Sometimes we just want a huge hug. Or, at the very least, a big fluffy cat on our lap. When neither is available, there’s the weighted blanket—a heavier-than-usual blanket that’s meant to wrap the body in a soothing embrace. It’s hard to say which weighted blanket is the best because one person’s “Pleasant pressure” is another’s “Help, I’m stuck!” But there are still some things to consider to choose the most suitable blanket for yourself or your best friend.
So, what exactly are these awesome blankets that are all the rage? Simply put, they are exactly what they sound like – blankets with weights. They are meant to relieve stress and create a sense of calm. They do that by providing pressure on the body. Pressure increases the release of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is actually a “happy” hormone because it makes us calmer, more focused, less anxious, and of course, happier.
Serotonin also improves your sleep/wake cycle because it also produces melatonin, which is a crucial chemical for sleep. Your brain produces more melatonin – you sleep perfectly and wake up well-rested.
If you have reached here, you are probably a-bit interested? There are lots of different weighted blankets out there, and you don’t know how to choose one? Keep on reading…
How to choose right weight?
One of the first questions to consider is, How heavy should my weighted blanket be?
If you are choosing your first weighted blanket, there is a 10% rule. It means if you weigh 60-70kg, it should be a 7kg blanket. If you weigh 80-100kg, then you probably should pick a 9 kg blanket. But really, the correct weight is what feels comfortably heavy, meaning not so heavy that you have a hard time crawling out from under it.
How to choose between different fabrics?
Along with the weight, the fabric is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a weighted blanket. So it’s important to get it right. Many fabrics are used, like cotton, polyester, bamboo, minky, flannel, etc.
Cotton fabrics
Work well if you prefer natural fibers, like to sleep at a specific temperature, run warm easily. The downside is that they don’t wick moisture away as well as bamboo.
Minky fabrics
Are both soft & warming, so they tend to work well if you enjoy soft, tactile & cozy materials and don’t overheat easily.
Cooling bamboo fabrics
Are a popular option for hot sleepers or those in warm climates, as they’re specifically designed to help you enjoy the benefits of a weighted blanket while remaining cool.
We at Dreamsville decided to go with a cooling bamboo for the blanket. And cover made from minky. So if the weather is more relaxed, you can use the warming minky cover, and if the weather is hot, you can opt for the cooling bamboo that wicks off excess moisture. You can even use our blanket without the cover thanks to Polygiene Stays Fresh treatment. Sounds perfect?
Last but not least, the inner layers?
To add gravity, producers fill their weighted blankets with different materials, but most use plastic pellets or glass microbeads—tiny spheres the size of sand grains. Plastic pellets are usually a cheaper option and feel uneven or lumpy in blankets.
We decided to go with glass beads. Micro glass beads are the higher-end weighted blanket fillers. These tiny glass fillers resemble white sand or salt crystals in appearance. These glass beads are perfectly smooth, making them a great option for individuals bothered by the texture of plastic pellets. Glass micro beads, used in Dreamsville weighted blanket, are an environmentally friendly and are also completely hypoallergenic.
To produce wadding, we turn unwanted PET bottles into new fibers to reduce plastic waste, soil contamination and prevent it from ending up in landfills and requires less energy than virgin polyester. This introduces up to 50% less CO2 emissions than virgin material.
Recycled polyester could be recycled many more times within a closed-loop circular economy.
* 28 plastic water bottles have been recycled to produce wadding for one Dreamsville weighted blanket.