“Does anyone make weighted blankets in colors other than mental illness gray,” @webscoundrel asked on Twitter—a tweet that has since gone viral.
Our good friend sof has a point. Mid-gray is the most common weighted blanket color and, frankly, it conjures hospital vibes and stereotypical “depression photography” (you know the type: black-and-white, hand running down a window, rain pouring outside).
Why not a weighted blanket that’s cozier, more colorful, more interesting, or simply more fun? Or how about a weighted blanket that doesn’t look meh over a living room chair? How about that.
It took some digging, but you do have more stylish options with all the features you need: machine washable, temperature regulating, even weight distribution. Now you can cover yourself in calm—and your own personal style. Here are the 16 best weighted blankets that are decidedly not mental illness gray.
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The Brightest Idea
Gravity Weighted Blanket in Magenta, from $250
There’s a certain Yves Saint Laurent lipstick shade that’s famous among the beauty crowd for its orchid-ly gorgeousness. This hue—infused into a microfleece duvet cover—hits the same mark. That alone would merit consideration as a best weighted blanket. But beyond the color, there’s proof this puppy works for falling asleep. In an independent study, 72 percent of testers using this Gravity blanket said they had more restful slumber, and 76 percent said they fell asleep faster. We’ll take those odds. Available in 15, 20, and 35 pounds for different bed sizes.
Comes With a Storage Sack
Silk & Snow Hand Knitted Weighted Blanket in Ginger, from $120
We do love the warm shade, but TBH it was the convenient tote that pushed it onto our best weighted blanket shortlist. Hand-knitted and machine-washable, it’ll look right at home as a throw blanket on your West Elm couch or Design Within Reach bed. Available from 8 to 25 pounds.
For Hot Sleepers
Luxome Cooling Weighted Blanket in Grey Bamboo, from $155
It does have “grey” in the name. But this is essentially a chic charcoal almost-black, okay? Why it’s one of our top picks: It’s constructed with lyocell, a material made from the pulp of eco-friendly bamboo. Lyocell is hydrophilic, which means it absorbs water. So when you sweat, it wicks the moisture away from your body, allowing you to get the anxiety-reducing benefits of a weighted blanket without snoozing in a pool of perspiration. Glass beads are stuffed into the square pockets, so they’ll never consolidate into one bulbous spot on top of, say, your leg. Available in 8, 15, and 18 pounds.
Bearaby Tree Napper in Rosewood, from $279
Errybody loves this cooling Bearaby pick, which deals with sweaty slumber two ways: It, too, uses lyocell, under the brand name Tencel, which is made from sustainable eucalyptus fibers. Secondly, the large weave of the knitted design allows for air flow through the holes. This weighted blanket is available in 15, 20, and 25 pounds.
If Unicorns Are Your Spirit Animal
YnM Knitted Weighted Blanket in Pink Fancy Yarn, from $129.99
Do these fibers not look shorn from a unicorn’s mane? Sweetly magical. On a real-world level, this weighted blanket is evenly knitted for comfort and conveniently machine-washable. Available from 10 to 25 pounds.
So Very Cheery
Alansma Reversible Weighted Blanket in Light Yellow, from $53.99
Velvet! The color of a banana! And like we always say, life is bananas…but the fruit’s perky hue offers a dose of color therapy on bananas days. Reviewers like cozying up to the yellow side during colder months, and the white side when it’s warmer out. Available in 10 to 20 pounds. (If you’re a banana fan, may we suggest you check out our cool banana-shaped sensory stickers imprinted with a breathing exercise? 
)
If you hope for a destiny rich in calm, density is a helpful tool. (“You are my density. I mean, my destiny.” —George McFly, Back to the Future)
Here’s how: According to the Sleep Foundation, “weighted blankets are said to work in the same way a tight swaddle helps newborns feel snug and cozy.” It’s called deep pressure stimulation—what you get from a long, tight(ish) hug—and it’s been proven to alter your hormones in two ways: by decreasing cortisol (the stress hormone) and boosting serotonin and dopamine (feel-good hormones).
For the record, the study most often cited as proof of these hormonal effects, published in a 2005 issue of the International Journal of Neuroscience, did not use weighted blankets, but rather massage therapy. (Researchers found an average 31 percent decline in cortisol, and around a 30 percent increase in both serotonin and dopamine. Noice!) Later, in 2020, a review of eight weighted blanket studies concluded that, indeed, weighted blankets do downgrade anxiety.
On the cortisol-reduction front, however, the closest thing we can find to proving such a benefit from weighted blankets is a small study (we’re talking 12 patients) that “grounded” people by covering them with a heavy mattress pad—which could approximate a weighted blanket.
