26-03-2025
The 6 Best Cooling Blankets To Cuddle Up With This Summer
On even the most sweltering nights, the right blanket can keep you cool and comfortable. The best cooling blankets are thoughtfully designed to prevent overheating, wick away sweat and offer breathability—all to ensure a restful sleep. After thorough research, we named the Luxome Lightweight Blanket as the best summer blanket overall, thanks to its silky-smooth, temperature-regulating bamboo lyocell fabric that helps conquer those hot, sleepless nights.
The best cooling blankets draw heat and sweat away, even during the hottest months.
According to Dr. Elizabeth Easter, textile consultant and professor at the University of Kentucky, cooling blankets 'primarily work by allowing perspiration to pass from the hot sleeper to the fiber, fabric or treatment.' Some of the best cooling blankets have a cool-to-the-touch surface, and some are infused with special cooling technologies. Read on for our curated list of the best summer blankets, from lightweight to weighted options.
Luxome
Material: 100% bamboo viscose | Cooling features: Breathability, temperature regulation | Fill: 100% bamboo viscose | Certifications: Oeko-Tex Standard 100 | Trial: 30 days
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Both the cover and the fill of this luxurious, silky feeling blanket are made from viscose from bamboo, which offers temperature-regulating properties. This blanket not only has a slick and cool-to-the-touch sensation, but the fabric is soft, breathable and helps keep you cool all night. Hot sleepers can still appreciate the feel of cuddling under a quilted blanket, and the Luxome Lightweight blanket is a great bed topper, even during the toasty summer months. It comes in eight colorways, has a sateen weave and gets softer every time you wash it.
Amazon
Material: Egyptian cotton, Arc-Chill 3.0 | Cooling features: Temperature regulating, breathable | Certifications: Oeko-Tex Standard 100 | Trial: 30-day Amazon return
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The Elegear Revolutionary Cooling Blanket is two-sided to keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. One side incorporates the company's Arc-Chill 3.0 technology, which uses mica nylon and polyethylene. Along with providing a cool-to-the-touch sensation, these materials work together to absorb your body heat when you sweat and speed up evaporation of the liquid to keep it away from you. The other side of the blanket is made from Egyptian cotton, which offers a soft and cozy feel for times when you need warmth. The Elegear Revolutionary Cooling Blanket has a lightweight design and comes in seven different colors and four sizes. You can also buy the brand's cooling pillowcases to match it.
Slumber Cloud
Material: 89% nylon, 11% spandex jersey | Cooling features: Phase change materials, breathable | Fill: 50% Outlast ClimaDry polyester fiberfill, 50% polyester fiberfill | Certifications: Certified Space Technology | Trial: 60 nights
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The patented Slumber Cloud Outlast ClimaDry fiberfill, originally engineered by NASA, uses phase change materials that are designed to trap heat away from your body in microcapsules and only release it as the temperature cools. This not only keeps you cool and comfortable but can provide relief to anyone who co-sleeps with a partner who runs hot.
The UltraCool is a little fluffier and heavier than a super-thin blanket, so it provides the sensation of being covered up but without being stifling. It's available in three colors, but you can also use it as a duvet insert, and it has handy corner loops to help attach it to a duvet cover.
What our editors say: Senior mattress and sleep editor Bridget Chapman tested the lightweight model of the UltraCool Comforter and says, 'This comforter is noticeably cooling the second you take it out of the box. It's quite thin and could pass as a thick blanket. I actually got too cold the first night I slept with it and had to add more blankets after that. I found the cooling technology to really work all night, and I like the silky feel of the comforter.'
Amazon
Material: Lyocell | Cooling features: Cool to the touch, temperature regulating | Fill: Glass beads, fiberfill | Certifications: Oeko-Tex Standard 100 | Trial: 30-day returns
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Many people love the hugging feel of a weighted blanket and find it calming. This 35-pound option from Gravity drapes over you and presses you down while you sleep, promoting relation and comfort. Some weighted blankets are meant to keep you cozy and warm as well, but the Gravity is made of 100% lyocell fabric derived from eucalyptus, which is temperature regulating and has a cool, silky feel. The blanket also comes with a removable and washable cool-to-the-touch cover, which can be secured with ties and zippers. The glass beads that provide the weight in the fill are noiseless to not keep you awake.
What our editors and testers say: Mattress and sleep editor McKenzie Dillon says, 'It's soft and fuzzy to the touch without being too warm, a balancing act that's hard to achieve.' Another Forbes Vetted tester says, "I love that the blanket fabric is made of 100% lyocell, which feels smooth and cool to the touch. It helps keep you cozy, while the lyocell fabric helps regulate your body temperature so you don't roast."
Sleep Number
Material: Cotton, 37.5 polyester technology with satin piping | Cooling features: Moisture wicking, cool to the touch | Fill: Polyester, 37.5 polyester technology | Certifications: Oeko-Tex Standard 100 | Trial: 100 nights
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The Sleep Number True Temp is a standout summer blanket for many, especially those who have sensitive skin that reacts to fuzzy fabrics. It has a very smooth and slick feel that doesn't irritate, and it contains Sleep Number's 37.5 particles that actively move heat and humidity away from your body while you sleep. It's thin and lightweight, so it can be used on its own during hotter months and layered with other bedding to combat year-round night sweats. While pet owners should note that while fur may cling to the fabric, stains wash out easily, even from the white colorway.
