Winter, cold fronts, and those random chilly days meet their match in electric blankets. The Biddeford Blankets Comfort Knit Heated Blanket can be the shield you need to keep the cold at bay – in bed, at least. The benefits of this electric blanket from Biddeford are numerous, and they don’t just stop at warming up your bed at night. To get a good idea of whether this heated blanket would be a good buy for you, keep reading. I had some hands on experience with this electric blanket, and there’s plenty of information from the manufacturer and other users to help you decide if this is right for you.
My Biddeford Electric Blanket Review
It was easy to choose this Biddeford blanket based on its looks alone. The slightly plush electric blanket comes in four different sizes, including twin, full, queen, and king. And you get your choice of five colors: cloud blue, fawn, grey, natural, and sage. I’ve found it’s difficult to find a green electric blanket, so if that’s one of the colors you have in your bedroom, you’ll be happy to hear that! I chose the green color in a king size. It’s important to point out that the two bigger sizes (queen and king) come with two controllers to control the heat level on each side of the blanket, and the two smaller sizes (twin and full) only have one controller to change the heat level.
Cords
All the cords that come with this blanket are quite long, which means you should be able to run them along under your mattress and plug them in. Your controllers should fit on either side of the bed with no issues, too. I had no problem getting everything connected and set up.
No Preheat
Unlike some other electric blankets, this one from Biddeford doesn’t have a preheat function. However, you can preheat your blanket by simply turning it on just before bed. In my experience, turning on the blanket and setting it to a 5 about 15 minutes before bed was sufficient. All the iciness I remember feeling between the sheets when I slid into bed nights before was gone. It was toasty and warm – it may have even been too warm, to be honest. I turned the dial down to a 3, and that was good for me.
When I woke up the next morning, the electric blanket was still going, keeping me snug as a bug in a rug. The good news is that even if I’d slept in that morning – it would be easy to do in such a cozy bed – the electric blanket would’ve shut off after being on for 10 hours.
Soft Feel
The feel of the blanket is surprisingly soft and lightweight. Most electric blankets pill a lot or feel synthetic or fuzzy, rather than soft. I was also surprised that this blanket is quite flexible. When I tossed it onto my bed and spread it out, the sides draped nicely, like a normal blanket. I’ve had other heated blankets remain stiff because of the wires inside.
Wires
The wires are somewhat noticeable in this blanket. They weren’t obtrusive or annoying to the touch. I was only able to see their outlines, and could only feel them when I went looking for them. The only thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was the connecting plugs on the blanket itself. Although it’s buried in the blanket at the foot near the hem, it’s still noticeable when the blanket is draped on top of you. I subconsciously felt the connection with my toes, and that concerns me that the plugs might loosen over time.
Washing
I followed the instructions to wash my blanket, which were easy enough. I tossed it in my washing machine and chose cold water and the delicate cycle. Once it finished washing, I threw it in the dryer on low, but to be safe, I chose to run it for half the time I normally would. The blanket wasn’t totally dry, so I laid it flat to dry for an hour, flipped it over, and let it dry a bit longer. When I plugged it in and tossed it over my bed, it worked just the same as it did the first time I used it. The only thing I noticed, and it could be a wonky perception, is that it seemed a bit thinner than before.
Features & Benefits
Biddeford works hard to ensure the features of its heated blankets are beneficial in some way. You can see how each feature is intended to be helpful, but not every feature you’d want is included.
Heat Settings
It’s common to get 10 heat settings on an electric blanket, and Biddeford is no exception. Set the blanket to a 1 setting and it’s the lowest heat setting possible. The H setting is the highest, and essentially the 10 level settings on this blanket.
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No Preheat
Biddeford did not include a preheat function for this electric blanket, but you can manually set up your electric blanket to preheat. Simply turn on one or both sides (of the bigger blankets with two controllers) and let it warm up. For me, it only took about 15 minutes, but it may take longer depending on your bed, the type of sheets you have (I use fleece sheets during the winter), and the temperature inside your house.
Controllers
On the twin- and full-sized blankets, they only come with one controller, which lets you set the heat level for the entire blanket. The queen- and king-sized blankets include two controllers, which gives you the option of heating one side with one controller, and the other with a separate controller. It’s helpful to have when your partner likes things a little cooler or warmer than you.
The controllers are dial-style, so you just need to click it over one direction or the other for the higher (hotter) numbers or lower (cooler) numbers. There’s an on/off switch, as well, which makes it easy to turn it on or off in the middle of the night.
