The Lakeland heated throw I use every day is half price this Black Friday
This cosy blanket is my constant companion through the winter
Sifting through the best Black Friday deals can feel like a thankless task until you come up with a gem like this: my favourite electric blanket, which I rave about to my friends (and Expert Reviews colleagues) on an almost daily basis, is half price.
The Lakeland StaySnug Faux Fur Heated Throw is reduced from £130 down to £60. I’ve seen it on sale for the £90 mark before, but this £60 discount represents great value.
And there’s more. You can buy direct from the Lakeland website, but, if you buy the StaySnug heated throw at £60 through the Lakeland store on eBay, you can save a further 5% by entering the code SLAY5. This extra discount expires on the 16th November.
Why I love this StaySnug electric blanket deal
So how do I love thee, fluffy warm blanket of dreams? Let me count the ways. First, there’s its look. Call me shallow, but after two decades of working for interiors magazines and websites, functionality alone doesn’t cut it for me. With its faux fur look in on-trend tones of whites and taupes, this blanket looks stylish whether draped across my office chair, over my bed… or on my lap. Where you’ll find it more often than not on those chilly working-from-home days.
Next, it’s washable, which is essential if you’re going to survive five minutes in my home. My throw has been subjected to at least half a dozen drinks spills in the year I’ve owned it. Most have been sponged off with ease, but a particularly spectacular coffee spill warranted a trip to the washing machine. I was nervous that ‘Blanky’ would lose its super-soft fluffy texture, and it did a teeny tiny bit, but it still looks great and survived a lot better than other faux fur items I’ve washed in the past. It certainly didn’t feel rough or matted as can be the case.
Using the blanket is pretty simple. There are nine heat levels and nine time frames to cycle through, each selected by a separate button. This can be a tad annoying – especially if you miss your time or temperature ‘stop’ as it were – but it’s very simple. The latter sets the blanket to heat up for between 20 minutes and three hours, after which it reliably shuts off.
Does the StaySnug blanket keep you warm? And at what cost?
So is this really one of the best electric blankets out there? Well, in my opinion, yes. Although some reviews do mention that the blanket doesn’t get super hot. Indeed, I nearly always have the throw at its hottest level and on for the full three hours, and that’s not too hot for me. But my mum, who uses it whenever she comes to stay, prefers it to be a lower setting (6 or 7). And it’s true that it doesn’t get incredibly hot, but it’s designed more to be in direct contact with your body, unlike a standard electric blanket that would sit under layers of bedding. For that reason. it’s fine for me.
Also, it’s not huge, so don’t expect it to cover a standard size double bed, for example. But again, that’s not what it’s designed for, and it’s perfect for a single bed or for snuggling on the sofa.
What else? The cable is a good length – around 2 metres, so you can use it on the sofa or bed without the cable straining at the plug socket. It comes with a three-year guarantee, too. One year in, I’ve not had any complaints, but it’s good to know it’s there. Oh, and it has a 160 wattage. Which means that, with the energy price cap currently set at 24.5p per kWh, the blanket will cost no more than £0.04 an hour to run.
So in a nutshell, this throw is hot stuff as far as Black Friday deals go. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
