“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 something cozier, more colorful, more interesting, or simply more fun? Or how about something 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.
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The Brightest Idea
Gravity Weighted Blanket in Magenta, from $250
Woodsy Chic
My Three Boys Weighted Blanket in Green Deer, $169.99
Comes With a Storage Sack
Silk & Snow Hand Knitted Weighted Blanket in Ginger, from $150
We do love the warm shade, but TBH it was the convenient tote that sold us. Hand-knitted and machine-washable, it’ll look right at home 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 $94.99

If Unicorns Are Your Spirit Animal
YnM Knitted Weighted Blanket in Pink Fancy Yarn, from $76.92
So Very Cheery
Alansma Reversible Weighted Blanket in Light Yellow, from $54.99

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 blanket’s 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, $74.95
Could be a wall hanging, 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

Plaid Button-Down, But Make It A Blanket
Mosaic Weighted Blankets in Big Red Flannel, from $139.95
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 $85
There’s something sort of garden-party-cool about the pattern, 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 $65.99
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, $39.59
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: https://blog.memorialhermann.org/certain-noises-drive-crazy-may-health-disorder/
Misophonia and Mental Health Disorders: https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/misophonia/
“HOW EXACTLY DOES A SUPER-HEAVY BLANKET RELIEVE STRESS?”
Weighted Blanket and Newborn Effect: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/research-methodology/weighted-blanket
Hormone Changes and Massage Therapy: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16162447/
Weighted Blankets and Anxiety Study Review: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32204779/
Grounding and Cortisol: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15650465/
30-Pound Weighted Blankets and Anxiety: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0164212X.2015.1066220