These top-rated electric blankets are warmer (and cheaper) than a heater

Best for: Luxe comfort and control

Sunbeam has designed this electric blanket to be easy to use and incredibly comfortable on your bed, with fully fitted top layer made of 250gsm quilted cotton and polyester fabric for ultimate comfort. It has a quick, five-minute heat up, six heat settings and auto-off settings for one, five and nine hours.

“Absolute sleep perfection,” one customer shared in a five-star review on the Myer website, where it has a 4.8-star average from over 204 customers. “I love the range of temps (from ‘just take the chill off’, all the way to ‘sauna’). The timer though? Game changer! It will automatically turn off in an hour or, on those freezing nights, can be programmed for nine hours – keeping me cosy all night.”

Sizes: Single, queen, king, super king

Key features:

• Five-minute heat up
• Six heat settings, with dual controls for each side of the bed
• Auto-off settings for one, five and nine hours
• Safety overheat protection
• 250gsm quilted cotton and polyester fabric with antimicrobial treatment
• Machine washable
• Three year warranty

Also available at:

• $223.20 (usually $279) at Myer
• $249 at The Good Guys
• $279 at David Jones

02

Onkaparinga Multi Zone fitted electric blanket (queen)

$259, Pillow Talk

Best for: Zoned warmth control

If you like different temperatures for your upper and lower body (or just want warm feet without overheating), this one’s worth a look. The Onkaparinga Multi Zone has separate heating zones you can control independently, plus an easy-to-use LED controller on each side. The fitted skirt helps it stay in place, and the whole thing is machine washable once you unplug the controls.

“I bought this blanket because I get cramps in my legs at night,” posted a recent review on the Pillow Talk website. “Well no more. This blanket has changed my life. I no longer have to leap out of bed because of agonising cramps. The gentle warmth keeps my legs warm all night and my body at the right temperature. I turn the whole blanket on to four about half an hour before I go to bed. Then turn the top half off and leave the bottom on to three or four depending on how cold it is. Highly recommended if you have leg cramping problems.”

Another shared: “This is the perfect electric blanket. Lots of options for heating different areas, easy to understand/use settings and doesn’t overheat one side when the other is tuned differently.”

Sizes: King single, double, queen, king

Key features:

• Dual controllers with LED display
• Four heat settings
• Two separate heating zones
• Deep 41cm fitted skirt
• Machine washable (remove controllers first)
• Made to Australian standards
• Two-year warranty

Shop Now

Best for: Cosy wool and heat zones

With a thick Australian wool pile and four multi-zone heat controls (top and bottom for each side of the bed), this electric blanket offers you cosy comfort to last all through the night. In fact, it has nine heat settings and a timer for up to 12 hours. Its 50cm fitted skirt is also designed to to fit over larger, modern mattresses and it’s also machine-washable.

“I last had an electric blanket in 1969,” wrote one five-star reviewer on the Linen House website. “I was always too hot and the bed was lumpy. I read reviews and chose a ‘Linen House’ wool blanket for this cold winter and because I suffer from night cramps and interrupted sleep.”

“I am delighted to say it is a good choice. Smooth on the bed, with zones for body and feet. Nine heat settings for each and four choices of timing to turn off. It comes in its own case for storage if needed. The price, buying online from Linen House, was moderate and it was promptly delivered. This equals total comfort and satisfaction.”

Sizes: Single, long single, king single, double, queen, king, super king, long length, split

Key features:

• Australian wool top layer, with polyester skirt
• Nine heat settings and four heat zones for ultimate heat control
• 50cm fitted skirt to fit over modern mattresses
• Machine washable
• Two year warranty

Also available at:

• $269 (usually $369.99) at Manchester Factory
• $314.99 (usually $449.99) at The Iconic
• $449.99 at Myer

Best for: Value under $100

This best-selling electric blanket (it was #1 on Amazon when we last checked) has controllers for both sides of the bed, with three heat settings and ergonomic controls. It’s also made with a soft, 450gsm padding and a generous 50cm skirt to fit just about any mattress.

“Great quality. Have used this for two winter season now and still works so well,” one Australian customer shared in a five-star review on Amazon, where it has a 4.4-star average from over 1196 customer ratings. “Pro tip – buy the next size up (super king for a king size mattress), then the ethical cord won’t stick and and tucks nicely to the side,” the customer added.

Another said: “This heated mattress pad has really helped keep the bed cosy and warm this winter. The super king size fits our cal king mattress like a fitted sheet with generous depth. The wires are barely noticeable and, trust me, as a very light sleeper I was worried about this. The only slight negative for me is I don’t love the controller as it is illuminated when powered on, but dark and hard to read when off.”

Sizes: Single, king single, long king single, queen, king, super king, split king

Key features:

• Three heat settings
• Dual controllers
• Electronic overheat protection
• Advanced overheat protection

Also available at:

• $69 (usually $79) at Fantastic Furniture
• $80.96 (usually $89.95) at Myer
• $80.96 (usually $119.95) at Dick Smith

Best for: Wool-blended warmth

Made from 70 per cent Australian wool and 30 per cent polyester, this electric blanket has insulating properties to keep you toasty warm all through the night. It has a simple control with nine heat settings and dual controls so you can keep your side of the bed at just the right temperature.

