Latest news with #coolingblanket
Associated Press
9 hours ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Kings Funerals Addresses the Changing Needs of Regional Families in the Funeral Sector
Kings Funerals continues to support families across Greater Geelong, the Bellarine, Surf Coast and Golden Plains communities with respectful and practical after-death care. Offerings such as cooling blankets reflect an ongoing commitment to flexibility, transparency and meeting the evolving expectations of regional Victorian families. Australia, June 16, 2025 -- Expectations around funeral care continue to shift. Across Greater Geelong, the Bellarine, Surf Coast and Golden Plains communities, more people are seeking options that reflect cultural diversity, changing beliefs and the need for clarity in decision-making after a person dies. Kings Funerals has continued to adapt its service offering to meet these expectations, grounded in its long-standing reputation for professionalism and community connection. One of the more recent additions is the cooling blanket: a mobile solution that supports temporary care when families wish to spend more time with their person. Used as an alternative to traditional mortuary refrigeration, the cooling blanket offers a discreet and portable option that helps preserve the person's condition in settings such as the family home or aged care facilities. While the cooling blanket provides additional flexibility, it is only one aspect of Kings' broader approach to practical after-death care. As communities request more transparency and choice, their funeral directors have continued to expand their offerings with attention to local needs, cultural preferences and logistical realities. Whether a family seeks a simple cremation, a full-service burial or something in between, the team works to ensure each service is handled with clarity and care. Kings Funerals ' community presence spans three generations, and with that experience comes a deep understanding of the emotional and practical challenges families face during loss. The company recognises that no two families or funerals are the same. By offering a mix of traditional services and more contemporary care options, Kings supports families in making arrangements that reflect their values, beliefs and timing. Across the Surf Coast and Bellarine, for instance, some families may prefer smaller, informal gatherings or non-religious services. Others may need time to coordinate interstate or overseas travel. In the Golden Plains region, access to care facilities or logistics may vary, and Kings' regional reach ensures that support is consistent, regardless of location. Importantly, Kings continues to engage with the community not only at the time of need but through education and dialogue around what happens after a person dies. This includes providing families with information on timelines, legal requirements and care options, supporting informed choices in a respectful and approachable manner. As community expectations continue to shift, Kings remains focused on what it does best: delivering grounded, respectful service personalised to the realities of modern funeral care. Through solutions such as the cooling blanket and ongoing regional support, the company continues to meet families where they are — with dignity, transparency and quiet reliability. To learn more about planning with funeral directors in Geelong and after-death care, visit Kings Funerals' website. About the company: Kings Funerals is a family-owned funeral home based in Geelong that has supported families across Greater Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula, Surf Coast and Golden Plains regions for 70 years. Known for its respectful, practical approach, the Kings team has served generations of local families with care, professionalism and transparency. Contact Info: Name: Kings Funerals Email: Send Email Organization: Kings Funerals Website: Release ID: 89162359 In the event of encountering any errors, concerns, or inconsistencies within the content shared in this press release, we kindly request that you immediately contact us at [email protected] (it is important to note that this email is the authorized channel for such matters, sending multiple emails to multiple addresses does not necessarily help expedite your request). Our dedicated team will be readily accessible to address your feedback within 8 hours and take appropriate measures to rectify any identified issues or facilitate press release takedowns. Ensuring accuracy and reliability are central to our commitment.
WIRED
3 days ago
- Science
- WIRED
Are Those Viral ‘Cooling Blankets' for Real?
