Gravity Blanket Review!

I have been meaning to write this post forever now, ever since Becca (from the podcast) told me how much she loved her gravity blanket and I ordered one on the spot. I’ve had it for about nine months now and could not love it more. It’s incredibly soothing and has become one of my favorite ways to destress after a long day.

I should note that I do NOT sleep with mine. If you are a restless sleeper, one of two things will happen – it will either make you less restless, or it will annoy the eff out of you and you will hate it. Depends on the person. Becca sleeps with hers and I don’t. That being said I love it for general unwinding purposes especially when I’m reading or watching a movie. Today I’m going to do a full review of the blanket, but more importantly I’m going to answer all of your questions!

Gravity Blanket Review

I love my gravity blanket so so much. Like I said above, I don’t sleep with mine. Honestly, I tried and it was a nightmare. I kept trying, and it didn’t get better. I got hot, I got irritated, I couldn’t sleep and every time I did, I’d toss and turn and inevitably push it off the bed and onto the floor. But Becca sleeps with hers, so everyone is different! I like mine for couch time. I lay down on the couch and spread it over me. The sensation is a bit like the blanket they put on you at the dentist office – you immediately feel more relaxed and soothed. It’s perfect after a long day. It feels like a big hug. In the past I used to layer on a bunch of blankets for that weighted down sensation – this does that for you!

What is a Gravity Blanket?

When I put on my instagram story that I was going to do a review of this blanket, a few of you asked me – what IS a gravity blanket!? So let’s start there! A gravity blanket is a weighted blanket.

Depending on what weight you get it can weigh anywhere from ten to thirty pounds. When I first heard about weighted blankets I thought it was just a gimmick. I’m so glad Becca evangelized it so highly as it really works. The weights and dimensions vary and are all listed on the product page, but a good guideline is to get one that is about 10% of your bodyweight and when in doubt to round up. It generally runs in 5 lb increments. (So a 200 lb person would probably want to get the 20 lb blanket, for example, but if you weigh 160 lbs I would still get the 20 lb – use the 10% as a guideline but go up in weight if you’re between.)

I got a lot of questions about whether the pellets/sand/beads within the blanket move around. Nope! The blanket is quilted and the glass beads feels stitched into mine so it doesn’t really moved around.

Is it really drastically different than a nice blanket or a heated blanket?

It’s totally different! The weight is the main benefit here. It isn’t heated and isn’t a soft, cozy blanket – it’s all about function with this one. (I would recommend getting a duvet cover for it if you plan on sleeping it)

Does it keep you warm? What about cool in the summer?

It isn’t very warm… it’s more of just a heavy weight. Mine is filled with glass beads which the site lists as “cooling.” It’s neither cooling nor warm; it’s just heavy. I will say that when I slept with it I got very hot!

Gravity Blanket Benefits & Uses

The primary benefits of using a gravity blanket are stress relief and sleep. I know that it’s also used for autism, ADD, PTSD, and to help calm kids down (this kid’s gravity blanket is cute!) but I don’t feel qualified speaking to any of that so am just going to come at you from the perspective of a frazzled thirty something which is probably what most of you are here for!

Weighted Blankets for Sleeping

Like I said above, I don’t sleep with mine. I HATED sleeping with it. But a lot of people love it. That being said, I definitely sleep so much better on nights where I use it before bed. It helps me to get in a more relaxed state of mind for bed and I sleep better if I use it before bed… watching a movie, reading, etc.

Is the blanket wide enough so that it doesn’t fall off when you roll over?

This depends on the size you get and how you sleep. Generally the blankets are about the size of a twin blanket or a large throw. But since it’s heavy, it stays in place. If this is a concern for you, get a wider one (the dimensions are listed on the product page) but just know it will be a bit cumbersome to fold. I like that mine is on the smaller side (I have the 15 lb one which is 48″ by 78″) as it is heavy and hard to flod up!

Weighted Blankets for Stress Relief

I got a lot of questions about anxiety and stress relief.

Does it help with anxiety? How???

I don’t personally suffer anxiety but I do get very stressed out! After a long or stressful day, it’s incredibly soothing… similar to taking a bath or doing something else nice for yourself. My favorite thing in the world after a stressful day is to take a bath, put on comfy PJ’s, and slide under my gravity blanket with a book or a TV show. I don’t really feel comfortable giving advice for anxiety as I have not been diagnosed with it and am not a doctor/therapist but if you’ve been diagnosed with anxiety I would definitely talk to a doctor about it. I’d say that it would probably be really helpful – at least in the short term! I also would recommend reading this article!

Quality & Cost

This isn’t a soft, cozy blanket. I think the most important thing to take under consideration is the material + how the pellets are sewn into the blanket. I love that mine are quilted in so the filling doesn’t shift around. There are a lot more expensive options out there but I think mine is a really good price for the quality. I got asked for under $100 options. Mine was $120 so it isn’t very far off, but you can find some under $100 options here, here, or here. It was really hard to find anything in that 15-20 lb range that was under $100…. I think mine *might* be the best value out there but please let me know if you find something weighing 15 lbs+ for less money and I will update the post!!

Keeping it Clean

The other thing I got asked a lot about was cleaning it. I treat mine like a throw blanket, using it just for the couch, so it doesn’t get dirty. I will occasionally spot clean it (I did get wine on it once) but since I don’t sleep with it I’m not super concerned. When I am done watching TV or reading I just fold it up and store it. Tyrion does like it (see above, that wasn’t staged – he came up on his own while we were taking photos) but the fabric doesn’t attract fur so haven’t had to do much to keep it in the condition it was in when I got it. If you have a pet I would say go with cotton over micro-fiber. The original gravity blanket looks really nice, but that fabric would be a disaster with a cat.

And if you do sleep with yours I would do one of two things – place it over your usual bedding or buy a duvet cover for it.

Do Gravity Blankets Really Work?

To sum it all up, YES they absolutely do. I find mine to be so calming. I think they are really great for stress and anxiety and getting you into that bedtime mood.

The Best Gravity Blanket

I did a lot of research here and of course am biased but am pretty sure that this is the best gravity blanket for your money. The key things to think about are the material of the blanket (I prefer a cotton exterior, not something soft/velour like as that’s going to attract pet fur), the filling (I prefer glass beads) and the weight. If it isn’t heavy enough, it’s not going to do a thing! You really need it to be at least 10% of your body weight. So after careful consideration I am pretty sure that mine is the best one. Of course you could go with the original, it’s probably amazing but it’s twice the price and that fabric would be a nightmare with a cat.

photography by Carter Fish.