5 Best Weighted Blanket for Kids

Last Updated: March, 2024

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A weighted blanket can be a great addition to your child's sleep routine. They provide soothing pressure that can help kids feel calm and relaxed. They also provide a sense of security which can be very beneficial for kids. But with so many different weighted blankets to choose from, one may not know which one is right for their kids. There are different factors to consider when choosing a weighted blanket for your kid, which we'll discuss in this guide. We will also recommend some of our favorite weighted blankets for kids!

Disclaimer: Weighted blankets should NOT be used by toddlers under the age of three. If your kid is above three years old but has a small body or is not able to throw the blanket away on their own in case it gets hot at night, then also don't cover them with a weighted blanket. If your child is unwell, make sure to get a doctor's consent to have them use a weighted blanket.

Here are five options to choose from. The best weighted blanket for kids is the Aricove Weighted blanket which comes in several weight options suitable for kids.

A Quick Look At Kids Weighted Blankets

Aricove Weighted Blanket

Aricove Weighted Blanket- Best for Cold Weather

Are you looking for a high-end luxurious weighted blanket with top-notch all-season comfort? Then Aricove is your go-to option.

Puffy Weighted Blanket - All Season Comfort

Puffy Weighted Blanket has two comfort sides which you can flip for either the cold or hot season. So, no need to change up the blankets every season.

Nolah Bamboo Weighted Blanket

Nolah Bamboo Weighted Blanket

Nolah bamboo is available in up to 4 weight options. The weights even comprise those suitable for smaller kids but above 3 years.

Plushbed Anchor Weighted Blanket

Plushbeds Anchor Weighted Blanket

If you like an all-natural weighted blanket, then Plushbed Anchor is the best choice. It's made of 100% organic cotton and polyester, which ensures the utmost comfort

Layla Weighted Blanket

Layla Weighted Blanket

Most weighted blankets are pricey, but such isn't the same with Layla. For a small investment, you'll like what this weighted blanket has to offer your kids.

Aricove Weighted Blanket

What We Like

  • Silky soft
  • Best for those with sensitive skin
  • Travel friendly
  • Made of luxurious materials
  • Excellent temperature regulations

What We Don't Like

  • The weight may not feel as expected—the 10lbs option may feel a bit lighter to some

Overall Thoughts: 

The Aricove Weighted Blanket is among the best choices in the market for younger kids. If you have kids who typically sleep hot at night, Aricove is a good solution. Aricove Weighted Blanket is made of breathable cooling materials. Moreover, it's designed such that it doesn't trap heat but regulates temperatures to favorable levels for a comfortable sleep. Aricove's soft bamboo fabric is cozy with a fresh, natural feel that soothes your kid's senses to make them feel secure as they sleep.

Like most weighted blankets, Aricove is filled with glass beads, which ensure even weight distribution across the blanket. More importantly, its stitching pattern prevents the beads from bunching. These beads are located on the inner layers of the plush microfiber. Aricove is a one-of-a-kind child's weighted blanket as it's designed with luxurious twill weaved viscose bamboo fabric sheets. The blanket doesn't come with a removable cover, but during hot summers, it's best to get one for your kids.

Overall, the Aricove blanket is available in 4 weight options. The weight offers your child a deep touch pressure to make them feel calm and sleep comfortably. That's why in some instances, a child's doctor may recommend using an Aricove Weighted Blanket on kids with health conditions such as anxiety or depression. When choosing a kid's weighted blanket, the 10% rule (choosing a blanket that's 10% the weight of the child) applies here

What We Like

  • It comes with a 101-night sleep trial
  • It suits those who like a cozy feel
  • It can be used on a bed or couch
  • Fit for kids who like a standard comforter

What We Don't Like

  • Heavy and bulky—not easy to travel with

Overall Thoughts: 

Among the best weighted blankets on the market is Puffy. And unlike Ghostbed, Puffy comes in two weight options, the 15lbs, and 20lbs weighted options. Puffy Weighted Blanket's duvet cover is made of non-toxic, hypoallergenic materials that fend off skin irritation for those with sensitive skin and allergic reactions. Plus, it is odorless. 

Design-wise, the blanket has a perfect diamond double stitching pattern. And instead of plastic or glass microbeads, it has ceramic beads for fillers. These beads not only ensure the blanket weight is evenly distributed all through but also offer deep pressure, which triggers a calming feel. Generally, this blanket is a therapeutic tool that can tremendously reduce anxiety. Preferably, it would be best to get this blanket for your kid in case they have conditions causing severe intellectual difficulties, such as autistic children.