Jun 13, 2025 7:00 AM According to physics, any blanket can cool you—for a few minutes. But a real cooling blanket is possible with phase-change materials. Photograph:If you spend much time on the internet, you will see the same things pop up again and again. For me, it's these 'cooling blankets' that people talk about on social media. I mean, it sounds great for summer—just like a blanket that warms you up but in reverse. Sadly, these products don't do what they claim. They might be breathable so they don't make you as hot as an ordinary blanket would, but you'd still be cooler with no blanket at all. However, there is hope. Someone has created a real cooling blanket that's sort of awesome. Of course, there's a bunch of physics here, so let's get to it. Temperature vs. Energy Temperature is one of those words everyone uses and no one understands. In chemistry it's the average kinetic energy, or vibrational motion, of the molecules in a substance. The greater the commotion, the higher the temperature. But I like this more pragmatic definition: Temperature is the property two objects will have in common when they're in contact for a long time. So, if you take a hot block of metal and set it against a cold block of metal, eventually they will have the same temperature. Heat flows from the warmer thing to the cooler thing until they equalize. (Note: It doesn't work the other way around; you can't transfer 'coolness.') We also talk about objects having a certain amount of thermal energy , which you'd get by adding up the kinetic energy of all the particles inside it. It depends on three things: the mass of the object, its temperature, and the material it's made of. So for instance, focusing on mass, big potatoes have more thermal energy than small potatoes at the same temperature. Now, if you look at the type of material, every substance has a 'specific heat capacity,' which is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of that substance by one degree. Try this at home. Find two objects that have been sitting in your room for a while, so they're both at room temperature. Here, I have a block of wood and a block of aluminum. Touch both objects. They're the same temperature, but the wood feels warmer, right? Why is that? It's not about temperature but thermal energy. When your hand touches an object, there is a heat conduction interaction. Energy is transferred from your warmer hand to the cooler object until the two are the same temperature. However, with the metal block it takes way more energy to reach the temperature of your hand. It feels cooler because it causes your hand to lose more energy. You'll notice the same thing when you go swimming. An air temperature of 75°F feels nice and comfortable, but wading into water of the same temperature feels really cold. That's because water has a much higher mass and specific heat capacity than air, which causes you to lose more thermal energy and feel colder. All Blankets Cool So, blankets, how do they work? A blanket is basically an insulator. That means it prevents energy transfer between objects at different temperatures. Wrapping yourself in a blanket on a cold day keeps you from losing body heat to the air around you, so you feel warmer. Similarly, if you put a blanket around a cold soda on a warm day, it will slow down the transfer of thermal energy from the air to the soda, keeping the soda cold longer. But what if you feel hot and you put on a blanket? In that case, two things can happen at once. It can still act as a thermal insulator and slow down the transfer of energy between you and the air. Unless the ambient air is above 98.5°F, this is going to make you hotter, not cooler. However, the blanket can also have a thermal interaction with your body. Suppose you have a 80°F blanket in contact with a 98°F person. This will raise the temperature of the blanket while reducing the thermal energy of your body. Yes, it will act as a cooling blanket—at least for a few minutes, until the temperatures are equalized. So, what makes one blanket cool more effectively than another? First, it should have a high mass, so that it takes a lot of energy to warm up. Second, the blanket needs to make good contact with your skin to increase the thermal interaction. So, one of those light fluffy blankets won't cool you off that much. Other than that, it's just a normal blanket. But I'm a sucker for trying these things, so I bought a cheap 'cooling blanket' online. (I know, someone will say it doesn't work unless you get an expensive one.) For those who say their cooling blanket was out in the sun and they measured a 75°F temperature, I don't believe you. Check this out. I have three blankets on my sofa. One of them is the cooling blanket and the others are normal. In back is the same picture taken with an infrared camera so that different colors represent different temperatures. Can you tell which one is the cooling blanket? Nope. You