Gravity Weighted Blanket review

The Gravity Weighted Blanket is known the world over. This bedroom accessory is mindfully designed to help ease your anxious brain at the end of the day, lulling you into the ultimate slumber like a bug in a rug — err, blanket. In fact, this is one of the best weighted blankets you’ll find on the web — if your pockets are deep enough. Still, spending your hard-earned cash on a good night’s sleep is probably a better bet than any Bitcoin investment you’ll make this year. 

I’ve been something of an insomniac for years, but after taking the Gravity Weighted Blanket for a five month-long test, I can see why it’s so darn popular: equal weight distribution, precise gridded stitching, plush padding, and a few different sizes/weights to choose from. Did I mention its comfort is beyond compare as well?

If you’re on the hunt for an entire bedroom set, weighted blankets pair pretty perfectly with some of the best pillows and mattresses we’ve tested over the years. And to top it all off, don’t forget the electric kettle for your favorite nighttime tea.

Gravity Weighted Blanket: Price and availability 

Since I have a queen-sized bed in my apartment, I tested out the 90 x 90-inch queen/king size Gravity Weighted Blanket, which costs $299 on the company’s website, and an extra $10 for shipping. (It’s currently available for $215 on Amazon, which includes free shipping for Prime members.) In the dream-laden world of weighted blankets, this is obviously on the expensive side. In contrast, the 30-pound, 87 x 80-inch Luna Weighted Blanket costs a more palatable $170, and the identically sized YNM Weighted Blanket costs even less at $160. 

In addition to the weighted blanket I tried out, which is technically meant to accommodate two full-grown humans, Gravity also offers a smaller 72 x 48-inch blanket in 15-pound and 20-pound options. These lighter blankets are meant for single beds and smaller frames — they’re also great for traveling — and cost a slightly-more-reasonable $250 each. 

Gravity recommends selecting a blanket weight that’s roughly 10% of the intended user’s bodyweight; if you’re in between sizes, go for the lower weight. There’s a 10-pound, 66 x 42-inch Gravity Kids blanket for the youngsters, too. That being said, there’s only one weight option — 35 pounds — for larger beds, which is kind of a bummer, but not a deal-breaker. According to the company, they settled on this particular weight after extensive testing to ensure maximum comfort without overwhelming pressure. Overall, I’d say mission accomplished. 

Gravity Weighted Blanket: Review in brief

By gently applying pressure to your whole body as you sleep, the Gravity Weighted Blanket uses “deep touch pressure stimulation” to replicate the sensation of a giant, unending bear hug. There are a few different sizes, colors, and weights to pick from, which is pivotal in pinpointing the perfect weighted blanket to fit both you and your bedroom. (If you’re not sure what size to get, measure your bed first and work backwards from there.) The end result? Better brain function and improved cardio health. Oh, and a perpetually better tomorrow. 

Here’s the idea: as the Gravity Weighted Blanket works its hugtastic magic, the extra pressure releases the relaxation-inducing hormones serotonin and melatonin to promote a deeper, more restful sleep. In an independent study monitoring 28 participants for 550 nights before using the Gravity Weighted Blanket, and 478 nights after, 76% reported falling asleep faster; 72% reported a more restful sleep; and 55% reported lower stress/anxiety levels when the study was over. 

The flagship Gravity Weighted Blanket has an average 4.5-star rating out of nearly 2,700 consumer reviews, which includes both Gravity’s website and Amazon. And while these ratings aren’t everything, they sure tell the story of many a satisfied customer. Since I’m the hero of my own story, however, I didn’t read any of these reviews before drafting my own, weighing in (so to speak) as objectively as possible.

Gravity Weighted Blanket: Design and materials

Let’s start from the inside out. The Gravity Weighted Blanket’s inner layer is constructed like a giant, extra-heavy quilt, with gridded stitching to provide a consistent distribution of the “fine-grade glass beads” inside. (So no matter how you flop around throughout the night, you’ll never end up with a lopsided cover; this is especially important if you’ll be sharing this blanket with a partner.) 

When I unzipped the micro-plush duvet cover, it was nice to see the inner layer held snugly in place via ties, elastic-button connectors, and Gravity’s upgraded zipper fastening system. I washed the duvet cover a few times during my testing; it took approximately five minutes to remove it, and about fifteen to re-zip and re-fasten everything. I’m being persnickety here, but the whole process is a tedious chore which I’m glad I don’t have to do very often. 

That being said, as of this writing there are 12 different kinds of Gravity Weighted Blankets to choose from, with the primary difference being the various duvet covers. For example, the Cooling Blanket features breathable, moisture-wicking fabric on the outside designed specifically for hot sleepers and warmer climates. It’s pretty cool that I can swap out my already-comfy micro-plush cover for something even more cozy — like flannel ($45) or faux fur ($50) — without having to buy an entirely new blanket. It’s another upsell, but at least one with purpose.

