Best Travel Blankets of 2022 for Planes, Cars, and Other Travel

While you’re shopping for your own travel blanket, there are some key details you should consider before purchasing. Here are some helpful things to be mindful of, according to textile experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute:

✔️ Material: If you’re looking for an affordable, lightweight, and warm travel blanket, textile analysts at the Good Housekeeping Institute suggest trying fleece or a synthetic microfiber made of polyester. They also share that nylon fabrics are lightweight, durable and smooth, which usually makes them ideal for camping, hiking, or other outdoor adventures, that natural fibers like cotton and linen aren’t typically quite as warm but breathe well, and that merino fibers, while sometimes pricey, are quite warm and soft.

✔️ Size: For travel blankets in particular, it’s important to keep size dimensions in mind. You want to be sure to pick something that’s large enough to keep both your hands and toes warm but will also pack down small enough for your carry-on if you’re flying. Many of our picks offer plenty of coverage as well as packable into either a smaller pouch or convertible into a pillow.

✔️ Features: Many of our picks for travel blankets are designed with extra features. Some offer a case or pouch to keep your blanket compact, while others offer an attached loop, designed to be helpful for toting the blanket when you’re on the go. Some blankets offer wearability features, like a hole or snaps at the neck that allow you to use the blanket hands-free. Last, some blankets feature added pockets to provide extra space for your smaller belongings that are easily lost in the cracks of your car or plane seat.

We researched the best travel blankets and considered online reviews and editor-favorite products as part of this process. We also referenced the Good Housekeeping Institute’s coverage, where Textiles Lab experts shared their recommendations (from those, we included the Away Travel Blanket, World’s Best Cozy Soft Microfleece Travel Blanket, and Stalwart Heated Car Blanket products on our list).

For more than 70 years, Prevention has been a leading provider of trustworthy health information, empowering readers with practical strategies to improve their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Our editors interview medical experts to help guide our health-focused product selections. Additionally, Prevention also examines hundreds of reviews—and often conducts personal testing done by our staff—to help you make informed decisions.