can't. There's almost no difference in the temperatures. They are all cooling blankets. They are also all normal blankets. A Real Cooling Blanket But what if I told you it's possible to have a thermal interaction between two objects but one of them doesn't change in temperature. Yes, this is a thing—it's called a phase transition. It happens whenever a material changes from solid to liquid or liquid to gas. Here's an interesting experiment. Imagine I take a beaker with frozen water (aka ice) that's colder than the freezing point (maybe –10°C). Then I put the beaker on a hot plate and add energy to it, measuring the temperature of the water as I go. Here is what that would look like: As you can see, the ice increases in temperature until it reaches the melting point, 0°C (32°F). At that point the temperature levels off, and it remains constant until all the ice melts—even though heat is still being added to the system. Why is that? It's because the energy is being used to break the molecular bonds and turn the solid into a liquid. Once it's entirely liquid, the temperature starts rising again, until it reaches the boiling point (100°C). Again, the temperature levels off until all the water turns to gas. (This is why it's nice to cook with boiling water—it stays the same temperature.) You can see how this would make for a better cooling blanket. Because of these temperature plateaus during a phase change, you can keep transferring thermal energy from your body to the blanket without the blanket getting warmer and becoming ineffective. Does this mean you could use an ice blanket, maybe with the water in a flexible lining, to cool yourself? Sure. But it would be excruciating and you might get frostbite. Also, once you melt the ice and heat up the water, you'd need to put your blanket back in the freezer before you could use it again. But how about a material that has a melting point closer to the temperature of the human body? In this video from the YouTube channel NighthawkInLight, Ben Cusick makes just such a phase-change material (PCM) from common salts (sodium sulfate and sodium chloride). Of course I had to try making some of this stuff myself. I'm not a chemist, but I think it turned out pretty well. It depends on your mixture and the type of salts used, but these kinds of materials have a melting point somewhere around 18°C (65°F). Why does that matter? Well, first, it's not so cold that it hurts. Second, you don't need a freezer; a cool place like a basement floor will make it refreeze. And best of all, the high melting point means it will melt slowly at room temperature, so the phase transition lasts a long time—hours instead of minutes—and it will cool you off during this whole time. Put this stuff in the lining of a blanket and voilà! Pretty cool, right?
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
Oodie launches summer-ready cooling blanket featuring innovative fabric technology to keep hot sleepers cosy and cool
The brand behind the world's most popular wearable blanket is now inviting hot sleepers to switch to its cooling blanket ahead of summer. And fans can't wait. Viral brand Oodie has launched its warm weather range, which includes a cooling blanket that promises to help you say goodbye to restless, sweaty nights. Three times more breathable than cotton, the blanket wicks away moisture and heat and could be the secret to a more refreshing night's sleep. Oodie Cooling Blanket Struggling to sleep in the heat? The filling is made with a nylon and elastane blend that is three times cooler than cotton for a cool-to-touch sensation, perfect for keeping you comfortable in warmer conditions. With lightweight insulation and added softness without overheating, it could be the secret to keep you cosy yet comfortable when temperatures rise, or for those troublesome night sweats. £99 Shop Oodie redefined cosy with its viral range of oversized wearable blankets and onesies, but now the brand has turned down the temperature with the Oodie summer shop. The brand has just dropped a refreshing collection of lightweight, breathable essentials designed to keep you cool this summer. From cooling blankets to rompers and wearable towels, there's plenty to keep you comfortable when temperatures soar. And frustrated sleepers are going to want to bookmark Oodie's Cooling Blanket. Three times more breathable than cotton, not only is it cool to the touch but it's also moisture-wicking, helping regulate your body temperature for a better night rest. The original Oodie blanket hoodie hybrid went viral as a clever way to beat the chill without having to turn your heating on amid the cost of living crisis. Now, Oodie is expanding its collection with a new cooling blanket that aims to keep you cool without fans - and it has landed just ahead of summer. The £99 Cooling Blanket will no doubt appeal to hot sleepers and those dealing with frustrating night sweats. The real USP