Home / Blog January 20, 2020 Updated on December 14, 2023

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What Are Weighted Blankets Really Made Of?

So, what exactly is a weighted blanket? And what are they really made of? Let’s explore.

What Are Weighted Blankets Really Made Of?

Bearassentials

Bearaby weighted blankets use layers of organic fabric to bring the relaxing, healing effects of deep touch pressure. Expect improved sleep, less stress, and a calm mind.

Weighted blankets might seem like a simple luxury, but they have the power to transform our sleep and improve mental health.

Exercising, deep breathing, smart supplements of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, and taking a trip to a tropical destination can all help turn your SAD back to GLAD!

Did you know?
A hug machine, also known as a hug box is a deep-pressure device designed to calm hypersensitive persons. The therapeutic, stress-relieving device was invented by Temple Grandin while she was attending college.

How smart is your blanket? If you’re snuggled under a Bearaby weighted blanket, the answer is genius. Not only are our blankets made with natural, sustainable materials, but they’re also packed with scientific research, form and function, and the inquisitive experimentation that got them just right.

Unlike a typical blanket, weighted blankets need to be properly measured, weighed, and designed to keep you cozy and help you stay happy and healthy. These aren’t just blankets – they’re stress-busting, anxiety-melting, sleep-enhancing tools!

So, what exactly is a weighted blanket? And what are weighted blankets made of?

Let’s Explore The Importance of Weighted Blanket Fillers

What is a Weighted Blanket?

A weighted blanket is a specialized blanket or throw that has been filled with weight. This makes the blanket quite a bit heavier than normal – usually between 10-25 pounds. The heaviness of your blanket should correspond to your size. Choose one that’s about 10% of your body weight. The ideal weighted blanket would cater to your personal preferences such as materials, individual body weight, and would be evenly distributed to enhance deep touch pressure (DTP).

The basic function of a weighted blanket is to place pressure onto the body. Under the comforting weight of a weighted blanket, your body begins to fully relax and your mind settles. Weighted blankets reduce stress, ease anxiety, quiet racing thoughts, and encourage restful sleep.

The magic behind weighted blankets is simple: deep touch pressure or DTP. DTP is the simple phenomenon of putting pressure on the body to cause relaxation. This occurs when we get a relaxing massage, hold hands, or hug a friend. DTP increases levels of serotonin and melatonin – also known as the happy hormone and the sleep hormone, respectively – while also reducing the stress hormone, cortisol. Together, these effects calm the mind, stimulate a sense of wellbeing, and help you drift into dreamland faster.

What are the fillers used in weighted blankets?

This pressure comes from the weighted blanket filling, which is commonly made of glass beads or poly pellets. These synthetic materials tend to shift around at night and bunch up in various areas, leading to a disturbed night of rest. Also, weighted blankets made of glass beads and/or poly pellets are damaging to the environment as they use harmful materials that end up in landfills and are unable to decompose.

Fortunately, there is an environmentally friendly alternative to weighted blankets filled with glass beads, plastic pellets or other beads that also allows for even weight distribution!

weighted blanket filler

The Inside Scoop

Most weighted blankets have one defining feature: fillers added to the inside of the blanket to create weight. This material is usually plastic pellets, polypropylene beads, or other synthetic materials. With our Bearaby weighted blankets, we took a different route.

We believe in sustainable, healthy products that are safe for both us and our environment. To stay true to our mission, our weighted blankets are made with nothing but fabric. That’s right, no fillers, no funny business. Our patent-pending weighted yarn is the only material you’ll find in our chunky-knit blankets, over 280 yards of it!

Bearaby weighted blankets are made from layer upon layer of either organic cotton, plant-based TENCEL™, or sustainable velvet. Unlike traditional weighted blankets that are primarily filled with glass beads that move around when you sleep, our blankets distribute the weight evenly across your body.

It’s not all about weight, though. The perfect weighted blanket gives you the sensation of a comforting hug without feeling weighed down or restricted. It should also prevent you from overheating during the night, which can pull you straight out of a blissful dream and leave you awake, sweaty, and frustrated.

