The Best Electric Blanket in Australia for 2022
Or how to stop your other half stealing your side of the doona.
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In this guide
Jon Snow was right: winter is coming (every year). If you find yourself dreading cold feet every wintry night, it might be time to invest in an electric blanket. Bonus: investing in an electric blanket saves electricity.
Heating up an entire house is expensive, especially if your home isn't well-insulated. Electric blankets heat small spaces quickly, minimising your heating budget. This leaves you with more time and money for more important stuff, like that long overdue Game of Thrones rewatch. To find the best electric blanket in Australia, we've scrolled through hundreds of reviews to bring you our top picks.
How we picked
There are a lot of blankets out there: mink throws, doonas, weighted blankets... but out of all of them, the electric variety is the warmest. And even then, not all are up to Australian and New Zealand electric blanket safety standards. To be sure that the ones we reviewed were up to scratch, we first checked CHOICE, Australia's top consumer advocate. We then cross-checked against Consumer NZ, which is the Kiwi counterpart of CHOICE.
There were a number of blankets that stood out, so we did some research comparing electric blankets' features. There were a multitude of options, from intuitive temperature technology, all the way to 'antibacterial' blankets. Comparing these products involved checking supplier websites to confirm safety features, warranties and add-ons. From here, we narrowed the list down.
After lopping the lowest-rated blankets from our list, we headed to ProductReview.com.au to find out what consumers had to say. What we discovered was that electric blanket reviews were skewed. While some customers loved electric blankets with timers, others hated this function, giving their blankets a bad review. Given that they can overheat, we tended slightly towards reviews that valued electric blanket safety features. To narrow down our selection, we cut any products that rated less than 3.5 stars out of 5.
Our top blankets were chosen because we felt that their prices fairly reflected their features, and because consumer electric blanket reviews closely matched what the experts said.
The best electric blanket for most
Choose this if
Easy to use, easy to clean and affordable, the Jason Fully Fitted Washable Electric Blanket ticks a lot of boxes. Including safety - it’s got overheating protection. Light on features, you’ve got 3 heat settings and dual removable slide controllers for you and your bed partner’s snoozing comfort.
What we love
Overheating protection
Safety is so important when it comes to electric blankets. Built-in overheating protection gives you peace of mind.
3 heat settings
So you can adjust to the perfect heat for you.
Fully fitted skirt
To securely fit mattresses of all depths.
Machine washable
With removable controllers, it’s machine washable for easy care.
Affordable
You should be able to get your hands on a king for around $100.
2-year warranty
We love that it comes with a 2-year warranty, especially when you consider the price.
Aussie-owned
Jason is a proudly Aussie business, so you can get the warm fuzzies from supporting local.
The not so good bits
Middling consumer reviews
With almost 100 reviews on ProductReview.com.au, it gets an average around 3.5 stars with most of the complaints around quality (i.e. it breaks quickly) and poor customer service.
We reckon the Jason Fully Fitted Washable Electric Blanket is Australia’s best electric blanket because it’s got everything you need at a great price. Available in 4 sizes from single through to king, you should be able to pick up the largest size for around $100.
What you won’t find are overwhelming features. What you will find is an easy to use, deliciously warm electric blanket that meets all Australian safety standards. It’s got overheating protection too so you know it’ll switch off if it ever gets too hot.
Coming with 2 slide controllers, you’ve got 3 heat settings. The controllers are removable because it’s machine washable. This means caring for it is a breeze. The fully fitted knit skirt means it fits mattresses of all depths and stays snugly on, all night.
As well as loving its easy care nature, we love that Jason is a proudly Australian-owned company. They’ve been making products here for around 70 years. They take pride in their products. That’s why this blanket is backed by a 2-year warranty - impressive, given the affordable price.
Rounding out our loves, it’s been reviewed by CHOICE and Jason is Canstar Blue’s 4th most trusted electric blanket brand. Aussies give Jason 5 stars for performance and reliability. This blanket also gets around 3.5 stars on ProductReview.com.au.
