---
title: "Best electric blanket and heated throw | Home Comfort Lab"
description: "How to choose an electric blanket or heated throw, what they cost to run, and the safety features that matter."
url: https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/heating/best-electric-blanket-and-heated-throw/
---

# Best electric blanket and heated throw

How to choose an electric blanket or heated throw, what they cost to run, and the safety features that matter.

By [Pete Harvey](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/about/), editor. Updated 14 October 2026.

This page links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. [More about how this site is paid for](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/affiliate-disclosure/).

![An electric underblanket warming a bed, and a person on a sofa under a heated throw, each with its controller.](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/images/scenes/best-electric-blanket-and-heated-throw.svg)

> **The short answer**
>
> An electric blanket warms the bed and a heated throw warms you on the sofa. Both cost little to run: a double blanket is 3.2p an hour on full heat. Pick one with several heat settings and an automatic switch-off, and get dual controls if two of you share a bed. Buy new, check it for damage every winter and replace it once it is more than 10 years old.

## Blanket or throw

An **electric underblanket** lies on the mattress under the sheet. It is for warming the bed before you get in, and some are designed to stay on at a low setting through the night. Buy it in the size of your bed.

A **heated throw** goes over you on the sofa or a chair, so you can sit in a cooler room without turning the heating up. A **wearable** heated blanket is a throw with sleeves or a wrap shape, which stays in place while you work at a desk.

Both heat you rather than the room. That is why they cost so little to run compared with a heater, and also why the room stays cold. If the room is damp as well as cold, a blanket won't help the walls or windows.

## What to look for

- **Several heat settings.** A high setting to warm up quickly and a low one to stay comfortable without overheating.
- **Automatic switch-off** after a set number of hours, so it doesn't run all night or all day if you forget it.
- **Dual controls** on a double or king-size blanket, so each side can be set separately.
- **A detachable controller and a machine-washable cover**, so you can clean it without risking the wiring. Follow the washing instructions exactly.
- **Bought new from a reputable retailer** or the brand's own store, rather than a third-party marketplace seller. On Amazon, check who it is "sold by". Look for a UKCA or CE mark, but don't rely on the mark alone, because Electrical Safety First warns that some sellers use these marks fraudulently.

## Our picks

These are chosen by their specs against the list above. We haven't tested them ourselves; the reasons say which spec puts each one here.

### For a couple

Homefront Premium Fleece Fitted Electric Blanket, Double

- **Type:** Underblanket
- **Size:** Double
- **Power:** 120W
- **Heat settings:** 9
- **Auto off:** after 12 hours
- **Cost per hour:** 3.2p

* Dual controls
* Machine washable

Dual controls let each side choose its own level from 9 settings, and its timer switches it off after up to 12 hours. On full heat it costs 3.2p an hour.

[View on Amazon](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/go/eb-double-a/) [Manufacturer specs](https://www.homefrontproducts.co.uk/homefront-premium-luxury-fleece-fully-fitted-double-size-electric-blanket)

### For a single bed on a budget

TLGREEN Single Electric Underblanket

- **Type:** Underblanket
- **Size:** Single
- **Power:** 100W
- **Heat settings:** 6
- **Auto off:** after 8 hours
- **Cost per hour:** 2.6p

* Machine washable

A single underblanket with 6 heat settings and a switch-off after 8 hours. At 100W it costs 2.6p an hour on full heat.

[View on Amazon](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/go/eb-single-a/)

### For the sofa

Beurer HD 75 Heated Throw

- **Type:** Throw
- **Size:** 180 x 130 cm
- **Power:** 100W
- **Heat settings:** 6
- **Auto off:** after 3 hours
- **Cost per hour:** 2.6p

* Machine washable

A 180 x 130 cm throw covers one person sitting down, with 6 heat settings and a switch-off after 3 hours. It costs 2.6p an hour, or about £2.40 a month used three hours an evening.

[View on Amazon](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/go/ht-throw-a/) [Manufacturer specs](https://www.beurer.com/uk/p/42108/)

### For working at a desk

Silentnight Snugsie Wearable USB Heated Blanket

- **Type:** Wearable
- **Size:** One size
- **Heat settings:** 3

* Machine washable
* USB powered

A wearable blanket stays on while you type, so you can keep the room cooler during the working day. It has no automatic switch-off, so turn it off when you get up. It runs from a USB power bank, sold separately, so it needs no socket by the desk.

