Are Weighted Blankets Warm or Cool? [Answered]

Last updated on January 5, 2024

We answer the ultimate question — whether weighted blankets are warm or cool? Here it goes.

In short, if a blanket is labeled as a cooling weighted blanket, it is cool, so to speak. To be precise, it does not trap heat and help maintain an even body temperature, due to its breathable fabric and glass bead filling.

But not all weighted blankets are like that. The most important factor of a weighted blanket is the material it is made out of. It will be too hot if there are no good materials that keep it cool. Cheap, bad fillers are usually rated for their heat-trapping properties and can be uncomfortable for those with natural hot sleep patterns.

There are quite a few solutions for hot sleepers and those with warm summer nights. Consider some of these solutions when seeking the right type of blanket to cover up with.

All Season Weighted Blankets

Check Out the Top 10 Best Cooling Weighted Blankets

Many people want a weighted blanket that you can use in the summer as well as winter. A weighted blanket won’t make you warm. It is just thicket and potentially physically warmer. But you may want to use it not just in winter when it feels nice to wrap up in a heavy blanket. In fact, the weighted blanket fabric is more important for keeping your body warm than its actual weight.

Here, one piece of advice is that some fabrics (fleece, flannel, sherpa, wool) are probably not ideal for most individuals considering they can hold in heat. That being the case, one suggestion for those who overheat easily is to set the house thermostat lower at night and use a breathable blanket instead.

Best Materials for a Weighted Blanket

All things considered, there are the best materials for a weighted blanket. It depends on its fabric and filling, whether the blanket is cool or warm.

Bamboo

Bamboo is made of fibers that are lightweight and breathable — great for cooling blankets. Bamboo materials may be more breathable than cotton because of their natural moisture-absorbing properties, which can help keep moisture away from the skin and help keep you stay cool while you sleep. This feature also helps keep a person asleep longer.

Cooling blankets made of bamboo are lightweight, breathable, and conform to the body. These natural fabrics help regulate temperature well, cutting inflammation and improving the quality of sleep too. A cooling blanket made of bamboo is lightweight, breathable, and conforms well to the body. This natural fabric effectively regulates temperature as it cuts down on inflammation while also improving sleep quality.

This first suggestion for the blanket casing is made of bamboo fibers. Bamboo fibers are also used to make textiles like viscose and lyocell, which feel very similar to cotton. These fabrics may maintain their shape better than other types of fabrics because they wrinkle less often and handle dyeing more effectively than other materials. The disadvantages of using bamboo tend to affect people with allergies due to the heavy processing required to create bamboo viscose.

Eucalyptus

A great option for a person may be eucalyptus. A biodegraded material is made up of the pulp of eucalyptus and the tree makes it smooth and breathable. This can be pretty cool because the body can breathe.

Cotton Blends

Cotton blend (usually with polyester) blankets are an old-fashioned choice that many people enjoy because they make it easy for them to sleep well. They’re also best for keeping the person covered during sleep. Duvet covers made from cotton and polyester blends or just cotton alone are less expensive than other options and easy to clean. The other benefits of duvets are that they’re lightweight, breathable, and keep the person covered while sleeping.

100% Cotton

A blended fabric may initially make you feel cozy and cool. However, it will steadily make you hot and irritated. Blended fabrics are also a possible cause of allergic reactions. If you want to avoid these feelings, opt for an AG weighted blanket with an outer cotton breathable layer. It is an all-season product. If the item you want to avoid the feelings from does not come with a cotton cover, you can buy one separately.

Weighted Blanket Materials to Avoid

Medium-weight stuffed blankets should be made of a breathable material that feels comfortable on the skin. Avoid anything which contains polyester because polyester is water-resistant and will make it too hot to sleep.

Weighted Blanket Filling

The filling is what makes a blanket weighted for it adds weight to it. The main types of filling used are glass beads and plastic pellets.

Glass Beads

Glass beads (especially micro glass beads) are a good filler for a cooling weighted blanket. They don’t trap heat the way their counterparts (plastic pellets and poly beads) do, which is a good alternative to those that live in hotter climates. Glass bead is also compliant with eco-friendly considerations, being environmentally preferable to plastic options for this purpose. These glass beads’ coolness might be preferable when looking for a deep compression weighted blanket option during the summer.

The use of glass beads in the outer layer of a synthetic weighted blanket increases the overall weight while retaining a smaller size and decreased heft. This may make it easier for people to use an already heavy blanket. People who have difficulty lifting things may find glass beads as the ideal option when it comes to artificially weighted blankets.

Plastic Pellets

Plastic and polyester actually trap heat well, so a blanket filled with pellets will naturally be warmer. That may be a desirable result as well. But you have to know the difference between the two types of filling when choosing a cooling or warm-weighted blanket.

What Causes the Weighted Blanket to Become Hot?

A weighted blanket may become too hot for comfort if made of a fabric that is not breathable due to the outside material. Synthetic materials are often not comfortable and have a flat feeling that may be very warm in certain temperatures. Several factors contribute to weight distribution, but the fabric is one aspect you need to keep in mind when deciding which blanket to use.

Helping one to sleep better, weighted blankets may be hot to sleep under. Factors that affect this include the filler used and the size of the blanket itself. A blanket with heavier filler content will be too hot, but filling it with small micro-glass beads helps distribute weight more evenly for a warmer night’s sleep.