Silentnight Teddy Fleece Electric Blanket Double – Heating Underblanket with 3 Heat Settings, Easy Fit Elasticated Straps and Overheat Protection – Machine Washable - Double (120x135cm)

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My advice is that you need a cool bedroom and a warm bed. Getting into a cold bed may be perceived by your brain and body as a threat, increasing wakefulness.” Then, via the control pad (or your smart phone) you switch it on, and choose between heat settings and – on the better models – select a time. How safe is an electric blanket? Where the blankets had dual controls, we also looked at how accurate the settings were on each side and if there was any temperature crossover when the settings were different.

There’s something luxurious about this 100 per cent cotton Dreamland electric blanket, a far cry from the cheap polyester feeling of some brands. Unlike others on this list, there’s no elasticated skirt or straps, instead it relies on a rather effective anti-slip grip on the underside. Dr Stanley says switching on an electric blanket around half an hour before bed should make it perfectly cosy to get into, letting you drift to sleep naturally, but you should set it to turn off some time after you nod off. All the blankets I tested were able to warm up the bed in 30 minutes or less, costing less than 3p at today’s prices. What makes a good electric blanketThe blanket straps to the mattress securely with a corner tie and Silentnight claims it’s fine for use with memory foam mattresses. It’s also machine-washable at 40˚C. The Comfort Control isn’t the longest blanket, so it might not keep your tootsies warm, but otherwise it’s great. If you don’t want extras such as specially heated zones or dual controls, why pay more? This one also avoids a lot of the usual underblanket pitfalls: it’s big enough to cover most of the bed; the deep, elasticated skirt stops it riding up during the night; there’s no cold central zone between the two regions, and any wires are nicely unobtrusive. There’s a super-king size available and you can even wash it at 30˚C. The Homefront is a blanket with a mid-range price tag but one that works and feels like a high-end option. High-resistance wires – these days often made of carbon fibre – heat up as an electrical current passes through them. The heat is transferred via fireproof plastic coating to the bedlinen itself. Your blanket will come with a plug (or two if it’s dual-control), which usually extends to around a metre or so. Attach it to your mattress via its straps or elastic skirt, place your sheet over it, and then make your bed as usual. Make sure your duvet fully covers the bed so as not to dissipate the heat. Dual controls will also let you adjust settings during the night without disturbing your partner. Blankets that have these – often size double and upwards – will have left and right zones, so the settings can be customised if there are two of you in the bed. Are electric blankets safe? All the heated blankets on our list have auto-shut off settings, which turn them off after a certain amount of time, minimising the risk of any accidents. Some even let you decide how long they run for, thanks to nifty in-built timers.

There were nine settings for feet and body, ranging from boiling-hot nine to barely noticeable one; four or five was optimal for me. The timer has four settings: one, five, eight and 12 hours. An electric blanket has a plug in that when turned on, the electricity is transformed into heat through the cables that are running through the blanket. They also feature a thermostat which regulates the temperature. how safe are electric blankets? The Homefront offers dual control, which helps save on energy. The LCD control pad was simple to use and, on top of choosing which side you want to heat, you can also differentiate between body and legs, with nine different temperature settings for each. Which you choose is largely a matter of personal preference, but manufacturers of memory foam mattresses often advise against heated pads because they restrict the mattress’s ability to mould to your body, and there’s a risk of the foam itself getting damaged in the long term. What differences are there between blankets?All electric blankets warm your bed, but they differ in how long they take to heat up and how much control you have over the temperature. Some take under five minutes to warm up, while others take substantially longer. That’s not necessarily a problem if your blanket has a timer and your bedtimes are regular, but it’s worth thinking about. While health benefits shouldn’t be exaggerated, you might find if you suffer from a condition like arthritis or poor circulation that an electric blanket can alleviate some of the pain. Electric blankets are ultimately more cost-effective during the winter as they cost less than putting the heating and heating a whole house. how do electric blankets work? What’s more, the generous padding and 180-thread cotton count cover give you a luxury feel even when the heating’s off. Put it all together and you’ve got a terrific topper for the cold months, but one you might want to keep in place the whole all year round.