7 Popular Weighted Blanket Fillings: Which One Is Best?

 

 

If you’ve been using or planning to get weighted blankets, you likely know that they have fillings. In a nutshell, weighted blanket fillings make the blankets heavier than regular ones.

The extra weight relieves stress and anxiety, helping people sleep better.

But what are weighted blanket fillings exactly made of? Which material is the best?

This post outlines the most popular weighted blanket fillings. We’ll also give a little bit of insight as to which one is the best.

 

What are Weighted Blanket Fillers?

 

The term “fillers” refers to the weights placed inside weighted blankets. As the name implies, they fill weighted blankets, making them heavier than regular ones.

Since weighted blankets have extra weight, they stimulate sensory points all throughout the body. As a result, they help people sleep better and longer.

High-quality weighted blankets usually have many square pockets. These pockets are filled with weights. Then they are stitched together to make a blanket.

This pocketed design also evenly distributes the weight all over one’s body. It prevents the weighted blanket fillings from sliding to one side as well.

 

Top Weighted Blanket Fillings

 

Here are the most common weighted blanket fillings:

1. Plastic Poly Pellet Weighted Blanket Fillings

Plastic poly pellets are the most traditional and one of the most common weighted blanket fillers. They are also commonly used in dolls and stuffed animals so the toys can stand upright.

With a feel similar to tiny pebbles, these pellets are typically made of polypropylene plastic. Polypropylene plastic is a type 5 plastic that is generally considered safe.

Also called weighted stuffing beads, plastic poly pellets are flexible and easy to mold when sewn into the blanket’s fabric. For this reason, plastic poly pellets are excellent for weighted blankets. After all, a great weighted blanket must contour your body to calm your nerves.

In general, plastic poly pellets are a cost-effective option. They are also non-toxic and washable.

2. Micro Glass Bead Weighted Blanket Fillings

Micro glass beads are another common weighted blanket filler. They have smooth edges and a consistent shape.

Due to these, micro glass beads are typically considered the most luxurious weighted blanket filling. They’re also the quietest as these beads don’t rustle.

Similar to grains of sand, glass micro beads are much smaller than plastic poly pellets. Despite this, glass micro beads are heavier than plastic poly pellets. This means that you need less of them to fill one blanket.

Due to their size, micro glass beads densely settle inside a weighted blanket. This makes the blanket lie more smoothly on the body compared to blankets with bulkier fillers.

3. Steel Shot Bead Weighted Blanket Fillings

Steel shot bead weighted blanklet fillings have a totally smooth, round surface. They’re heavier and bigger than glass beads. These beads are also an ideal filler for making weighted blankets calming and comfortable.

Just like glass beads, it takes fewer steel shot beads to fill a weighted blanket. Similarly, the size of steel shot bead weighted blanket fillings are less likely to come out of the stitches.

Steel shot bead weighted blanket fillings are also very durable. Since they’re made of steel, they last for an extremely long time. Their smooth, round surface also prevents dirt from collecting inside the blanket. Hence, they keep the blanket allergen-free.

4. Nano Ceramic Bead Weighted Blanket Fillings

While not as common as their glass counterparts, some weighted blankets contain nano ceramic beads.

Nano ceramic beads are made from small particles of ceramics. These particles are mixed with solutions to form the nanoparticles.

The resulting material is too tiny, it is thought to be flawless. Nano ceramic beads also have a lot of air, so they are very light.

5. Sand Weighted Blanket Fillings

Although not used often, some weighted blankets contain sand.

Sand is an inexpensive and easy-to-get weighted blanket filler. However, its price and accessibility are the best reasons to use sand as weighted blanket fillings.

Since sand is extremely fine, it can easily come out of the blanket’s stitches. In addition, sand clumps up when wet.

It does not evenly distribute weight throughout the blanket, either. Hence, it is difficult to feel uniform weight if sand is used as the weighted blanket filler.

6. Grain Weighted Blanket Fillings

If you want to make your own blanket, choosing an inexpensive and organic material like grains can work.

Many use grains as DIY weighted blanket fillings mainly because of their price. However, you’ll rarely see commercial weighted blankets with grains as fillers.

Whilst grains bought in bulk are cheaper than more popular weighted blanket fillings (micro glass beads or plastic poly pellets), grains have lots of pores. They also do not dry well.

As a result, weighted blankets with grains are unsuitable for washing. They can also be a breeding ground for mold and bacteria, making them dangerous to your health.

7. Pebble Weighted Blanket Fillings

Pebbles are another choice for weighted blanket fillings. As you may well know, you can easily find pebbles outside. Like grain and sand, pebbles are inexpensive weighted blanket fillings.

However, pebbles are not the most comfortable weighted blanket fillings. Just like sand, pebbles can’t evenly distribute weight all over the body.

This means that should you choose a blanket with pebbles, the stones must be tiny and lightweight. They should also have the same size so some parts of the blanket are not heavier than others.

 

What Is the Best Fill For a Weighted Blanket?

 

 

(This chunky knit weighted blanket doesn’t use any filler)

Plastic polypropylene pellets― the traditional weighted blanket fillings― are the best fillers for weighted blankets.

There are many reasons why plastic polypropylene pellets are the best.

For one, they are flexible. This means that they easily hug the body. Plastic polypropylene pellet chunky weighted blanket fillings are also easy to shape. This means they won’t have a problem adapting to the body’s contour.

In addition, they’re washable. You won’t have to worry about getting a dirty weighted blanket anymore since you can easily wash them.

Lastly, plastic poly pellets are safe and non-toxic. Unlike other kinds of plastic and weighted blanket fillings, they don’t contain harmful chemicals.

 

Zonli  weighted blanket is use Micro Glass Bead filters.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Weighted blankets are great for your health and well-being. With several weighted blanket fillings on the market, you must choose the right one for your body shape and size.