Related: The Best Quilt, Duvet and Doona
The best value electric blanket
Goldair Select Flat
Choose this if
If what you’re looking for in an electric blanket is a low price, you can’t go past the Goldair Select Flat Electric Blanket. As the name tells you, it’s flat, not fitted - wriggly sleepers beware. However, for the price you’re still getting dual fixed controllers and 3 heat settings.
What we love
Price
You should be able to pick up a queen size for around $50.
3 heating options
For your ideal level of toastiness.
Dual controllers
So you and your bed partner can enjoy different warmth levels.
15-minute warm up
Set it to heat before you do your teeth and pop on your jammies and come back to a warm bed.
Easy to use
No pre-programming needed.
2-year warranty
Which is great, considering the low price.
The not so good bits
2 sizes only
It’s only available in small single or queen size.
Handwash only
Like a lot of electric blankets.
Flat, not fitted
It might move around and you might need to re-tie this a lot, especially if you’re a wriggly sleeper.
No built-in safety features
There’s no overheat protection, timer or auto shut-off.
There’s a big clue in the Goldair Select Flat Electric Blanket name - it’s a flat, not fitted, electric blanket. If that’s a dealbreaker for you, keep scrolling. Otherwise, here’s why we’ve chosen the Goldair Select Flat Electric Blanket as our budget pick.
It’s very similar to our Jason top pick. The major difference is the availability of sizes, the fact it’s not machine washable and the lack of overheating protection. But it is more affordable. A queen will set you back around $50, complete with 2-year warranty.
It has 3 heat settings, operated by dual fixed controllers. They’re fixed because this is hand washable only. It’s got a tie-down design, which means it’s not fitted to your mattress. There’s a risk it’ll slide around your bed, especially if you’re a wriggly sleeper. Heat up time is around 15 minutes from a cold bed to a toasty one.
In a queen size (155cm x 150cm), the heating area is 145cm x 140cm. So that’s a 10cm border all the way around your mattress that won’t be heated. It only comes in a queen or small single size, making it ideal for students or flatties.
It’s not on ProductReview.com.au but it does get a lot of decent retailer reviews with Aussies raving about how easy it is to use.
Related: The Best Sheets
The best electric blanket with tech features
Breville BodyZone Connect
Choose this if
For a high-end electric blanket, you need the Breville BodyZone Connect Quilted Fitted which is controlled by an app. Banish cold feet forever thanks to its 4 heat zones and 6 heat settings. If you can bear to take it off your bed, it’s got a machine washable quilted cover.
What we love
Control via an app
You don’t need to mess around with the controller, instead you can control your electric blanket from wherever you are, via the app.
4 zones
So your upper and lower body, plus your bed buddy’s, can be perfectly warmed.
6 heat settings
For the exact right level of warmth.
Detachable dual controllers
For control at your fingertips when you’d rather not use the app.
Removable, washable cover
A cosy cotton quilted cover adds extra softness and it’s machine washable.
Antibacterial
Take off the cover and you’ll find a polyester blanket. Because it’s not washable, it’s been treated to ‘stay fresh’.
Fitted
With a 43cm depth, it should fit snugly on most mattresses.
Safety features
It’s got overheat protection and an auto-off safety timer that can be set for between 1-9 hours.
The not so good bits
Middling consumer reviews
There aren’t many consumer reviews but the ones we’ve found are middling. A recurring problem seems to be a complete failure of the blanket when it stops heating. It does have a 3-year warranty so if you experience any issues within that time, contact Breville.
Controllers
Some reviewers hate the blue-lit controllers that make it hard to see the display, especially when it’s dark. There are also lots of buttons, which can be tricky to navigate when you’re tired. A solution is to use the app, although you might not want to be fiddling on your phone or device late at night.
