The traditional electric blanket – those which lie on your bed, warming it up – might evoke images of your Nanna in her nightgown, but actually, they’re a very savvy choice that have been brought bang up to date and cost as little as 1p to run. We found this helpful if we were settling down for a movie night or using it during the day while we worked.

Best electric blankets 2023, tried and tested | The Independent Best electric blankets 2023, tried and tested | The Independent

We found it pretty lightweight, and having it around our shoulders meant our hands were free to type away. Any blankets where the wires were too bulky or the fabric too itchy were discounted from this round-up. High-resistance wires – these days often made of carbon fibre – heat up as an electrical current passes through them. Attach it to your mattress via its straps or elastic skirt, place your sheet over it, and then make your bed as usual. The controls are easy to use, with six heat settings – including a fast-heat setting – and three options for the auto shut off duration.If you sleep with a partner, look into dual controls so you can each control your own side of the bed. Testing was done with a couple who are famously hard to please, and like different temperatures to sleep. The heat was mainly focused in a few patches on the blanket, rather than throughout, but they’ve been placed to ensure they’re at the points you’re going to be in contact with the pad. I found this in many ways the best blanket, mainly because the fluffy sheepskin-style fleece isn’t thick at all – and bedsheets are easier to attach and keep flat on a thinner electric blanket. We loved this under blanket not just for the warmth factor, but also because you couldn’t feel the wires at all under the Sherpa fabric.

Silentnight Comfort Control Electric Underblanket - Double Silentnight Comfort Control Electric Underblanket - Double

But what we particularly liked about this heated throw was how easy it was to use, despite having 20 settings. You could of course use it to heat up your bed, but it would move around as you toss and turn, since it doesn’t have attachment straps. My only criticism is that the controllers don’t light up like the Homefront’s below, making them harder to use at night – but most people will pre-set the blanket before getting into bed anyway. The Comfort Control Electric Blanket by Silentnight helps you to take complete control of your comfort and warmth.As the cold weather starts to bite, thoughts turn to when we’re going to crack and put the heating on for the first time.