We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Travel The 9 Best Travel Blankets Of 2024, Tested And Reviewed We spent weeks testing travel blankets to find the best for road trips and long-haul flights. By Amanda Ogle Amanda Ogle Amanda Ogle is a writer covering travel, food and drink, and general lifestyle topics. She also writes product reviews across a range of topics, including travel gear, kitchen gadgets, organization, home decor, furniture, and fashion. She's been a freelance writer since 2016, and prior to that she was an editor at American Way magazine. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on February 2, 2024 In This Article Expand Jump to a Section Our top picks Reviews Tips for Choosing Our Testing Process More to Consider Questions and Answers Why Trust Southern Living Southern Living / David Hattan You don’t often have control over the temperature during travel, whether it’s because your seatmate is blasting their air vent during the flight or someone else is blasting the AC during a road trip. It might seem easy to just grab a blanket from home to take with you, but these can take up too much room in your carry-on bags or checked luggage. Consider investing in a travel blanket, which is smaller than a regular blanket or throw but still big enough to keep you warm while on the go. Many of them come with their own carrying cases and stuff sacks, making them easy to pack down to save space and weight while traveling. “A travel blanket is my surefire way of making sure I snooze for part of the flight, time zones and jet lag be damned!” says professional travel writer Katherine Parker-Magyar, who has been to every continent, all 50 states, and 84 countries. We tested 22 travel blankets for two weeks, evaluating their portability, packability, durability, and ease of use to bring you the best travel blankets for every occasion. From insulated travel blankets to cashmere splurges and everything in between, here are our favorite travel blankets on the market for all of your adventures. Our Top Picks Best Overall Travel Blanket: Kashwere Travel Blanket at Amazon ($89) Jump to Review Best Budget Travel Blanket: Travelrest 4-in-1 Travel Blanket at Amazon ($40) Jump to Review Best Cashmere Travel Blanket: White+Warren Cashmere Travel Wrap at Shopbop.com ($245) Jump to Review Softest Travel Blanket: Unhide Lil' Marsh Traveler at Amazon ($45) Jump to Review Best Coverage: L.L.Bean Puffer Blanket at L.L.Bean ($79) Jump to Review Best for Outdoors: Eddie Bauer Packable Synthetic Throw at Amazon ($63) Jump to Review Best Lightweight Travel Blanket: Away The Travel Blanket at Awaytravel.com ($95) Jump to Review Best Design: EverSnug Travel Blanket and Pillow at Amazon ($30) Jump to Review Best Set: Naked Cashmere 4-piece Travel Set at Nakedcashmere.com ($450) Jump to Review Best Overall Travel Blanket Kashwere Travel Blanket Kashwere View On Amazon $89 View On Kashwere.com Our Ratings Quality 5/5 Value 5/5 Comfort 5/5 Ease of Use 5/5 What’s Great About It It comes with a carrying case that doubles as a pillow when you’re not using the blanket. What Could Be Better We wish the travel bag was lined with a smooth fabric that would make it easier to get the blanket back into the bag. Large enough to cover your lap and waist while seated, Kashwére’s Travel Blanket is an excellent choice for plane rides, road trips, and even long bus rides. It’s made of a soft chenille yarn that’s warm and lightweight without being too heavy or drafty. Plus, the fabric stays put, so you don’t have to worry about the blanket sliding off your body while you sleep. We love it because it doesn’t shed and can be machine washed and dried, and because it didn’t shrink after we washed it. The blanket comes with its own zippered travel pouch as well, making it easy to fold up and stow in an overhead bin, backpack, or purse. We also found that you can use the folded/packed blanket as a pillow instead, which is great for resting against a plane or car window. The pouch opens up along the top and down one side, making it simple to store the folded blanket when not in use, but we did notice that the fabric takes a bit of effort to put back into the pouch, so just make sure you fold it up nicely when trying to store it back in its pouch. Size: 32 x 48 inches | Material: Chenille | Weight: 1 pound | Care: Machine was on cold, dry on low-medium Southern Living / Elise Wang Best Budget Travel Blanket Travelrest 4-in-1 Travel Blanket Amazon View On Amazon $40 View On Walmart $30 View On Travelrest.net Our Ratings Quality 5/5 Value 5/5 Comfort 5/5 Ease of Use 5/5 What’s Great About It It can be worn as a poncho. What Could Be Better You need a bit of space to get the blanket back in its pouch. As a wearable poncho, body blanket, pillow, or lap blanket, this travel blanket from Travelrest is a great buy that you can use in multiple ways. It’s lightweight enough to throw in your carry-on or purse, and you can easily attach it to a roller bag for zipping around the airport. The entire blanket can be folded back into the attached pocket bag for easy storage, and when it’s folded up and stored, it doubles as a small pillow that’s great for planes and car rides. We tested this blanket on a 2.5-hour flight and found that it provided warmth while covering the body from neck to ankles while sitting down. We especially love that it has armholes so you can wear the blanket instead of just covering yourself with it if you want, which increases mobility in case you’re working on a laptop while using the blanket. When folded and inside the pouch, the blanket is about the size of a 13-inch laptop case, which is great for traveling. After washing in cool water and drying on low, we found that the blanket held its shape well and came out feeling brand new. Size: 38 x 72 inches | Material: Microfiber | Weight: 14 ounces | Care: Machine wash cold, tumble dry cool or line dry Southern Living / Chantia Murphy Best Cashmere Travel Blanket White+Warren Cashmere Travel Wrap White+Warren View On Shopbop.com $245 View On Tnuck.com View On Saks Fifth Avenue $350 Our Ratings Quality 5/5 Value 5/5 Comfort 5/5 Ease of Use 5/5 What’s Great About It It doubles as a warm and fashion-forward scarf in addition to a travel blanket. What Could Be Better It needs to be hand washed or dry cleaned. As the warmest type of wool, cashmere is sure to keep you cozy while touring around or on long-haul flights. At over 6 feet long, this wrap from White + Warren keeps you covered while in a seated position and looks great as a wrap or folded up into a thick scarf. We tested it on three 6-hour road trips and one cross-country flight and found it to be warm and comfortable, although we prefer to wear it as a scarf since it’s so luxe. And while it is a long and thick wrap, it’s still lightweight and looked good as new after a 14-hour travel day. It comes with a dust bag that’s great for keeping it clean and safe while traveling, and lots of different color options are available. The one downside we found is that because it’s cashmere, you have to take extra care with it when washing, or just get it dry cleaned. Size: 81 x 36 inches | Material: Cashmere | Weight: Not listed | Care: Hand wash cold or dry clean, lay flat to dry Southern Living / Anna Popp Softest Travel Blanket Unhide Lil' Marsh Traveler Nordstrom View On Amazon $45 View On Nordstrom $39 View On Target $45 Our Ratings Quality 5/5 Value 5/5 Comfort 5/5 Ease of Use 5/5 What’s Great About It Despite its large size, the blanket is lightweight and packs down easily. What Could Be Better It doesn't come with an attached strap or carrying pouch. With a soft top side and a velvety interior side, the Lil’ Marsh from UnHide is a great blanket to take with you on all your travels. It has a large size that’ll cover you up with room to spare when sitting in a car or on a plane. It’s super lightweight and packs up small so you can store it in a tote bag or in your carry-on bag when not in use. We found it easy to pack up and carry around, which made it convenient in the car. Although we do wish it came with a carrying pouch or an attached strap. Made of polyester, the blanket is thin, but we still found it to be durable and warm. Even when we left it in a cold car, it didn’t take long for it to heat up and keep us toasty. We washed it on a cold, gentle cycle and then laid it out to air dry. It washed well, dried quickly, maintained its softness, and there were no signs of wear and tear at all. The blanket comes in three neutral colors. Size: 50 x 60 inches | Material: Polyester | Weight: 1.7 pounds | Care: Machine wash cold, tumble dry low Southern Living / Tatiana Kennedy Best Coverage L.L.Bean Puffer Blanket L.L.Bean View On L.L.Bean $79 Our Ratings Quality 5/5 Value 5/5 Comfort 5/5 Ease of Use 5/5 What’s Great About It This generously sized blanket has looped corners and snaps that allow you to hang it up or wear it as a cape. What Could Be Better The blanket’s polyester fabric means it can easily slide off. For those heading