December 4th, 2019 by Becky Calvert

When the colder weather arrives, an electric blanket is a staple for many households. Not only does it keep you toasty and warm, but it can also cut your heating bills down drastically. Sounds perfect right? Well, before you go to buy your first electric blanket, here’s everything that you need to know about them so that you can find the perfect one for you. 

What kind of electric blanket do you want?

You can buy an electric blanket in two different styles – an under blanket (much like a fitted sheet) and a heated throw. The fitted blanket attaches onto your mattress much like a sheet would, either using corner straps or an elastic skirt to fit it securely to your bed. Once attached and turned on, a heated under blanket will create heat to warm your bed as you lay on top of it – keeping you cosy and warm as you have a good night’s sleep. On the other hand, an overblanket (also referred to as a heated throw) is designed for you to snuggle up with on a cold night as you relax on the sofa or to put over you to keep you warm.

With this in mind, if you’re wanting to use your electric blanket on a night to keep you warm as you sleep, then we recommend opting for one of our premium quality under blankets. For those who love snuggling in front of the tv or getting cosy with a book, a heated throw would be the perfect option. Either way, here’s what to look out for when buying your heated under blanket or throw, so you can pick the perfect one for you.

1. Safety Features

Perhaps the most important thing to think about when choosing your electric blanket is the safety features that it has. You may have heard that electric blankets are unsafe and in the past, they were (click here to read more myths about electric blankets). However, nowadays electric blankets have safety features as standard and therefore, you can use your electric blanket with complete peace of mind.

When researching which electric blanket to opt for, we’d recommend checking that they have a built-in overheat prevention system and an automatic cut off timer – especially if you’re planning on using the heated blanket while you sleep. This will allow you to get a perfect night of sleep without worrying about it causing any accidents, as well as turning off for you after a certain amount of time, so there’s no need for you to worry about forgetting to turn it off.

2. Dual Control

If you’re wanting to share your electric blanket with a loved one, then a heated blanket that uses dual controls is perfect. With one control at either side of the bed, both you and your partner can program your side of the electric blanket to reach the heat setting that you wish.  This gives you both full control over the amount of heat you like to drift off to sleep with – perfect for those couples who prefer the exact opposite when it comes to temperature!

3. Multiple Heat Settings

When choosing an electric blanket, why not give yourself more options? Some electric blankets don’t allow you to choose the temperature that you want your electric blanket to reach – or which heat setting you want the blanket to be on. All of our electric blankets have multiple temperature settings, so you can cater it to fit how cold you are (or how cold the weather is outside)!

4. Timer Settings

If you’re not wanting to have your electric blanket turned on all night, then buying an electric blanket with multiple timer settings is ideal. Having a timer feature will allow you to set your heated blanket to turn off before you sleep, whilst you sleep or even before you wake up – so you never have to disturb your sleep or move from a comfortable position to turn your blanket off!

5. Washable

We’re confident that your electric blanket will become a staple for you this autumn/winter and therefore, you’ll want to be able to wash it – particularly if you’re sleeping on top of it every night! All of our luxurious electric blankets can either be hand or machine washed (once the controller has been removed). This allows you to keep your electric blanket looking as good as new, which is just what you want when you’re going to be using it year after year.

All of our electric blankets are of excellent quality and design for the best prices online. Explore our full range of electric blankets here and find the perfect one for you today!