Compared to many blankets in the market, puffy is among the best few with a dual feel. On one side is the plush micro mink, and on the other is twill cotton. Aside from the calming pressure, this weighted blanket ensures your kids sleep soundly, thanks to its cozy feel. 

Nolah Weighted Blanket

What We Like

  • Suitable for hot sleepers
  • Excellent choice for restless sleepers
  • It comes with a 120-night sleep trial
  • Naturally antibacterial
  • Quality construction and material design

What We Don't Like

  • Not machine washable

Overall Thoughts: 

Nolah bamboo weighted blanket is perfect for night and daytime relaxation. It's among the best high-end weighted blanket that assures your kids of better sleep. 

Nolah weighted blanket uses glass microbeads fillers which adds to its weight and also delivers a deep pressure touch which gives the sleeper that calming effect. The beads are also responsible for distributing weight across the blanket evenly. 

Like the puffy weighted blanket, Nolah has two comfort sides enabling your kid to choose their preferred comfort feel. Basically, the outer side of this blanket has a smooth, durable feel, while the inner blanket is softer with a feel that is almost close to a cozy comforter. 

Nolah bamboo weighted blanket is available in 3 weight options: 15lbs, 20lbs, and 25lbs. Similarly, here the 10% rule applies. The 15lbs option is what'd fit most kids but those who are between 145lbs and 150 lbs. You can also opt for 20lbs if you have older children weighing up to 200lbs.

Plushbed Anchor Weighted Blanket

What We Like

  • Excellently Breathable
  • Removable machine washable cover
  • It stays cool for long than blankets with plastic fillers
  • Hypoallergenic materials
  • It comes in multiple weight options

What We Don't Like

  • No option for older children weighing more than 200 lbs

Overall Thoughts: 

The same way other blankets work is the same way Plushbed Anchor also does. A plushbed blanket is a simple, refined, and elegant weighted blanket. Its neatness stems from modern channel stitching, a neutral solid color pallet, and the 10-tie system.

On the outer side of the blanket is an elegant design of channel stitching, which gives it its splendid look. Moreover, the outer blanket is available in two solid colors, perfectly matching the blanket's overall classic design. 

Plushbed Anchor is among the best-weighted blankets an occupational therapist can recommend for kids with anxiety, depression, and even autistic children. Generally, this blanket has a baffle box design encasing glass microbeads which delivers the therapeutic deep pressure touch to make your child feel calm. Also, thanks to its 10% organic cotton inner blanket, that assures your kids of a comfortable and good night's sleep in all seasons.

The Anchor Blanket's available in 4-weight and 3-size options. Similarly, the 10% rule also applies here. If you're looking for a heavier blanket for an older kid, the Plushbed Anchor's heaviest option weighs 20 pounds.

As for cleaning, you should only spot-clean the inner blanket. However, you can hand wash the outer side of the blanket. And for easy cleaning, you can toss it inside a washing machine. More importantly, remember to use a mild detergent and avoid bleaching detergents. It's best to avoid frequent washing of the blanket as it can compromise its durability.

Layla Weighted Blanket

What We Like

  • Excellent for budget shoppers
  • Best for relieving stress and anxiety
  • It comes with a 120-night trial
  • Machine washable cover
  • It comes with a 5-year warranty
  • Relatively easy to clean

What We Don't Like

  • It May is not ideal for small kids

Overall Thoughts: 

Layla Weighted Blanket has two different types of fabric material on each side. The company is even popular for producing two-sided Layla mattresses. So, one side of the Layla weighted blanket is grey while the other is black. The grey side is fuzzy, ultra-soft, and great for snuggling. This Ultra soft part comprises a 300-thread count and is made of 100% polyester. 

The black side is somehow quilt-like, plus it is made of natural cotton. Since natural cotton is known to sleep cool, it's an ideal option for kids during hot summer. The polyester side being warmer, is best for cold seasons. That way, you can rest assured your kids will sleep soundly and comfortably all year round. 

Like other weighted blankets, this one has fillers but the glass bead type. These beads ensure even weight distribution across the blanket. These beads also offer deep touch pressure to help kids with anxiety, PTSD, and autism feel a sense of security. That calming effect is essential for a good night's sleep and overall health. 