What our editors say: Rose Sala, Forbes Vetted deputy editor, has the Sleep Number True Temp and says, 'It's cool to the touch but not soft or cozy, so I prefer this blanket layered on top of another rather than pulled up under my chin.' Editorial assistant Lee Cutlip says, 'It's definitely more breathable than a knit blanket and is very cool against the skin,' and agrees with Sala that the True Temp is best suited as an additional layer with other bedding. Both Sala and Cutlip report that the blanket requires extra drying time, and even after multiple dryer cycles, it has to be hung to fully dry.
Rough Linen
Material: 100% European flax | Cooling features: Airy, breathable, moisture wicking | Fill: N/A | Certifications: Oeko-Tex Standard 100 | Trial: 30 nights
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Linen is naturally breathable and durable, and is a great material for a summer blanket. The Smooth Linen Summer Cover from Rough Linen is so lightweight it practically floats above you while you sleep, while still providing comfort and wicking perspiration away. Like all linen, it imparts a low-maintenance, effortless vibe, allowing you to make the bed look made (even if a little rumpled) by simply draping it on top. But, also like all linen, expect it to shed lint until it's been washed a few times.
The Summer Cover is available in twin, queen and king and comes in seven colorways. Rough Linen also offers bedding and blankets in two other weights of linen, so if you prefer a denser weave or a little bit more heft, check out the St. Barts Linen Summer Cover or the Orkney Linen Summer Cover, which is available in an array of vibrant hues. We especially appreciate that Rough Linen offers small sample swatches of each linen weight, so you can really check them out before purchasing.
Forbes Vetted's sleep editors have years of experience testing bedding and have produced dozens of sleep, mattress and bedding stories backed by extensive research, consultations with experts and personal experience.
In order to select the best summer blankets, we relied on the firsthand testing experience of Forbes Vetted staff, the expertise of our sleep editors and the professional insights of our expert.
While every sleeper is different, there are factors to consider while shopping for a summer blanket. No matter what your needs are, knowing a bit about fabrics and cooling technologies can guide your selection.
Some bedding materials naturally have more cooling properties than others. Also, some synthetic and manufactured fabrics provide excellent temperature regulation. One key characteristic to look for is a fabric's breathability. According to Easter, this means that 'the fabric or product allows perspiration—in the form of a vapor—to pass through it and reduces or prevents perspiration from converting to a liquid—sweat.' Easter further explains that 'this can be achieved by fiber content, as with cotton or linen; fabric construction; thickness and weight; and treatments.'
Another term used to describe cooling materials is 'moisture wicking.' Easter explains that doesn't mean that you don't perspire, but that "the fiber or yarn moves the sweat or liquid to the outer surface to allow evaporation and promote quick drying.'
These are some materials to look for when searching for cooling blanket fabrics.
Linen. 'Linen is our oldest breathable fabric," Easter says. 'It allows perspiration to pass through, but also has the potential to absorb sweat.' While it comes in various weights, they all have enough of an airy weave to ensure the fabric doesn't smother you or trap heat under the covers. Note that it can be expensive, tricky to launder and may always look slightly crumpled and casual.
Cotton. Cotton is one of the most common fabrics to encounter. It's very light and well-suited for those who sleep hot. Note that if you experience night sweats, that while cotton pulls that liquid away from your skin, it doesn't dry quickly. Easter says, 'Cotton is breathable, but it also absorbs sweat and…[it] can cling to the body.' Luckily, as Easter points out, 'cotton's launderability is not a problem,' as it's easy to wash and dry at home. For the best experience, look for high-quality, long-staple cotton, which is usually called 'Egyptian' or 'Supima' cotton.
Wool. 'Wool is breathable and absorbent, so it can be considered a cooling fiber,' according to Easter. 'However, some consumers do not like the feel or touch of wool,' and you're unlikely to find it in a summer blanket. If you experience night sweats no matter the weather, you may want to use a blanket that incorporates wool in the colder months.
Polyester. Polyester is an affordable synthetic fiber and isn't absorbent. But, Easter says, 'It can wick moisture and move it to the outside environment, hence cooling and quick drying.' However, while a polyester fabric can feel cooling in bedding, if it's included in a comforter's fill, it can trap heat inside.
Rayon, viscose, lyocell, Tencel. These fabrics are all manufactured from the bamboo plant. According to Easter, since they are made of cellulose, 'they are absorbent fibers.' Note that Tencel is a trademark for a type of lyocell.
Some fabrics excel at temperature regulation not due to any natural qualities, but because they have been designed to do so, with cooling technology incorporated into the material.
37.5. This is named after what is widely considered the normal ideal body temperature, in Celsius. Easter says, '37.5 Technology uses cooling particles, embedded in polyester fibers, that absorb moisture.' It's made with volcanic minerals that capture heat and humidity and speed up evaporation.
Arc-Chill 3.0. This Japanese technology is made with jade particles to absorb and dissipate heat faster than cotton, reducing body surface temperature
Outlast. 'Outlast uses phase change materials, which are micro-encapsulated natural waxes that can absorb heat and moisture and store them within the fiber or fabric,' Easter says. It's one of the most common cooling technologies.
There is no one material that is the best for every person for a cooling blanket. However, we think the Luxome Lightweight Blanket is the best cooling blanket overall, and it's made from bamboo viscose. Other materials to look for are linen, cotton, rayon and lyocell.
If you suffer from night sweats, look for a cooling blanket that is breathable and moisture wicking. A summer blanket made from linen, bamboo or lyocell is a good choice.
Yes, there is such a thing as a cooling weighted blanket. We recommend the Gravity Weighted Cooling Blanket, which is temperature regulating and feels cool to the touch.
