You sit down, pull the throw over yourself, and it's fine until you reach for your phone. Now one arm is out, there's a gap down your back, and when you get up for a snack the whole thing ends up on the floor. That's the problem a wearable blanket is made for.
It isn't better than a regular blanket at everything though. Here's how the two compare for the places you get cold.
What a wearable blanket is
A wearable blanket is a big, thick hoodie made out of blanket fabric. It has sleeves, a hood and usually a front pocket, and it's cut loose so it goes over whatever you're already wearing. Some people call it a blanket hoodie. Same thing.
The point is that it's attached to you. You can move your arms, stand up, walk to the kitchen and sit back down, and you're still covered the whole time.
Where a wearable blanket wins
On the couch. This is the big one. A throw only covers you while you sit still. A wearable blanket stays put when you lean over, turn to talk to someone or pick up the remote.
Using your hands. Phone, laptop, a bowl of something, a controller. With a regular blanket your arms are either under it and useless, or out of it and cold. Sleeves fix that.
Getting up and down. If you get up every 20 minutes, a throw is something you keep picking up off the floor. A wearable blanket comes with you.
Your back and neck. A blanket over your front leaves your back against a cold couch and your neck open. A hood and a back panel cover both.
Working from home. A cold home office is where a lot of people end up wearing one all day. You can type in it, take a call in it and get up for coffee in it.
Where a regular blanket still wins
In bed. A wearable blanket is not made to sleep in under a duvet. It bunches up when you roll over, and a hood is the last thing you want on a pillow. In bed, a regular blanket or a heavier duvet does the job better.
Covering your feet. Most wearable blankets stop somewhere around your legs, so your feet stay out. If cold feet are the problem, you still need a throw over your legs or a thick pair of socks.
Sharing. Two people on one couch can share a throw. You can't share a hoodie.
Covering a lot at once. A big throw over your whole body lying down on the couch covers more than a wearable blanket will.
The quick answer
If you're sitting up and moving around, wear it. If you're lying down or in bed, cover yourself with it.
A lot of people end up using both: the wearable blanket on top and a throw over the legs. That's the warmest setup on a couch, and it's what fixes the gap at the back and the cold feet at the same time.
Wearable blanket, blanket hoodie or fleece robe
These get mixed up a lot when you're shopping.
Wearable blanket and blanket hoodie are two names for the same thing: an oversized pullover in blanket fabric with a hood and sleeves. You pull it on over your head.
A sleeved blanket is a flat blanket with two arm holes. It covers your front and your legs, but nothing holds it on your back, so it slides around the same way a throw does when you get up.
A fleece robe opens at the front and ties with a belt. It's easier to take on and off, but the front opens up when you sit down, and most don't have a hood.
If the whole point is staying covered while you move around, the pullover kind does that best because there's no opening to slip.
Getting through a Canadian winter indoors
In a lot of Canadian apartments the heat is set by the building, or the windows are old and the living room never gets as warm as the bedroom. Turning the thermostat up isn't always an option, and when it is, the bill goes up with it.
Dressing warmer inside is the cheap fix. A wearable blanket over a sweater lets you sit in a cooler room for a whole evening without reaching for the thermostat.
What to look for in a wearable blanket
Thick fabric. Fleece weight is measured in grams per square metre (g/m²). Thin fleece, the kind in cheap throws, is often under 200. Something around 300 or more feels like an actual blanket.
Long sleeves with cuffs. Rib cuffs at the wrist stop the sleeves from riding up and letting cold air in when you reach for things.
A real pocket. One big front pocket for your hands, or two pockets for your hands and your phone.
A loose fit. It should go over a sweater without pulling. One size that's cut wide is fine for most people.
A lining in the hood. The hood is the part against your face and hair, so a soft lining there makes a difference.
Machine washable. You'll wear it a lot, so it'll get washed a lot.
Our Wearable Blanket
Our Wearable Blanket is thick polyester fleece, 301 to 350 g/m², with a white lining in the hood, long sleeves with rib cuffs and two big front pockets for your hands or your phone.
It's one size, 88 cm long and cut loose so it goes over what you're wearing. It comes in grey, navy, pink, black or wine red, and it's C$49.99 with free shipping to 96 countries and 30 day returns.
Other ways to stay warm on the couch
A wearable blanket is one piece of it. A few more that cost little or nothing:
- Socks and slippers, because cold floors pull heat out through your feet.
- A rug or a folded blanket under your feet if the floor is tile or laminate.
- Close the curtains as soon as it gets dark, since windows lose a lot of heat at night.
- Put the couch a little away from an outside wall or a window if you can.
- A hot water bottle on your lap or behind your back.
If you're shopping for someone who's always cold, our sleep gifts guide has the Wearable Blanket and a few more ideas, and everything that makes a good gift is in our sleep gifts collection.
Want a wearable blanket with a heater and a timer? Heated robe vs electric blanket covers that one.