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This is not to discount the mental perks provided by weighted blankets. Psychologists we spoke with are fans of ’em for stress relief, emotional regulation, and chilling out a nervous system on overdrive. When your body is under a hefty covering, it’s naturally, physiologically, tough for other sensory stimuli to distract you.
How heavy should you go? In one study, patients hospitalized for a mental health crisis got significant anxiety relief from 30-pounders, but typically, experts recommend a blanket that’s 10 percent of your body weight. If you can’t get exactly 10 percent and wonder whether to go up or down in L-B-s, try a little higher, so long as you’re comfortable.
That last part is key—because if you don’t like it, you won’t use it. And remember: As with all mental health management tools, weighted blankets aren’t effective for everyone, and if that’s you, that’s cool. You’ll find what works for you.
For Quirk-sters
Aucern Burrito Weighted Blanket, $79.99
So many “wrap” puns—we’ll try to abstain—but even with a novelty design, this weighted blanket’s internal beads are built tightly into their compartments so they won’t move around if you do happen to toss and turn. Available in 15 pounds.
Tapestry-Style
Natural Life Cozy Weighted Blanket in Jewel Border, $89
This weighted blanket could be a wall hanging, but trust us, it’s better to cuddle under. It packs glass beads within its magenta, teal, and violet squares, and it’s both machine-washable and -dryable. Available in 15 pounds.
Eco-Friendly
Baloo Weighted Blanket in Luna Blue, from $179
This weighted blanket is vegan and carbon-neutral, in a never-goes-out-of-style navy. Plus, you can get it monogrammed, so it makes a lovely gift. The company also donates to the Pajama Project, a nonprofit that supports kids and caregivers in shelters and group homes. Available from 12 to 25 pounds.
Plaid Button-Down, But Make It A Blanket
Mosaic Weighted Blankets in Big Red Flannel, from $135.95
Let’s hear it for buffalo plaid! This preppy, 100% cotton number—handmade in Austin, Texas—gets its heft from BPA-free plastic pellets. The brand has lots of awesome designs, from Cozy Kittens to Dia de Los Muertos—or they’ll custom-make a blanket in your fabric of choice. A charitable extra: Leftover material gets donated to an org that sews quilts for veterans. Available from 8 to 20 pounds.
Fluffy As a Cloud
SensaCalm Weighted Blanket in Boho Mushrooms, from $99.95
There’s something sort of garden-party-cool about the pattern of this weighted blanket, and it’s extra plush thanks to polyfill, the type of stuffing used in pillows. Not to mention that psychedelics are a new frontier for treating mental health conditions, which has nothing to do with this blanket other than it’s covered in mushrooms. Available from 8 to 50 pounds.
Restoration Hardware Vibes
Wemore Shaggy Faux Fur Weighted Blanket in Cream, from $52.47
This weighted blanket is like shag carpeting for your bod. Made of Sherpa and faux fur, its ceramic beads are embedded into compartments with 1 stitch every .7 inch (the “industry-leading sewing method,” we’re told—which means it’ll last). It may shed a touch, but so does your dog, and you love him very much. Available in 15 and 20 pounds.
Light and Cute
CuteKing Weighted Blanket in Cutedog, $49.99
Speaking of dogs… At under 10 lbs, this one’s certainly on the lighter (or kid-friendly) side, but it’s simply too adorbs not to include. You can wash it in the machine, but they do recommend hand-washing, so there’s also that. But still. Corgis. (There’s also a panda pattern.) Available in 5 or 7 pounds.
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Misophonia and Plastic: Do Certain Noises Drive You Crazy? You May Have a Health Disorder. Memorial Hermann. March 13, 2017.
Misophonia and Mental Health Disorders: Like Nails on a Chalkboard: a Misophonia Overview. International OCD Foundation. 2015.
“HOW EXACTLY DOES A SUPER-HEAVY BLANKET RELIEVE STRESS?”
Weighted Blanket and Newborn Effect: Weighted Blanket Research Methodology. Sleep Foundation. Updated March 11, 2022.
Hormone Changes and Massage Therapy: Field T, Hernandez-Reif M, Diego M, et al. Cortisol Decreases and Serotonin and Dopamine Increase Following Massage Therapy. International Journal of Neuroscience. 2005.
Weighted Blankets and Anxiety Study Review: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32204779/
Grounding and Cortisol: Ghaly M, et al. The Biologic Effects of Grounding the Human Body During Sleep as Measured by Cortisol Levels and Subjective Reporting of Sleep, Pain, and Stress. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. October 2004.
30-Pound Weighted Blankets and Anxiety: Champagne T, et al. Evaluating the Safety and Effectiveness of the Weighted Blanket in Adults During an Inpatient Mental Health Hospitalization. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health. 2015.
