Weight Matters or How Heavy Should Weighted Blankets Be

Weighted blankets have been known to the medical establishment for years — health practitioners are very familiar with the capacity of a weighted blanket to reduce anxiety and treat mood disorders (and all without the need for costly and sometimes risky prescriptions). Now that a wider audience is realising the enormous benefit of these remarkable blankets, they’re starting to enter the mainstream.

Just how heavy should you go…?

But if you’re after the positive effects of weighted blankets, you’ll need to make sure that you purchase one that’s up to the job. Clinicians who use these items with psychologically-distressed patients know that weight is a critical factor. Too light and you won’t get the snug, wrapped-up feeling you’re after — but too heavy and you’ll reduce comfort and usability.

So what’s the sweet-spot…? Here’s all you need to remember: 9.5-11.5% of your body weight. That’s the weight you need to provide optimal mass on your body, without being too restrictive. In general, a 15 - 20 lb weighted blanket would be perfect for most adults, while a 5 - 10 lb weighted blanket will be suitable for children or smaller kids depending on their age. When purchasing a weighted blanket for your child, please remember how fast they grow at certain stages of their development and whether an upgrade in weight will be necessary within a month or a year. 

Weight distribution — where form meets function

Now you’re up to speed on the ideal weight of your blanket, but it doesn’t stop there. If your comfort and wellbeing are important to you, make sure that you invest in a blanket that’s been designed with optimum weight distribution in mind. Sadly, this market is currently being flooded with low-grade products that have been designed and manufactured with little or no expert input.

Pick up an inferior blanket and you’ll find that the weight is unevenly distributed within the fabric, resulting in an interruption to the cozy embrace you should be enjoying. Many blankets incorporate a mosaic of squares that are 6” by 6” (or even larger) and this has a big impact on the overall effectiveness of the device.

These larger pockets cannot sculpt to the contours of your body as efficiently as smaller squares and this results in the weight of the blanket being concentrated in a select group of squares, rather than evenly distributed throughout the item. All together, you’re left with a poor imitation of a weighted blanket that can’t soothe and relax you the way it should.

And the fallout from bad design doesn’t end there. The square pockets in your average weighted blanket are sewn in parallel rows across the whole length of the fabric. This allows the plastic or glass beads in each square to tumble entirely to one side or another. For your weighted blanket to do the job it’s supposed to do, you want beads to be equally distributed across the whole device instead of being bunched up in one section or another. 

If you want to be mindful of this important factor, make sure to choose a blanket that’s sewn diagonally, and best has alternating intervals, — your beads will distribute themselves completely evenly and allow your blanket to spread its mass smoothly over the whole of its surface area.

Here’s how you’ll know that your weighted blanket has been crafted by experts: leading brands in this sector incorporate 4” by 4” squares that are the smallest that can be produced by current manufacturing technologies. This ensures that there’ll be uniform distribution of weight throughout your blanket. You’ll also find that high-grade blankets are sewn diagonally and employ a diamond pattern that also assists with distribution of weight.

This makes an enormous difference when it comes to overall performance and will provide a completely uniform concentration of beads throughout the device. This in turn will supply a smooth snugness that you’re sure to appreciate when bedding down for the night (or indeed cozying up with Netflix on the living room couch!).

The bigger, the better…?

With weighted blankets, less is definitely more. Some companies will supply an item that’s large enough to cover two adults (or more!), but anyone who knows what to look for will tell you what a bad idea this is. If you want to enjoy the loving embrace of a quality weighted blanket, most of its mass needs to be on you rather than on your bed. Too large a blanket and it’s your mattress that’s getting hugged! Aricove weighted blanket 48x72 inch is expertly crafted to the perfect dimensions — just right for an adult up to 6 ft tall. Please refer to the below recommended Aricove blanket weight chart to help you choose the best option for you.

Snuggle up by all means — but please don’t share!

Weight distribution is an incredibly important part of the experience you enjoy with one of these blankets. If you’ve taken this on board and made sure to pick up a high-performance device that takes care of distribution, you may be tempted to share it with whoever you snuggle up to at night.

Touching though this is, it’s not a great idea. Weighted blankets provide the best coverage for one body only — add another occupant and you’ll disrupt the even distribution of mass that is such a key factor in providing the cozy comfort that these items offer. So find some other way to show your generosity, and don’t skimp on your partner’s blanket.

But weight isn’t everything...

Now that you’re fully in the know when it comes to selecting the weight of your blanket, you're read to choose your best weighted blanket from the Aricove line. When it comes to selecting the perfect blanket for your needs, there’s more than just weight to consider. Read on to discover what else goes into crafting the perfect weighted blanket...and what makes Aricove the natural choice: Bamboo Weighted Blanket Benefits.