Heat yourself, not your home. Save on energy usage with the Silentnight Electric Blanket Double - it can heat your bed from as little as 1p*. Although often harder to find, an over blanket is the ideal solution if you have an adjustable bed where an under blanket's wires could get compressed, a heat-sensitive memory foam mattress that's designed to react to your body temperature and mould to your body shape – the electric blanket's extra heat will confuse things here – or you struggle to do the heavy lifting that strapping an under blanket on to your mattress can require. As the winter cold sets in, an electric blanket could just be the friend you need. Unlike the heavy covers your grandmother used to inflict on you, the best electric blankets these days are soft and light, with wires you’ll barely notice – and thankfully much safer and affordable, too. The top brands like Silentnight, Dreamland and Slumberdown are just as comforting as a weighted blanket (the currently popular sleeping aid), but they keep you warm and, some say, can also alleviate muscle aches and joint pains. Planning on using an electric blanket to stay warm whilst sitting on the sofa or working from home at your desk? In that case, a heated poncho may fit the bill better, offering all-around warmth without the struggle of keeping a blanket around your shoulders. If you sleep with a partner, look into dual controls so you can each control your own side of the bed. You might also want the option of a timer to help with energy saving (though electric blankets are pretty low cost to run all night anyway).

Compared to Dreamland's 'Boutique Heated Underblanket' at the top of this list, this cheaper dual-operated electric blanket does feel a lot more basic, with no quilted padding and far fewer control options, however, it's also a lot less money. Unwanted Food or Drink Products - Once supply conditions are broken, there are a number of factors outside of our control that can affect the quality of a product. Therefore perishable goods such as food and drink cannot be returned. Featuring 3 heat settings so that you can control your comfort and choose the warmth that suits you best The main problem with using an electric blanket on a mattress with a memory foam upper is that memory foam is designed to mould to your body to add cushioning support, and it's partially your body heat that helps it to hug your contours as you sink into the mattress. This newer version of the blanket also features organic cotton –a nod towards sustainability not found in any of the other blankets we've tested –and whilst it might be one of the most expensive heated blankets in our round-up, if you're looking to invest in a toasty night's sleep this winter, this is an option well worth considering.I found that some cheaper blankets had a tendency to come lose or crease up when I moved around at night; this one was fine. I liked the feature that adds extra heat to the area around your feet: in all honesty, I found in general keeping my feet snug and warm quite nice, whereas too much heat on my body made me feel stuffy and affected my sleep. This electric heated poncho from Lakeland is made from super cosy fleece which adds a welcome layer of insulation all by itself, but turn on the heat and you have 9 temperature settings to toggle between to find your perfect warmth setting.

On top of that, this luxury option comes with plenty of added features, including 6 temperature settings –the highest of which makes this one of the hottest heated blankets we've tested, and allows a super speedy 5-minute warm-up time (most blankets take up to 15 minutes to reach optimum heat). There are dual-controls so that two sleepers can toggle their preferred heat independently and an auto shut-off timer with 1, 3, and 9-hour settings so that you don't have to worry about switching off the blanket before you fall asleep. The only downside is that those higher temperature settings do mean more energy usage, with this blanket using 150W on each side, compared to an average of 70W. If you don't need dual-controls, then Silentnight's 'Comfort Control' electric blanket is one of the most affordable electric blankets on the market, and despite its no-frills design, we found it did the job of eliminating the chill and keeping the bed toasty more than adequately. If you have a memory foam mattress don't think that means a chilly bed though. A good solution is to opt for a heated overblanket instead of an underblanket. They're a little harder to come by, but as an overblanket fits between you and your duvet you'll eliminate any issues with a memory foam topper or mattress. Number of temperature settings–budget models tend to offer 3 temperature settings, and in our experience it can be hard to settle on one that's just right. More heat settings mean more chance of finding your ideal temperature, plus, having the option to use your blanket on a lower heat setting is also a good way to save energy and heating costs.To calculate how much it will cost to run an electric blanket you need to understand the cost per unit of electricity. From July 2023, the cost per pence/kWh of electricity will be approximately 30p.

Dual-controls–speaking of that elusive 'just right' temperature, if you’re going to be using an electric blanket on a shared double or king-size bed then we’d highly recommend paying a little more for a dual-controlled option. It's well worth it to avoid any arguments with your other half over temperature settings! There's also no auto shut-off timer, so you will need to remember to turn the blanket off before you fall asleep if you want to save energy and avoid waking up roasting at 3am. Or you can leave the blanket on all night on a low setting. Dr Stanley says switching on an electric blanket around half an hour before bed should make it perfectly cosy to get into, letting you drift to sleep naturally, but you should set it to turn off some time after you nod off. All the blankets I tested were able to warm up the bed in 30 minutes or less, costing less than 3p at today’s prices. What makes a good electric blanketIf you’re the only one using your bed, then you’ll need a single electric blanket. Our popular range of double electric blankets is an ideal choice if you share a bed and can’t seem to agree on the temperature. With two controls you can change the heat setting on your side whilst your bed partner controls theirs, so you can both stay perfectly warm, just the way you like it. For your ultra-spacious beds, we even have an excellent range of king size electric blankets. Pre-heating your blanket will make sure your bed is always ready no matter what time you get to bed. We wanted to create a 'sensory-balanced' workspace that was both socially sustainable and adaptable'