out into frigid temperatures or taking a camping trip, the Puffer Blanket from L.L. Bean is an absolute winner not only for warmth, but style as well. It comes in five different designs, including a national parks theme, and has loops on each corner for hanging and drying. It also has snaps so that you can wear it like a cape, which works great around a campfire or for an outdoor movie night. The puffer build means it’s insulated with recycled polyester, but it’s still lightweight and super packable. In fact, it comes with a small drawstring carrying case that’s about the size of a 40-ounce tumbler, meaning you can pack it up and keep it in your car, carry-on, or stored in your rucksack with minimal space lost. The ripstop, polyester outer shell is also soft and warm, just like a puffer jacket would be. We loved how easy it was to repack the blanket up in its carrying pouch and how lightweight it was while still keeping us warm. The size of it was great, too, as it covered us up when sitting and when lying down with plenty of blanket left to spare. Size: 54 x 74 inches | Material: Polyester | Weight: 1.7 pounds | Care: Machine wash, dry flat Southern Living / Ciara Grovert Best for Outdoors Eddie Bauer Packable Synthetic Throw Amazon View On Amazon $63 View On Eddiebauer.com Our Ratings Quality 5/5 Value 5/5 Comfort 5/5 Ease of Use 5/5 What’s Great About It The blanket is lightweight but holds warmth well thanks to the synthetic insulation. What Could Be Better We wish there were some solid color options instead of just patterns and designs. Whether you want to curl up on the couch, snuggle up by the fire, or be completely cozy on a long-haul flight, this blanket from Eddie Bauer is a great buy for a few reasons. First, it’s stuffed with synthetic insulation that adds loads of warmth without the weight. We found it easy to toss in a bag and have warmth in the car and on the go, and even found ourselves using it at home on the couch as well. The 400-thread-count polyester fabric is also soft to the touch and smooth, but also tough, holding up against pet hair and crumbs, which slide right off. The included stuff sack is also a perk, and it’s easy to fold the blanket up and get it back into the sack when you’re done using it. We also love the size, as it’ll cover you nicely when seated, and it’s great for wrapping up in. To clean it, we washed the blanket in the washing machine on a warm/delicate setting, and then tumble dried it in the dryer without issue. Size: 50 x 70 inches | Material: Polyester | Weight: 1.1 pounds | Care: Machine wash warm separately, tumble dry on low with clean tennis ball Southern Living / Lisa Pezzuto Best Lightweight Travel Blanket Away The Travel Blanket Away View On Awaytravel.com $95 View On Tuft & Needle Our Ratings Quality 5/5 Value 5/5 Comfort 5/5 Ease of Use 4/5 What’s Great About It The blanket folds down into a much smaller pillow, making it easy to carry while traveling. What Could Be Better It’s a really large blanket for plane use, so you’d need to wrap it around yourself fully to not disturb your neighbor. If you have other Away products or are looking to add to your collection, the Travel Blanket is a nice addition, as it is easy to take with you and doubles as a pillow as well. It can also connect to another travel blanket with button snaps, which helps to keep you warm from your neck to your toes. Away touts its thermoregulating technology with this blanket, which is designed to help keep you comfortable without being too hot or too cold. Active particles in the blanket help to cool you down or warm you up, and we found that while it’s not the coziest material, it is comfortable and breathable. The blanket is designed with an interior kangaroo pocket to stow your phone and essentials, and a foot pocket for added warmth. We found the unfolded blanket to be very large, stretching across all three plane seats lengthwise and then draping down towards the floor. The blanket does pack down into a nice rectangular pillow shape, but packing the blanket into itself is somewhat of a chore on a plane. Once packed though, it doesn’t take up too much space in a suitcase or carry-on bag, and it is lightweight enough to not weigh you down. Size: 69.5 x 44.5 inches | Material: Nylon | Weight: 1 pound | Care: Machine washable Southern Living / Maggie Andrew Best Design EverSnug Travel Blanket and Pillow Amazon View On Amazon $30 View On Walmart $50 View On Eversnug.com Our Ratings Quality 5/5 Value 5/5 Comfort 5/5 Ease of Use 4.5/5 