From one extreme to another. Meet the Breville BodyZone Connect Quilted Fitted Heated Blanket which is absolutely crammed with features. For starters, it can be controlled via the BodyZone Connect App on your device. No more leaning over for a controller for you.
BodyZone splits the heated blanket into 4 sections (or zones) - two for 1 side of the bed, two for the other. One of the zones is for your upper body, one is for your lower body. Not only are there 4 separately controllable zones, there are 6 individual heat settings within each zone. This is seriously personalised bed heating.
The dual controllers - which seem kinda pointless because of the app - are detachable for easy cleaning and storage. It’s machine washable thanks to the removable soft quilted cotton cover. The polyester has been treated to be ‘stay-fresh antibacterial’.
Fully fitted, it stays snug on your bed. The generous 45cm depth means it should fit every mattress. It’s got overheat protection and an auto-off safety timer. You can set this for between 1-9 hours so you can snooze safely.
It’s available in 4 sizes, from single through to king with prices starting from around $200. There are 2 other versions of the queen and king available, which have replaceable parts and accessories. As you’d expect, you pay extra for those versions. Whichever you choose, you get a 3-year warranty.
It only gets around 2.5 stars on ProductReview.com.au with complaints about how hot it is (though another reviewer complained that it doesn’t get hot enough), poor controller placement making it uncomfortable to sleep on, and error messages.
Related: The Best Electric Heater
The best electric blanket for snuggling
Kmart Heated Throw
Choose this if
The Kmart Heated Throw was so highly-rated by Australians that we had to mention it. At $35, it's the cheapest blanket on our list. It has a surprising number of heat settings, and is soft, lightweight, and large. Just don't expect it to last you a lifetime.
What we love
Why not?
It's cosy, compact, and cheap as chips.
Simplicity
No complicated controllers.
Timer
You can set it either between 1-9 hours, or for 12 hours.
Heat settings
9 different settings (impressive for such a cheap blanket).
Great reviews
It has some of the best reviews out of all electric blankets on ProductReview.com.au.
Versatile
Will keep you snug during an episode of Law and Order.
The not so good bits
Design
It isn't meant to be used under your mattress protector, which is probably why CHOICE and Consumer didn't review it.
Warranty
Only a 12-month warranty.
Safety
Very few safety features, although the Kmart website mentions an overheat function.
Ethics
A low price sometimes means a product isn't ethically made.
The Kmart Heated Throw nearly didn't make the list. It flew under CHOICE and Consumer's radars, but reviewers loved it so much that it has one of the highest ratings on ProductReview.com.au out of all electric blankets on the site. But this wasn't down to sample size - this electric blanket has more reviews than most of the others we looked at. The Kmart Heated Throw is truly a blanket for the masses.
So, how did the cheapest electric blanket in Australia outperform nearly all of its counterparts in every price range? To begin with, the controller is simple, with an LED display, and 3 buttons: one each for timer, temperature, and power. The timer can be set from 1 to 9 hours, and it includes a special 12-hour setting. The range of temperatures also runs from 1-9, which is unexpectedly wide for a blanket at this price.
Others worth considering
We were slightly alarmed by some of the reviews we found about the Heller Queen Fitted Electric Blanket. Especially the one that complained that the blanket had caught fire. However, the blanket was more than 5 years old, which raises an important point - check out our FAQs for more information about whether electric blankets are safe.
The newest Heller Queen Fitted Electric Blankets have 3 heat settings, 2 basic controllers with indicator, and both overheat and overcurrent protection. They're machine washable, which means the controllers detach. It’ll set you back around $80.
Kambrook Dream Weaver
Electric blankets start to get a bit samey after a while and it might come down to price or brand preference. The Dream Weaver Fitted Heated Blanket is Kambrook’s offering. There’s nothing really different here, although we do like that it’s machine washable. It’s also got overheat protection so you don’t have to worry about it overheating.
The dual sliding controllers let you change the 3 heat settings easily. This fitted electric blanket comes in single, queen and king sizes. The single has a depth of 40cm and the queen and king 45cm. Prices start from less than $100.
