better homes and gardens royal plush sherpa throw

Super Plush Reversable Heated Throw
Super Plush Reversible Heated Throw

My disabled sister is always cold no matter the season. She likes to always have a blanket nearby so she can pull it over her lap when she feels chilled. As we head into cooler temperatures here in the Midwest I wanted to find her something that will do a great job of keeping her toasty warm in the winter months ahead.

This product caught my eye so I decided to review the Sunbeam reversible Sherpa/Mink heated throw. I'll let you know if I plan to surprise her with one after learning more about this product.

My sister had one like this in the past but the control stopped working after she'd used it for several seasons. I know she liked the ability to have instant warmth at the touch of a button. What she didn't enjoy was the weight of it after it covered her lap after some time. It would begin to feel too heavy for her so we didn't replace it with the same one.

I know she'll love the softness and the lightweight fabric this one is made of. It also comes in 4 pretty colors. On the 'mink' side it is available in Garnet, Olive, Honey, and Sable. The Sherpa side is the color of cream so it can blend or accent a variety of color schemes.

I favor the garnet color and I think Sis would too. Sunbeam claims the wires can only be felt slightly which is also a plus. The wires in the one she had before were very pronounced which I think may have added to its weight.

If you're ready to get one for yourself click here

Features

SOFT AND LIGHTWEIGHT – The Sunbeam company has its own softness rating system. They rate the Sunbeam Reversible Sherpa/Mink Heated Throw in their highest level of softness and refer to it as Premium Soft. The Sherpa side measures at 250 GSM which I learned is a measurement of the weight or thickness of the fabric. The Royal Mink side measures at 200 GSM. I was curious about what GSM meant so I called Sunbeam to find out. The helpful Rep informed me that GSM stands for "Grams per square meter."I was told this is a measure of the amount of fiber used in making the fabric. The higher the number means more fiber was used to make the fabric.The higher the GSM number is the warmer and thicker the end product will be. More importantly, the Rep assured me that I would be delighted with the softness and thickness of this selection. According to Sunbeams 'plushness' scale, the Sherpa side is 26mm and the Royal Mink side is 2mm. Again, the Rep assured me this tells us this product is luxuriously soft.
AUTO SHUT OFF – I like the 3-hour auto-off feature. This automatically shuts off after 3 hours of continuous use which is a nice safety feature.
CONTROL CORD – The comfort grip control connects to the bottom of the throw and clicks securely into place with plastic hinges. Pushing the button on the control will illuminate a heat setting. Each time the button on the control is pressed it moves through the temperature settings and the current heat setting is illuminated. To manually turn the heat off push the button until no settings are illuminated. It is normal for the control to feel warm to the touch. The power cord that connects to the electrical outlet is approximately 6 feet 9 inches long. The control cord is approximately 33 inches in length. Using an extension cord is not recommended and may cause the throw to warm improperly.
3 HEAT SETTINGS – There are 3 heat settings: LOW MED and HIGH. Several consumers indicated using LOW or MED provided them more than adequate warmth. Another idea mentioned that never occurred to me when my sister had her previous throw – but I made a mental note to myself to remember – is to set it to HIGH about 10 minutes before you plan to sit down. Your throw will be all toasty warm and then your setting can be set down to a lower temperature. For those times when we'll be coming home from errands and I can hear her teeth chattering I can turn it on HIGH as soon as we get into her house. By the time she's settled into her chair, it can be set lower while she thaws out with the instant warmth plus we won't need to set the thermostat higher just to warm her up!
MACHINE WASHABLE – The fabric is 100% polyester and is machine washable. Of course, always remove the power cord and the control before washing. It is recommended to presoak for 15 minutes with cold water and mild detergent first. Then machine wash on a gentle cycle, again using cold water and mild detergent. I'm a big fan of using Woolite Gentle Cycle detergent for washing items that require extra care to protect delicate fibers. Tumble dry on a low or gentle dryer setting and remove it while it is still damp. Stretch it gently to shape it back to size. Drape it over a clothesline and allow it to dry thoroughly before reattaching the power cord and control. **Do not use clothespins or wash and dry it in commercial laundry machines. The heat from commercial machines can damage the wiring.

CONTROL RESET – Some consumers have reported that after detaching the power cord and hand control to wash their throw when they reconnect it they found that the control lights blinked and it did not work. The manufacturer indicates that if this occurs try to reset it to restore it back to working order. To reset it correctly, according to the manufacturer, these 3 steps must be followed in this order:
1. Turn the blanket control to the "Off" position and unplug the power cord from the electrical connection.
2. Check the blanket plug connection that directly plugs into the blanket. Make sure the connection is secure and complete.
3. Re-insert the power cord back into a wall outlet.
*If this does not correct the issue the consumer is asked to contact Sunbeam for additional help.

Sunbeam offers a 5-year limited warranty. As is always recommended, save your receipt as this is needed if you ever need to file a warranty claim. I've gotten into the habit of stapling the receipt to the User Manual that comes with products. I strive to keep all of my product manuals with the receipts in a 3 ring binder so they are easily accessed if I ever need them.

Product Performance

This heated throw heats with the ambient temperature of the outside air so nothing heavier than a sheet should be placed on top of it. I like that this can keep someone warm when they are chilled while there's no need to set the thermostat higher to heat other rooms when it's not necessary. This will help save a little bit on the energy bill.

For people like my sister who have trouble seeing small print and don't enjoy learning what button needs to be pushed to make it work having just one central button to manage and seeing the heat setting lite up makes this control very user-friendly for everyone. And when no illumination is seen the user knows it's been shut off.

Dimensions

This product measures 50 inches wide by 60 inches in length. It uses approximately 115 watts of power and is recommended for use on a 110-120V electrical outlet.

It is very lightweight and weighs just 3.5 pounds.

Pros

Offers 3 levels of heat – LOW MED and HIGH – that are easily set and illuminate when on
Automatically shuts off after 3 hours of continuous use for safety and to conserve energy
Lightweight and luxuriously plush fabric that feels snuggly soft next to you
Reversible and available in 4 pretty colors: Garnet, Honey, Sable, and Olive to match a variety of decor styles. The Sherpa side is cream.
Comes with a 5-year limited warranty

Cons

It is not recommended to be used when sitting in a recliner or rocking chair to prevent the power cord from getting trapped or pinched and the control from getting crushed.
The power cord attaches at the bottom of the throw. This may be difficult for some people to access easily if they have limited mobility
Your chair or sofa must be within the reach of an electrical outlet because the use of an extension cord is not recommended.

Price

While it is at the higher end of the price range for heated throws I like that it is in the top range of softness and it is lightweight. Since it is made with the highest amounts of fibers and has the very plush Sherpa side I feel extra effort has been put into the design so it is worth paying a bit more for.

Sunbeam Reversible Sherpa/Mink Heated Throw Rating

I rated this high enough that I ordered one before I even finished this review! It will arrive by the weekend. I think this is a great product for someone who likes to curl up on the couch and loves to be snuggly warm.

My disabled sister can feel the weight of some blankets weighing her down and she finds it becomes uncomfortable after a while. My hope is this style will be so lightweight that it will feel like she's wrapped up in a soft warm cloud.

I appreciate the auto-shutoff feature because I don't have to worry that she'll overheat or become dehydrated by morning if she falls asleep on the sofa during the night. I'm pretty sure my sister will love it if it is lightweight and the control is easy for her to learn and manage.

I'm looking forward to seeing how soft it feels. If you're shopping for a lightweight plush heated throw you can click the image or the button below to learn more about it.

Super Plush Reversable Heated Throw
Super Plush Reversible Heated Throw