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How these picks were made: by comparing published specifications and clearly-credited public reporting. We do not run a laboratory, we have not measured these products, and we do not claim to have slept with them. Here is exactly how we choose.
Start at about ten percent of your body weight, then round down rather than up. A 150 lb adult starts at 15 lb; a 200 lb adult starts at 20 lb. If you land between two available sizes, take the lighter one - in this category the failure mode of too heavy is far worse than the failure mode of too light.
The chart
| Your weight | Standard (10%) | Side sleeper | Hot sleeper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 - 120 lb | 10 - 12 lb | 10 lb | 12 lb knit |
| 120 - 150 lb | 12 - 15 lb | 12 lb | 15 lb knit |
| 150 - 180 lb | 15 - 18 lb | 15 lb | 15 lb knit |
| 180 - 220 lb | 18 - 22 lb | 15 - 20 lb | 20 lb knit |
| 220 - 260 lb | 22 - 26 lb | 20 lb | 25 lb knit |
| 260 lb and up | 25 - 30 lb | 25 lb | 25 lb knit |
The “hot sleeper” column does not reduce the weight - it changes the construction. A hot sleeper needs the same pressure through a build that breathes, which is the whole argument on the weighted blankets for hot sleepers page.
The three adjustments the rule misses
1. Sleeping position
On your back, the blanket spreads across a wide flat surface. On your side, the same weight concentrates on a shoulder and a hip and half the blanket hangs off the bed doing nothing. Strict side sleepers should take the lower of two options - the reasoning is on the side-sleeper weighted blanket page.
2. What the weight is made of
Fifteen pounds of glass microbeads in a quilted shell and fifteen pounds of dense cotton yarn in an open knit weigh exactly the same and feel nothing alike. Beads press; knit drapes. If you have tried a bead blanket at your correct weight and found it oppressive, the answer is usually a knit at the same weight rather than a bead blanket at a lower one. See the fill comparison.
3. Whether you share a bed
Weighted blankets are sized to a person, not a mattress. Two people under one blanket get the wrong weight each and pull it off each other all night. Two single-size blankets on one bed is the correct arrangement, awkward as it looks.
What to do when you land exactly between sizes
Take the lighter one, unless all three of these are true:
- You sleep on your back or stomach, not your side
- You have used a weighted blanket before and wanted more, not less
- You are buying a knit rather than a bead blanket
The asymmetry is deliberate. A blanket that is slightly too light is a blanket you keep using. A blanket that is too heavy gets folded onto a chair, and it is the single most common outcome in this category. It is also the safety line: if you cannot easily push it off yourself, it is too heavy, and that is not a preference.
The point is not academic. In the 2020 controlled trial, ten of the participants assigned an 8 kg blanket found it too heavy and had to be moved down to 6 kg - in a study where the weight had been chosen deliberately by researchers.
Children are a different calculation
The ten percent figure is the same, but the rules around it are stricter and the floor is an age floor, not a weight one. Read the kids guide before buying for a child - it leads with the safety rules for a reason.
How long to give it before you decide
Two weeks. The first two or three nights under a weighted blanket feel strange to almost everybody, including people who go on to love it, and the temptation to judge it on night one is strong. If after a fortnight you are still pushing it off in your sleep, the weight is wrong - and if you are waking up hot, the construction is wrong rather than the weight.
Blankets that make the weight you actually need
Tap any row to jump to the full write-up. The photographs are licensed stock images chosen to illustrate the category - they are not photographs of these specific products, and each one’s alt text describes what is actually shown.
| # | Product | Best for | The spec that decides it | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Bearaby Cotton NapperThe only mainstream weighted blanket with no beads at all - the weight is the yarn itself, so air moves straight through the knit. | Anyone who hates the sealed-duvet feeling | Bead-free: weight comes from organic cotton yarn | |
| 2 |  YnM Weighted BlanketThe sizing catalog, not the luxury pick: glass beads in small quilted pockets, in weights and dimensions from child up to king. | Odd sizes and weights nobody else makes | 5 to 30 lb across 7 sizes | |
| 3 |  Baloo Living Weighted BlanketA conventional glass-bead blanket done carefully: 100% cotton shell and liner, and double-stitched baffles so the beads stay where they were put. | A cotton bead blanket that does not run hot | Glass microbeads in a 100% cotton shell and liner |
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Once you have your number, the constraint becomes which blankets are made in it. These three cover the widest span of available weights.
