Warmth has options

The best heated blankets now range from couch throws to bed-size blankets, wearable shawls and battery-powered outdoor wraps.

Safety comes first

Look for auto shutoff and overheat protection. Tyler Lewis recommends a safety sensor that turns the blanket off if it gets too hot.

“automatically shuts off after a certain time period”

Eleven blankets tested

Taste of Home testers inspected 11 models, measuring heat, comfort, cleaning and design before naming four top picks.

Best overall pick

The Beautyrest Microlight Reversible Berber Luxury Heated Throw won for plush fabric, strong heat, many colors and sizes, and a simple remote.

“Beautyrest has you covered”

Beautyrest heats fast

On high, the Beautyrest reached 95.1 degrees in the center. Testers liked the cozy feel and the choice of throw through king sizes.

Edges stayed cooler

The Beautyrest had a roughly foot-wide unheated border, so testers bunched it up to warm their feet. Heat was strong, but not even.

“There is a foot of non-heated space around the entire perimeter”

Coffee cleaned out

A coffee stain came out of the Beautyrest with Dawn Powerwash, a damp microfiber cloth and cold water, even without a full machine wash.

Best budget buy

The Homemate Heated Blanket Electric Throw costs less, heats quickly and comes in several sizes and colors with an easy remote.

“No need to crank up the furnace.”

Homemate runs smaller

The advertised 50 by 60 inch throw measured 46.5 by 58 inches. Testers found it thinner than expected, but still soft and cozy.

A cold middle

The Homemate hit 92 degrees in a corner on high, but only 81.5 degrees in the center. Testers still found it cozy for the price.

“The middle coils just didn’t heat up nearly as much”

Best wearable blanket

The Comfort Spaces Electric Blanket Shawl fits well over shoulders at a desk or chair, delivers even heat and includes fuzzy socks.

“Gotta love anything that comes with a free pair of fuzzy socks”

Shawl heat impressed

On high, the Comfort Spaces shawl reached 97.3 degrees at a corner coil and 96 degrees in the center, with steady warmth across the blanket.

Remote could improve

The shawl remote has no screen, only buttons and LED labels for low, medium and high. Testers found that hard to read in a dark room.

Best for outdoors

The ActionHeat 7V Battery Heated Throw is cordless, compact and comes with a carrying bag, making it better for cold outings than indoor lounging.

“a nice, compact blanket”

Battery hit three hours

The ActionHeat battery died almost exactly at three hours. That matched the manual for medium use, though testers used high heat often.

“The battery died almost exactly at the three-hour mark.”

Hot, not claimed hot

ActionHeat reached 111 to 119 degrees on high, but never hit the 135 degrees listed on the packaging. Sheri measured 108 degrees after 30 minutes.

“It was very toasty”

Some near misses

Berkshire VelvetLoft and Brookstone Faux Fur both impressed testers, but stock issues kept them off the main winners list.

“Of all the blankets we tested, the VelvetLoft impressed us the most”

Buy from trusted sellers

The Electrical Safety Foundation International recommends blankets listed by labs like UL or CSA, bought from retailers that stand behind their products.

Use them carefully

Do not leave electric blankets unattended, plug them into power strips, fold them while on, or keep using one with frayed cords, char marks or a burning smell.

“Never fold electric blankets while in use.”

Testing was hands-on

Over 55 hours, testers ran 14 tests per blanket and collected 375 data points, including coil temperatures, evenness, feel, wire detection and cleaning.