Material
Like many electric blankets, the Biddeford Blankets Comfort Knit Heated Blanket is made of 100 percent polyester. The choice of this material is for a couple reasons. One, polyester is surprisingly the safer choice, compared to, say, cotton. Should anything go wrong with wires or connections, the blanket will melt, rather than burst into flames. Two, polyester is surprisingly soft. This isn’t exactly a fluffy and luxurious blanket, but it’s quite soft to the touch, which is a nice change from older heated blankets that are fuzzy, pill easily, and feel stiff.
Machine Washable
Back in the day, electric blankets were not easy to wash. You had to wash them by hand and line dry them. This one, though, is safe to wash in a washing machine. It’s safest if you choose a combination of cold water with a delicate setting, just to be safe. Line drying is still the best option to avoid any damage to connections.
Five-Year Warranty
Biddeford offers a five-year warranty, which is helpful just in case anything goes wrong with your blanket. Defects aren’t exactly common, but they do happen, so having a long warranty goes a long way to quelling your concerns about this purchase.
What Others Had to Say
You can trust everything the manufacturer has to say, and my experience with this blanket, but it helps to also see what others say about owning this Biddeford heated blanket. Not everyone had the same experience, so it’s important to see what the majority experienced.
Getting It Clean
Not everyone had the same luck as others with washing this blanket. While most people were able to wash their electric blankets in the washing machine with no problem, some users reported that the blankets stopped working, even though they followed the instructions to wash it. The majority, however, have had no issues at all, and have washed and dried the blanket several times.
Preheating the Bed
Although there’s no actual preheat function on this electric blanket, many people have said they were able to successfully preheat their beds before bedtime by simply turning it on 15 to 60 minutes before they retired to sleep. Some smart users even set up a timer to their electric blanket to turn on automatically before bed.
Heat Levels
There are so many differing opinions on the heat levels of this blanket. It makes sense, though, because heat is such a subjective thing. What’s blazing hot to one person is just mildly warm to another. With that said, most people who bought this electric blanket said it heats very well, and the higher settings feel extremely hot – especially after it’s been on for a long while.
How Soft Is It?
Overwhelmingly, most people say this blanket is extremely soft and comfortable – with or without heat. It also isn’t slippery, which is an issue with some other electric blankets, which means it shouldn’t slide off your silky sheets. The material is a bit thin, which is the general consensus, but not unpleasantly so.
The Wires
Although some people have claimed that the wires won’t lay flat and straight, which can be distracting, most people say they don’t notice them at all. You can definitely see the outline of the wires through the thin material, but the wires and blanket itself aren’t heavy.
Customer Service
Perhaps the biggest complaint, overall, is the lack of customer service from Biddeford. If you need to contact customer service, you may not be able to get a hold of anyone at all. Most people who did call into customer service were met with an answering machine, and they didn’t get a phone call back. A few people noted that they had no trouble with customer service, though, so maybe it’s hit or miss.
That Five-Year Warranty
While a five-year warranty sounds good, if customer service doesn’t get back to you, it’s pretty much worthless. That’s what a lot of customers had to say about Biddeford’s warranty. Others haven’t had the same difficulties when they came across a defective item, though. As long as you follow the instructions on washing the blanket and use it as instructed, and something goes wrong, you should be covered.
Conclusion
In my experience, the Biddeford Blankets Comfort Knit Heated Blanket did exactly what it was meant to do. It warmed up the way I expected, and it kept me warm and toasty throughout the night. I might even say it was a bit too warm by the time I woke up. I liked the controllers because there was no backlight on them, so there was no light to disturb me in the middle of the night. And turning it on and off is as easy as clicking the little switch.
The blanket is soft to the touch, and not at all heavy, so I barely notice it draped over my sheets. As far as its looks go, it leaves a little something to be desired. I can see the wires underneath that top layer, and that doesn’t look great, but I do like that I get my choice of five colors.
Customers who’ve also bought this blanket and reported back through reviews seem to really like it, too, especially compared to another big brand of electric blankets. It’s machine washable, so it’s easy to care for, and you can even dry it on low in your dryer. Overall, it seems that most people are happy with its longevity, especially for its affordable price.
The biggest drawback about this blanket is actually the manufacturer. Customer support seems spotty, at best, and that’s disappointing. However, if you have a defective blanket and you’re able to contact the customer service team, it seems like you’ll be taken care of. If you’re looking for a heated blanket to keep you warm and cozy even on the coldest nights, this could be the one for you. Or if you’d rather something more permanent or stationary, then maybe check out some heated mattress pads!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a preheat function?
No.
Is it easy to plug in for use?
Yes, the cords are long and can run under the mattress with ease.
How do you keep it clean?
Machine wash cold and dry on low heat or line dry.