Traveling can be a chore, especially when flying. Being on a plane can mean a lack of leg room, a stiff back, and to top it off the air-conditioning can leave you shivering to your core. On longer form flights sleep can be essential to ensuring you feel sufficiently energized once you get off the plane and being chilly and uncomfortable can jeopardize your chance to rest.
An invaluable tool for staying warm and comfortable is the travel blanket, and although many airlines offer them for free, nothing feels safer than your own. If going backpacking, caravanning, or interrailing your travel blanket needs may differ, but for a flight, your travel blanket needs to be lightweight, compact, and of course, comfortable.
Here are our 7 favorite travel blankets to keep you warm on flights. Whether venturing out to camp in New Zealand, or flying regularly to Europe for business, in this list will be something portable and compact for your needs.
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EverSnug Travel Blanket and Pillow
The first of our choices is the EverSnug Travel Blanket and Pillow, unique for the fact that it can be used either as a cover to keep you warm, or as a pillow to support your head and neck. These plush blankets come in a variety of colorways (blue, black and pink) and are made from EverSnug’s own microfleece fibers to provide warmth and comfort despite being very lightweight. At 65” in length and 40” in width these blankets offer good coverage over the body but are still easy to fold and pack back into their handheld plush carrying cases.
The case itself also operates as a pillowcase in which you stuff the blanket as a filling for if your comfort priorities differ between journeys. It also features a handy belt at the back of the case that make it easy to attach to your backpack or suitcase, giving you less to carry in your hands.
At under $35 this travel blanket is very competitively priced, and it has a great average rating of 4.5 stars out of five on Amazon. Alongside this EverSnug offer a 100% money-back guarantee if you’re dissatisfied with the quality of the product, so you can’t lose with this one! If you’re looking for a one-stop solution to your travel comfort needs this could be the perfect product for you.
Bahidora Travel Blanket
Next on our list is this ultralight offering from German company Bahidora. This blanket is a great choice for if you’re traveling around the warmer parts of the world, as it is made entirely from 100% Coolmax polyester, and is designed to be very breathable without compromising of softness or comfort. The blanket’s breathability is also designed in such a way to regulate moisture, helping to keep your skin dry, and keep a lid on sweat build up.
Slightly larger than the EverSnug, this blanket comes in at 79” in length and 60” in width, meaning it’s large enough to be the perfect blanket for sharing with a traveling companion, or even a new plane buddy! But don’t let the size fool you, this blanket is still very compact. While being large enough for a couple to snooze under, it still compresses into its carrying bag down to only 20cm x 10cm, making it small enough to fit in most backpacks or carry-on suitcases without taking up too much space.
This blanket is priced at around $37, which is slightly more on the expensive side of pricing, but you get what you pay for and with a 4.7 average rating on Amazon, this blanket is clearly a great choice for those who are traveling in hotter climates. And it’s quick drying, so if you have to clean out a Bloody Mary stain it’s no major inconvenience!
LEISIME 4 in 1 Portable Travel Blanket
Next, we have a multifaceted travel blanket that is handy for a variety of settings. Not only does it operate as a great blanket for travel, but it also touts its ability to be used as a throw blanket for picnics or home lounging, a pillow for neck or lumbar support, and it comes with a pocket on the front for you to store your valuables. Made from velvety soft polyester and designed in tasteful black or grey colorways, this is a great all arounder.
One of the blankets key features is a neck-hole located at the top for you to slide your head through. This is a great addition to this blanket as so often when you’re sat upright in planes or trains and trying to get comfortable your blanket can slip down and fall to the ground, but with this feature you can get properly comfortable without giving it a second thought.
This blanket comes in priced at only $30.70, being one of the cheaper options on our list, and with such versatility, softness, and a 4.4 rating on Amazon, we consider it a bargain. Size wise it offers full coverage as a blanket being 60” x 40” and when compressed into pillow form it lands at a manageable 13” x 9.5”. One thing to note from the reviews is that people seem to have trouble remembering how to fold it back into its pillowcase, so pay attention when you first take it out!
Tux Armrest Buddy
Now, this is a bit of curveball, but anyone with kids can tell you just how hard it is to get the little ones down for some rest on a long journey. Making sure your critters get enough rest can be crucial to securing your own. With this 3 in 1 travel toy, you can be more confident that your child will be rested (or at least distracted!) during your journey.
A 33.5 x 23.5-inch blanket is housed in a soft penguin toy/container, giving your child the warmth, and comfort they need, as well as a new travel companion to keep them company. Better still, the penguin/container doubles as an armrest pillow, that slides onto armrests easily to allow your child to lay their head down and get some much-needed shuteye.
This product is designed primarily for children aged 1 and a half to 4, so it may not exactly be a long-term investment, but in those formative restless years taking a child on holiday can be a struggle, and with a 4.6 rating on Amazon this 3 in 1 solution can clearly offer some valuable help. And it’s less than $28, so not too harsh on the wallet.
Delindo Lifestyle® 2-in-1 Travel Blanket
With this option, simplicity is key. Like every option so far, this blanket doubles as a travel pillow, and the minimalistic pillowcase and blanket design make this polyester product feel a little homier. Made in a tasteful beige colorway, this blanket wouldn’t seem out of place anywhere between the airport and your living room sofa.
At 79” x 53” in blanket form and 12” x 15” x 5” in its pillowcase, this is one of the larger blankets on our list. Coming in at 740 grams it’s also one of the heaviest, which could make it a little harder to transport than some of the other options, but if you’re willing to make that compromise it’s a great option for sharing with a traveling buddy, and indeed will guarantee you plenty of warmth and comfort when on the move.
At under $19 this is the cheapest option for a travel blanket on this list, but with a 4.4 average rating on Amazon, that doesn’t seem to be an indicator of lesser quality. If you’re looking to save a little cash, and perhaps you tend to get a little colder when traveling, this is the perfect option for you. Plus, it’s totally machine washable!
ALTERA LA VITA Travel blanket
Here we have a travel blanket option that is very compact and easy to carry around. This is one of 2 entries into this list which doesn’t feature the explicit option to turn it into a pillow, however it does compress into one of the smallest carrying bags (10” x 6”) which makes it extra easy to pack into your luggage.
Made from a robust fleece material, this blanket is very soft and a good option for either travel or home use. Alongside being very small and compact, the carrying bag is water repellent, meaning that this could also be a handy blanket to use if going camping or venturing out into the wild.
And at only 490 grams this blanket fits the bill of being lightweight and easy to move around. Priced at $34.33 this is one of the more expensive options on the list, but the size and convenience of the carrying case make this a versatile blanket for more than just long flights. And with a 4.3 average Amazon rating, it clearly does the job.
Litume Compact Fleece Travel Blanket
And now last, but most certainly not least we have our final option. Here we have a highly compact, breathable, and wonderfully soft travel blanket suitable for flights, car journeys, and adventurous expeditions alike. Made entirely from velvet this blanket is incredibly soft and comfortable, but hasn’t compromised on convenience, weighing less than 250 grams and compressing from 70” x 48” down to only 6” x 4” (around the size of an iPhone X!).
The velvet fleece is designed to be very breathable to maintain a comfortable temperature when used, as well as being made to be moisture wicking with 3M Scotchgard Humidity Management technology. This means that any sweat or moisture from inside the blanket is forced to the outer layer and dries rapidly, to make sure you don’t feel muggy or uncomfortable when in its embrace.
This travel blanket is the most expensive option on this list, and it doesn’t feature the option to be used as a pillow (although we are sure you could for a little neck support). Despite this it’s still a wonderful option, being one of the more meticulously designed blankets we have presented, very compact, breathable, and lightweight. It touts a 4.4 rating on Amazon, and even comes with a 30-day 100% money-back guarantee, although we’re not convinced that you’ll need to utilize it.
So those are our picks for the best travel blankets to take with you on a flight, 7 lightweight and easy to transport options to keep you warm and comfortable when you are journeying the globe. Remember that rest is vital to us getting the most out of our adventures, and a good travel blanket can be integral in ensuring you get enough of it. Hopefully on this list you have found the perfect travel blanket for you.