It feels like I was literally just writing about how to survive a heatwave, and now all of a sudden, I’m eating dinner in the dark and wondering where my slippers are. Autumn has crept up on me and so have these chillier evenings, which aren’t entirely unwelcome after the hellish summer, but have got me feeling like I’d rather get cosy on the sofa than strike out for a pub garden in a scarf.
I’m someone who takes a comfy night in seriously – feet up, cuppa, cosy series (soon: Bake Off) – and the hibernation wouldn’t be complete without my favourite blanket. Reader, I am a bit obsessed.
Oodie’s Sherpa Blanket is the one thing that finally got me to stop dragging the duvet off my bed and on to the sofa every other night... because crumbs and tea stains don’t belong on bedding. It helps that it’s much lighter and machine washable, not to mention impossibly soft. Here’s why I recommend you add it to your sofa set-up for autumn.
The Oodie Sherpa Blanket in a nutshell
Pros
- Incredibly warm and soft with a cosy inner layer of Sherpa fleece
- The queen size is large enough to cover two people or wrap up one person entirely
- Machine washable on cold cycle
- Lots of colours and two sizes available
Cons
- You might end up fighting your other half for it
You may or may not know the name Oodie as the winner of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s weighted blanket tests, where the brand’s cosy weighted blanket earned a huge score of 98/100. The brand’s signature product is actually an oversized, wearable hoodie-cum-blanket, which was super popular during lockdown for obvious reasons.
While I know several people who didn’t emerge from the safety of their Oodie hoodies until 2022, I think a traditional blanket is a slightly more dignified way to enjoy the brand's famously snuggly materials. Here’s why I love mine.
It has not one but two snuggly layers
The Oodie Sherpa Blanket has both a super-soft fleece layer and a woolly sherpa fleece one. That silky-smooth outer fleece, which the brand calls ToastyTek™, is comprised of ultra-fine micro threads that trap heat and give the material a buttery texture.
The inner sherpa fleece layer is where the real magic happens, though. It’s less silky, more bouncy-woolly. It feels addictively cosy against your skin and – even though the blanket is 100% polyester – it prevents that plasticky, hot feeling you get with your average fleece blanket. Cocooning myself inside feels like being hugged by a kindly sheep.
I actually do have a proper wool blanket in storage, and as nice as it is, it’s quite scratchy and I don’t dare put it in the washing machine for fear of shrinkage. It also attracts my #1 enemy: clothes moths. Plus, my partner is slightly allergic to wool, so it gives him an itchy nose when it’s laid on the bed or shaken out – it’s why I got the Oodie, which is allergen-free and machine washable on a cold gentle cycle.
It solves my relationship ‘heat gap’
I’m sure lots of couples have experienced this: it’s a cold night, I’m ready to upgrade to the winter duvet but my partner runs much hotter than me, so I end up pyjama-ed to the nines while he still has one leg out to cool off.
This blanket has been the solution to the ‘heat gap’ in our relationship – I just lay this super-cosy layer over my side of the bed and everyone’s happy. Because I have the queen size, I can also create a single or double layer of warmth on my side or cover both of us if my partner is feeling uncharacteristically chilly.
There’s a vast – if slightly mad – colour range
You can call me boring for choosing the Oat (beige) colourway when this blanket comes in so many crazy colourways. What can I say? It goes with everything. But if you’re someone who prefers pastel rainbow squiggles or a leopard print number draped over your sofa, you will not be disappointed.
Below are some of the more tame colours and patterns, but I urge you to have a browse of the full collection on the Oodie website.
Final verdict
I honestly can’t get enough of this blanket, to the extent that it’s making me look forward to hunkering down for winter. Big talk from someone living in a draughty flat. It’s so soft and cosy, I slightly resent having to share it with my partner instead of wrapping myself up in it completely (I’m going to buy another one).
Get one for you, get one for your other half, get one as a really special Christmas gift for someone you love. I guarantee it will be your emotional support blanket throughout the darker months. If you’re here thinking ‘It’s just a blanket’, suit yourself – but I won't be emerging from mine until March. See you then.
Jasmine is the Good Housekeeping Institute’s homes writer. With a background in design, she is committed to sorting the good products from the great –and helping Good Housekeeping readers do the same.
Throughout her career, Jasmine has written extensively about product quality, craftsmanship and sustainability, and is passionate about consumer rights. She previously worked as a writer and researcher at the product longevity platform Buy Me Once.
If she isn’t reviewing the latest gadgets for your home, you can probably find Jasmine cooking elaborate meals or crafting something weird and wonderful!
