Tried & Tested
Hot stuff: Dreamland Sherpa Tartan Heated Overblanket
Prepare to feel like a pig in a (heated) blanket
What is it and why do you need it?
Heated blankets can be a divisive addition to your home. In fact, when I unwrapped this heated tartan beauty from Dreamland, it was met with a lukewarm reaction and mutterings about safety procedures and our house being full of wood…
But, like most retro things (lava lamps, your time will come), heated blankets are back in a big way. And yes, they’re a lot more innovative, and safer, than the heated blankets of yesteryear.
To the untrained eye, this tartan number looks just like a regular blanket. Albeit one that is near weighted blanket-level thick, velvety soft, and looks just as good on top of your bed (at W135cm x D180cm, it’s big enough to throw over a double bed) as it does spread over you as you work from home/watch TV on the sofa.
But, obviously, it’s so much more than a bogstandard blanket. Simply attach the digital controller and plug it into a socket (the cable is long enough to not have to be stationed right next to a wall plug), and the blanket will heat up within five minutes.
How does the heated blanket work?
If safety is a worry, rest assured that every time you switch on the blanket, the auto safety function automatically runs a full check of your blanket for peace of mind.
The blanket comes with six heat settings and you can easily adjust the time limit you want it on for. But look, if all the options are too much to take in, just leave it on the automatic setting of max heat for one hour. That’s what I do now, and then I either unplug it for the night, or turn it on again to run for another hour.
The main plus point for me is that thanks to Dreamland’s Intelliheat software, the blanket automatically regulates warmth, so it never gets too hot – even at the max level it’s just a gorgeous, ambient heat that keeps you feeling warm and cosy, not hot and sweaty.
Can you leave a heated blanket on overnight?
You can use this one overnight, as it comes with overheat protection and has a timer with auto shut-off, but for me, just using it for an hour to warm the bed up before I go to sleep has been a game changer.
A word of warning… once your dog has discovered this velvety fleece blanket they will never leave your bed. So that’s something to consider before buying it. They will literally claim it as their own. My Dreamland Sherpa Tartan Heated Overblanket is no longer mine.
How do you look after it?
I still don’t quite understand how, but unplugged and with the digital controller removed, this blanket is machine washable on a 30C wash. And tumble dryer safe.
Once winter is over, give it a once over with a lint roller (dog hair) and store it in the reusable storage bag it came in.
Is it worth it?
At £89.99, it’s obviously more of an investment than a regular blanket, but this is cheaper and arguably more versatile than a weighted blanket.
It’s become a bit of a cold weather ritual for me now, to plug in the blanket an hour before I go to sleep, climb into a toasty bed and drift off to my very own dream land. Well, that’s what happens in theory, but actually it’s my dog that’s living that dream, while I’m making do with a corner of leftover duvet again. But, you know, at least he’s warm and happy.