Benefits of Weighted Blankets to kids

Just like adults, kids also need a calm, deep sleep. They also go through certain psychological issues like anxiety and find a hug calming. Since we can't hug or hold our kids through the night, we go for the next best thing - a weighted blanket.

Weighted blankets provide kids with a sense of security. The extra weight on their bodies makes them feel like they are getting the ultimate hug. This can be very beneficial for kids who have sleep disorders. Weighted blankets can also help kids with other conditions like autism spectrum disorder, Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) among others.

With a weighted blanket, your kid will be able to sleep through the night without disruptions from the brain.

How to Choose a Weighted Blanket for kids

As you browse the internet or stores for weighted blankets for kids, keep some of the below factors in mind.

Size

Considering that you're looking for a weighted blanket for a young child, size plays a major role. Due to the small size of children, the best weighted blanket should also come in a small size. It should definitely fit the kid's body for effectiveness, but not be too big that it's hard for the child to move around or out of the bed. Even if your kid sleeps on a queen bed, avoid getting a queen size weighted blanket. Get something smaller like a twin. If you share a bed with your kid or have two kids sharing a bed, then buy a weighted blanket for each individual. Sharing a large size weighted blanket may not be safe for a kid because they could easily get tangled in it.

Weight

How heavy should a weighted blanket be? The recommended weight is 10 percent of the child's body weight. If your child is 80lbs, then get a weighted blanket that's about 8lbs in weight. Many companies offer different weight options so be sure to look through which brand has the right weight option for your kid. Don't take this lightly and go for the next weight available. A kid can easily suffocate using a heavy weighted blanket. Remember it's not a normal blanket, it comes with heavy fillings inside that can make it hard to move. Getting a much lower weight will render your goal for relaxation, ineffective.

If you're not sure how much your kid weighs, make sure you weigh them for confirmation before having them use a weighted blanket.

If you can't find the right weighted blanket for your kid, there's always the option for a DIY. For those who love to get crafty at home, The Sleep Shop has a piece on how to make your own weighted blanket at home. Click here to learn more.

Blanket Fillings

There are three types of fillings used in weighted blankets: plastic pellets, glass beads, and polypropylene pellets. Each filling has benefits that make it unique from the others.

Plastic Pellets - These are usually small in size making them evenly distributed throughout the blanket. They're also the most affordable option but may make noise as your kid moves around in bed.

Glass Beads - Glass beads are smaller than plastic pellets and don't make noise. However, they can be a choking hazard for kids so be sure to get a weighted blanket that has glass beads enclosed in fabric pockets.

Polypropylene Pellets - These are larger than glass beads and plastic pellets. They're also more expensive but don't make noise and are less of a choking hazard.

The type of filling you choose is entirely up to you. Consider your budget and the safety of your kid before making a decision. Don't get a weighted blanket that roughly rubs against your children's skin making them scratchy and uncomfortable.

Related Content: DIY weighted blanket

Design

Each weighted blanket is designed differently. But why does design matter? One thing - weight distribution. Well, also the placement of the fillers. It's important that the weight of the blanket is evenly distributed throughout the blanket so that it can be effective throughout the kid's body and not only work on some parts of their bodies. But how does a weighted blanket achieve this?

With all the thousands of fillings inside a weighted blanket, it would be maddening to have to deal with fillers that keep moving around the blanket. It would be impossible to get the weights onto some parts of the body and the minute you toss and turn in bed, suddenly the fillers will be on a different edge. To curb this issue, brands decided to stitch quilts onto the weighted blankets. When buying, always make sure you get one with a quilted design. If possible, one with double stitching. These will keep the fillers in place and distribute weight all around the blanket.

Features and Accessories

We're talking about kids here meaning we can't go without mentioning spills, stains, and messes on the bed. Having this in mind, it's best to get a weighted blanket with a removable and washable cover. Not all come with this so make sure you inquire about it.

Conclusion

There are so many factors to consider when getting a weighted blanket for kids, we can't exhaust them all. However, make sure the weighted blanket has cooling properties to keep your kid cool all night - mostly if they're a hot sleeper. Ask if the blanket is hypoallergenic, mostly for kids that suffer from allergies and asthma. You can also cover your child with a weighted blanket during leisure so they stay calm and relaxed throughout.

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