The best throw blankets

The best throw blankets are soft, warm, and durable enough to last you multiple seasons without showing signs of wear and tear.
If warmth is what you’re after, the West Elm Faux Fur Ombre Throw is the best throw blanket you can buy.
If you’re looking for blankets large enough for your bed, check out our guide to the best bedding startups.

There’s nothing more satisfying to me than curling up on the couch with a cozy blanket and a cup of tea in preparation for another marathon of the Great British Bake Off on Netflix. A key part of that equation is my favorite throw blanket. Without it, my nightly routine isn’t nearly as relaxing.

A good throw blanket will be cuddly soft, cozy and warm yet breathable, and durable enough to last you multiple seasons. The best throws will resist holding onto smells, moisture, or mildew to minimize the number of times it needs to be washed throughout the season.

Many of our picks have been thoroughly tested by Insider Reviews reporters and editors, and these are the ones that have risen to the top – even earning permanent spots on many of our couches.

Here are the best throw blankets:

Best faux fur throw blanket: West Elm Faux Fur Ombre Throw
Best fleece throw blanket: L.L.Bean Wicked Plush Throw
Best wool throw blanket: Pendleton Motor Robe
Best lightweight throw blanket: Crane & Canopy Linen Throw
Best cashmere throw blanket: Williams Sonoma Recycled Italian Cashmere Throw
Best chunky knit throw blanket: ShepsWool Chunky Knit Merino Wool Blanket
Best jersey weave throw blanket: Pottery Barn Teen Sweatshirt Blanket

Prices and links are current as of 8/4/20. We added our top picks for the best chunky knit blanket and the best jersey blanket.

The best faux fur throw blanket

If you’re looking for a blanket that will keep you warm and cozy in the winter while not sacrificing aesthetic, the West Elm Faux Fur Ombre Throw is a great choice.

I have this blanket on my couch at home, and it’s easily the most fought-over throw we own. When snuggling up on the couch, my partner and I regularly play tug of war with this blanket because of how warm and cozy it is. It’s double-sided, with a high-pile faux fur on one side and a low-pile velvety fleece-like underside with both sides of the blanket offering unparalleled softness.

The West Elm Faux Fur Throw so soft that I regularly find my cat curled up on the blanket, and thanks to its faux-fur aesthetic, it easily hides the cat hair, so I don't have to shoo her off of her favorite napping spot. My cat's coloring is almost a perfect match for the blanket, and she often blends right in, so if you have grey or brown animals, make sure to look before you sit.

Insider Reviews editor Sally Kaplan also owns this blanket, and it's her go-to at home. "The weight of the blanket is just heavy enough to keep me warm without totally overheating me, though I will say that I wish I had bought the larger size so my partner and I could curl up together without one of us having to sacrifice a little coverage," she writes.

Unfortunately, the throw is dry-clean only, so if you spill something on it or just generally want to refresh it, you'll have to plunk down some cash on getting it cleaned. But I've had mine for about a year, and it's yet to get musty or smelly.

The best fleece throw blanket

Foto: Source: L.L.Bean

The L.L.Bean Wicked Plush Throw is a reliable classic from a heritage brand you can trust - plus it's soft, affordable, and machine washable.

L.L.Bean is a favorite among Insider Reviews. We love the heritage brand's sheets, slippers, and their internet-famous tote bags to name a few. Now we're adding L.L.Bean's Wicked Plush Throw blanket to our list.

Made with the same care and precision that the brand is known for, this fleece plush is an affordable option that will keep you warm in the winter months, but it's lightweight enough that you can use it all year round - especially if someone in your home likes to crank the air conditioning to arctic temperatures. The fleece is brushed on both sides, giving it that extra softness that you'd expect from a good fleece blanket.

The Wicked Plush Throw comes in two sizes. I'd opt for the larger 60-inch by 80-inch option because I'm often sharing a blanket with a partner and a cat, but the 50-inch x 60-inch is a generously sized throw for personal use. If you want something even larger, you could opt for the Wicked Cozy Blanket which is made of the same fleece but is sized for use on your bed.

Unlike some of our other picks, the Wicked Plush Throw is machine washable, but do take care to dry it on a no-heat setting, lest the polyester fleece gets scorched in the dryer.

The best wool throw blanket

Foto: Source: Pendleton

Made in America from 100% virgin wool, the Pendleton Motor Robe is a throw that will keep you warm through years of use.

Pendleton is another heritage brand we love and trust. Former Insider Reviews fellow Ciannah Gin has been using her Pendleton Eco-Wise Wool Blanket on her bed for over four years, and she was so thrilled with it that she bought a second one. She writes, "Although the blanket is made from 100% wool, it's surprisingly breathable. Mine haven't shrunk, faded, or pilled in the four years I've had them."

But the Eco-Wise is intended for use on your bed. If you're looking for something more manageable in size, we recommend the Motor Robe. At 52 inches by 66 inches, the throw is still generously-sized but not so unwieldy that you'll get trapped in it while watching TV.

The Motor Robe is made from virgin wool and the Pendleton brand has over 150 years' worth of pedigree making blankets in the Pacific Northwest. The Pendleton website says the Motor Robe was developed from the tradition of those in need of extra warmth when traveling by horse-drawn carriage, train, or boat, but it will be just as welcome at home in your reading nook.

