Morphy Richards EverCosy Heated Electric Under Blanket Review

Introduction

Comfort is a very personal thing, so managing heat on your own side of the bed with a dual-controller heated blanket, such as the Morphy Richards EverCosy Heated Electric Under Blanket, is a good way to avoid arguments. An impressive range of options and an easy-to-fit design make this washable model stand out.

An option to turn the lights out on the remote, and slightly more comfortable connectors would make it perfect. 

Design and features

• Dual controls
• Washable
• Simple elastic straps

You can buy this heated blanket in multiple sizes from single up to super king. Everything from double upwards comes with dual controls, allowing each sleeper to take control of their side of the bed.

Fitting is very easy, thanks to two long elasticated loops that fit over the mattress and hold the blanket in place. As per the instructions, the top of the bed, where your pillows go, should be uncovered, and the blanket should neatly cover the rest of the bed.

The dual remotes are unpluggable (so that the blanket can be washed), connecting to two rather solid lumps of plastic. There was just about enough stretch on the blanket to get these connectors to sit mostly over the side of the bed, but the sheet can move during sleeping, repositioning them.

Even when linted up perfectly, I found that these connectors ended up sticking up slightly, so they can be uncomfortable for side sleepers.

A bit more material would have helped with this issue, or placing the connectors under the blanket. As it stands, even with an undersheet over the top, these connectors are still very visible.

If you don’t like the idea of these hard lumps, then a rival heated blanket, such as the Slumberdown Wonderfully Warm Electric Blanket might suit you better.

The blanket’s material is quite thick, but I could just about feel the wires that run through with my hand. However, for general sleeping, the wires didn’t push through, and I had no trouble getting a good night’s sleep.

Each remote controls the heat and enforced time for half the bed. They’re the same is the same as the one for the Morphy Richards EverCosy Large Luxury Striped Fleece Electric Heated Throw.

There are nine heat settings and a timer that can be set for one to nine hours in one-hour increments. That’s hugely flexible, and each heat setting can be used throughout the night; with some rivals, the higher modes are for short-term use, designed for fast heat-up.

While I appreciate this level of flexibility, the bright lights on the remotes are a distraction, and there’s no way to turn them off. I normally end up tucking the remote down the side of the bed to block its bright light.

At the end of a season (or sooner), you can unclip the remotes and wash the blanket at 40°C on the wool setting. It can’t be tumble-dried, and should be hung out to dry. 

Performance

• Can use all heat settings for up to nine hours
• Warms quickly
• Even heating

It takes the Morphy Richards EverCosy Heated Electric Under Blanket a good 10 minutes to warm up. If you like to climb into a warm bed, it’s worth taking the heat-up time into account, so that the blanket is ready for you.

I also urge some caution as to the heat setting you use. Putting the blanket on setting nine is good on a cold night, but if you have the timer running for many hours, the Morphy Richards EverCosy Heated Electric Under Blanket can get uncomfortably hot overnight.

I found that on the coldest nights, a pre-heat with the hottest option was best, and then setting four or five normally worked for a couple of hours during the night. For those nights where I just wanted to take the edge off the chill, setting four or five worked for me, and I only ever really needed the timer for an hour or two.

The blanket heats up evenly head-to-toe, and there’s a clear line down the middle between the halves. If you only have one side of the blanket turned on, there’s a noticeable difference, and the other side of the bed feels cold to the touch.

Heat is evenly distributed with long loops of heating wire running top to bottom of the blanket. Each half has its own distinctive run.

Measuring the power, each side draws around 68W on setting nine, dropping to just 38W on setting five. Leaving the blanket on for an hour, it drew 0.04kWh, which works out to just over 1p at the current price cap (28p per kWh). That’s a very cheap way to either warm the bed or provide constant warmth through the night.

Those figures are per person, so you can double the running costs if you have both sides of the bed turned on.

Should you buy it?

FAQs