The Edit — Bedding
Electric Blanket or Heated Mattress Pad: Which to Buy
A heated mattress pad goes under the sheet and heats the bed from below; an electric blanket goes over the top sheet. 4 queen-size picks, 2 of each, with dual controls and timers from 8 to 12 hours.
This guide is research-led: we have not handled these units ourselves. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes a pick.Research-led, nothing handled. We may earn from links; it never changes a pick. How we choose
This page sets the 2 ways of heating a bed side by side, then picks 2 queen-size pads and 2 blankets from what their listings state, as How we choose describes. Nothing here was used or tested.
Best for Couples, deep mattresses
Watch for Bed only
Best for 12 fine heat steps
Watch for No pocket depth stated
Best for Heat on top, with a seal
Watch for Shuts off at 8 hours
Best for Heat on top, 12-hour timer
Watch for Does not warm the mattress
A pad goes under the sheet; a blanket goes over it
The whole difference is 1 layer of bedding. A heated mattress pad sits on the mattress, under the fitted sheet, and you lie on it. An electric blanket lies over the top sheet, under your own duvet. Both carry heating wire inside the fabric and a control unit on the cord, and both draw roughly 15 to 115 watts.
| Heated mattress pad | Electric blanket | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | On the mattress, under the fitted sheet | Over the top sheet, under the duvet |
| Warms | The bed from below | You from above |
| Stays put | Held by its fitted skirt | Lies loose, so keep it flat |
| Off the bed | No | Yes, on a sofa |
Buy a pad when the mattress itself is cold
A cold mattress is the problem a blanket cannot reach. A memory foam bed in an unheated room stays cold underneath however much heat sits on top. The Bedsure dual-control pad has 2 controllers with 10 settings each, a preheat setting, a 1 to 12 hour timer and a 16-inch pocket for a deep mattress. Its listing states ETL and FCC listings.
Bedsure Heated Mattress Pad, Dual Control, Queen
A queen pad with 2 controls, 10 heat settings, preheat and memory, a 1 to 12 hour timer and a 16-inch pocket.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Controls | Dual, 10 settings |
|---|---|
| Timer | 1 to 12 hours |
| 16 inches | |
| Listed | ETL, FCC |
2 controls, 10 settings, a 16-inch pocket.
Buy it if
- A couple who sleep at different temperatures
- A deep mattress
Don't buy it if
- Warming up on the sofa
The Sunbeam Restful quilted pad offers 12 heat settings on 2 digital controllers and a 12-hour shut-off. The quilted top adds a little cushion. Its listing gives no pocket depth, so measure a deep mattress before you buy.
Sunbeam Restful Quilted Heated Mattress Pad, Queen
A quilted queen pad with digital dual controllers, 12 heat settings and a 12-hour shut-off.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Controls | Digital dual, 12 settings |
|---|---|
| Timer | 12 hours |
| Top | Quilted |
12 settings on 2 digital controllers, quilted.
Buy it if
- A sleeper who fine-tunes the heat
Don't buy it if
- A buyer who wants a stated pocket depth
Buy a blanket when you want the heat over you
An electric blanket suits a sleeper who feels the cold on the shoulders, and it can leave the bedroom. Bedsure’s heated blanket has dual control, preheat and 6 heat and timer settings, and it carries the Good Housekeeping Seal. It shuts off at 8 hours, which is a full night for some sleepers and short for others.
Bedsure Heated Blanket, Dual Control, Queen
A queen electric blanket with dual control, preheat, 6 heat and timer settings, an 8-hour shut-off and the Good Housekeeping Seal.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Controls | Dual, 6 settings |
|---|---|
| Timer | Up to 8 hours |
| Listed | ETL, FCC, Good Housekeeping Seal |
Dual control and the Good Housekeeping Seal, with an 8-hour shut-off.
Buy it if
- A sleeper who wants heat over them
Don't buy it if
- A whole night of heat, past 8 hours
The Westinghouse queen blanket runs longer. It is 84 by 90 inches with 2 zones, 10 heat levels, a 1 to 12 hour timer and stated overheat protection, and it is ETL listed.
Westinghouse Heated Blanket, 84 x 90 in, Queen
An 84 by 90 inch blanket with 2 zones, 10 heat levels, a 1 to 12 hour timer and overheat protection.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Size | 84 x 90 in |
|---|---|
| Controls | Dual zone, 10 levels |
| Timer | 1 to 12 hours |
| Listed | ETL, overheat protection |
2 zones, 10 levels, a 12-hour timer.
Buy it if
- A couple who want heat on top
- A blanket that doubles on the sofa
Don't buy it if
- A cold mattress, which it does not reach
Dual controls matter more than the number of settings
On a queen bed, 2 controllers do more for a couple than 12 settings do for one. All 4 picks here have dual controls, so each side sets its own heat. Wikipedia’s article notes that blankets for 2-person beds often have separate controls, and that is the feature to insist on.
Check the shut-off and the age of any heated bedding
Newer heated bedding switches itself off; blankets made before about 2001 may not. All 4 here state a timer, from 8 hours on the Bedsure blanket to 12 on the others. Heated bedding is a burn risk for anyone who cannot feel or react to heat, including small children and people with diabetic neuropathy. How auto shut-off works covers the timer and the overheat sensor in full, and flannel sheets over a pad make the warmest bed of all.
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