The Gravity Blanket is probably the most popular and widely sold weighted blanket. Launched on Kickstarter, the founders raised $4,729,263 from 23,805 backers. It was named TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2018. Over the past few years, Gravity has expanded its product line to include other sleep-related products, including aromatherapy pillows, duvets, and weighted eye masks. Is the Gravity blanket worth the hype? With dozens of companies now selling weighted blankets, there is no shortage of options. In this review, we will go over the key features, construction/materials, quality, and discuss our experience using the Gravity blanket for five nights.
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Weighted blankets provide Deep Pressure Stimulation, which is a firm but gentle pressure on the body that relaxes the nervous system. That feeling is similar to a nice hug, not a one-handed hug from a stranger, but a hug from an old friend. The pressure from the weight of the blanket promotes deeper sleep and increased relaxation by minimizing body movements, which results in a deeper REM cycle. With that said, the weighted blanket is not for everyone. Those who typically find the best results from using a blanket include those with Autism, Restless Leg Syndrome, PTSD, Insomnia, or those with anxiety.
Gravity keeps it relatively straightforward in its offerings of weighted blankets. It is a choice between colors (grey, navy, and white) and weight (15 lb, 20 lb, 25 lb). There is just one sized blanket, which measures 72” x 48” which is about 3” shorter and 9” wider than a twin mattress. Gravity blankets are personal-sized blankets because each individual varies in their weight.
Choose a blanket that is approximately 10% of your body weight. So if you weigh 145 pounds, you would choose the 15 lb blanket. There is some wiggle room based on personal preference, but more weight isn’t always better. For a more detailed discussion and tips, read our guide on choosing a weighted blanket.
The Gravity weighted blankets come integrated into a duvet cover. When we first pulled the blanket out of its carrying case, we didn’t know it had a duvet cover on the outside of the weighted blanket. The blanket was set very tight to the edges of the duvet, and when grabbing it, you didn’t feel like the weighted area had shifted or was missing from the duvet.
The Gravity blanket features fourteen total ties and clips. The weighted blanket stays in the duvet better than many of the other weighted blankets we have tried. One of the straps is similar to ribbon, and the other is an additional elastic band with a button. The fabric bow kept the weighted blanket, and the duvet connected snug to the edge of the duvet while the elastic band allowed the weighted blanket to flex slightly inside the duvet cover.
Made from 100% polyester microfiber, the duvet cover has a plush mink feeling that is soft on the skin. A zipper runs down the length of the duvet and is well hidden and felt while cuddling with the blanket. All of the materials used in the Gravity blanket are hypoallergenic.
The weighted blanket itself has 5” sections filled with micro glass beads to give the blanket weight and a polyester batting, which reduces movement of the beads. The sections aren’t the smallest we have tried in our reviews of weighted blankets. Having an additional seam or reducing those squares by 1” would have kept the blanket slightly more balanced.
Without even considering the weight, the plushness of the mink-like duvet cover was comforting in itself. I tend to think of the plush style polyester blankets as cheap, but this didn’t feel that way. However, I would be skeptical about washing it, not knowing how well the softness held up after a round in the washing machine.
After sleeping with the duvet cover for a few nights, we didn’t find it very breathable. Overall the Gravity weighted blanket slept hot. During summer months, consider removing the duvet cover or buy a cooling duvet cover from Gravity. At $50, a cooling duvet cover should allow your Gravity blanket to work better year-round in a variety of climates. We wouldn’t consider buying a duvet cover from another company because the Gravity weighted blanket should be strapped with all 14 connections to maintain the best sleeping experience.
Since all of the Gravity blankets are individual-sized, it was a different experience than sharing a typical King sized comforter with my partner. To test out the weighted blanket, I used a sheet with the Gravity weighted blanket on top. Once the weighted blanket was over my body, it provided a relatively immediate sense of calm. The hugging of the blanket and the weight was comforting.
At six feet tall, the blanket was long enough to go from my neck to my feet. If I pulled it too high to bunch around my neck, then my toes would stick out if I when fully extended. At 5’6 my wife and had no issues with the size of the blanket.
Upon 3rd party reviews on the Gravity blankets there were a number of complaints that the blanket was too small for some sleepers. Your experience will vary depending on your body size and how you use a blanket. In response to a customer complaint about the blanket being too small, Gravity responded with the following explanation: at “72″ x 48″ inches, it is created to focus on the key pressure points of the body such as the arms, chest, abdomen, thighs, and calves. It is not meant to cover the area of the feet for long periods of time – the weight may be too heavy for the area. “
Like all weighted blankets, there is an adjustment period of at least 3-4 days to get used to sleeping with the added weight. At first, you may wake up because it is harder to move around with all the pressure on your body, and gradually, your body will stop moving around as much as night. If you find that the weight is too much while sleeping, the Gravity blanket works well as a throw. Wrap it around your shoulders or use it on your lap to get the benefits from using weighted blankets. Fortunately, Gravity has a 30 day trial period to provide the opportunity to try the weighted blanket in a variety of situations. You may also want to review our other weighted blanket reviews.
The duvet is machine washable. Wash in cold water, tumble dry on low. The inner weighted blanket should be spot cleaned or hand washed only. It should be air-dried and not put in the dryer. As mentioned above, the weighted blanket connects to the duvet in 14 places. And in EACH spot, there are two connections, the fabric bow and the elastic strap with a button. So basically, there are 28 connections between the duvet and weighted blanket that need to detached and reattached. We loved all the straps because it made the blanket and duvet feel as if they were one, but washing is a pain. We didn’t test to see how long it would take to remove all the straps because we knew it would be time-consuming to remove and put it all back together.
30-days sleep trial. However, customers are responsible for all return shipping charges. Please know that the Gravity blanket must be returned with the plastic case.
The overall quality of Gravity blankets is quite good. The plush duvet feels so soft, and the weighted blanket stays closely connected to it. Since they come with the duvet by default, they are on the pricier side. Consider it an investment in better sleep. With a 30 day sleep trial it is easy to test out the Gravity weighted blanket yourself.
Have you tried the Gravity Blanket? Let us know your experience as a comment below.
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