An investigation of electric blankets by Which? has found a number to be "so poorly made" that they risk giving people an electric shock.
Which? has revealed that some electric blankets purchased from third party sellers on AliExpress, Amazon, eBay and Wish posed "serious safety risks" to consumers.
Of the 11 electric blankets, throws and shawls the consumer champion bought, eight were poorly made, while three of them posed a potential electric shock hazard. What's more, nine of the items should not be legally sold in the UK.
The group only found two passed its tests - £27 blanket from Amazon Marketplace and a £22 electric heated throw from eBay.
Electric blankets have seen a stark rise in popularity over the past year, with many purchasing them for their cheaper running costs that are said to be as low as 1p an hour.
But before you go rushing to buy one online, it's worth making sure that they are safe and won't potentially pose any serious risk to your health.
The consumer group also found that three cheap online electric blankets from AliExpress, priced between £13 to £21, had issues with "cheap" and "dodgy" plugs that could lead to users getting an electric shock.
A further £22 blanket from Wish was found to have a "clear sign" of poor build quality with electric wires that could easily be pulled out from the plug with little force.
Other blankets included in the report were found to be inefficient, as a £12.99 heated shawl and a £15.99 heated poncho, both sold through Amazon Marketplace, found to only heat five percent of the total surface area of the product.
Nine blankets tested by Which? also failed to include either a UKCA mark or a CE mark, which indicate compliance with safety standards.
All the dodgy blankets have since been removed from their online marketplaces and the consumer group has called for online sites to bear more legal responsibility for preventing unsafe and illegal products from winding up on their marketplaces.
It comes as the cost of living crisis and soaring energy prices has forced many households to look for more energy-conscious ways of heating the home that won't rack up the bills.
Which? has urged the government to address major gaps in the current product safety regulation which it calls "outdated" as it fails to stop faulty items from ending up in consumers homes.
Sue Davies, Which? Head of Consumer Protection Policy, said: "Electric blankets have surged in popularity as people look to save money during the cost of living crisis, but our latest research shows that buying these products cheaply on online marketplaces can put your safety at risk.
"The government must urgently act to give online marketplaces greater legal responsibility for unsafe and illegal products sold on their sites so that consumers are no longer put at unnecessary risk of harm."
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