Staff
There’s a sound that urges you to buy a travel blanket on that chilly flight, road trip, or even festival. A blanket can be your best friend on a cold night. However, choosing a decent travel blanket can be challenging because numerous brands offer various sizes, fabrics, and prices.
We’re here to help with that! So, let us guide you to the best travel blanket based on your needs.
The 7 Top Rated Travel Blankets on the Market
Best Overall: BlueHills Ultra-Compact Travel Blanket
BlueHills’ line of travel blankets deserves our praise, especially the ultra-compact travel blanket. This blanket has everything you could want in a travel blanket.
First of all, it’s very compact and lightweight when packed. It measures 70 inches long and 56 inches wide when spread out, providing excellent coverage. When loaded into its portable case, it shrinks to 9 inches long and 4.5 inches wide, weighing 1 pound.
With this packed size, you can attach it to your bag using the clip designed on its case without feeling extra weight.
Moving on, the lightweight microfiber it’s made of provides just the right amount of warmth and comfort. You won’t feel it obstructing your movements or running stiffly on your body.
Although it appears to be a paper-like blanket, microfibers are pretty durable and easy to clean, so this one will last you a long time.
Finally, this BlueHills blanket is budget-friendly. It’s not waterproof like the SuitedNomad blanket or as durable as the Get Out blanket, but it’s undoubtedly good for the price.
Best Waterproof: SuitedNomad XL Waterproof Blanket
To be honest, a waterproof travel blanket is useful in various situations. Whether heading to a coastal destination, camping on a lake, or going to a festival, bringing a waterproof blanket is a brilliant idea.
While one side of SuitedNomad’s blanket is waterproof and windproof, the other side is made of soft plush. It also includes a thermal layering of polar fleece with a thickness of 300 gsm to keep you warm in freezing temperatures.
This double-sided blanket measures 82 inches long and 57 inches wide, which we like because it can be shared with someone. When packed, it measures 15 inches long by 7 inches wide and weighs about 4 pounds.
It’s not as small or light as the BlueHills blanket, but its perks make it worth considering.
The SuitedNomad waterproof blanket costs twice as much as the BlueHills one. It’s not the most affordable option, but at least your beach day won’t be ruined if your blanket gets wet or if someone spills his beer on it at the festival.
Best Electric Heated: Stalwart 75-BP800 Electric Blanket
This one is for road trip enthusiasts! If you’ve ever driven in the dead of winter, you know how this cold feeling in your bones can ruin a good time. This level of cold necessitates an additional heating source, and this is where Stalwart’s heating blanket comes in handy.
The Stalwart’s blanket includes a 12-volt heater that plugs into any car’s cigarette lighter. It has a 96-inch cord, allowing you to move around freely and even reach the back seat passengers.
With all of this electric heating, you’d think the blanket would be heavy, but it’s not; the heating wires are thin. The blanket is made of polyester and measures 59 inches long by 43 inches wide when spread out, weighing 0.63 ounces.
We wouldn’t call it compact, but it can be folded and stored in the trunk of your car without taking up too much space.
However, you should be cautious with this one because there have been reports of the blanket melting. Thus, it’s recommended that you unplug it when it becomes warm. Another drawback of this blanket is that it cannot be washed, so you have to clean stains on its surface by hand.
Given the integrated heating system, the Stalwart electric blanket is reasonably priced.
Best Value: World’s Best Cozy-Soft Microfleece Travel Blanket
Even though there are no out-of-the-box features here, this blanket still gets the job done. The World’s Best travel blanket will have a gentle feel on your skin as it’s made of microfleece.
It’s also light, weighing around 12 ounces and measuring 50 inches in length and 60 inches in width. However, it’s not compressible and doesn’t come with a portable case, as do most of the blankets on our list.
Now, behold the price, the World’s Best blanket costs less than all blankets on this list. Not bad, considering it’s soft, lightweight, and machine washable.
