How Heavy Should a Weighted Blanket Be? Sizing and Care

Start at about 10% of your body weight

Most brands publish a version of the same rule. Bearaby says your blanket should be roughly 10% of your body weight — a 150 lb person, a 15 lb blanket — and that if you fall between two weights you should go with the lower one, so 170 lb points to 15 lb. Gravity says blanket weight is based on 10% of body weight and labels its sizes in body-weight ranges. YnM's chart for single sleepers maps 140 lb to 15 lb, 190 lb to 20 lb and 240 lb to 25 lb.

Brands also adjust for how you sleep. Baloo suggests 15 lb for a Full/Queen if you are over 65 or sleep on your side, and 20 lb for back or stomach sleepers who prefer a heavier feel; its 12 lb Throw is the brand's most popular individual-use option. The Cleveland Clinic suggests no more than 10% of body weight so the blanket is not too heavy.

Try This: Use the brand's own chart for the size you want, and if you land between two weights, take the lighter one.

Size it to the sleeper, not the bed

A weighted blanket is not a duvet. YnM says weighted blankets "are not meant to hang off the edge", and Bearaby sizes its Nappers "to fit your body, not your bed" — its knit blankets are made for one person. Practically, that means a blanket a little wider than your shoulders rather than one that drapes down the sides of the mattress.

Sizes vary a lot between brands. Baloo's Throw is 42 × 72 in (12 lb), its Full/Queen is 60 × 80 in (15 or 20 lb), and its King is 80 × 87 in (20 or 25 lb). Mosaic goes wider still, from a Kids 38 × 50 in (5–8 lb) up to a King 76 × 80 in, and YnM covers Kids Twin through California King.

Try This: Measure the top of your mattress rather than the bed frame, and choose the blanket size closest to that measurement.

Shared blankets and couple sizing

Two people need a bed-size blanket rather than two personal ones. Baloo describes its King 80 × 87 in, 25 lb, as good for couples who want to share, and Gravity sells a 35 lb, 90 × 90 in version labelled "Best for King / Queen Sized". Gravity's own store data lists that size at $299, though the page displayed $189 while the 35 lb option was selected, so re-check the cart price before relying on it.

Weight is the harder question. YnM's chart for couples sizes by the lighter person: 70–140 lb points to 15 lb, and 140–240 lb points to 30 lb.

Try This: Choose the weight for the lighter sleeper, and think of a shared blanket as a bed-size purchase rather than a personal one.

Hot sleepers: fabric first, weight second

Weight is not the only reason a blanket feels warm — fabric and fill matter too. Bearaby calls its Tree Napper "the ultimate cooling weighted blanket for hot sleepers"; it is knitted from 52% TENCEL Lyocell and 48% organic cotton with no beads, and the brand says TENCEL is moisture-wicking with a cool-to-the-touch feel. Bearaby's FAQ recommends the Tree Napper to hot sleepers and says the Cotton Napper "might not have the same cooling properties".

Hush takes a different route: a weighted insert plus a removable 100% viscose bamboo cover, described as staying cool and wicking away heat and moisture, and designed with hot sleepers in mind. Mosaic says its cotton blankets are very breathable and recommended for hot sleepers, with its Coolmax version as the cooling option. Minky (100% polyester) tends to run warm, and Saatva notes that a weighted blanket may feel too hot for some people above certain room temperatures.

Try This: If you overheat easily, look at breathable cotton, TENCEL or bamboo, or a removable cover you can swap — and think of "cooling" as a fabric question, not a weight question.

What actually goes in the washing machine

• Baloo — the whole blanket is machine washable (cold, gentle) and dryer safe (low/medium); Baloo says a King should be washed in a commercial machine.
• YnM — the product page says machine washable on gentle and tumble dry low; the brand's FAQ instead recommends dry-cleaning or hand washing for longer life and suggests using a duvet cover and washing that.
• Bearaby — the whole blanket is washable, separately, in cold water on delicate or permanent-press, tumble dry low; it may need more than one cycle, and the brand says to avoid hanging to dry and avoid top-loading machines.
• Gravity — the cotton-velvet cover is machine washable (cold, tumble dry low); the inner weighted blanket is hand-wash only and air dry, and the FAQ also allows professional dry cleaning.
• Hush — the bamboo cover is machine washable (cold, gentle, tumble dry low or air dry); the weighted insert is spot clean only.
• Mosaic — the brand's FAQ says its weighted blankets are "100% machine washable as is".

A wet weighted blanket is heavy. Baloo says to wash one at a time, check your washer's weight capacity, and use a commercial machine for king sizes.

Try This: If you would rather not wash the blanket itself, buy one with a removable cover or add a duvet cover — YnM suggests a cover to cut down on washing the blanket.

Trials, returns and warranties

• Baloo — 30 days to return or exchange (US) and a lifetime quality guarantee. The product page says returns are free if "free returns" is chosen at checkout, while the refund policy says returns are free with the $3.98 Checkout+ coverage, and otherwise the label cost is deducted from the refund.
• YnM — 30 days, with the item new, unused and returned unopened; the customer pays return shipping. Warranty: 1 year, limited.
• Bearaby — 30 days from the purchase order date; the refund policy requires items to be unused, unwashed and in original condition. Warranty: 1 year.
• Gravity — the product page says a 60-night sleep trial and a 60-day exchange and returns guarantee, subject to a returns processing fee; the refund policy says returns within 30 days of delivery with the customer paying return shipping. No warranty is stated.
• Hush — a 100-night money-back guarantee, and Hush pays the return label. Warranty: 1 year, limited.
• Mosaic — the product page says 14 days while the refund policy says 30, and the customer pays UPS return shipping. A product-page badge says up to 5 years warranty, but no warranty terms page was found.

Try This: Read the returns page rather than the badge, and note that Bearaby's returns must be unused and unwashed.

Safety, children and where to stop

Never use weighted blankets, sleepers, swaddles or other weighted objects on or near a baby, per the American Academy of Pediatrics. Brands set their own age floors for older children: YnM recommends ages 3 and up and says to consult a physician about size and weight for children, while Saatva says its blanket is not recommended for small children. Follow the label, and ask a pediatrician if you are unsure.

For adults, follow the care instructions that come with the blanket, and check with a healthcare professional if you have an injury or a condition. The Cleveland Clinic says not to expect a weighted blanket to be the answer for ongoing sleep problems.

Try This: Before buying for a child, check the brand's minimum age and ask a pediatrician about the right size and weight.