Our top pick · Anyone who hates the sealed-duvet feeling
1. Bearaby Cotton Napper
The only mainstream weighted blanket with no beads at all - the weight is the yarn itself, so air moves straight through the knit.
- Fill:
- None - weight is long-staple organic cotton yarn
- Weights:
- 8 lb (kids and travel), 12, 15, 20, 25 lb
- Construction:
- Open hand-knit weave
- Care:
- Machine washable
What it gets right
- No beads means no shifting, no bunching and no rustling
- The open knit breathes better than any quilted shell in this roundup
- Doubles as a sofa throw without looking like medical equipment
Where it falls short
- Among the most expensive options in the category
- The open weave catches on rings, watches and rough pet claws
- Heavy knit takes a long time to dry
Skip it if: You want the tucked-in, evenly pinned feeling a bead blanket gives. The knit drapes; it does not press.
Pick 2 · Odd sizes and weights nobody else makes
2. YnM Weighted Blanket
The sizing catalog, not the luxury pick: glass beads in small quilted pockets, in weights and dimensions from child up to king.
- Fill:
- Glass beads in small quilted pockets
- Weights:
- 5 to 30 lb
- Sizes:
- 7, from child through king
- Construction:
- Layered quilted pocket system
What it gets right
- The widest weight range in the category, which matters if the ten percent rule lands you on an unusual number
- Small pockets keep beads distributed better than large-baffle designs
- Consistently the cheapest way into a proper glass-bead blanket
Where it falls short
- Shell fabric quality is the trade-off for the price
- Runs warm compared with cotton-knit options
- Frequently sold without the duvet cover you will probably want
Skip it if: You are a hot sleeper. This is a warm blanket and no cover fixes that.
Pick 3 · A cotton bead blanket that does not run hot
3. Baloo Living Weighted Blanket
A conventional glass-bead blanket done carefully: 100% cotton shell and liner, and double-stitched baffles so the beads stay where they were put.
- Fill:
- Glass microbeads
- Shell and liner:
- 100% cotton
- Weights:
- 12, 15, 20, 25 lb
- Construction:
- Double-stitched baffles
What it gets right
- Cotton on both faces rather than a polyester minky backing
- Double-stitched baffles are the single best predictor of a blanket that will not pool
- Classic quilted pressure - the sensation most buyers are actually looking for
Where it falls short
- Cotton is breathable but a quilted shell still traps more heat than an open knit
- No weight below 12 lb
- Bulky and slow to dry after washing
Skip it if: You run very hot. A quilted construction is still two layers of fabric plus fill, whatever the fiber.
Questions people actually ask
How heavy should a weighted blanket be?
About ten percent of your body weight is the standard starting point. A 150 lb adult starts at 15 lb and a 200 lb adult starts at 20 lb. If you land between two available sizes, take the lighter one.
Is a 20 lb weighted blanket too heavy?
It depends entirely on you. Twenty pounds is roughly right for someone around 200 lb, too heavy for someone around 140 lb, and on the light side for someone around 250 lb. The universal test overrides the arithmetic: if you cannot comfortably push it off yourself, it is too heavy.
Should I size up or down a weighted blanket?
Down, in almost every case. A blanket that is slightly too light still gets used; a blanket that is too heavy ends up folded on a chair. Only size up if you sleep on your back, have used a weighted blanket before and wanted more, and are buying a knit rather than a bead blanket.
Can two people share one weighted blanket?
Not well. Weighted blankets are sized to a body, not a mattress, so a blanket correct for one of you is wrong for the other, and the weight makes it pull off whoever moves less. Two single-size blankets on one bed is the correct arrangement.
How long does it take to get used to a weighted blanket?
Give it two weeks. The first few nights feel strange to almost everyone, including people who end up using theirs for years. If you are still pushing it off in your sleep after a fortnight, the weight is wrong.
Sources
- Ekholm B, Spulber S, Adler M. A randomized controlled study of weighted chain blankets for insomnia in psychiatric disorders. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2020.
- Sleep Foundation - Best Weighted Blankets (specification comparison).
- Gillette Children's - Weighted Blankets patient education (pediatric weight guidance).
Back to the best weighted blankets.
Read next
- Best weighted blankets, overallOnce you have the number, here is what to buy in it.Read it
- Weighted blankets for side sleepersWhy the arithmetic changes when you turn over.Read it
- Weighted blankets for kidsSame percentage, much stricter rules.Read it
- Glass beads vs plastic pelletsWhy the same weight can feel completely different.Read it