How much money one costs to run depends on a number of factors, including what setting you have it on for, what its wattage is and what the current rate for electricity is. WITH nights getting increasingly darker and colder, electric blankets are a popular way to stay warm at night and the best ones may also save you money on your heating bill. Pros: Wireless, uses infra-red technology so no heat is lost, looks great, useful if working from home As someone interested in creating a beautiful and comfortable home for her family while saving money where possible, Gemma was determined to provide honest and independent advice on the best electric blanket to keep your family warm for mere pennies this winter. Why you should trust us For the comfortable, perfect heat and a well-thought-out design, this one gets five stars from us. The only downside is the high price.

Fabric: Most electric blankets are either made of microfiber (a type of polyester) or acrylic. In our tests, we found that consumers preferred the softness of microfiber over acrylic but could often feel the wiring through the microfiber fabrics. Testers didn’t tend to feel the wires through the acrylic blankets. If it’s high temperatures you’re after, it doesn’t get much toastier than this teddy fleece one from Dreamland – even level 3 out of 6 was warmer than most others we tested. Some might find it a little too sweaty, but it can also be reversed, and the polyester side used in warmer months. The cable connection was unobtrusive, and the cotton fabric kept it feeling breathably warm instead of sweaty. Once on, it doesn't quite reach the sides of the mattress, which although this means that it lays completely flat, there are cold spots at the edges. Electric blankets usually come in every bed size, from single up to super king. They range from basic designs with just a few temperature settings to luxe items of bedding with features such as timers, extra foot warmth and separate controls for each side of the bed (ideal if you feel the cold but your partner’s a warm sleeper – or vice versa).Over blanket: Similar to a heated throw, an over blanket is designed to be a layer between you and your duvet. We loved its super-speedy five-minute warm-up time (by the time you’ve cleaned your teeth, it’ll be ready to go), well-positioned cord connection and good cable length, and three timers: one, three and nine hours. It also fitted perfectly flat on the bed, with elastic straps to loop around the mattress. Electric blankets should also be replaced if the fabric is worn or frayed, wires are poking through or the electrical cord is damaged, say the London Fire Brigade. Can you wash an electric blanket?

Here, a textiles analyst uses a thermal camera to gauge the heat distribution and approximate temperature of an electric blanket. Grace Wu

FAQ

Most modern electric blankets – and each one we tested here – can be machine-washed and some can even be tumble-dried. It fits easily over the bed with elastic straps on the four corners. One minor niggle, however, was that we found that the ‘lip’ around the edge of the blanket stopped our sheet from fitting quite so smoothly. With many years of experience as a content and copywriter for her family business Urban Media Publishing, Gemma has written articles and blogs on travel, the outdoor industry, parenting and finance.

There’s dual control for each side of the bed on sizes double and up, and you can set different temperatures for your body and feet areas, with the heat settings from 1-9. We didn’t notice an auto shut-off function but you can set it on a timer, between 1-9 hours. Unlike electric throws, which are designed to be laid on top of the bed or snuggled up with on the sofa, electric blankets lay flat on your bed underneath your sheet. They contain lots of thin wires inside the fabric; the blanket is then connected to the mains electricity to gently heat up the entire bed. A good fabric for the price, and made from a sort of dense, felt-like fleece, making it a little warmer than cotton or regular polyester blankets, and it fastens to the mattress with two large elastic straps at the top and bottom. First up, we scoured the Mumsnet cost of living forum to find the products our discerning Mumsnetters have tried and tested.Size: Many electric blankets are throw-blanket size, but some options come in Queen and King sizes, so decide whether you're looking for something to snuggle up with on the couch or something that will cover your entire bed. Some larger blankets provide dual heating so you and your partner can opt for different levels of warmth. Before washing, the connector cables should be disconnected. Depending on its design, the blanket can then be put in the washing machine as it is, or else a top layer can be unzipped from the part with the wires on.