The best way to figure out if you like a blanket or not is to actually feel it with your hands and if possible, wrap it around you. Are the wires noticeable?

Does the fabric feel good next to your skin?

Is it large enough to cover the space or person you want it to cover? Is it for snuggling on the couch? What size bed do you want it for?

Does the price match your budget?

What color would you like? You have your choice of several solid colors, plaid designs, or even print designs.

It's a good idea to research any brand name blanket that you think could be a good fit for you. You may find that there was a recall on a brand for some reason, or find that people who bought it weren't crazy about it for one reason or another.

Take the time to shop around to get the best electric blanket for your needs and budget.

Safety Tips and Potential Hazards

• Make sure the blanket you choose has the UL, Underwriters Laboratories, stamp of approval.
  
  
• New electric blankets are safer than secondhand blankets.
  
  
• Once you're out of bed or off the couch, turn the blanket off.
  
  
• Don't layer electric blankets on top of each other - use only one at a time.
  
  
• Blankets 10 years or older should be replaced.
  
  
• Never put an electric blanket underneath a mattress or mattress topper.
  
  
• Machine washing an electric blanket is not a good idea - the internal coils could be damaged and potentially cause a fire.Dry cleaning is not a good idea either.
  
  
• Electric blankets that are wet should never be turned on - wait until it is completely dry before using.
  
  
• Store electric blankets as flat as possible or roll them rather than folding.
  
  
• It's time to replace your blanket if you see frayed cords, embedded wires, or have a damaged temperature control.
  
  
• Discoloration or burning smell? Unplug the blanket immediately and go shopping for a new one - it could be burning up internally.
  
  
• Heating pads and electric blankets used together at the same time could cause skin burns.
  
  
• Lay underneath an electric blanket only, not on top of it. Don't sit on or jump on it.
  
  
• Keep the surface of the blanket clear of piles of clothes, other blankets, toys, or pillows.

Tips for When the Lights Go Out

Most people who use electric blankets love them, and so what happens when you lose your power or your blanket breaks?

Or perhaps you have to stop using your blanket for health reasons; are there other ways you can stay warm on cold nights? Absolutely!

Try using organic wool blankets or comforters as an alternative. Down comforters are another excellent way to get and stay warm.

Some people have found that by filling a hot water bottle and placing it against their stomach when they crawl into bed, they quickly become warm!

Wearing thick socks, flannel nightclothes, or even a hat to bed can also keep you warmer during the night.

Are you an active person? Try doing a few sit ups, squats, arm rolls, or jumping jacks before you get into bed - that will get your blood flowing and warm you up!

Electric Blanket Reviews - Positive Customer Comments

These are some of the things customers liked best about using an electric blanket.

• Love that I can climb into a warm bed when it's cold outside!
  
  
• Pure luxury
  
  
• Definitely worth the expense
  
  
• Can't feel any wires, just softness and warmth
  
  
• Warms up so fast!
  
  
• Saves us money - we turn down the heat at night and still stay warm
  
  
• Higher cost blanket well worth it - soft, plush, and keeps us warm
  
  
• My kids love their electric blanket!
  
  
• Finally, relief from leg soreness due to the heat of the blanket
  
  
• Dual controls - no more arguing about how high to turn up the heat

Electric Blanket Reviews - Negative Customer Comments

Before we get to the actual brands, there were a number of complaints that were common amongst customers of different brands, as well as negative comments about specific brands.

• The less you pay, the scratchier the blanket seems to feel
  
  
• Controllers are too lightweight and not user friendly
  
  
• Cost prohibitive for some
  
  
• It didn't fit my bed even though I ordered the right size
  
  
• Don't like that the controllers plug into the foot of the bed instead of at the head
  
  
• Sunbeam blankets have large wires that you can feel
  
  
• Perfect Fit company doesn't stand behind product - won't ever buy from them again

How Much Will You Spend?

Electric blankets can be very inexpensive at around $28 but can be as expensive as $240. Shop around to get the best price!

Electric Blanket Reviews - 3 to 4 star Brands

The most popular brands with electric blanket owners were not necessarily the most well reviewed. Most received only a 3.5 or 4 star rating, which isn't great but could be acceptable especially for the less expensive brands.

The main problems that customers had with these blankets were that they didn't last, they were poorly constructed, or the customer service was lacking.

In this category you will find many well known brands such as:

• Well Rest
• Perfect Fit
• Beauty Rest
• Royal Velvet
• Biddeford
• Sunbeam
• Soft Heat
• Martex
• Concierge Collection
• Macy's Slumber Rest
• Berkshire
• Chattham and Wells
• West Point Stevens' Restwarmer
• Therapedic
• GE
• Sealy Diamond
• Sealy Posturepedic

Electric Blanket Reviews - Brands Consumers Didn't Like

There were a few models of the Sunbeam electric blanket that received a number of poor reviews for lack of quality and early demise such as the Sunbeam Dynasty and the Sunbeam Royal nights.

Best Electric Blanket for 2012 - My Top Pick

I discovered in my research into the best electric blanket that most of the well known brands are not very well rated by customers.

I am always glad to see electric blanket reviews that are more consistently enthusiastic. That indicates a company that is trying to do a good job rather than just "phoning it in".

These positive customer comments were both recent and years back, and that is another sign of a good quality product.

The best electric blanket for 2012 I found was the Soft Heat Ultra Micro-Plush Low-Voltage Electric Blanket. What customers love about this blanket:

• Warm, even heat ... no hot spots
• Blanket is plush and warm even when you don't turn it on
• It is soft and you can't feel the wires
• No pilling or shredding
• Can be used with other blankets and quilts
• Low voltage, you feel the heat from the inside of the bed
• Dual controls so both spouses can be comfortable
• 5 year warranty

No product is perfect and there were a few customers that got a blanket that didn't work or that stopped working a few months or a year after they bought it.

Several customers said the blanket isn't wide enough, and recommended to get a larger size than your mattress, for example if you have a Queen sized bed, get King size blanket. This complaint can be found in lectric blanket reviews of other brands as well.

Several customers found the plastic in the middle of the blanket to be "crunchy" or that caused them to sweat more because the blanket didn't breathe enough.

Compared to the other brands we looked at, this brand had the most positive reviews, and the negatives were very few.

We found the best pricing and return policy for the Soft Heat Ultra Micro-Plush Low-Voltage Electric Blanket at Soft Heat Ultra Micro-Plush Low-Voltage Electric Blanket.