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5 best blankets and throws in the UK 2020 and 2021
If you're looking for a blanket or a throw blanket, I would start by deciding which material you'd like it to be made from. That might sound like a very nerdy way of doing your shopping, but it makes a big difference to how much it costs. There are two main options:
Generally speaking, a throw is smaller than a blanket. However, there's not a whole lot of consistency online and the two words are sometimes used interchangeably. Throws are sometimes called throw blankets, just to confuse you.
We've chosen a selection of different types of blankets and throws for our top 5, including some cheap blankets and some luxury blankets made from natural materials. We made our selections based on value for money, materials, brand reputation and customer reviews.
Prices are for the cheapest size available, although the size of a blanket or throw does vary a bit.
- The cheapest blankets (£10+) are usually made from a synthetic/manmade material such as polyester. They come in lots of different styles and colours. They're durable and they're usually washable. Popular options are thick 'faux fur' blankets, soft velvet blankets and smooth satin blankets. The downside with a polyester blanket or throw is that it isn't very breathable, so it might make you a bit hot. Some blankets are 'polycotton' which is a combination of breathable cotton and durable polyester.
- A more expensive option is a cotton blanket/throw or a wool blanket/throw (£50-£100ish). They don't come in as many styles and they're not quite so durable but they are more breathable and are made from natural materials. If a wool blanket is just described as 'wool' then it is the bog standard stuff, whereas alpaca blankets or cashmere wool blankets are much more expensive (£150 - £400). Silk is another mega pricey natural blanket material.
Generally speaking, a throw is smaller than a blanket. However, there's not a whole lot of consistency online and the two words are sometimes used interchangeably. Throws are sometimes called throw blankets, just to confuse you.
We've chosen a selection of different types of blankets and throws for our top 5, including some cheap blankets and some luxury blankets made from natural materials. We made our selections based on value for money, materials, brand reputation and customer reviews.
Prices are for the cheapest size available, although the size of a blanket or throw does vary a bit.
1. Catherine Lansfield Raschel Velvet Throw/blanket - £25 (7 COLOUR CHOICES)
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This Catherine Lansfield throw/blanket is described as velvet, although a lot of reviewers say it is more of a soft fleece throw.
As you may have guessed from the price, it is made from synthetic materials rather than posher natural materials. Synthetic materials aren't so good at regulating your temperature, so there's a chance of getting a bit hot if you're sleeping underneath it. However, synthetic blankets and throws have the big advantage of being easy to look after and they come in a bigger range of colours and styles. This one can be put in a washing machine, which is certainly preferable to trips to the dry cleaners which is what a lot of natural blankets need (or you can just leave them unwashed for 30 years). For the price, you get a very large blanket, which is 200x240cm (about 6 foot x 8 foot). That means you could use it as a bed throw as it will cover a king size mattress with 45cm overhanging on each side. You could also use it as a sofa throw for most two seater sofas and some smaller three seater sofas. This throw comes in a choice of 7 different colours including grey, pink and blue. Customer scores were averaging 4.7/5 after 400+ reviews. |
This large fleece blanket is made from synthetic materials...
...but it comes in several colours and gets great reviews
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2. Dreamscene Faux Fur Fleece Throw/Blanket - £15 (11 colour choices)
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This faux fur throw/blanket from Dreamscene is a billy bargain which may explain why it's had thousands of customer reviews and an average score of 4.6/5.
It comes in 11 different colours including red, purple, pink and teal. As with the Catherine Lansfield throw/blanket (#1) it is 100% polyester, so it's not a luxurious natural material which will impress your neighbours if it gets delivered to their house whilst you're out. It's described as a faux fur throw or a mink throw, which seems to be a general term for a soft and fluffy blanket or throw. The big advantage with this blanket is that it comes in three different sizes, which are called 'single' (125cm x 150cm) 'double' (150cm x 200cm) and 'king size' (200cm x 240cm). They correspond to the suggested size for covering a single, double or king size bed with a bit of overhang. However, the single size version and double size version won't cover the pillows whilst the king size version will cover the whole bed. The simplest thing is to get the tape measure out before you order to check it's right for you. The main downside is that this blanket is hand wash only, despite being made from synthetic materials. |
For the price, you get a throw blanket with good reviews, a choice of sizes...
...and a big range of colours
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Similar blankets to consider:
- John Lewis & Partners sell a similar style faux fur throw/blanket (£95). It costs a lot more and only comes in one size (150cm x 200cm) but customers give it very positive reviews. You can choose from 6 colours including mustard, teal or as a pink blanket/throw.
3. Catherine Lansfield Chunky Knit Throw/blanket - £23 (3 colour choices)
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Here's another good value throw/blanket from Catherine Lansfield. This one is more of a chunky knit blanket and it comes in grey, red or a yellow/mustard colour.
The main thing to note with this one is that it is smaller than most blankets and throws. It's only 125cm x 150cm which means it would be fine for using as a single bed throw without covering the pillows. It's made from acrylic, which is another synthetic material. It's a durable material but it can make you very warm. Some people have given this throw a lower review score because it's smaller than they expected (although to be fair, the size is clearly labelled in the description). Overall, it scores 4.2/5 from reviewers. A plus point with this blanket is that it's machine washable at 40 degrees. |
This chunky knit throw blanket is one of the smaller ones on the market...
...but it's good value and you can buy matching cushion covers
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4. Made.com Grove 100% Cotton Waffle blanket/throw - £49 (6 colour choices)
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A cotton blanket or throw like this one from Made.com will cost you a bit more than a polyester or acrylic one but they're more breathable. That makes them much better if you plan to sleep underneath them and don't fancy waking up in a sweat.
It's got a waffle pattern which makes it a bit stretchy. You can choose from 6 different colours, including charcoal, stone and terracotta - or dark grey, light grey and red if you like to keep things simple. This blanket is 150cm x 200cm, which is a common size. It makes it suitable to use as a bed throw on a double bed or king size bed as long as you don't want to cover up the pillows and foot of the bed. You could use it on a small sofa, but it won't completely cover a larger sofa. Customer reviews are really good, averaging 4.6/5 from 80+ reviews. Made.com gets good scores overall too, with a current TrustPilot score of 4.4/5 after tens of thousands of reviews. |
If you can afford it, a cotton throw blanket like this one from Made.com is more breathable...
...and it has a waffle pattern which makes it quite stretchy
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5. John Lewis & Partners Plain Wool throw Blanket - £80 (10 colour choices)
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This blanket/throw from John Lewis & Partners is made from wool and comes in 10 colours, several of which are very nice in my opinion. There are shades of blue, orange, red and more neutral colours too.
As with cotton blankets, a wool blanket tends to cost quite a lot more than a synthetic blanket. Most wool blankets are also quite thin, unless they've been knitted into a chunky throw. However, a wool blanket is appealing because of its ability to regulate your temperature and because it's a genuinely natural material rather than something which has been artificially created. The breathability of wool is less of a factor if you're just sitting on the blanket to cover up your sofa, but it's a real plus point if you're using it on top of a duvet. Customer reviews scores were at a red-hot 4.8/5 when I checked. It only comes in one size, which is 140cm x 190cm. That means it would make a good bed throw on a double mattress or king size mattress, as long as you didn't mind it just covering the lower half of the bed rather than the whole thing. If you're after a blanket to cover the whole bed, take a look at our fascinating bedspread guide. |
Wool blankets are naturally good at regulating your temperature
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Similar wool blankets and throws to consider:
- You can get even posher wool blankets which are usually wool and cashmere blended together (£170) or made from alpaca wool (£350).
