A nice and warm sleep is something we all look for. Getting into bed or laying down on our sofa, we all want to feel that coziness and warmth. There are many options to provide that for us. Blankets and throws are two of them. While you are choosing either of them, you have a few criteria that you need to consider.
A blanket can keep more than one person warmer compare to a throw, but you may not be able to use blankets everywhere like throws. Throws generally look better than a blanket because they are mostly used for decorative purposes while blankets are used to get warm most of the time. When it comes to getting warm, blankets might be a bit more advantageous thanks to their size comparing to throws. Blankets and throws are usually made out of the same wide variety of materials and fabrics but their designs are different. You can find a huge amount of different designs when it comes to throws but it’s not the same for blanket designs. Lastly, their prices differ a lot depending on the material they are made of and their brands.
If you are looking for a blanket or throw and what are their advantages or disadvantages, and you are not decided yet, you should read this blog. You will find some help for your decision while we take a deep look at what are throws and blankets and what are they used for.
Before making further comparisons, let’s see what throws and blankets are.
Throw
Throws are fabric coverings, that main purpose is providing warmth. They are mostly made out of microfiber, fleece, cotton, and linen, but you can find more fabric types that are used to produce throws. The most popular is microfiber nowadays since they are inexpensive and have a wide variety of designs and colors. In addition to that, there are throws called afghans. Generally, they are different but their purpose is the same and they are mostly confused with throws. Afghans might be in various sizes. They mostly are 90 cm X 120 cm. What makes them distinctive is generally being hand-made and their patterns. As the name shows, its first production goes back centuries ago to Afghanistan and was first made by Afghan women.
Blanket
Blankets are bed coverings, that are mainly produced and used for covering the body and to retain warmth, especially when you are sleeping or laying down on your sofa. They are commonly made out of wool but also can be made out of different kinds of materials such as; flannel, fleece, polyester, cotton. Material is important when you are choosing a blanket. Some are looking for just a good look for their bedroom, while some looking for only warmth for cold nights.
Comparison
| Throws | Blankets |
| Microfiber, fleece, and cotton are the most used ones. | Fleece, wool, and cotton are the warmest ones. |
| Easy to carry and care for. | Harder to carry and care for. |
| Usually machine washable. | Usually machine washable. |
| Can be used every season. | It May not be used in every season. |
| Very versatile. A lot of ways to use it. | Versatile enough. |
| It may be very cheap or very expensive | It may be cheap or expensive |
Now, for you to help to decide easier to pick which one, let’s go deeper in our comparison between blankets and throws.
Type and Material
Even tho both throws and blankets are mainly made for warmth, throws are produced from wider fabric types, making them used more decoratively. The most preferred ones for throws are generally fleece and cotton but you can find a lot of different types of materials in the production part. Down, microfiber, fleece, and linen are other examples of materials for throws fabrics. When it comes to blankets, they are also can be produced by a wide variety of fabrics but the most preferred ones are generally wool. For the most comfortable sleep at night in your bed, choosing natural fabrics can be the best choice for you.
Usage
Both blankets and throws are primarily used to keep you warm. Throws have a generally wider purpose of usage than blankets. While blankets are mostly used to cover the bed and keep the warmth, throws are generally used for decorative purposes. Being smaller and having a wide variety of design and color options then blankets make throws one step ahead when it comes to decorative purposes. Throws are an easy and cheap way to change your bedroom look. Not only changing your bedroom look they are also can be used for different purposes. Here are 3 different ways of usages of blankets and throws.
- Warmth. You can put a throw on your shoulder on chilly nights when you are sitting outside. It’s harder to do it with blankets because of their size difference but blankets will definitely keep warm more than 1 person.
- Decorative. Throws can be used on your table as a tablecloth or put on top of your chair to make them look pretty and have easy access. With blankets, it won’t be possible to use them as a tablecloth.
- Road trips. Throws are indispensable for me on every road trip. You can use them as pillows to put on your knees or to sit on them. You can do it with a blanket too but who doesn’t want to save some space on their car.
Size
Before you ask, yes it does matter. One of the main differences between throws and blankets is their size. Throws are usually produced around 1m X 1.5m in size, while blankets can come in many different sizes. Twins are 66 cm. x 90 cm. , Doubles are 80 cm x 90 cm, Queen sizes are 90 cm x 90cm to 100 cm and finally, king sizes are 108 cm X 90 cm to 100 cm but all these sizes can show differences according to brands. Rather than decoration, blankets are produced for all these sizes of beds and styles because they are used primarily for keeping you warm and comply with the size of sheets. If you are alone in your home, sitting on your couch, trying to keep yourself warm, throws will suffice since they are much smaller, but blankets will do when you are sleeping while it will be much harder with throws.
Price
Price is one of the most important things when we are choosing which one to buy. It always affects the shopping, no matter what you are buying. When you are making research for buying throws or blankets, you can find a really wide scale of price differences either for blankets or throws. You can find prices starting from $10 – $100, ending up with even thousands of dollars depending on the brand, size, and material.
