Weighted blanket weight matters whether the blanket is for adults or children. Learn how to find the right sensory blanket weight for you. Learn all about making DIY weighted blankets.
What Makes Weighted Blankets Heavy?
What You'll Find on This Page
Poly pellets are the most commonly used filling for weighted blankets, but glass beads and aquarium gravel are common substitutes. Click here to learn how to make a weighted blanket without pellets.
Guidelines for Weighted Blankets
There are no official guidelines for Weighted Blankets in the United States, but these guidelines are pretty common.
Weighted Blanket Weights for Kids: The blanket should weigh about 10% of their body weight plus 1-2 pounds. Make sure the blanket is not heavier than 15% of their body weight at the most.
Weighted Blanket Weights for Adults: The blanket should weigh between 5-10% of your ideal body weight (current weight if underweight). This number will vary by build, but should give you a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 for your height.
There are some intriguing studies showing that heavier blankets might be beneficial. If you make a heavier blanket, make sure it remains within a weight that the user can lift.
Safety note: weighted blankets should NEVER cover users’ heads.
Weighted Blanket Calculator
Calculating your weighted blanket weight is easy!
Weighted Blanket Calculator for a Child
Blanket weight = child’s healthy weight x 0.15
I recommend consulting your child’s doctor or occupational therapist for any weight.
Weighted Blanket Calculator for an Adult
Blanket weight = Your ideal weight x 0.10 for a standard upper limit
Blanket weight = Your ideal weight x 0.05 for a standard lower limit
As I mentioned before, you may opt for a heavier blanket, but please do so after careful consideration of weight risks.
Weighted Blanket Weight Chart
Does math make you nervous? Here are some standard weighted blanket weights.
Weights of Sensory Weighted Blankets for Children
| Child’s Healthy Weight (lbs) | Blanket Weight (lbs) |
| 20 | 3.0 |
| 30 | 4.5 |
| 40 | 6.0 |
| 50 | 7.5 |
| 60 | 9.0 |
| 70 | 10.5 |
| 80 | 12.0 |
| 90 | 13.5 |
Weights of Sensory Weighted Blankets for Adults
| Adult’s Healthy Weight (lbs) | Blanket Weight (lbs) |
| 100 | 5-10 |
| 110 | 5.5-11 |
| 120 | 6-12 |
| 130 | 6.5-13 |
| 140 | 7-14 |
| 150 | 7.5-15 |
| 160 | 8-16 |
| 170 | 8.5-17 |
| 180 | 9-18 |
| 190 | 9.5-19 |
| 200 | 10-20 |
| 210 | 10.5-21 |
| 220 | 11-22 |
| 230 | 11.5-23 |
| 240 | 12-24 |
| 250 | 12.5-25 |
| 260 | 13-26 |
| 270 | 13.5-27 |
| 280 | 14-28 |
Remember to check out my weighted blanket sewing tutorial if you are making your own DIY weighted blanket! And don’t be afraid to branch out into fun prints, like we did for these Harry Potter themed weighted blankets.
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MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
I’ve been thinking about making a weighted blanket for a bit now. I think it was your original post that talks about using denim, so I’ve been collecting different outgrown/jeans with holes to give that a try.
Denim weighted blankets are fantastic.
Hi,
Nice article except for one thing…there is no correlation between body weight and what weight blanket you should use. This is a myth and although many people seem to like repeating it, the truth is that no correlation exists. The original idea behind the 10% came from two studies on back injuries in school children caused by using a backpack that was too heavy. The 10% figure was an upper limit after which the risk of injury increases..it was never a recommendation.
It’s definitely at best a guideline. I still consider it worth considering – I did note that there is evidence that in some cases heavier blankets might make sense – but it’s a weight that most people can lift and so worth considering for that reason at least.