A heated blanket has thin, insulated wires running through it and a controller that sets how warm it gets. It warms you instead of the whole house, so you can turn the thermostat down at night and still get into a warm bed. Modern ones have auto shut-off timers, overheat sensors, and machine-washable fabric once you unplug the controller.
Our top pick is the Bedsure Dual Control Heated Blanket. It has separate controllers for each side of the bed, a preheat mode that warms the bed fast and then drops to a lower setting, timers up to 10 hours, and a soft flannel top, for about $85 in queen. If you want finer control over temperature, the Sealy Dual Control Electric Blanket has 10 settings and timers up to 12 hours. For the couch, the Bedsure Heated Throw is about $40. If you’d rather heat the bed from below, the Bedsure Heated Mattress Pad is the best-rated one we found.
Our Picks at a Glance
| Heated blanket | Best for | Heat settings | Auto shut-off | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedsure Dual Control | Best overall | 6 + preheat | 1–10 hours (8 default) | About $85 (queen) |
| Sealy Dual Control | Temperature control | 10 (87–126°F) | 1–12 hours | About $110 (queen) |
| Bedsure Heated Throw | Couch and desk | 6 + preheat | 1–10 hours | About $40 |
| Sunbeam Royal Ultra Throw | Budget, warranty | 4 | 4 hours | About $33 |
| Bedsure Heated Mattress Pad | Heating from below | 10 + preheat | 1–12 hours (8 default) | About $80 (queen) |
Best Overall: Bedsure Dual Control Heated Blanket
Best overall
Bedsure Dual Control Heated Blanket, Queen
A dual-control flannel heated blanket with 6 heat levels, preheat, and timers from 1 to 10 hours.
The Bedsure Dual Control is the heated blanket to get for a shared bed. Each side has its own controller, so one person can run it hot while the other leaves it low or off. With more than 10,000 Amazon ratings, it’s also one of the most popular heated blankets sold.
Each controller has 6 heat levels and timer settings of 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 hours, with an 8-hour shut-off by default. The most useful feature is preheat: it runs on high for 2 hours and then drops to a medium setting for 6, so you can switch it on when you start getting ready for bed and slide into warm sheets without thinking about settings. The controller remembers your last setting.
It’s ETL-certified, meaning an independent lab tested it to US safety standards, and the blanket is machine washable once you unplug the controllers. It also comes in king.
Buy it if you share a bed and want an easy, well-reviewed blanket that warms up fast.
Best for Temperature Control: Sealy Dual Control Electric Blanket
Best for temperature control
Sealy Dual Control Electric Blanket, Queen
A flannel and sherpa electric blanket with 10 heat settings from 87 to 126°F and timers from 1 to 12 hours.
The Sealy gives you the most control of any blanket here. Each of its two digital controllers has 10 heat settings, which Sealy says span roughly 87 to 126°F, and an auto shut-off you can set anywhere from 1 to 12 hours. Built-in sensors monitor the temperature continuously and adjust the wires to hold your setting.
The queen measures 84 by 90 inches, a generous size that drapes over the sides of a queen mattress, and it’s flannel on one side and sherpa on the other, so it’s warm even unplugged. It’s ETL-certified and machine washable with the controllers removed.
It costs about $25 more than the Bedsure in queen. The extra settings matter most to people who find one level too warm and the next too cool.
Buy it if you’re picky about temperature, or you want a 12-hour timer that lasts all night.
Best Heated Throw: Bedsure Heated Throw
Best heated throw
Bedsure Heated Throw Blanket
A flannel and sherpa heated throw with 6 heat levels, preheat, and timers up to 10 hours.
A heated throw is a lap-size blanket for the couch, a reading chair, or a cold home office, and it’s the most popular kind of heated blanket to give as a gift. The Bedsure Heated Throw has the same controls as our top pick: 6 heat levels, timers up to 10 hours, an 8-hour default shut-off, and a preheat mode. It’s soft flannel on top with a sherpa backing.
At about $40, it’s a cheap way to stay warm at a desk without heating the whole room. A throw draws far less power than a space heater.
Buy it if you’re always cold on the couch or at your desk, or you need a gift that almost everyone will use.
Best Budget Throw: Sunbeam Royal Ultra Heated Throw
Best budget
Sunbeam Royal Ultra Heated Throw
A simple 50 by 60 inch fleece heated throw with 4 heat settings, a 4-hour shut-off, and a 5-year warranty.
Sunbeam has been making electric blankets for decades, and the Royal Ultra throw is its simplest. It has a push-button controller with 4 heat settings, a 4-hour auto shut-off, and overheat protection. The fleece is 50 by 60 inches, machine washable, and dryer safe once you detach the controller. It’s cETLus-certified and has nearly 16,000 Amazon ratings.
What sets it apart is the 5-year limited warranty, longer than most cheap heated throws. The trade-offs are fewer settings and a 4-hour timer, which is fine for a movie on the couch but too short to sleep under all night.
Buy it if you want the cheapest heated throw from a long-established brand.
Best Heated Mattress Pad: Bedsure Heated Mattress Pad
Best heated mattress pad
Bedsure Heated Mattress Pad, Queen
A quilted dual-control mattress pad with 10 heat levels, preheat, and timers from 1 to 12 hours.