“Very easy to use, so plush and feels amazing,” one customer shared in a five-star review at Myer (currently out of stock), where it has a 4.5-star average from a handful of customers. It also has a 4.6-star average from over 23 reviews on Google, with one customer sharing: “I bought a queen size and it’s a perfect fit for my bed. It makes my bed so cosy and soft. Took a minute or two to work out the heat settings, but now that l know the correct temp for me it’s great.”

Sizes: Queen, king

Key features:

• Nine heat settings
• 70 per cent Australian wool and 30 per cent polyester blended fabric
• Fully fitted elastic skirt
• Removable dual controllers for easy maintenance
• Machine washable
• Three year warranty

Also available at:

• $219.95 for king size (usually $239.95) at Amazon
• $229.99 (usually $239.99) at Temple & Webster

Best for: Top-to-toe heating

Tailor the temperature of your bed with this electric blanket that has six heat settings across both upper and lower body zones for ultimate customisation. So if your feet tend to get cold, for example, you could turn up the heat there without overheating the rest of your body.

In fact, one customer who reviewed it on David Jones (currently sold out) praised it for just that, writing in a four-star review: “Good blanket, as the dual zone heating works well for me as I always have cold feet. An annoying feature is the excess cord for each heating unit – it’s very annoying and we haven’t worked out what to do about it other than tying up with plastic wire.”

Another customer, who left a five-star review said it was great “having the ability to turn just feet or body or both sections on together or individually, control the heat of both sections and being able to set the timer”.

Sizes: King single, queen, king

Key features:

• LCD screen illuminates when programming settings and then dims when set
• Six heat settings across both upper and lower body zones
• Auto setting remembers the last heat and auto-off settings programmed
• Auto-off safety timer can be set to turn blanket off from one to nine hours
• Three-year replacement warranty

Also available at:

• $269 at Breville

Best for: Bigger beds

With dimensions of 200 x 203 centimetres, this bamboo-blend quilted electric blanket is ideal for luxuriously large beds. Its dual controls have simple-to-use, ergonomic sliders so you can easily choose between the three heat settings on both sides of the bed.

“Great quality, love the texture and feel of the bamboo quilting,” one Australian customer shared in a five-star review on Amazon, where it has a 4.4-star average from over 147 global ratings. “Has totally transformed bedtime in a poorly-insulated Aussie home.”

A second shopper wrote: “What I wanted was an electric blanket that I couldn’t feel the wires in and a controller so easy I could turn it off and on while asleep. Tick and tick. Can’t feel the wires, so can leave it on the bed all year. And the controller is a flip up and down. I’d say it warms pretty quickly, which I like. My husband likes to sleep cold and I like to sleep hot, so having the individual sides is awesome. I’d buy it again.”

Sizes: Queen, king, super king

Key features:

• Luxurious 240gsm filling, made with 35 per cent bamboo rayon and 65 per cent polyester jacquard knitted fabric
• Three heat settings
• Dual controllers
• Overheating and overcurrent protection
• Machine washable

Also available at:

• $170.96 (usually $189.95) at Myer
• $170.96 (usually $249.95) at Kogan
• $189 at Big W
• $189 at MyDeal

Best for: Reliable everyday warmth

Silentnight is one of the most trusted sleep brands in the UK, with over 70 years’ experience in creating products to help the whole family sleep better. As well as dual controls, this electric blanket is designed to sit neatly away from the edges of the bed and remain flat for safety, with elasticated straps to fit it in place.

It’s also a best-seller, with almost 48,000 customer ratings on Amazon giving it an average of 4.4 stars. “Overall, this is a good, reliable product, and I have not had any problems with it over the past four years of use. I would happily recommend it, so a full five stars from me,” one customer in the UK shared in their detailed review after four years’ using it.

Sizes: Single, double, king

Key features:

• Three heat settings
• Ultra fast heat up
• Cheap to run
• Overheat protection
• Machine washable
• Three year warranty

Best for: Budget-friendly basic warmth

At the more affordable end of the spectrum, this electric blanket from Jason ticks the boxes for a warmer, comfier bed in winter. It features a soft polyester cover, a deep fitted skirt that stays in place and a simple slide controller with three heat settings.

It has also earned itself a 4.5-star average from over 310 Google reviews.

“Very happy to have added this electric blanket to my bed. It fits well on the bed and you cannot feel it when sleeping on it. It doesn’t move or bunch up. Heats up quickly and evenly,” one Australian customer shared in a five-star review.

Some users mentioned it stopped working after a year or two, so it’s worth holding onto your receipt and checking the warranty – as well as your rights under Australian Consumer Law.

Key features:

• Three heat setting
• User-friendly controllers
• Fully fitted knitted skirt designed to fit all mattress depths
• Safety overheat protection
• Machine washable

Also available at:

• $93.60 at Woolworths