Mixed reviews on ProductReview.com.au point out issues with fitting it to their mattress. Be sure to check the dimensions before buying. It comes with a 3-year warranty which should nix any quality concerns.
Linen House Wool Multi-Zone Electric Blanket
The Linen House Wool Multi-Zone Electric Blanket is super luxe. The name gives it away - it’s made of thick, cosy 100% Australian wool. This gives your bed extra comfort and warmth. It’s machine washable on a gentle cycle though, so caring for it isn’t a hassle.
Once you’re over its coziness, it’s got dual detachable controllers to operate the 4 different heat-zones. These operate individually, so you can keep your upper and lower body at different temperatures - and so can your bed partner. The controllers feature a LED display for fiddling with them in low light, plus 3 buttons and a slide control. So, it’s not overwhelming to use.
There’s a huge 9 heat settings (the most we reviewed) plus an up to 12-hour timer. Its additional safety feature is overheat protection. It’s also got a huge 50cm deep skirt to fit every mattress. It comes with a 2-year warranty, a steep price (expect to pay around $300+ for a queen) and glowing 5-star reviews on ProductReview.com.au.
The bottom line
The best electric blanket is the one that suits your preferences. Some reviewers love high-heat blankets with fewer safety features, while others hate them. Extra-warm foot zones are usually loved, but some find them too hot. Even so, there were aspects that almost all consumers agree upon: quality, dual controls, quick heating, and a low price.
The Jason Fully Fitted Washable Electric Blanket took out the title for the best electric blanket. It's simple and affordable but still has built-in overheat protection. Easy to use, with dual controllers and 3 heat settings, it’s also easy to clean, thanks to being machine washable. Its lack of complex features make it suitable for nearly everyone.
If price is your biggest concern, consider our budget pick: the Goldair Select Flat Electric Blanket. As the name tells you, it’s not fitted, which might be a dealbreaker. If it’s not, you’ll find a great-priced blanket, including a 2-year warranty. Dual fixed controllers (it’s handwash only) give you 3 heat settings - and that’s about it. It doesn’t have any safety features. But it’s a well-priced, easy to use electric blanket that should do the job.
If features are what you’re after, meet the Breville BodyZone Connect Quilted Fitted Heated Blanket. It can be controlled by an app and offers a lot of personalisation. Think 4 heating zones and 6 heat settings. It doesn’t scrimp on safety features either. It’s got overheat protection and an auto-off safety timer. For extra comfort, it’s got a machine washable quilted cotton cover.
Features to consider
Electric blankets have more features than a French film festival. These stood out across our research.
Safety
Wondering whether electric blankets are safe? We think so, provided you treat them with care. Roll 'em up for storage, and avoid sleeping with the blanket on. If you do want to sleep with your blanket on, think about buying a blanket with solid safety features. To make sure that the blanket doesn't overheat, you have 3 options: a timer, overheat protection, or both. While a timer shuts the heating off after a set period, overheat protection stops the power if it detects anything unusual.
Having an electric blanket with timer and overheat protection is ideal, but if the blanket you like best includes neither, check to see if it has an 'auto-off' feature. An 'auto-off' feature is similar to a timer. Blankets with this function will turn the heat off after a preset time period. Auto-off is cool, but electric blankets with timers will give you more control.
Fitted
Not all electric blankets are created equal. Some are fitted, while others tie down to the mattress. The latter will make memories of assembling IKEA furniture seem golden in comparison. We can't think of any benefits to the tie-down feature. Fitted blankets stop your blanket shifting under you while you sleep, so take this into consideration if there's a restless sleeper in your bed.
Machine washable
You wash your mattress protector (we hope), so it makes sense that you should also wash your electric blanket. Most of the major brands have thought about this, and have designed controls to be removable so that you can throw your blanket in the wash. This sometimes includes the dryer, too.
