If you’re on the hunt for the best weighted blanket, you’ll have very quickly learned that there are kilograms and kilograms to choose from, all promising to give an anxiety-free good night’s kip. But which of the big sleep brands should you be looking at? The Emma Hug, Eve Weighted Blanket and Simba Orbit all come from respected sleep brands, but which is best? Do you want a knitted blanket or do you need one with a cover? And which weight is the right one for you?
For this article we’ve tried and tested weighted blankets from three of the biggest brands to help you on your quest for peaceful rest (for a closer look at each blanket individually, head to our Emma Hug review, Simba Orbit review or Eve weighted blanket review).
Both the Emma Hug and Simba Orbit are weighted blankets with traditional stitched pockets of tiny glass beads to provide the necessary weight. The Orbit comes with a washable cover, while the Emma Hug’s Bamboo cover is an optional additional extra. The Eve weighted blanket on the other hand – other bed? – stands out from the heavy crowd with an astonishing 7kg of 100% knitted cotton. So which one should you choose? Let’s break down the pros and cons of each weighted blanket and just how much each one will set you back. It’s time for the ultimate weight off.
Note: As of October 2022, Eve Sleep has gone into administration, so mattresses and other sleep products from Eve will no longer be available in the near future. However, third party retailers like Amazon may still have Eve mattresses for sale, so it's best to look there for any Eve mattress deals.
Eve Weighted Blanket vs Emma Hug vs Simba Orbit: price
When it comes to RRPs, all three of the big sleep brand offerings are somewhat decadently priced. The RRP of the Eve weighted blanket is £199, while the Simba Orbit is sitting at £169, and the Emma Hug is £169 for the blanket alone and £30 for the additional bamboo cover. The good news though is that there are constantly deals across Eve, Emma, and Simba’s websites, so it’s always best to make sure you know exactly what discounts are available.
Our widgets below are constantly updated and keep an eye on our best cheap mattress deals and sales page to stay in the know with regards to discounts. You can often get up to 50% off if you buy at the right time, which means you can sleep even better knowing that you got a good deal.
Eve vs Emma Hug vs Simba Orbit: design
Both the Emma Hug and Simba Orbit have very similar designs but are in slightly different sizes and weights. The Emma Hug weighs in at 7kg and measures 150cm by 200cm, while the Simba Orbit comes in either 6.8kg or 9kg and measures 135cm by 200cm. The price of the Simba is the same, regardless of the weight you buy which is an especially nice touch.
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Ideally, a weighted blanket should be 10% of your body weight so Simba makes sure you’ll be able to get a blanket to suit you. Both of these blankets use separately stitched panels of tiny glass beads to provide weight but you’ll never be able to feel them. Each blanket is ideal for one person so it means that if there’s two in the bed, you’ll want a separate weighted blanket each. This might seem awkward but no one wants to change a 14kg weighted blanket cover…
Speaking of, Simba’s included washable cover is a much appreciated addition for the price. The dark grey is well suited to most bedrooms and it means that if you’re using it on a nightly basis, you won’t need to worry about trying to shove a very heavy blanket into a washing machine that probably can’t cope with the stress. The Emma Hug doesn’t include the cover as standard but the optional bamboo offering is absolutely worth the extra expense. The Simba Orbit cover is a nice soft 100% cotton but the Hug is made of ultra soft bamboo fibre that feels silky and luxurious. Both the Simba Orbit and Emma Hug have strong ties to secure the corners and sides of the blanket itself to the cover to prevent any bunching.
The Eve weighted blanket is a stylish alternative option that’s better suited to sofa snuggling. This fully natural 100% cotton blanket comes in two colours - grey and cream - and measures 120cm x 220 cm. While it still weighs in at 7kg, the Eve looks much more like a fashionable throw for either the bottom of your bed or the back of your sofa. It is washable but Eve does suggest that you leave cleaning it to the professionals. This means that you could either pop it on top of a lighter duvet at night to avoid having to constantly wash it, or just use it as the perfect hug to watch movies and drift off on the sofa with.
Eve vs Emma Hug vs Simba Orbit: comfort
The Emma Hug and Simba Orbit both offer an exceptionally solid night’s sleep with very little movement of the blanket itself thanks to those aforementioned ties inside the cover. Both too can be used entirely standalone so you don’t need a duvet as well unless it’s a particularly cold night. While the Simba Orbit does feel lovely with its cotton cover, if you enjoy silk bedding, then you’ll definitely prefer the Emma Hug cover for sheer decadence and it’s also brilliant for cooling. It all depends whether you’d like to pay the extra for the Emma Hug cover as the Simba is a genuinely brilliant offering regardless and we have had many excellent nights sleep under its cosy reassurance.
The knitted element of the Eve weighted blanket means that overnight you’ll probably want to put an extra layer between you and the blanket itself. It’s easy to do though and the solid weight means that the Eve stays put all night without sliding off onto the floor. There’s also plenty of it with the size so you can double it up for extra cosiness. If you sleep warm though, this won’t be the option for you as it holds heat exceptionally well. Definitely one for colder winter nights.
Eve vs Emma Hug vs Simba Orbit: verdict
If you’re looking for the perfect snuggly blanket for the lounge, look no further than the Eve knitted weighted option that’s as stylish as it is cosy. If it’s for bed, you definitely can’t go wrong with either the Emma Hug or the T3 platinum award winning Simba Orbit. The extra optional cooling cover of the Emma Hug is a nice if expensive addition but both will give you a great night’s sleep and are both a lovely shade of grey to boot. Plus, if you're looking for a slightly heavier option, Simba has you quite literally covered for no extra cost.
Louise Blain is a journalist and broadcaster specialising in technology, gaming, and entertainment. She has a weekly consumer tech slot on BBC Radio Scotland and is the presenter of BBC Radio 3's monthly Sound of Gaming show. She can also regularly be found on BBC Radio 4, BBC Five Live, and The Evolution of Horror podcast as well as writing for GamesRadar and NME. Louise loves finding ways that tech can make our lives better every day and no, she doesn't have enough smart lighting yet.