here is that it's made with a Qmax score of 0.32 making it feel up to five degrees cooler than your body. Thanks to the nylon, elastane blend it is three times cooler than cotton so feels noticeably cooler on the skin, helping to wick away heat and moisture to keep tossing and turning at bay. As well as a crisp, refreshing feel, the lightweight Oodie Cooling Blanket also feels silky soft on the skin, so you won't have to compromise on cosy comfort during the summer months. The Oodie Summer Shop also offers equally as technical elements in their other summer-ready products. From temperature-regulating PJs designed to regulate your temperature while you sleep to lightweight poncho towels and oversized sleep tees, the collection is already drumming up a lot of praise. 'These are the most comfortable and lightweight pjs I've ever worn,' raved one Oodie shopper. 'I no longer wake up covered in sweat, I sleep the whole night comfortably. I highly recommend these pjs, you won't be sorry!'. Oodie Summer Shop Oodie Cooling Wide Leg PJ Bottom For those that love to stay cosy at night with a long set of pyjamas comes Oodie's new warming range, perfect for the warmer summer months. Naturally cooling, breathable, and silky soft the modal blend is 21 per cent more breathable than regular cotton jersey PJs, so you stay cool all night long. £39 Shop Oodie Long Navy Pin Stripe Poncho Towel Perfect for days spent by the pool or beach, the Oodie poncho towel is lightweight, dries fast, and is extra long to make changing easy. Better still, it blocks 98 per cent of harmful UV rays so you can enjoy long summer days safely. £65 Shop
CNN
07-05-2025
- Health
- CNN
12 best cooling blankets of 2025
It seems counterintuitive that a blanket could be the answer to a cooler, more comfortable sleep, but cooling blankets were designed for that very purpose, which is why they're such a great option for hot sleepers and anyone dealing with hot flashes. According to Tandy Avery, the vice president of product development at Luxome, cooling blankets rely on moisture-wicking, natural or cooling technology materials to control your body temperature so you can sleep better at night. 'The goal of a cooling blanket is to draw excess heat away from your skin instead of trapping it like a traditional blanket would,' she said. In other words, a cooler, drier you equals less interrupted sleep. What's more, cooling blankets can be used year-round. To help you shop for a cooling blanket, I consulted three textile experts and a bedding expert to get their tips on what to look for in one. I also tapped CNN Underscored's team of editors for their favorite cooling blankets and scoured the internet to find additional options that meet the experts' criteria. Best cooling blankets Ailemei Cooling Throw Amazon According to our experts, cooling blankets should be lightweight and breathable, and this double-sided cooling throw from Amazon checks both of those boxes. It's made from a silky rayon and Mica nylon blend that has a Q-Max score — a measure of how cool a material feels — over 0.441, meaning it will feel noticeably cooler than materials like cotton, silk and bamboo. $30 $17 at Amazon $70 $38 at Sears Ice Blankets The Ice Blanket Ice Blankets Unlike most of the blankets on this list, the Ice Blanket utilizes a cooling technology known as phase-change materials (PCMs) to keep you cool. According to Gopinath, PCMs are microcapsules that absorb and dissipate heat, thanks to a chemical change in the capsules. In addition to being moisture-wicking, this blanket has a wrinkle-resistant nylon and spandex outer shell. Plus, it's hypoallergenic, making it a great option for those with sensitive skin. $170 $109 at Ice Blankets YnM Cooling Weighted Blanket Amazon This Amazon find does double duty as a weighted blanket. It's made from moisture-wicking rayon derived from bamboo so you can kiss sweat-drenched nights goodbye, and it's machine-washable for easy cleaning. The best part? The blanket comes in several colors, including this bubblegum pink, to coordinate with the rest of your bedding. From $60 at Amazon Vesta Washable Premium Silk Cooling Blanket Vesta Looking for a lightweight blanket that feels smooth against the skin? This one from Vesta has a silky, moisture-wicking outer shell that's crafted from eucalyptus Tencel lyocell and bamboo fibers. Its premium silk filling helps regulate your body temperature to keep you comfortable while you sleep. Though the blanket can be machine-washed, the brand recommends spot treating the blanket or handwashing it. $275 From $220 at Vesta Gravity Cooling Weighted Blanket Gravity Cooling This breathable and moisture-wicking weighted blanket from Gravity is made with premium lyocell from eucalyptus. It comes in three weights — 15, 20 and 35 pounds — and is Oeko-Tex certified, meaning it's been tested for harmful substances. Though the cover of this blanket is machine-washable, the inner