Choosing the winner for our Best Weighted Blanket award is a hefty (excuse the pun) responsibility. We considered everything from the right amount of pressure to promote feelings of calm and ease restlessness to design and price.
Despite some sturdy competition, this YNM Weighted Blanket quickly became a clear winner for this category.
As well as scoring four of five stars in our YNM Original Cotton Weighted Blanket review, it features a top notch design, quality materials and build, and provides instant comfort at an affordable price.
Weighted blankets are the perfect way to add an extra layer of coziness to even the best mattresses, but only one can be crowned Best Weighted Blanket in our Tom's Guide Sleep Awards.
Read on to find out why we decided the YNM Original Cotton Weighted Blanket deserves this accolade.
Say hello to the Best Weighted Blanket
First things first, the YNM Original Cotton Weighted Blanket is affordable. While many weighted blankets have a starting price of $100-$200, the YNM starts at $65 for a kid's blanket on the brand's site.
Added to that, it's often reduced, both direct from YNM and via third party retailers such as Amazon. At the latter, you'll often find real bargains, like a dark gray full/queen in 20lb, which we spotted for just $44.99.
That said, the YNM Original Cotton Weighted Blanket can definitely hold its own against more premium-priced weighted blankets.
There's an OEKO-TEX certified 100% cotton cover that's breathable and cool-to-touch, a glass bead and hypoallergenic synthetic fiber fill which is layered up and then quilt stitched through to create squares that keep said fill secure. All of this creates a weighted blanket that looks and feels high-quality, and is suitable for those with allergies.
Of course, the reason many people opt for a weighted blanket is that they mimic the feeling of receiving a full body hug, or deep touch pressure therapy (DTP) which can relieve stress and anxiety, promote feelings of calm and relax you ahead of sleep.
YNM say their blankets "help you relax, sleep and alleviate anxiety and stress," and when we put this blanket to the test, it delivered. Our reviewer was seriously impressive by how effective the YNM Original Cotton Weighted Blanket was both in a daytime nap setting, where it took her only 15-20 to feel settled and calm, and at bedtime when she had an easier time falling asleep and stayed asleep longer.
In fact, she even noted that she moved around less in her sleep and felt that she slept more deeply while using this weighted blanket.
A huge benefit of the YNM Original Cotton Weighted Blanket is the sheer variety of weights and sizes it offers. Although some size, weight and color combinations aren't always available from YNM, there's often a wide variety on Amazon.
If you're worried about the extra heat a weighted blanket can add to your bed, rest assured that we didn't feel too hot using the YNM at night, even when it was layered over a duvet (despite our tester typically overheating under heavier blankets).
That benefit is also one of the blanket's few downsides; the cool-touch cover might not be warm enough if you're looking to snuggle up with a super cozy weighted blanket. That said, you can buy a duvet cover to go over the YNM if you wish, and the blanket itself is machine washable.
In the running for this awards were the Bearaby Cotton Weighted Blanket, which is also breathable but considerably more expensive, and the dual-sided Layla Weighted Blanket, which is cozy but only comes in one color, and has a higher price point.
The top spot ultimately went to the YNM Original Cotton Weighted Blanket for its range of available weights, sizes and colors, and its quality and effectiveness for the affordable price.