Best Travel Set: Pavilia Travel Blanket and Pillow Set
Pavilia designed an innovative 2-in-1 travel blanket and pillow set. We must admit that having a blanket that can also serve as a pillow is quite convenient.
The blanket is packaged in a casing made of the same soft fleece polyester that was used to make the blanket. This case contains zippers on both sides, as well as an adjustable strap for attaching it to your luggage.
When you’re ready to use it as a pillow, simply open the zippers and insert your hands into the packed blanket for extra support. Alternatively, you can keep it sealed and place it behind your head for a more relaxed neck posture.
As for its size, it’s 60 inches long and 43 inches wide. To fit in its case, the blanket can be compressed to 11 inches in length and 12 inches in width.
Best for Outdoor Activities: Get Out Gear Double Puffy Camping Blanket
Outdoorsy people, you’re going to love the Get Out blanket! Consider what you’d want in a blanket for hiking or camping, and you’ll find it here.
To begin, this double-puffy blanket contains 400g of synthetic insulation, which helps to retain heat for maximum warmth. It’s also water-resistant, thanks to its 20D ripstop nylon fabric and extra water-repellent finish.
Don’t worry about the puffiness; this blanket can be compressed to 6 inches in length and 12 inches in width. The blanket is originally 77 inches long and 50 inches wide, weighing 1.5 pounds. In fact, its size and durability make it ideal for a hammock setup.
Our favorite feature is that you can turn this blanket into a poncho! Bottoming it up will allow you to move around without the need to hold it.
Best Cashmere Wrap: Cashmere 4 U Wrap
Salute to anyone who travels in style, and so we chose the Cashmere 4 U wrap to complete your look. If you don’t want to walk around with a blanket, a shawl is a good alternative, especially if it’s made of 100% soft cashmere, as the Comfort 4 U wrap is.
We have to say it does look lovely, and the fabric drapes nicely on you. Additionally, cashmere is one of the world’s softest fabrics, so you’ll feel the coziness and fluffiness while wearing this wrap.
It’s also extremely thin, making it easy to pack and carry around. It does keep you warm on a cold flight, but we cannot guarantee that it’ll warm you up in freezing weather. The shawl measures 85 inches long and 25.5 inches wide.
Since cashmere is pricey, the shawl isn’t considered affordable. However, it offers decent value for money nevertheless.
What to Look For in a Travel Blanket
When shopping for a travel blanket, there are four things you should always look for:
Material
If you intend to use the blanket for light purposes, choose a soft material, such as microfleece or plush. However, if you intend to use the blanket for outdoor activities, you should look for more durable and water-resistant materials.
Either way, check to see if the blanket is comfortable enough for you to move around in.
Size
Moderation is key here; don’t go for something too small or too large. Look for a blanket that covers you from your neck to your feet; tiny blankets won’t provide you with enough warmth. Similarly, an excessively large blanket is unnecessary and will cause you trouble while packing it.
Portability
Of course, you’d want a blanket that’s easy to pack and take with you on your travels. Thus, look for a lightweight blanket that can be easily compressed and stored in your carry-on.
Ideally, choose blankets with portable pouches because they help shrink the blanket to a much smaller size. Besides, most of these pouches have straps, allowing you to easily attach them to any piece of luggage or simply carry it over your shoulder.
Washability
The easier it is to clean the blanket, the better. Travel blankets are prone to becoming dirty and stained, so choose one that’s easily washable to extend its lifespan.
Electric heated blankets, for example, shouldn’t be washed. Therefore, we recommend that if you get one, you keep it as a backup for extreme weather but not as your primary travel blanket.
To Wrap Up
You now know our top picks for travel blankets for every situation. It’s now up to you to choose the best travel blanket for you.
So far, our favorite is the Blue Hills Ultra-Compact travel blanket. We appreciate this one because it met all of our criteria for a travel blanket while staying within our budget.
