Weighted blankets NZ: You’ve got quite a few options for buying a weighted blanket here, lucky! They have exploded in popularity recently as they’ve made the crossover from therapeutic tool to lifestyle product for everyday use, and now I use one myself, it’s easy to see why.
Lauded for their stress-busting properties and ability to improve your sleep, perhaps it’s no great surprise more and more kiwis are giving weighted blankets a go in these uncertain times.
I’ll guide you through six of the best options in the New Zealand market (including my recommended blanket), and answer common questions about weighted blankets.
Haven’t got time to read the whole article? Here’s the guts of what you need to know :
- Groundd make the best weighted blanket in NZ. I use mine on my bed every night and I love the bamboo cover.
- Sleep Heavy have the best range of weighted blanket if you don’t want bamboo. I particularly like their minky kids blanket and their knit throw style blanket that can style up your lounge. Click here and use code BEST10 to save 10% on yours.
- There are other great NZ brands out there such as Sensory Sam, specializing in sensory products for kids, with a great range of blankets.
- There are three other brands that make popular weighted blankets in NZ: Oodie, Ecosa and Therapy Blankets. These are all Australian owned and I think your NZ owned options are actually nicer and better value for money.
Please note I am focusing on weighted blankets as a lifestyle product for adults. It is not my place to discuss their therapeutic uses as this is is not my area of expertise (you’ll want the input of a professional such as an Occupational Therapist).
What To Look For In A Weighted Blanket
- Weight: is the blanket available in the right weight for you to get the benefits? A good guideline is approximately 10 – 15% of your body weight, which means 7 – 9 kg should work for most adults. Example: I weigh in the 60 kg body weight range, my husband is 80kg. We have one 7 kg blanket that works for both of our body weights, (except for the fact we fight over who gets to use it)
- Filling: look for weighted glass beads (not plastic)
- Feel: ideally the weighted blanket will have a removable cover in a soft fabric. I highly recommend you look for bamboo for its silky softness and breathability
- Ease of use: look for a weighted blanket with strong quilting throughout so the beads don’t pool in one spot. You’ll want a removable cover (for easy washing) that is easy to attach to the inner so it doesn’t bunch up in that annoying way regular duvets can!
- Trial period/returns policy: weighted blankets feel different to a standard blanket and they’re not cheap. You’ll more than likely be buying yours online (that’s where the best options are) so knowing you can return it risk free if it’s not for you makes buying one that bit easier
- Price: in my opinion, around $200-$350 is a fair price to pay for a quality, adult size weighted blanket
Overview Of Your Options
Let’s cut straight to the best – my favourite weighted blanket is Groundd – because they tick all the boxes of what to look for in a weighted blanket, and they’re lovely people to spend your money with, too.
Groundd gave me a weighted blanket to try after I reached out to them to say I thought they had the best on the market, but we’re seriously considering buying a second to stop fighting over the one we have. If we do, it will definitely be another from Groundd!
1. Groundd Weighted Blanket (Top Choice – Best Overall Blanket)
Groundd is a kiwi company, founded by a young couple who were searching for a better sleep solution when they came across weighted blankets. They then designed their own, and Groundd was born. Groundd is mostly based online, but if you live in Auckland you can click and collect from their HQ. Groundd also make amazing sheet sets out of the same bamboo lyocell they use for their weighted blanket covers.
- Groundd weighted blankets are available in two colours: moonlight (like a dark steely grey) or glacier (like a light grey)
- Available in 3.2, 7, or 9 kg with glass bead filling – the beads Groundd use have a special coating on them to stop them pooling
- Bamboo lyocell cover – this gives a smooth and silky feel to the blanket
- You’ll pay $280 for a regular size, 7 kg Groundd blanket. This is the best price you’ll find for this size and with a removable cover (important for washing!)
- Free shipping (shipping is fast: Groundd got my blanket to me in Christchurch within 2 days right at the start of the Christmas rush period)
My opinion:
I’ve already said this is my favourite weighted blanket in the country, and I’d decided it was the best option before they gave me one. It’s a great quality blanket, and it’s also the best price you’re going to find. I can tell you first hand that the quality here is excellent, and I’m a little bit amazed that Groundd offer their blankets at this price when you read on to see what their competition is charging.
2. Sleep Heavy – Best Range
Similar to the founding story of Groundd, Sleep Heavy is owned by a genuinely nice kiwi couple, Indy and Cory, who were looking for better tools to improve their sleep. They founded Sleep Heavy in 2017.
