- Buy now from Argos (£120.00)
- Price from £94.99
- Dimensions 190 x 137cm
- Warranty 3 years
When the winter nights draw in, bedtime should be the moment to get warm and cosy, but if your sheets are feeling frosty it can be anything but - and that's when a heated blanket comes in handy!
An electric blanket is especially welcome if your bedding is made of materials such as satin, silk or some synthetic blends, which tend to feel cooler than winter bedding faves like brushed cotton, flannel or fleece. For instance, thick cotton bedding is prone to getting cold and crisp during the winter months, so the ability to pre-warm the bed makes a huge difference on a chilly evening.
I tested Dreamland's Snowed In dual-control heated mattress protector, one of the best-reviewed electric blankets on the market, scoring it on performance, features, style, product care and value for money. Read on to see our verdict!
Short on time? The Dreamland Snowed In heated mattress protector in 30 seconds
Although it's not the cheapest option for an electric blanket, Dreamland's dual control heated mattress protector offers performance to match the price tag.
It's super easy to use, and the dual controls allow you to share a bed while enjoying your own customised experience. Plus, it's machine washable and tumble dry safe.
Product performance and features
The Snowed In heated mattress protector comes with an instruction booklet which explains the basic elements of the product in a few simple labelled illustrations, with a more detailed written guide in the following pages, covering safety considerations and best practice for operating, cleaning and storing the blanket.
The mattress protector attaches to the mattress via an elasticated trim which can stretch to a depth of 38cm, enough to comfortably accommodate a standard size mattress. Our tester version was sized for a double bed, but the blanket is also available in king and super-king.
The dual controls are attached via holes at either side of the blanket. Each one can be used independently - perfect if your partner runs hot and you run cold, or vice versa! The power cable measures 1.5m, which should be plenty of room to reach the nearest socket.
The features offer everything you need to customise your experience. You can select from six temperature levels and use the timer feature to set them to stay on for one, three or nine hours. The default setting when switched on is for one hour at full-power level six, designed to quickly warm you up when you first get into bed, but it's easy to change the temperature and timing. If you plan on leaving the blanket on through the night, set the temperature to a maximum of three.
Once switched on, it took less than a minute to start warming up. When it reached full power I found that the heat was evenly distributed across the surface, making it great for everything from warming chilly toes to soothing stomach aches or cramps - if you suffer from period pain, this could be godsend! The temperature controls are ultra-responsive, too - turn the heat up, down, or off and you'll start to feel the difference within seconds.
Each side of the blanket runs at 150W on full power, but the precise cost will depend on how how long you use it for, as well as your current energy tariff. That said, Sust-It's energy calculator suggests that running the Dreamland Snowed In heated blanket for one hour at full power over both sides of the bed would cost about 10p, using the October 2022 price cap rate.
With one point available for each of the bolded elements above, we score the Snowed In mattress protector 10/10.
Product feel and style
When it comes to fabric quality, the Snowed In heated mattress protector is second-to-none. Made of breathable organic cotton with a thread-count of 200, the material is soft, smooth, and sustainably-sourced. Despite being lightweight - this is definitely a mattress protector, rather than a topper - the padding is thick enough to ensure you can't feel the wire heating elements within.
And while style isn't the most important element for a mattress protector which will spend most of its life hidden beneath sheets and duvets, but we really liked the quilted finish, which adds a feeling of texture and depth.
With one point available for each of the bolded elements above, we score the Snowed In mattress protector 4/4.
Product care
Once the electronic controllers have been detached, the Dreamland heated mattress protector is machine washable - a huge plus for an item of bedding which needs to be cleaned regularly. Pre-treat any spots or stains beforehand, and then wash on your machine's delicate cycle at 30C. To protect the blanket, don't run any additional spin cycles after the wash is complete.
According to the manufacturer, the blanket can be tumble dried if your dryer has a delicate setting. After the cycle, spread it out to its full size and finish with an air dry - this will both ensure the blanket is totally dry before it goes back on your bed and also help it retain its shape.
With one point available for each of the bolded elements above, we score the Snowed In mattress protector 2/2.
Value for money
With an RRP of £129.99 (although cheaper deals were available at the time of writing), the Dreamland Snowed In isn't the cheapest heated blanket on the market, but our test found you do get what you pay for in terms of high performance and premium feel.
In terms of running cost, while the Snowed In heated mattress protector is widely advertised as costing "from 1p" to run, this is a fairly meaningless figure without further information. Based on our calculations, 1p would get you about six minutes of full-power heating across the whole mattress, which we don't think is reflective of average use - as we mentioned earlier in our review, 10p for an hour of full-power heating is a more accurate estimate.
The mattress protector also comes with a three-year manufacturer's guarantee against material, mechanical and electrical defects.
With fours points available for overall value for money, we score the Snowed In mattress protector 3/4.
Final score
Taking into account all of the criteria described above, we give the Dreamland Snowed In dual control heated mattress protector an overall score of: 19/20, or 4.8 stars out of 5.
Looking for more options? Check out our round-up of the best heated blankets on the market to stay cosy this winter!