Most of my bedroom is adorned in earth tones, so I went with the gray version of the Gravity Weighted Blanket when I ordered; there are navy blue and white options available as well. 

Gravity Weighted Blanket: Performance

I’ve never tried Deep Pressure Therapy before, and was excited to see if this state-of-the-art comforter could genuinely change my sleeping habits for the better — and reduce my stress levels to boot. For some additional context, I live in a one-bedroom apartment in New York City. As a habitual night owl, I’ve been tweaking my sleep habits for years, but have never tried a weighted blanket before. And so, to give it a fair shake, I technically tried out the Gravity Weighted Blanket from early January through late May — roughly 120 days total — on my queen-sized bed. (And occasionally the couch.) 

While I don’t really have a basis of comparison, it took my 6-foot-3-inch frame a couple of weeks to grow accustomed to the equivalent weight of eight cats sitting on top of me all night. Granted, those 35 pounds of bedding are equally distributed throughout a 90 x 90-inch space, so it’s not like I was accidentally smothering myself in my sleep. (On a side note, you really do experience better weight distribution if you’re sharing the blanket with someone sleeping next to you; the folks at Gravity picked an excellent catch-all weight for this particular blanket size.) At the end of the night, it really does feel like a gigantic bear hug as you pull up the covers and let the weight settle in around you. Woosah.

I did most of my testing during the colder months, but as the weather started to warm up, I could see why Gravity offers a Cooling Blanket in their collection. That micro-plush cover is absolutely fantastic for burrowing away from the winter chill, but it can also lock in the heat if airflow is poor. I can’t control the thermostat in my apartment, unfortunately, so when the radiator kicked on in the wee hours, I’d sometimes wake up a bit sweaty. I cracked a window to solve the problem, but homeowners can just take the bedroom down a few degrees at night as needed.

One of my morning routines involves making the bed, and thanks to the Gravity Weighted Blanket, that chore doubles as a light shoulder workout now, depending on how much I was tossing or turning throughout the night. Good luck standing at the foot of your bed and gracefully flopping this thing over your mattress like a modern-day Mary Poppins; you might throw your shoulder out. Adjusting the blanket corner by corner is the way to go, I found. 

I generally sleep on my back, with my little piggies pointed at a relatively upward angle. As I got used to the blanket, I sometimes noticed the weight pressing down on my feet and ankles to the point of irritation; I either had to ruffle up the blanket near my feet or stick them out the bottom to get comfortable whenever this happened. To be fair, my albatross frame is a bit bigger than average, and smaller folks with smaller feet might not have this issue. And while Gravity doesn’t offer a lighter weight at this blanket size, I wouldn’t mind doing a side-by side comparison of the exact same blanket in a 20-pound model. Just sayin’.

Gravity Weighted Blanket: Ease of use and cleaning

Whereas the Luna Weighted Blanket doesn’t come with a cover, I appreciate the fact that my Gravity Weighted Blanket has a removable — and swappable — one. I washed it a few times during my testing, following the simple instructions on the outer tag: cool water with like colors, tumble dry low. Easy-peasy. Washing the cover didn’t seem to affect the micro-plush sheen in any discernible way, I’m happy to report. 

As mentioned above, it takes a few minutes to remove the duvet cover, and a few more to re-zip and re-fasten everything back in place. However, this cover weighs a whopping 8 pounds all on its own (I checked before the first wash), which is almost 25% of the Gravity Weighted Blanket’s total mass. To be honest, since I sleep with a top sheet anyway, I might just use the blanket sans-cover throughout the summer; on its own, I prefer the naked inner lining’s 27-pound weight in comparison to the full 35 pounds. And this isn’t a problem, since the duvet cover is easy to fold and store.  

Gravity Weighted Blanket: Verdict

If your pockets are deep enough — and a good night’s sleep is a priority, as it should be — you can’t do much better than the original Gravity Weighted Blanket. The company has been around for years, and they’ve got a pretty solid selection in terms of weighted blankets, robes, and sleep masks. 

As a freelance tech journalist (and full-time city dweller), I try to keep my sleeping habits top-of-mind as I balance my ever-changing schedule with ever-evolving editorial projects; if I’m not careful, it’s easy for me to get stuck staring at high-res screens all day, which can wreak havoc on my sleep patterns. And so, I’ve been mindfully tweaking my bedroom over the past year in favor of healthier habits, which means the space is mostly free of all electronics and blue lighting. The Gravity Weighted Blanket makes an excellent complement to this bare-bones setup — once I acclimated to the extra weight in my bed at night. I must admit that I wake up more refreshed and ready to take on my day; the equal bead distribution does feel therapeutic as I drift off to La-La Land. And while it might be my imagination, I think I fall asleep slightly faster now, which is fantastic news for a career insomniac such as myself.