- Big range: kids blankets with nice covers, then three options for adults (cotton, minky, or chunky knit). Note there’s no bamboo option though. Read more about their kids weighted blankets here.
- Weights available for adults are 6.8, 9, or 11 kg. There is also a 13.6 kg King/Queen sized option. All have glass bead filling, apart from the chunky knit blanket
- The cotton covered weighted blanket is available in grey, the mink and knit blankets are available in three colours
- Priced from $379.99 for a single size, 6.8kg blanket (cotton or mink only, the knit ones are more again). They often run sales, so you may pick one up to closer to $300
- Free shipping and 30 night trial, awesome!
My opinion:
Again, Sleep Heavy weighted blankets look nice, and they certainly do the job. The chunky knit options are great for your lounge or as a stylish addition to your bed in winter. The minky ones are extremely soft and cozy, and come with cool features like sensory dots for kids.
3. Sensory Sam
Sensory Sam is a beautiful NZ company, founded by a mum who struggled to find the sensory products she needed to help her child on the autism spectrum. The Sensory Sam webstore is packed full of wonderful objects to help reduce sensory overload, and they’re the place to go if you want a weighted blanket with patterns on the cover.
- 5 Fun cover options such as whales or rainbows
- Available in 2.2, 4.5, 6.8, or 8 kg with glass bead filling
- Soft cotton cover
- The cost of a Sensory Sam 6.8 kg blanket is $309, shipping is only $5 within NZ so you’re looking at $314 for your adult size weighted blanket. Note: these blankets are heavy, so $5 postage is a good price
- No trial period, but there is a 14 day returns policy (packaging must be intact and the customer covers return postage)
My opinion:
I think Sensory Sam is a great place to get a weighted blanket for your child, with their great smaller weight options and beautiful patterns. If you’re using a weighted blanket for your child I recommend you discuss the potential benefits with your relevant health professional first, to make sure it’s the right choice for your situation. NEVER use them with infants.
4. Oodie
You probably know Oodie for their famously snuggly wearable hooded blankets (I MIGHT be wearing mine as I write this). They’re the first of the Aussie brands I want to introduce to you, based in Adelaide. They offer their weighted blankets either as a separate purchase or as a bundle with an Oodie.
- Available in either grey or light blue as shown above
- Available in 3 weights: 4.5kg, 6.8kg, or 9kg
- Glass bead filling
- Soft, minky feel outer
- Cover not removable, blanket is handwash only
- Price: $159AUD for any weight, and Oodie always has a discount. Click here to check what it is today.
- Shipping: $39. This is pretty hefty so keep this in mind if you decide to buy from Oodie.
My opinion:
If you want a cheap weighted blanket with a soft feel, you’ll like Oodie, especially if you take advantage of one of their bundle deals. However, I don’t really like the fact that the cover is not removable and there are a few people complaining about the quality of the stitching, so it appears that it’s cheaper for a reason.
5. Therapy Blanket
Therapy Blanket is an Australian company, and they’ll charge you Australian dollars. Why include them? When I typed “weighted blankets NZ” into Google, theirs was the first to pop up so I couldn’t leave them out.
- Therapy Blankest have a nice range with two blanket types and four colours
- Adaptive blanket: a blanket with a reversible cover (one side plush, the other bamboo)
- Bamboo: a bamboo lyocell very similar to what Groundd use. While I think the plush in the Adaptive is a nice idea, I think just a straight bamboo cover is better for breathability and comfort
- Available in 5, 7, 9, 11 kg with glass bead filling
- Prices: you’ll pay $349 plus $20 shipping for the 7 kg adult Therapy Blanket. Remember, that’s Australian dollars.
- $20 Shipping
- 30 Night trial (keep in mind you’ll be paying return shipping to Australia here)
My opinion:
Therapy Blankets make a nice range of quality blankets that will work well, but I think you’ll be paying a lot more than you need to (and you won’t be buying from a Kiwi company). But, if you really have your heart set on a colour that’s a bit brighter, they’re the place to buy from.
5. Ecosa
Ecosa is an Australian company best known for their popular memory foam mattress. Since the massive success of their mattress, Ecosa have expanded their range and now offer several bedding accessories including weighted blankets.