If you do plan to take this blanket on your journeys, it comes with a leather carrying strap that you can wrap around a rolled-up blanket. It's a lovely aesthetic touch for those who want to store the blanket in sight - especially because the plaid patterns are so eye-catching - but don't want it sprawled out on their couch all the time.

One large downside to this 100% wool blanket is the fact that it can be uncomfortable for those with sensitive skin. Gin found her Pendleton blanket to be too itchy to wrap herself up in without the protective barrier of her bedding.

The best lightweight throw blanket

The Crane & Canopy Linen Throw will be your go-to blanket in the warmer months thanks to its light-weight breathability.

Crane & Canopy has quickly become one of our favorite bedding startups. We love its duvet covers and sheet sets, and its throw blankets are absolutely top-notch. One of our favorite throws from Crane & Canopy is its linen throw, a lightweight breathable option that's perfect for when you don't want to be trapped under layers of wool or faux fur.

Insider Reviews deputy editor Malarie Gokey has this blanket at home and she loves it so much that she uses it on her bed in the summer even in spite of its smaller throw blanket size. She writes, "I can't sleep unless I feel the weight of some sort of blanket on me, and in the summer, that's very problematic - or it was, until I found this linen throw from Crane & Canopy. It's super soft, breathable, and lightweight. It adds just the right amount of warmth on a slightly chilly summer evening when you want a light layer to wrap up in whether you're on the couch, front porch, or what have you."

Linen is known for its breathability, so if you overheat easily, this Crane & Canopy throw will be a lifesaver, especially when it's warm out. Though linen does have the tendency to be a bit stiff when it's new, this blanket will get softer and softer the more it's used, washed, and worn in, eventually becoming one of the coziest in your repertoire.

The best cashmere blanket

Foto: Source: Williams Sonoma

The Williams Sonoma Recycled Italian Cashmere Throw is a high-end blanket at the pinnacle of softness if your budget allows for a splurge.

Cashmere is often regarded as the pinnacle of luxury when it comes to wool. The expensive yet incredibly soft fabric is generated from the soft undercoat of cashmere goats native to the Himalayas where temperatures can drop to -30°C ensuring cashmere is one of the warmest materials on the market.

Naturally, cashmere is an excellent choice for a throw blanket thanks to the material's warmth, softness, and breathability - if you're willing to splurge on the high price tag.

What sets Williams Sonoma's Recycled Italian Cashmere Throw apart from the pack is that key word, "recycled." Instead of utilizing virgin cashmere, Williams Sonoma collects the leftover wool from other knits and reweaves them into new yarn, cutting down on waste and reducing the environmental impact of these blankets by 92%.

The cashmere they collect has already been dyed for other projects. Instead of redying it, they allow the slight variations in color to shine, giving each throw a unique, slightly mottled coloration.

The Recycled Italian Cashmere Throws are produced in Prato, Italy at a mill that has been weaving cashmere dating back to the 12th century, so you can be assured that your throw has been produced with the highest quality of care and skill.

Like all cashmere, this throw is dry-clean only, but thanks to cashmere's inherent antibacterial nature, it will resist smells for quite a long time, so you'll likely only have to clean this blanket once a season or if you spill something on it.

The best chunky knit throw blanket

Foto: Source: Etsy

The ShepsWool Chunky Knit Merino Wool Blanket will warm up any space with its exaggerated knit, and its merino wool construction makes it incredibly cozy.

Chunky knit blankets were all the rage a couple years ago, and it's no wonder the trend has persisted. A good chunky wool blanket draws the eye right away and becomes a focal point of any warm and cozy space. While they're often more form than function due to their tendency to misshape with use, if it's a beautiful piece you're after, the ShepsWool Chunky Knit Merino Wool Blanket is a great throw at a reasonable price.

ShepsWool hand-knits all of its blankets from merino wool roving - a material made using a wool-gathering technique that aligns all the fibers in one direction. The roving has a soft, pillowy feel to it, unlike a tightly wound yarn. While this gives it the perfect look, it does make it more delicate, and blankets made from it can start to pill and shed with extended use.

This 40-inch by 60-inch throw is best sized for decorative use, but it's large enough to cover one person. If you're looking for something larger to share with a partner, ShepsWool also offers 62-inch by 80-inch and 90-inch by 100-inch versions.

The best jersey weave throw blanket

Foto: Source: Pottery Barn Teen

If your favorite sweatshirt is your idea of the pinnacle of comfort, you'll want to add the Pottery Barn Teen Sweatshirt Blanket to your throw collection.

While wool will keep you the warmest and cashmere might be the most luxurious, there's often nothing cozier than an old well-worn hoodie. A jersey knit blanket turns that sweatshirt into something you can spread over your couch and cuddle up with during movie night. But good ones are surprisingly hard to find, and they're often emblazoned with college logos.

The Pottery Barn Teen Sweatshirt Blanket keeps it simple in either heather gray or navy with some subtle seam detailing for visual interest. The underside of each blanket is a lighter shade of the primary color. And don't let the "Teen" designation trouble you; this blanket is sophisticated enough to suit any living room or TV den.

While this Sweatshirt Blanket isn't a true throw dimensionally speaking, the Twin size will easily serve as an oversized throw and you won't have to worry about playing tug of war with kids, dogs, or anyone else vying for blanket space. If you want to go truly oversized or put this one on your bed, it also comes in a Queen/King size.

Check out our other great bedding guides

Foto: Source: Brooklinen

The best throw blankets