Weighted blanket are like the new Sugar Bear Hair ads weâve all seen one too many times on Instagram. After getting targeted multiple times by several weighted blanket companiesânot sure what this reveals about me, other than maybe I follow too many reality TV starsâI broke down and decided itâs finally time to find out what the fuss is about.
All kinds of weighted blankets have hit the market recently, all promising a better night's sleep if you cover yourself with their hefty, pellet-filled quilt. Intrigued, I did some more digging. While there aren't that many studies out there yet, one caught my eyeâthough, admittedly, it's a rather small study. that was funded by a blanket company. Still, it found that 31 men and women with chronic insomnia reported a "calmer nightâs sleep with a decrease in movements" after sleeping with one.
It makes sense: Something heavy on your body that mimics a hug or makes you feel cocoon can put you at ease. I was ready to try it.
The Requirements For A Great Weighted Blanket:
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I went straight to the Amazon app and went down the list of bestsellers, weeding out the too-cheap-glass-beads-might-break blankets (yes, itâs a very real thingâyour weighted blanket can break and beads could spill EVERYWHERE), and the ones that were way out of my price range. I ended up deciding between the YnM Weighted Blanket and the ZonLi Cool Weighted Blanket. I chose the 20-pound ZonLi Cool because of the $89 price tag, the natural cotton fabric that would make it more breathable, and the fact that it was washable. There was also an amazing selection of colors to choose from, which only matters if you donât use a duvet cover, otherwise the color selection is trivial.
I was searching for a 20-pound blanket, which was on the higher price range for weighted blankets compared to the 10-pound blankets, so the pricing could change by up to $10 if you choose to go lighter.
You want to buy a blanket thatâs 10 percent to 13 percent of your body weight (just round up if youâre on the cusp), but if you ever have another person in your bed with you (like I do), most blanket companies recommend you get the 20-pound blanket.
My Initial Thoughts On The ZonLi Weighted Blanket:
The fabric is soft enough to the touch that it wouldnât necessarily need a duvet, the glass beads stayed in place within the little squares stitched through the blanket, and the beads werenât loud at all â which was a common fear among potential buyers in the review section. (Just picture it: Tossing and turning in the night, only to wake up due to the crashing sounds of the beads tumbling together? No thanks. And thankfully, not the case.)
Attempting to put a 60âx80â 20-pound blanket in a duvet cover isâexcuse my languageâa b*tch. Trying to get the corners of the blanket tied into the duvet and then smoothing it out became an actual working hazard, and I nearly knocked all of the books off my shelf and tossed my lamp over trying to fit the blanket fully into the duvet. Itâs also a phenomenal arm workout lifting that blanket up and down for 30 seconds.
How It Affected My Sleep:
Ok, now to what you really want to know: But did you sleep better? Did you sleep like a baby?!
Yes. Usually, I sit on my phone for an hour, and then roll around in my bed for 45 minutes before falling asleep, even with four blankets on top of me. That fateful evening I first put the weighted blanket on me, I was knocked out in under 15 minutes.
Now letâs be clear: Iâm obsessed with this heavy blanket. Itâs comforting and keeps me from moving around, HOWEVER, my boyfriend wants to throw it in the trash. Why? Because any movement with two people in the bed results in the blanket completely jumping ship and sliding off the entire bed. Want to turn around and face the other way? Blanket gone. Want to slip out to use the bathroom? Blanket, meet floor.
How The ZonLi Compares To Pricier Weighted Blankets:
So whatâs the difference between my $89 blanket and the $169 influencer-favorite Blanquil or the $200 SensaCalm blanket? To be honest, not much. The main difference is the removable cover that may or may not come with your purchase. The high-end blankets often come with a super-soft, quilted cover that makes it feel rich and luxe, while mine came with no cover. If you already have a cover you love, you can go with the cheaper option, and you literally wonât notice the difference. Other than the frustration you feel wrestling it into a duvet every now and then.
However, if you want to add a cover to your purchase, the cheapest one is still hovering around $45, which then makes the price difference between budget and expensive $35. Your call.