Bedsure Heated Throw Blanket (50 × 60) Review

Zone heating is the idea that you heat the rooms you're in rather than the whole house; a heated throw takes it one step further and heats just the person. For someone working from home in a chilly office, a throw over the lap does what a 1,500W space heater does — makes you comfortable — for a tiny fraction of the electricity, and without the safety concerns of a hot appliance under a desk. Bedsure's throw is the best cheap version of that we've used.

The preheat function is the feature that sets it apart from the generic throws: it runs flat out for a few minutes so the blanket is warm when you sit down, then drops to your chosen level. Six levels give enough range between 'barely on' and 'cozy,' and the six timer settings mean it turns itself off when you fall asleep on the couch. The flannel is soft and washes well with the controller detached.

It's a throw, so manage expectations: 50×60 inches covers a lap and shoulders, not a bed, and the top setting is gentle compared with a bed blanket on high. For a bed, get the Sunbeam pad or blanket. For the couch, the desk, or a drafty armchair, this is the cheapest comfort on the site, and the habit it builds — warm the person, lower the thermostat — is worth more than the blanket costs.