blanket should be hand-washed to extend its longevity. $175 at Amazon $250 at Gravity Blankets Editor Favorite Buffy Cloud Comforter Amazon 'Great for LA 'winters,' this comforter is lightweight enough to stay cozy and cool during warmer nights,' CNN Underscored testing and updates writer Michelle Rae Uy said. Hypoallergenic and machine-washable, the top-rated Buffy Cloud Comforter has a sateen weave lyocell shell and a BPA-free, recycled PET fill that's made from resin and polyester. Plus, it comes in 11 colors on Buffy's site, perfect for those looking to make a statement in their bedroom. $150 From $120 at Buffy From $125 at Amazon How to choose a cooling blanket Pay attention to the material Cooling blankets are typically made from breathable natural materials, including linen, cotton and silk, or moisture-wicking materials like nylon, according to textile expert Frej Lewenhaupt, co-founder and chief product officer of Steamery. Gopinath also explained that fully synthetic materials, such as nylon and polyester, and semisynthetic materials, such as Tencel and rayon, tend to be less breathable than natural ones but have superior sweat-wicking capabilities. Lewenhaupt recommends opting for blankets made from a blend of naturally cooling materials. He also suggests looking for cooling blankets with a breathable weave — looser weave or mesh patterns — since they allow for better airflow. Avery also suggests choosing blankets derived from natural materials, especially ones that have moisture-wicking capabilities, such as bamboo viscose, a semisynthetic material made from bamboo pulp. Opt for a lightweight blanket with fill that won't hold heat Factors like weight and fill should also be considered when shopping for a cooling blanket. Avery says a lightweight blanket that allows air to circulate and heat to dissipate is key, as well as blankets with a fill that won't trap heat. Consider any cooling technology Certain cooling blankets incorporate cooling technology, such as PCMs, to keep you from overheating. 'Blankets that utilize PCMs will absorb heat, but once the material is fully activated, they need to release the heat, and the cooling effect will only last for a limited amount of time,' Avery said. 'Cooling blankets that utilize 37.5(R) Technology benefit from the continuous effect of this technology, as it moves moisture vapor away from your body before it turns into sweat, allowing you to stay in your comfort zone.' Think about the care Before adding a cooling blanket to your shopping cart, Avery noted that you should consider the level of care required since certain cooling blankets may require special attention. 'If you're someone who sweats a lot, you'll likely prefer to wash it regularly,' Avery said. While some blankets, like the YnM Cooling Weighted Blanket, can be machine-washed, others are better off being hand-washed or spot-treated. FAQs The following FAQs have been answered by textile experts Tandy Avery, Preeti Gopinath and Frej Lewenhaupt. How do cooling blankets work? According to Avery, some cooling blankets use breathable natural fabrics to help keep you cool, while others incorporate cooling technology or rely on moisture-wicking materials. With moisture-wicking materials, the cooling effect results from sweat being pulled from your body and pushed into the air, Gopinath explained. How can you wash a cooling blanket? Lewenhaupt recommends checking the care label before washing your cooling blanket, since some can be too heavy for a washer. If your cooling blanket can be machine-washed, he recommends using a mild detergent and washing it on a gentle cycle, in addition to drying the blanket on a low heat setting. 'For heavier blankets with filling, keep an eye on them in the dryer, as the material can clump together,' he said. 'If needed, occasionally shake it out to spread the filling.' He recommends using dryer balls to maintain the fluffiness of the blanket. 'To refresh your cooling blanket without a washing machine, hang it outside to air out, use fabric spray for a fresh scent or steam to kill surface bacteria and remove wrinkles,' he said. 'It's always a good idea to spot treat if you have a stain rather than washing the whole textile to save time and energy.' Meet our experts For this article, we consulted the following textile and bedding experts to gain their professional insights. Why trust CNN Underscored CNN Underscored has a team of skilled writers and editors who have many years of experience testing, researching and recommending products, and they ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when applicable to make certain we are testing each product accurately, recommending only the best products and considering the pros and cons of each item. Associate editor Rachel Dennis interviewed several experts for this article on cooling blankets. She also tapped CNN Underscored's team of editors for their top cooling blanket picks.