Our chunky-knit blanket is handknit into a unique, looped design that allows air to circulate around the body for the ultimate form of breathability. The evenly-dispersed weight of the loops cocoons your body, perfectly triggering those pressure points that tell you it’s time to calm down and collect yourself. Plus, all that natural fabric makes a cool, highly breathable yarn that means you’ll stay both cozy and breazy the entire time you’re wrapped in your Napper.

Big Softie

As you’re beginning to learn, there’s more to these blankets than weight alone. The fabric that holds it all together is just as important as what’s on the inside. After all, it’s this outside layer that comes into contact with one of our most sensitive body parts, our skin!

Many weighted blankets are made with various forms of synthetic polyester, which is made using a chemical reaction involving water, air, coal, and petroleum. It’s cheaper and easier to produce, so many companies use it to make more products more quickly, and for less money. While consumers pay less for the product, they’re also paying for it in other, negative ways. We urge you to choose wisely when deciding on your weighted blanket filler and look for non-toxic options.

Polyester can be extremely harsh on sensitive skin, and it tends to trap odors. While it can be good at wicking away moisture (think of your favorite running top), it doesn’t come close to cotton or other plant-based fabrics for air-flow and breathability. And most critically, the production of unsustainable polyester uses harmful chemicals, including carcinogens, that wreak havoc on the environment (and our bodies over time).

Our weighted blankets are made with natural fabrics, meaning you’re only getting the softest, safest materials to cuddle up with. Our Cotton Napper is made of organic cotton, which is the softest, most responsibly farmed cotton we could find. And while it might go without saying, polyester is a man-made fiber, and cotton is 100% natural.

Our cooling weighted blanket is made of a blend of cotton and a plant-based fabric called TENCEL™ Lyocell, which is a sustainable tree fabric sourced from raw eucalyptus wood pulp. Textiles made from Lyocell are more absorbent than cotton, softer than silk, and cooler than linen. Not only is it naturally cooling, TENCEL™ is made through a closed-loop process by dissolving wood pulp and then drying it out by spinning, which utilizes ten times less water than the production of other fabrics.

Outside The Box

The best things in life come from thinking outside the box. At Bearaby, we like to think outside the box - literally. While rethinking the question, “what are weighted blankets made of?”, we also thought about the packaging and production process and how to make it as sustainable as possible.

We passed on wasteful plastic packaging and decided to find a more sustainable way to get our blankets to you. The result? A zero-plastic production line (no plastic wrapping or excess packing materials) that ends at your doorstep. That’s right, no plastic. Not now, not ever.

Our blankets also come inside a 100% linen laundry bag made from earth-friendly flax. The bag not only protects your Bearaby weighted blanket, but supports the environment and gives you a reusable bag to use at home for years to come.

You won't find our weighted blankets filled with material that's harming our planet, so why would you find that in our packaging?

weighted blanket filler bearaby

What Fabrics Does Bearaby Use?

Organic cotton, eucalyptus fabric, eco-velvet, innovative design, and attention to detail. These are the raw materials. But what are we really made of?

Embracing Me Time: Staying in is good for the soul. We know that it’s important to take care of number one, and sometimes that means staying home and enjoying some me-time. Life is busy and hectic, don’t we all deserve some rest? Forget the endless hustle – bring on the naps.

A Promise to the Planet: Everything that we do, we do with a commitment to make the best environmental choices available to us. We choose natural products like renewable tree and flax fibers, and organic cotton. We avoid the use of plastics and harmful manufacturing processes. We look for better options to make a better impact.

It’s OK not to be OK: Bearaby is dedicated to reducing suffering wherever we can. We want to share the healing power of rest and to help make sleepless, worried nights a thing of the past. With issues like stress, anxiety, and insomnia reaching new levels, we know that the simple luxury of a weighted blanket can make at least a small difference in someone’s life. We’re here to comfort and support you in your unique journey.

We hope that you learned more about what weighted blankets are made of and the importance of sustainable processes and practices to find weighted blankets.