Some of the blankets on our list were only designed to be hand-washed. Oh, and 'machine washable' doesn't mean 'waterproof'. You'll need to seek out a purpose-designed blanket if this is one of your concerns.
Controls
The reviews made it clear: consumers have a lot of feelings about controllers. A general rule is that more money means more control - in terms of heating, of course. However, most of the poor reviews in the higher price range were because of the fancy controls, so keep this in mind if you're not tech-savvy. Blankets with added features generally had more complicated controls, so if you want something simple, your best option may be a mid-range blanket.
Another thing we considered was whether electric blankets offered dual controls. There were very few blankets that did not have this feature. If you're paying more than $70, it's reasonable to expect two controls. You may decide that this doesn't matter to you, in which case you may find yourself at the mercy of both the manufacturer and your co-sleeper.
What you get if you spend more
Most people will use their electric blanket every night throughout winter - but winter can last longer depending on the climate. For example, Queenslanders might only use their blankets during State of Origin, while Tasmanians will likely feel the cold for much longer. If you use a blanket for 4 months of the year, you'll use it twice as much as someone who uses it for 2. The further you are from Suncorp Stadium, the more sensible it may be to invest in a quality electric blanket.
Quality
All the mid-range and luxury electric blankets we reviewed had a 3-year warranty, while cheaper blankets tended towards 12 months. It might seem silly to spend $199 on an electric blanket instead of $79, but if you have to buy a new one every winter, the cheaper blanket may end up costing more. We're all about getting more bang for your buck, which is why we've chosen blankets that reflect their value.
Quicker heating
Cheap electric blankets were more likely to lose their 'oomph' over time. Blankets on the higher end of the price scale often boasted speedy heating, which means you spend less time shivering if you forget to turn the blanket on before you get in bed. This is more energy efficient if you aren't sleeping with an electric blanket switched on all night.
Separate heating zones
Do you share your bed with a pair of cold feet? Try an extra-warm foot zone. When looking for a blanket, check to see if you can set the foot zone separately. In some products, 'foot heating' just meant extra heating wires, while other blankets had different controls for each area. Be wary - added features like this one will push the price up.
Common questions
Are electric blankets safe?
Modern electric blankets are safe. But anything involving electricity is always going to present a risk. To stay safe:
- Look for a label that confirms it meets relevant safety standards. All electric blankets must carry AS/NZS 60335.2.17:2012.
- Read and follow the manufacturer’s use and care instructions.
- Store your electric blanket correctly (rolled up) so the heating wires aren't damaged.
- Test your electric blanket before you use it and after you get it out of storage.
- If you can, opt for a blanket that has safety features like overheat protection and a timer.
- Replace your blanket if you notice any bent wiring, scorch marks, frayed fabric, exposed elements, dampness, worn patches, damaged cords, or loose connections.
Can I leave my electric blanket on overnight?
If you’ve got a modern electric blanket that you look after, the safety risk of leaving your electric blanket on overnight is low. But it’s not recommended.
Instead, pop it on about 10 - 15 minutes before you go to bed and enjoy the warmth when you jump in. Warm air will get trapped under your doona, keeping you snug all night.
Are electric blankets energy efficient?
Electric blankets are very energy efficient. EnergyAustralia reckons they cost about 4 cents per hour to run. Compare this to an electric heater which costs around 15 cents per hour. That’s because electric blankets warm up a much smaller area than a room that might have high ceilings and draughty windows.
Save on energy costs by:
- Investing in an electric blanket with a timer that switches it off automatically.
- Using a lower heat setting.
- Turning off the power at the wall when you’re not using it.
- Not using any other heating in your bedroom.
Sources
- 'Electric blanket recalls', Product Safety Australia
- 'How to buy the best electric blanket', CHOICE
- 'Electric blanket', Consumer
- 'Electric blankets review & guide', Canstar Blue
- 'Why You Should Use An Electric Blanket This Winter', Energy Australia