- The Ecosa weighted blanket is available in one colour: a steely grey
- Available in 3 sizes: 7, 9 or 11kg with glass bead filling
- Hexagon quilted design
- Does not have a separate cover – if washing, you wash the whole blanket! Can your machine handle that?! Ecosa was the only option I came across that did not have a separate cover
- Ecosa weighted blankets start from $300, but they run regular discounts so you can probably get the 7 kg from around $240 depending on the sale
- Free shipping, but no trial period (Ecosa is lightning fast at shipping their mattresses, but they actually send their blankets from their Australian warehouse, so shipping is much slower)
My opinion:
While I think the Ecosa weighted blanket will do the job it’s supposed to (and I know from experience that they make quality products) by no means is it the best value. You’ve only got one colour option, there is no removable cover, and there’s no trial period. A decent product, but not the best and not my first choice of weighted blanket by any stretch.
Quick Summary
So, you can see that the main features don’t vary that much between the blankets. You’ll notice that there are similar colours, weights, and materials used, and most offer free or cheap shipping and a trial.
What makes the Groundd weighted blanket stand out? They hit that magic sweet spot of awesome quality and a great price. They’re also just really nice people who want to help you sleep better. They’ve got great, prompt customer service and they donate any returned blankets to organisations such as Autism NZ.
Don’t just take my word for it, see what other New Zealanders are saying about their Groundd blankets.
More Weighted Blanket Information
Weighted Blanket Benefits
There are many benefits of weighted blankets. These include:
- Reduced anxiety
- Reduced stress
- Improved sleep
- Reduced symptoms of restless leg syndrome
These are just a few, there are many more, which you can read about in this comprehensive list.
I know when I first sat down on the couch with my weighted blanket to test it, I had to get up pretty much straight away for fear I was going to drift into a relaxing, lovely nap (I have nothing against naps, I was just short on time that day)
I know when my husband tried the blanket at night he got up a lot less than he usually does.
Weighted Blanket Cautions
Weighted blankets are generally not recommended for infants or people living with:
- Sleep apnea
- Diabetes
- Asthma
If this is you, please consult with your doctor before using a weighted blanket.
Weighted Blanket FAQ
Is it ok to sleep with a weighted blanket every night?
Yes, you can. As long as you don’t have a medical condition that prevents you from using a weighted blanket, you can use one every night in place of your regular blankets or duvets. I use mine every night, I love it!
Will I get hot using a weighted blanket?
Nope! Especially not if you choose one with a bamboo cover. I’ve been testing ours over the summer and I can vouch for the fact that while the blanket does indeed feel heavy, it does not feel hot. It’s pretty special, really.
Do you use your weighted blanket with other bedding like duvets?
This is totally up to you. I like to use mine on its own, so it’s important for me that it has a good quality washable cover like the Groundd blanket does. There’s no reason why you can’t layer your weighted blanket with other bedding if that’s what feels comfortable for you.
Can you use one as a couple?
It’s best to keep your weighted blanket for individual use. This is to help you get the full benefits of being fully enveloped in the hugging weight of the blanket. The most popular sizes across the brands are for individuals.
Do weighted blankets really work?
Remember, I’m talking about them as a lifestyle item, so I’ll comment from that perspective. My own opinion is 100% yes, they do. I’ve been using one for 7-8 months now, and I wouldn’t go back to a regular blanket. I even take mine away on holiday if I can! I know Morgan & Ellie from Groundd and Corey & Indy from Sleep Heavy feel the same way, and this is the reason they wanted to bring weighted blankets to a wider NZ audience outside of their original therapeutic uses.
How long does it take for a weighted blanket to work?
I can tell you that if you sit down with one on the couch, be prepared to fall asleep! I could feel it pretty much straight away. If you’re using it at night, be prepared to give the blanket a couple of full nights use to get used to it, as it is a different feel to your usual blankets.
What’s The Top Weighted Blanket In NZ?
My favourite, and the one I use on my bed, is Groundd. It’s simply got the best cover (soft, bamboo ecosilk), colours I love (dark grey, off white, blush), and is the best price.
Sleep Heavy offer great variety if you want different textures or colours.
Is It Ok To Sleep With A Weighted Blanket Every Night?
Yes, absolutely. I sleep with mine every night and wouldn’t go back to a “normal” blanket. The only precautions are for people with certain medical conditions and children. There is no reason why a healthy adult using the correct weight of blanket can’t use it every night.
What’s The Best Weighted Blanket For Kids?
I really like the blankets made by the team at Sleep Heavy. They’ve got some great minky/sensory dot blankets, and also one with a fun mountain pattern. Get 10% off here with code BEST10
What Are Some Benefits Of Weighted Blankets?
Here’s a quick list:
– Reduced anxiety
– Reduced stress
– Improved sleep
– Reduced symptoms of restless leg syndrome
And there are many many more.
