It all started when a group of my colleagues were discussing heated throws. As the first chill of the year descended on us, it came to my attention that I was one of the only people in my team who did not already own one.
CHOICE people are famously fanatical about products – they either love them or hate them. And when it comes to heated throws, they are enthusiastically in favour. Especially considering that, as a cohort, we love saving a buck, heated throws are seen as a very cozy and cost-effective way to stay warm while working from home.
I had visions of myself not only working in comfort and warmth but also smiling smugly from the sidelines of my son’s early morning soccer games
Not satisfied with simply following blindly along with the crowd, I took it upon myself to be a trailblazer. Instead of doing the obvious thing and buying a stock standard heated blankie, I decided I could be a thought leader by buying myself an ultra-fashionable, wearable heated blanket instead.
Kmart is currently selling their trendy little number for just $49, complete with hood and a button up front. As I added it to my cart, I had visions of myself not only working in comfort and warmth but also smiling smugly from the sidelines of my son’s early morning soccer games and even styling out the blankie with some big boots to cut through the chill while waiting in the cold concrete school pickup area.
A few days after my impulsive purchase, the blankie showed up on my doorstep midway through my workday. Obviously I was excited to put it to use immediately, but I was soon to encounter a series of barriers.
Firstly, as a CHOICE-er (read: dedicated rule follower and stickler for details) I took it upon myself to first read the extensive list of warnings outlined in the instructions. Nestled within this long list of no-nos was a warning not to ever use the product outdoors. Dreams of staying warm on the sidelines of soccer or at evening winter events went up in smoke. I began to question what the point of a wearable blanket is if you can’t actually wear it anywhere.
This was a blow, but the biggest blow was yet to come, as I turned to the instructions for use.
Again, I had assumed a level of portability from a wearable product like this. What I did not realise is that this product only works when it’s plugged into the wall.
I began to question what the point of a wearable blanket is if you can’t actually wear it anywhere
Not only can it not be worn out and about, you can’t even walk around your own house while you’re “wearing” it.
To add insult to injury, the extremely short (1m long) cord provided is an old-style USB cord that does not include a wall adapter.
So before I could even try the damn thing out, I had to unearth our “box of random cords and tech stuff”™ and search through other old, outdated technological items until I finally found an appropriate wall adapter.
It seems unlikely this desk setup is WHS-approved.
Buoyed from this success, I donned the blankie, rushed to plug it in the power outlet next to my desk and attempted to take a seat in front of my laptop. I say attempted, because it immediately became clear that the cord was not long enough to allow me to both wear the blanket and sit comfortably at my desk. In order to try it out, I had to shimmy my chair closer to the wall and prop my laptop on my daughter’s high chair.
(For comparison, the length of the power cords of the heated throws in our review range from 2m at the shortest, up to 4m.)
It wasn’t exactly comfortable, but after rereading the extensive instruction manual I realised there was no warning against using this product with an extension cord, meaning I could potentially get it to reach my desk, if I could manage to rustle one up.
But being the impatient person I am, I still decided to give it a test run while scooching my chair next to the wall.
First, the positives: as soon as I put the blanket on, it was undeniable that it was very warm, even before I plugged it into the wall.
It definitely looks more like a blanket than a garment, but it’s pretty comfy.
On the down side, it didn’t really get much warmer when I plugged it in. When you first turn it on, the light goes green which, according to the instructions, indicates “warm-level” heating. Somewhat confusingly, “warm-level” is the lowest level of heating.
I say it’s confusing because the next level up is actually called “low-level” heating. From there, there are mid-level and high-level settings.
I didn’t notice a great deal of difference between the settings and the only place where I could feel actual electricity-powered heat seemed to be the top of my back.
I was fairly warm anyway though, simply because I was wearing a giant plush blanket.
In terms of the “wearable” aspect, the poncho-style design was actually pretty comfy to wear while typing away at my laptop, and the hood really upped the warmth level, although there are no heating components in it, so that effect could very much be replicated by buying an oodie – while deeply unfashionable, at least you can wear them out and about.
Short answer, no. If you want to stay warm at home, I’d recommend buying a heated throw and simply wearing a hoodie or a beanie if you want your neck and head to stay warm too. Ironically, a heated throw with a long 4m cord (or even a 2m cord) would actually be a heck of a lot more portable than the Kmart wearable heated blanket.
The only real benefit of this wearable blankie is how it drapes conveniently over your arms, so you don’t have to worry about it slipping off your shoulders like a blanket might. But considering the heating elements in the arms are barely even detectable, I really don’t consider this much of a benefit at all.
Ironically, a heated throw with a long 4m cord would actually be a heck of a lot more portable than this wearable blanket
You could probably just wear one of Kmart’s knock off Oodies for $35 and get a fairly similar effect. Plus, you’d be able to stand up and walk to the kitchen without being leashed to your power outlet.
A caveat
One possibility has occurred to me: if you wanted to truly be able to wear this blanket around the house. You could, conceivably, plug the old school USB outlet into a portable power bank (one with an old-school USB outlet) and slip it into the pocket, allowing you to move around your house freely. But with the instructions pointedly telling you not to wear it outside, this is still a small consolation.
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Grace Smith is a Content editor, she creates and edits content, stories and feature articles for CHOICE magazine and digital platforms.
Grace writes on a diverse range of topics, from money-saving and consumer rights, to product safety and household goods. Previously, she worked as a verifier, reviewing lab data and written content to ensure all information was accurate and rigorous, and also as a Content producer for the Household team.
Grace is the writer and producer of CHOICE Cheapskate newsletter, full of money saving ideas and tricks.
Grace has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney. LinkedIn
Grace Smith is a Content editor, she creates and edits content, stories and feature articles for CHOICE magazine and digital platforms.
Grace writes on a diverse range of topics, from money-saving and consumer rights, to product safety and household goods. Previously, she worked as a verifier, reviewing lab data and written content to ensure all information was accurate and rigorous, and also as a Content producer for the Household team.
Grace is the writer and producer of CHOICE Cheapskate newsletter, full of money saving ideas and tricks.
Grace has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney. LinkedIn
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