[View on Amazon](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/go/ht-wear-a/)

## What they cost to run

The figures above are at full power, which is the most you would pay. On a lower setting most blankets and throws draw less. Warming a double bed for an hour each night comes to about £5.75 over a 26-week winter.

Costs use **26.32p per kWh**, the [Ofgem price cap, Direct Debit average for England, Scotland and Wales](https://ofgem.gov.uk/news/changes-energy-price-cap-between-1-october-and-31-december-2026) for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Your own tariff may differ. [How we calculate](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/how-we-calculate/).

[Electric blanket and heated throw running costs](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/heating/electric-blanket-running-costs/) lists every model we cover.

[Heating cost per hour](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/tools/heating-cost-per-hour/): See how a heated throw or blanket compares with an electric heater or gas central heating, per hour.

## Using one safely

UK fire and rescue services and Electrical Safety First give much the same advice on electric blankets. For a heated throw, follow the throw's own instructions as well.

- **Follow the manufacturer's instructions** for use, washing and storage. Don't use an underblanket as an overblanket, or the other way round.
- **Check it for damage** before you first use it each winter, and regularly after that. Stop using it if you see scorch marks or discoloured patches, wires showing through, frayed or worn fabric, a damaged flex, or a connector that is damaged or overheating, or if the control buzzes or smells when it is on.
- **Replace it once it is more than 10 years old**, even if it looks fine. If you are not sure about its condition, contact the manufacturer before using it.
- **Don't use a hot water bottle with it.**
- **Spread it out flat.** Don't use it folded, creased or rucked up, which can make parts of it overheat.
- **Unplug it before you get into bed**, unless it has a thermostat control designed for safe all-night use.
- **Keep it dry.** Don't use it if it is damp, and don't switch it on with wet hands.
- **Buy new.** With a second-hand blanket you can't know its history, and it may not meet current safety standards.
- **Store it rolled or loosely folded** once it has cooled, somewhere cool and dry, with nothing heavy on top.

> **When not to use one**
>
> Fire and rescue services advise not using an electric blanket if you use emollient skin creams, have continence problems, or sleep on a pressure-relieving mattress.
>
> Electrical Safety First advises not using an electric blanket on an infant's bed, or for anyone who may have a condition that makes them insensitive to heat, and not using an underblanket on an adjustable bed. If a blanket is for a young child, it should have controls a parent or carer can pre-set.

## Sources

- [Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service: electric blankets](https://manchesterfire.gov.uk/your-safety/home-fire-safety/electrical-safety/electric-blankets/)
- [Essex County Fire and Rescue Service: electric blanket safety](https://www.essex-fire.gov.uk/electric-blanket-safety)
- [Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service: electric blankets](https://www.notts-fire.gov.uk/community/safety-in-your-home/electric-blankets)
- [Electrical Safety First: electric blankets](https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/safety-advice/products-and-appliances/heating-cooling/electric-blankets/)

Checked 15 October 2026.

## Read next

- [Electric blanket and heated throw running costs](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/heating/electric-blanket-running-costs/) (Running costs)
  What electric blankets and heated throws cost per hour, per month and per winter at the current price cap.
- [Heating cost per hour: throw, heaters, gas, oil and heat pump compared](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/tools/heating-cost-per-hour/) (Calculator)
  Compare the hourly cost of a heated throw, electric blanket, plug-in heaters, and gas, oil, heat pump and electric central heating.
- [Heated airer running costs](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/heating/heated-airer-running-costs/) (Running costs)
  What heated clothes airers cost per hour and per load at the current price cap, and how that compares with a tumble dryer.
- [Oil radiator vs fan heater vs halogen heater: running costs](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/heating/oil-radiator-vs-fan-heater-vs-halogen/) (Running costs)
  Which electric heater is cheapest to run, how thermostats change the answer, and which suits which room.

---

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links to shops are marked, and earning from them never decides what we recommend. [How this site is paid for](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/affiliate-disclosure/).

Running costs use 26.32p per kWh for electricity and 7.97p per kWh for gas, the [Ofgem price cap, Direct Debit average for England, Scotland and Wales](https://ofgem.gov.uk/news/changes-energy-price-cap-between-1-october-and-31-december-2026) for 1 October to 31 December 2026.