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If you sleep hot at night, there’s a huge chance that you already ditched the idea of using a weighted blanket.
Weighted blankets are known to have therapeutic effects, specifically on sleep quality and anxiety relief.
However, as a hot sleeper, you might feel that they’re not ideal to use as you’ll likely end up sweating more at night.
Worry no more.
Breathable alternatives are now available on the market.
This is where cooling weighted blankets come into play.
This article will define cooling weighted blankets and explain how they vary from normal ones. We will also look at the top sellers on the market before recommending our favorite cooling weighted blanket.
Weighted blankets are usually made up of 5-7 layers of cloth. The outer layer is typically made of cotton or other synthetic materials, while the inner layers consist of fillers, polyester paddings, and other fabrics that hold the fillers in place.
The picture above is an excellent example of the construction of a standard weighted blanket. And, although the diagram implies that this particular weighted blanket is breathable, this is not always the case.
A layer of polyester is normally added to weighted blankets to hold the fillers in place.
Since polyester traps heat, there is no way that this blanket is considered breathable.
Cooling weighted blankets are no different. The only difference between them and typical weighted blankets is the fabric used on the outer sheet and the fillers.
Most cooling weighted blankets also claim they have temperature regulating technology.
From a buyer's perspective, the word sounds very scientific and fancy, leading them to believe that they provide a "cooling" sensation.
But do they really work?
The answer is, not really.
The term temperature regulating technology simply means that the blanket’s outer layer is replaced with a more breathable cloth, such as cotton or bamboo.
Additionally, most cooling weighted blankets also contain micro glass beads. Unlike poly pellets, which retain heat, glass beads are much cooler and less harmful to the environment.
The only drawback to micro glass beads is that they tend to bunch up after extended use, resulting in extra friction and heat when pressed against your body.
To prove our point, we scoured the Internet for information on the materials used in some of these "cooling" weighted blankets and check if they really work.
We were pretty surprised with what we’ve gathered.
Take, for instance, this cooling weighted blanket:
Considered as the one of the best double-sided cooling weighted blanket, this weighted blanket is made from sheared microfiber, giving off an “extra-soft and plush feel.”
While the last part is true, the cooling element isn’t.
Microfiber is not necessarily known for being a breathable fabric. In fact, they are often recommended for use during the winter season due to their ability to retain and trap heat effectively.
It is also difficult for air to pass directly through them because of the fabric’s density and tightly woven structure.
Furthermore, microfiber are made of synthetic materials, which are not as breathable as natural alternatives like cotton or bamboo.
So if you purchased this due to its “cooling” sensation, then you’ll likely end up feeling more warm and toasty during sleep. Not exactly the cooling weighted blanket you’re dreaming of.
Speaking of bamboo, we stated earlier that bamboo is considered one of the most breathable fabrics along with cotton.
Although this is true, the use of bamboo fabric on cooling weighted blankets does not always provide a cooling effect.
You may wonder why this is the case.
Again, we return to the anatomy of a cooling weighted blanket.
It simply does not make sense to call them cooling as there are still 5-7 layers of fabric underneath all that bamboo material. So obviously, there is little to no way that air could pass through all these layers.
This one is a clear example of what we're referring to:
This weighted blanket on Amazon is made of bamboo fiber and is said to have natural humidity control properties that can relieve hot flashes - in other words, they’re cooling.
Sounds legit, right?
However, upon closer inspection of the product listing, we discovered that the blanket is made up of seven distinct layers.
If you can see in the illustration, the blanket also has two layers of high-density microfiber.
Remember how we said earlier that microfiber is considered one of the hottest fabrics due to their fine structure?
So clearly, even though this blanket uses bamboo viscose as its outer layer, they have zero cooling properties.
Another one we encountered was this cooling weighted blanket in Amazon.
The product description states that their weighted blankets are “crease-resistant and has superior breathability making it ideal all-year round”.
We tried to search for the type of fabric to check if this particular blanket has breathable materials.
And after a thorough and exhausting search, we came across nothing - only that they use soft fabric (yikes) for this specific “cooling” weighted blanket.
To sum it up, the use of breathable fabric and glass beads makes little to no difference in the cooling sensation part simply because of the weighted blanket’s structure and composition.
Unfortunately, many cooling weighted blankets (such as those described above) that we've seen on the Internet are no different from normal weighted blankets.
Most, if not all, are merely marketing ploys designed to attract and entice customers.
If you’re a regular consumer that doesn’t know a thing or two about weighted blankets, chances are, you’ll likely fall into this kind of marketing trap.
However, it’s fair to say that there are still a few cooling weighted blankets out there that actually work.
A good example is Nuzzie Knit.
As a company that has been selling and manufacturing weighted blankets for three years, we have received a lot of complaints from consumers about how hot and stuffy their weighted blankets are.
To address this problem, we created a design of what a weighted blanket should look and feel like.
Enter Nuzzie Knit.
Whereas conventional cooling weighted blankets claim to have temperature controlling technology, ours actually incorporates it into the structure.
We crafted our blankets with an open-knit weave design to encourage and promote airflow, making them more comfortable and breathable, particularly on hot summer nights.
And while they are heavy, our blankets don’t have 5-7 layers, so there is no way for heat to get trapped.
We also did away with the fillers to ensure that our blankets remain long-lasting and durable Because, let’s face it, once a weighted blanket leaks, it’s already useless.
Instead, the Nuzzie Knit uses a patented fabric filling that keeps the weight evenly distributed, providing maximal comfort and coziness.
And did we mention that our blankets are machine and dryer-friendly?
Nuzzie Knit has been tested for different wash and dry cycles, so you won’t have to worry about damage and frays.
So, if you are a hot sleeper or just mainly looking for weighted blanket alternatives that you can use in the upcoming summer, the Nuzzie Knit is the perfect choice for you.