What’s Great About It It easily converts into a travel pillow. What Could Be Better It could be a bit longer to cover up more of your legs when lying down or reclining in a chair. Simple but effective, this travel blanket is made from a soft polyester fabric that keeps you warm and cozy. Just unzip the carrying case to unfold the blanket, then fold it back up and stuff it in the case, and it becomes a travel pillow. We love that you don’t have to fold it back up in any particular way, just enough to get it back in the case, and then you can redistribute it to your liking for a pillow. We found the blanket to be super soft and comfortable, and it kept us warm on flights without causing us to break a sweat. While seated, it covered from about the neck to mid-shins, but taller people might find it a bit on the small side. Washing was a breeze—we just machine washed it and then dried it on a medium temperature (although the manufacturer recommends air drying). Leave it in your car for road trips, or use the attached luggage sleeve to throw it over your suitcase at the airport. It also has a carabiner, so you can attach it to a backpack as well. Size: 65 x 40 inches | Material: Polyester | Weight: 1 pound | Care: Machine wash, air dry Best Set Naked Cashmere 4-piece Travel Set Naked Cashmere View On Nakedcashmere.com $450 Our Ratings Quality 5/5 Value 4.5/5 Comfort 5/5 Ease of Use 5/5 What’s Great About It All components in the set are very soft, making it a luxurious gift for the frequent traveler. What Could Be Better While the blanket can be stuffed into the pillowcase to use as a makeshift travel pillow, given the high price point, we’d like to see a pillow insert included. With a large cashmere throw, silk travel pillowcase, eye mask, and a pair of cashmere socks, this set is a luxurious gift for the frequent traveler. The throw is very large and covers you entirely when in use, and you can also fold it up and stuff it inside the pillowcase for a travel pillow as well. We like that the pillowcase is silk so you can sleep on it in the car or on a plane and keep your hair in place. The socks are also warm and cozy and complement the throw, keeping you warm during overnight flights and lengthy road trips. The eye mask is a nice added touch as well, especially if you’re seated next to someone who has their overhead light on while you’re trying to sleep. Overall, the set as a whole kept us warm and cozy during a cross-country flight, and we definitely felt luxurious while using all the elements of the set. Size: 82- x 50-inch blanket, 9- x 3-inch sleep mask, 11.5- x 15.5-inch pillowcase | Material: Cashmere, silk | Weight: Not listed | Care: Hand wash cold or dry clean Tips for Choosing the Right Travel Blanket Portability Consider a travel blanket that will cover you nicely when seated but won’t take up too much extra room and gather on the floor or onto the person sitting next to you. If the travel blanket comes with its own carrying case or stuff sack, that’s a great added feature that allows you to pack up the blanket tightly and store it when not in use. Added straps for luggage handles, carry straps, and carabiners can also help you carry the blanket around with ease. Travelrest’s Wrap 4-in-1 Travel Blanket is a great choice, as it can be used as a blanket, poncho, and pillow, and folds up into itself for a carrying bag. Material Most commonly, travel blankets are made from polyester, as it’s a lightweight fabric that’s also affordable and warm. Polyester is great not only because it’s soft and cozy, but because it dries quickly and doesn’t tend to wrinkle. UnHide’s Lil’ Marsh Traveler blanket is a great polyester option that is extra soft and plush. If you want something a bit elevated, look for a cashmere option, as it’ll also keep you super warm and comfortable, but it is more expensive. The Kashwere Travel Blanket, our best overall pick, is made of chenille yarn, a type of fuzzy cotton yarn that gives a similar warmth and feel as cashmere but at a much more affordable price point. For travels that take you outdoors (camping, backpacking, etc.) consider a travel blanket that has insulation, like the Eddie Bauer Packable Synthetic Throw, which is made with synthetic insulation to keep you warm on cold nights. Weight Consider a travel blanket that won’t weigh down your luggage or carry-on bag or take up too much space. Away’s The Travel Blanket is super lightweight, weighing in at just over a pound and featuring snaps that allow you to attach it to other