Mela Weighted Blanket Review
A weighted blanket from a specialist, and weighted blankets are close to commoditised at a given weight.
I earn a commission if you buy through some links on this page. It never changes what I recommend, and I publish negative verdicts on brands I earn from. Editorial independence.
Verdict
A weighted blanket from a specialist, and weighted blankets are close to commoditised at a given weight. So the things that actually separate them are the unglamorous ones: whether the cover comes off, how the fill is stitched, and whether your washing machine can cope.
Buy it if
You find weight calming, you have picked roughly 10 per cent of your body weight, and you will drop your duvet tog.
Avoid it if
You are expecting it to treat insomnia or anxiety. It is a comfort product.
See the current Mela offer
Mela specialises in weighted blankets and sells direct with a trial.
No code needed. The discount is applied automatically at checkout. Opening the site in a new tab.
Mela on Amazon UK
Widely listed. Confirm the weight and whether a cover is included.
No code needed. Prices on Amazon change frequently, so check the seller and the returns terms before you buy. Opening in a new tab.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Weight rule | Roughly 10 per cent of your body weight |
| Fill construction | Look for small stitched pockets, which stop the fill migrating |
| Cover | A removable washable cover is the single most useful feature |
| Washing | Heavy when wet. Check your machine capacity. |
| Heat | Weight means bulk and bulk insulates. Adjust the duvet. |
The scores
A sound example of a commoditised product, with the right practical features.
Weighted blankets are broadly similar at a given weight.
Many people genuinely like it, which is a sound basis for buying one.
Weight means bulk and bulk insulates. Drop your duvet tog.
A removable cover is the feature that decides whether it stays usable.
Small stitched pockets stop fill migrating, which is what fails first.
Adequate. Worth checking against your own requirements.
Mixed and mostly small studies. The confident claims outrun it.
What actually separates weighted blankets
At a given weight, the calming sensation is much the same across brands. Three unglamorous things decide whether you are still using it in a year.
Fill pocket size. The weight comes from beads stitched into pockets. Small pockets keep the weight evenly distributed; large ones let it migrate, so you end up with a heavy end and a light end. This is the commonest failure and it is visible in the product photographs.
A removable cover. A 7 kilogram blanket absorbs a lot of water and many domestic machines will not spin one. If the cover comes off, you wash the cover and the problem disappears. If it does not, you are looking at a launderette or a blanket that never gets washed.
Stitching quality at the edges. Beads escaping is terminal and unfixable, and it starts at a seam.
The weight rule, and drop your duvet
Two things nobody tells you
Roughly 10 per cent of body weight. About 7 kilograms for a 70 kilogram adult. Too heavy becomes restrictive rather than calming and makes turning over hard work.
It will make your bed warmer. Weight comes from fill, fill is bulk, and bulk insulates. If you sleep under a 10.5 tog duvet, drop to a 4.5, or you will throw both off at three in the morning.
On a shared bed, a blanket sized for one of you is wrong for the other. Two separate blankets work; one shared one usually does not.
Not suitable for anyone who could not remove it unaided, including children who cannot lift it off and anyone with significantly restricted mobility. If sleep is a persistent problem, a GP is the useful step rather than a purchase.
A correction worth making
Commonly repeated, and wrong
Weighted blankets are compared on brand and on claimed benefits, and at a given weight the sensation is much the same. What separates them is construction: small stitched fill pockets keep the weight evenly distributed where large ones let it migrate to one end, and a removable cover decides whether the blanket can realistically be washed at all, since a 7 kilogram blanket is beyond many domestic machines when wet.
Should you buy it?
Reasonable if you find weight calming. Choose roughly 10 per cent of your body weight, look for small stitched fill pockets and a removable cover, and drop your duvet tog when it arrives.
Questions people ask
What should I look for in a weighted blanket?
Small stitched fill pockets, which stop the weight migrating to one end, and a removable washable cover, because a 7kg blanket is beyond many domestic machines when wet.
How heavy should a weighted blanket be?
Roughly 10 per cent of your body weight. Too heavy becomes restrictive rather than calming. And drop your duvet tog, because weight means bulk and bulk insulates.