A heated mattress pad goes under your fitted sheet and warms the bed from below. Heat rises through you instead of escaping into the room, so a pad on a low setting often feels warmer than a blanket on a higher one, and it doesn’t change the bedding you sleep under. It also stays put: no wires bunching up when you kick the covers off.
The Bedsure Heated Mattress Pad has 10 heat levels, a controller for each side of the queen, timers from 1 to 12 hours with an 8-hour default, and a 12-hour preheat mode that runs high for 2 hours and then holds a medium setting. The controllers remember your last setting. It’s quilted and ETL-certified, and it has a 4.6-star average across more than 3,000 ratings, the highest of any pick here.
Buy it if you like your existing comforter and just want a warm bed, or you sleep hot under heavy blankets but have cold feet.
Heated Blanket vs. Heated Mattress Pad
| Heated blanket | Heated mattress pad | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it goes | On top of you | Under the fitted sheet |
| How it feels | Warm weight on top | Warm from below, like a heated seat |
| Efficiency | Some heat escapes upward | Heat rises through you |
| Use on the couch | Yes | No |
| Keeps your comforter | No, it replaces or adds a layer | Yes |
If you want one product for the bed and the couch, get a blanket. If you only care about the bed, a mattress pad is warmer for the energy.
Are Heated Blankets Safe?
Modern heated blankets are safe for most adults when they’re used as directed. The fire risk comes mostly from old and damaged blankets. The Electrical Safety Foundation International says heating pads and electric blankets cause almost 500 fires a year, and almost all of them involve electric blankets more than 10 years old.
To use one safely:
- Buy a certified blanket. Look for a mark from a nationally recognized testing lab, like UL, ETL, or CSA, on the label. Every pick here has one.
- Replace it after about 10 years, or sooner if you see dark, charred, or frayed spots, or a cracked cord.
- Don’t fold, bunch, or tuck it in while it’s on, and don’t pile other blankets or let pets sleep on top. Trapped heat can overheat the wires.
- Plug it straight into the wall, not an extension cord or power strip.
- Use the auto shut-off, or preheat the bed and switch it off when you get in. Many safety groups advise turning heating appliances off while you sleep.
- Don’t use a heated blanket and a heating pad together.
Some people shouldn’t use one unsupervised: babies and young children, and anyone who can’t feel heat well or switch the blanket off, including people with diabetic neuropathy, paralysis, or circulation problems, or who are heavily sedated. They can be burned without noticing. If you’re pregnant, talk to your doctor first. Raising your core body temperature early in pregnancy is linked to birth defects, so the cautious approach is to warm the bed and turn the blanket off before you get in.
What about EMF? Heated blankets give off weak, low-frequency electric and magnetic fields, like any wired appliance. Research hasn’t shown a clear health risk at these levels. If it worries you, the preheat-then-off approach avoids it entirely.
How Much Does a Heated Blanket Cost to Run?
Very little. A queen heated blanket typically draws about 100 watts on high, less on lower settings because it cycles on and off. Running one on high for 8 hours uses about 0.8 kWh, or roughly 14 cents a night at 17 cents per kWh, and much less on a medium setting.
The bigger savings come from what it lets you turn down. The US Department of Energy says turning your thermostat back 7 to 10°F for 8 hours a day can save up to 10% a year on heating. A heated blanket makes that comfortable.
How We Chose
We looked at the heated blankets, throws, and mattress pads with the strongest track records on Amazon, then compared their heat settings, timer options, dual controls, safety certification, fabric, washability, warranty, and price. Every pick is certified by an independent testing lab and has a timed auto shut-off. We favored models with preheat modes and long timers, because they make overnight use easier and safer.
Want pressure instead of heat? See the best weighted blankets. Fighting dry winter air too? See our guide to the best humidifiers and our comparison of humidifiers vs. air purifiers.
Heated Blanket FAQ
Is it safe to sleep with a heated blanket on all night?
Most modern heated blankets are designed with auto shut-off timers of 8 to 12 hours for overnight use. Safety groups still recommend preheating the bed and turning it off when you get in, or using the timer. Never sleep under a blanket that’s folded, bunched, or more than about 10 years old.
Can you wash a heated blanket?
Yes, most of them. Unplug and detach the controller, then machine wash on a gentle, cold cycle and tumble dry low or line dry. Follow the label, and never use it until it’s completely dry.
What’s the difference between a heated blanket and an electric blanket?
Nothing. They’re two names for the same thing.
How long do heated blankets last?
Replace a heated blanket after about 10 years, or sooner if the wires feel lumpy, the fabric is scorched, or the cord is damaged. Most electric blanket fires involve blankets older than that.
Do heated blankets use a lot of electricity?
No. A queen blanket uses about 100 watts on high, around 14 cents for a full night, and less on lower settings. That’s far less than a 1,500-watt space heater. (For heating a cold garage or workshop, see our guide to the best garage heaters.)
Should I get a heated blanket or a heated mattress pad?
Get a mattress pad if you only want a warm bed and like your current comforter, since heat from below feels warmer for the energy. Get a blanket if you also want to use it on the couch, or you like warm weight on top of you.