Away products and backpacks. The last thing you want to worry about while on the go is trying to meet airline luggage weight requirements, and you don’t want to be lugging around a heavy blanket that’s attached to your backpack or purse. Additional Features If a travel blanket has additional features such as an included carrying bag, straps and snaps to attach it to a suitcase or backpack, and loops and handles that make it easy to hang and carry, consider it a win. L.L. Bean’s Puffer Blanket comes with snaps that make it easy to throw it over your shoulders and wear as a cape, as well as loops so you can hang it for easy drying. Parker-Magyar also loves the L.L. Bean Puffer Blanket for this feature and its included carry sack that makes it easy to transport. Southern Living / Ciara Grovert Our Testing Process Over a two-week period, we tested 22 blankets, bringing them with us on flights, road trips, train rides, and even in the car while running errands. For each blanket, we examined the fabric, fasteners, and construction. We looked at how comfortable the blankets were to the touch, how durable the fabric and construction were, and how heavy or lightweight each one felt. We also looked to see if each had any special design features and how easy they were to use. Additionally, we evaluated how warm each blanket kept us, how cozy and breathable it was, and how much it covered us while sitting and lying down. We took note of how easy it was to fold the blanket back into its carrying case (if it came with one), and how much space each took up in our bags. We also noted any signs of wear and tear over time as well. Finally, we put each blanket through the wash at least once, noting how convenient it was to clean and if there were any changes in the fabric after washing. More Travel Blankets to Consider BlueHills Premium Soft Travel Blanket Pillow: This blanket folded up nicely into its included carrying bag, and it is super soft and covered us well during a flight. The carrying strap on the case is also a nice touch, as is the carabiner to hook it on a backpack. However, it is thinner than other blankets on this list and didn’t keep us quite as warm as others. Pavilia Premium Fleece Travel Blanket Pillow: This blanket comes with a travel case as well, and we like the luggage strap on it that makes it easy to slide over your suitcase handles. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to get it back into the travel case, but we did find that other blankets on this list had better quality case zippers, linings, and straps. Southern Living / Elise Wang Questions and Answers What is the best blanket to take on a plane? A great plane blanket will give you enough coverage while seated without being so large that it falls into the seat next to you. You’ll want something that’s not too complicated to put back into its carrying case as well. Parker-Magyar says she’s always cold on planes and looking to snuggle up, even in the middle seat in economy. “At the very least, I carry with me a huge scarf. I love taking the L.L. Bean Puffer Blanket.” Can you travel with a weighted blanket? If you have the space in your carry-on bag, or enough room in a car or train seat, you can use a weighted blanket if you wish. However, it’s not something we recommend, because you don't want to be weighed down while traveling or deal with excessive weight restraints. How do you fold a blanket for travel? If there are specific instructions on how to fold your travel blanket back into its case, follow those instructions. If not, fold it up as tightly as possible, or you can roll your blanket back up. “I love blankets that roll up into a smaller size,” says Parker-Magyar. “I also channel my inner Stevie Nicks by wrapping myself in a blanket-sized scarf, and wear it as a shawl in the airport. It can look chic, or exceedingly shabby, depending on the rest of the outfit—I've personally been both at various departure gates.” Why Trust Southern Living? Amanda Ogle is a freelance writer and editor with seven years of experience covering food and drink, travel, and general lifestyle topics. For this list, we tested 22 travel blankets, evaluating portability, material, weight, and ease of use. For expert insight, Amanda consulted with travel expert Katherine Parker-Magyar, who has visited all seven continents, all 50 states, and 84 countries. She’s been a professional travel writer since 2018 and has taken hundreds of long-haul flights. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit