Are Travel Blankets Worth It for Flights?
A travel blanket is worth it on flights of about four hours or more, if you get cold on planes and want to sleep. On a short domestic hop, it's one more thing in your bag. The catch is that the blanket has to earn its space: it should pack small, do a second job, and hang on your luggage. A throw from home does none of that.
Why the airline blanket isn't enough
On a long flight, the cabin often feels cold once the lights go down. You're sitting still for hours, the air vents are on, and you can't move around to warm up. The airline blanket, if you get one at all, is thin and small. It covers your lap and slides off every time you shift.
Travelers on forums bring up two other things. Some airlines have stopped handing out blankets in economy, so you can't count on one. And plenty of people don't trust an airline blanket to be clean, even in a sealed bag. Bringing your own answers both.
When a travel blanket is worth it
- Long-haul and overnight flights. On a red-eye or a flight over four hours, warmth is the difference between sleeping and watching the map. Owners who were miserable on cold flights say the blanket paid for itself on the first trip.
- You run cold. If you're the one in a sweater when everyone else is fine, the cabin will get you.
- You want to sleep. Being cold is one of the main reasons people can't drift off on a plane. A blanket fixes a problem no seat can.
- You travel with one bag. This sounds backwards, but the good travel blankets pack into their own case and clip to the outside of your bag. They take up less room than a sweater.
When it isn't
- Short flights. If you'll be in the air for an hour or two, you won't unpack it.
- You already carry a big scarf or wrap. Many frequent flyers swear by a large scarf or pashmina. It's warm enough for a lot of people, it's a wrap on the ground, and it packs flat. A forum thread full of travelers will have as many scarf fans as blanket fans.
- You'd buy a normal throw. A couch blanket is bulky and never goes back in the bag the same size. If that's the plan, skip it and bring a scarf.
Why cheap travel blankets disappoint
The complaints owners post come down to three things:
- Too small. Some travel blankets are closer to 50 inches long. That's a lap blanket. Sitting up, you want something around 65 inches so it reaches from your shoulders to your feet.
- Too thin. Lightweight fabrics keep the draft off but don't add much warmth. Few listings tell you the fabric weight, which makes it hard to compare.
- Bulk. A blanket with no case is loose fabric that takes up a quarter of a carry-on.
What makes one worth packing
- A case that becomes a pillow. Fold the blanket into its plush case and you have something to rest your head on. One item, two jobs.
- A sleeve or clip for your luggage. A sleeve on the back of the case slides over your suitcase handle. A carabiner or strap hangs it from your backpack. Either way it rides outside your bag.
- Enough length. About 65 inches covers most adults in a seat.
- Machine washable. You'll want to wash it after every trip.
Our top pick, the EverSnug Travel Blanket and Pillow, has all four: a 65 x 40 inch microplush blanket, a case that doubles as a pillow, a luggage sleeve and a carabiner, and it goes in the washing machine.
Blanket or scarf? A quick way to decide
Ask yourself what you'd do with it on the ground. If you'd wear it as a wrap at dinner or over your shoulders in a church, buy a big scarf. If it would stay in the bag until the next flight, buy a travel blanket with a pillow case, because the case gives it a second job on the plane.
Either way, pack it where you can reach it. In the overhead bin, you won't get it out until you're already cold.
The bottom line: worth it on long and overnight flights
A travel blanket is worth it on long or overnight flights, especially if you get cold or want to sleep, as long as it packs into a case and hangs on your luggage. Skip it for short flights, or if a big scarf already does the job for you. For five blankets compared on size, pillow cases and how they attach to a bag, see our best travel blankets for airplanes.