Caring and Storing
Caring is very important when it comes to buying a new blanket or throw. As you see in the type and material part, both blankets and throws are made from different kinds of fabrics and materials. Certain types of fabrics need a certain type of care. Most of them are machine washable while certain types only can be cleaned by dry cleaning. Blankets are mostly machine washable while you need to be more careful about cleaning instructions about throws. Since they are more used for decoration and other purposes than bedding, producers tend to use luxury materials which makes them only for dry cleaning.
Word Origin and History
Blanket word origin is coming from a French weaver, named Thomas Blanquette. The blanket word means white in French (Blanc). Word is used as a noun by William Shakespeare at first. Back in time, not every home had heating inside, so blankets were only used for heat and to keep the warmth inside with the help of holes on it. Not for any kind of decorative purpose. Soldiers were the most common users of blankets in history. Blankets have some important value in some cultures. For example, in some of those cultures, the groom must bring blankets with some clothes and jewelry to the bride.
What to choose?
Answering this question is totally up to you. Choosing between throws and blankets is determined by answering the question “what is your need ?“. If you are looking for more warmth in your bed, whether in summer or winter, blankets will be more suitable for you. On the other hand, if you are looking for more decorative and something you can quickly access, then you can choose throw. It all depends on your need. Here you can find some recommendations for both blankets and throws so you can make some comparisons for yourself.
Recommendations
1 – Gucci, Luxury Throw Blanket
Gucci offers this super luxury throw for you. It is produced in Italy. Its cashmere and wool blend. It can only be dry cleaned and comes with the size of 182cm X 147cm. You can choose between blue or brown colors. The price is $2999. Might be a bit expensive but it’s Gucci. It definitely will keep you warm on cold winter nights.
2 – Alpakaandmore Peruvian Suri Alpaca Fur Blanket
Alpakaandmore brand offers you this unique Peruvian, Suri alpaca fur, handmade blanket. It is handmade. You can choose between white or brown colors. It comes in the size of 160cm X 200cm and the price is $2167. It is %100 natural fur and the best part is, nature-friendly in the production part. It is a great choice essentially for warmth rather than decoration.
3 – LITVIN Handmade Coyote Fur Throw
This handmade coyote fur throw is offered by LITVIN. It is a complete genuine coyote fur. There is only brown color to choose from for this blanket. It comes in the size of 173cm X 207cm. The price of that warming blanket is $1888. It can be a bit expensive but it is gonna warm your days and nights in winter.
4 – Fur Accents Patchwork Throws and Blankets
Fur Accents brand is offering you these amazing patchwork throws and blankets. You can find every size of this patchwork polyester throws and blankets even from 7cm X 12cm up to king size. These throws can be easily used for sofa or chair covering or the bigger sizes for your bed. The prices differ according to their sizes, starting from $399 to $699. Dry cleaning is recommended if you decide to buy one of these products.
5 – Skandinavikfur Fur Blanket And Throw
Skandinavikfur offers you these beautiful, lynx fur blankets or throws. They come in various sizes. Throw size is 111cm X 111cm which costs $299. They also provide twin-size (111cm. X 223cm) for $600, queen-size (223cm X 223cm) for $900 and finally king-size (223cm X 273cm) which costs $1200 . They come only in brown color. Their natural fur makes them a great choice for warmth and also looking good for decoration purposes. If you have a cottage in the mountains or cabins in the forest, this might be a great choice for you.
Budget Recommandations
1 – Imperial Home Ultra-Soft Fleece Throw Blanket
Imperial Home offers this cheap and useful throw for $9.99. They come in a lot of color options like yellow, purple, green, pink, and more. As I mentioned before being polyester is what makes it cheap. It’s great for picnics and road trips. The size is 127cm X 152cm. Being soft, useful, and having a lot of color options is what makes it good for budget recommendations.
2 – Bverionant Throw Blanket
Bverionant offers this easy-care, high variety with size and color throws and blankets. You can find almost in every size from 50cm X 70cm to king-size (200cm. X 230cm.) and with 16 color options. Being this versatile and much useful throw within the price of $7.29 makes it a great choice for the budget.
3 – SeaBeauty Blankets
These easy-caring throws are also made with polyester. They come in the size of 127cm X 152cm. Being polyester makes it easy to wash and care for. There is only a grey option is available for color but it still can be used as decorating tool nicely. Being easy to care about with the price of $7.79 makes it a good option for you if you are looking for a budget throws.
4 – MicroWorld Throws
MicroWorld offers you these cozy, %100 polyester throws for $9.99. You can choose between almost every color option. They are easy to keep clean and machine washable. It is a good option if you are looking for a budget option.
5 – Wish Tree Baby Throws
Wish Tree brand offers these cute throws for your baby. You can also use these throws for yourself or as a good decoration for your tables and chairs. They come in baby size (76cm X 101cm) or normal size (127cm X 152cm). Being polyester makes these throws easy to take care of. You can machine wash. You can find various color options and the price is $8.99 for baby size and $14.99 for normal size. It can be a good choice for the ones looking for a budget option.
