5 Best Battery Operated Heated Blankets For Your RV Trip

With fall just around the corner and the nights getting chillier, people are huddling around the campfire (or portable propane fire pit), getting ready for fall sports and tailgate parties, and thinking about fall and winter camping and RVing. All of that makes this the perfect time for a post on battery-operated heated blankets.

You may have used electric blankets that plug into a wall outlet. In fact, we’ve used one in winter just to take the chill out of the bed before climbing under the covers.

But portable heated blankets are different. They offer incredible versatility based on the fact that they don’t need to be plugged into a wall socket. Their portability makes battery-operated heated blankets perfect for RVing, sleeping in a van or car, sitting in the bleachers to watch the game, on an airplane, and so much more.

Let’s take a look!

What Is a Battery Operated Heated Blanket?

As the name implies, a battery-operated heated blanket is one that gets the power required to heat it from a battery rather than a wall outlet.

You can find battery-operated plush warming products in the form of a “car blanket,” a heating pad, a throw (very popular!), a heated shawl, or even a heated scarf.

Battery-powered heated blankets are essentially cordless heated blankets that can be used almost anywhere because they’re untethered. This portability makes them perfect for RVers and campers.

How Does a Battery-Operated Heating Blanket Work?

Battery-operated, cordless heated blankets generally have thin wires embedded in the material.

The blanket’s battery is charged either by AC (wall outlet), DC (12V socket) or by USB. (USB heated blankets are great because you can bring a small portable power bank along with you to reheat the blanket on the go!)

Once the blanket’s battery pack is charged, the blanket can be disconnected from the charging source and remain warm while you move around from place to place.

As with anything, price and quality vary. But most of them heat up quickly and some stay warm for hours.

You can find models that stay warm for anywhere from one to eight hours.

What to Look For in a Battery Operated Heated Blanket

Decent models will have a few qualities in common.

Have a look at the following list of qualities, and then determine what your priorities are based on what you’re looking for in a heated blanket.

Size

When shopping, you’ll want to be sure to note the size of the blankets you’re considering.

Most of the portable battery-operated heated blankets we found in our research are throw/personal sizes, though one comes close to being sufficient for a queen-size bed.

Long-lasting Battery

One of the most important features of a battery-operated heated blanket is how long it will stay warm! You don’t want one that’ll heat up nicely but lose its warmth within 15 minutes.

Depending on how you intend to use it, you’ll want to take note of how long it stays warm. (Be sure to check reviews for real-life experiences.)

For example, maybe you’re a van, car, or tent camper, or an RVer who boondocks with limited power. If you don’t have another source of nighttime heat, a battery-operated heated blanket may be the perfect way for you to stay warm when you’re sleeping on chilly nights. For you, spending a bit more to get a blanket that stays warm for 5 hours or more may be worthwhile.

If you’re looking for a blanket to stay warm on the sidelines at the kids’ sporting events, you may only need a model with sufficient power to stay warm for 2-3 hours.

You get the idea. Also, be sure to look for how long the battery tends to last on various heat settings.

USB-Capable

A battery-operated heated blanket that has a USB cord is cool nice because you can extend the amount of time it stays warm by using a portable power pack to keep the battery charged.

Even something that fits in your backpack has the ability to extend the period of time you can use your blanket.

(Note that there are some heated blankets that are powered exclusively via USB.)

Machine Washable

It’s pretty important to be able to toss a blanket into the wash for cleaning, so this is probably a top consideration for most people.

If that’s important to you, too, make sure the blanket you buy is machine washable. Not all of them are!

Water Resistant

Depending on how you’ll be using the blanket (and whether kids will be involved!), you may want a blanket that’s water resistant to counter spills or rain.

Offers a Variety of Heat Settings

Being able to control the degree to which the blanket is heated is a pretty important feature. Not only does the heat setting contribute to the comfort of the user, but it’s also a factor in how long the battery will last on each charge.

Ultra Soft Feel

Everyone loves a soft blanket. When shopping, you’ll want to pay attention to the material from which the blanket is made. A soft, plush feel is appreciated by most people.

Easy Care and Cleaning

We covered “easy care” when we mentioned machine washability, but check reviews to make sure the blanket you’re looking at is stain resistant and easily spot-cleaned as well.

You may also find reviews that say certain blankets are dirt or pet hair magnets, so you’ll likely want to stay away from those.

Storage Bags

Some portable heated blankets come with storage bags. While this may not seem important, they’re actually pretty handy for keeping the blanket, cords and battery pack all in one place.

You can also provide your own storage bag, of course.

What Are the Best Battery Operated Heated Blankets?

Let’s take a look at some of the best battery-operated heated blankets out there.

Makita DCB200A 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Heated Blanket (Blanket Only)

This blanket from Makita is just over 55 inches long and just over 27 inches wide. It provides three heat settings and is powered by a separate lithium-ion battery (not included) that can be stored in a zippered pocket of the blanket along with the power connection.

It has snap buttons and a strap for wrapping around the waist and shoulders as well as a removable belt clip for use as a personal portable blanket.

Machine washable, it also comes with a storage bag, and has a USB power port for charging portable electronics such as a phone or tablet.

The Makita 18V lithium-ion battery (sold separately) is capable of providing up to 35 hours of heat (!) making it a great choice for fall/winter campers who aren’t connected to a power source at night.

Of course, if you already own any of Makita’s extensive line of power tools, you probably already have at least one of their batteries in your tool kit. So many people have these already that it probably explains why Makita is comfortable making this blanket available without including a battery.

BSTWARM USB Heated Battery Operated Blanket Throw Portable Heated

This cordless throw is 40 inches long and 30 inches wide and comes with a small 10,000 mAh USB power bank to provide heat at three available levels. It’s made of polyester, is machine washable and dryer safe, and comes in three colors.

This USB battery-powered throw is claimed to warm in just 5 minutes and stay warm for 4 hours on high and more than 6 hrs on low. (As always, we recommend checking reviews to see what real-world users have to say about how warm the blanket gets and how long it stays that way.)

This portable heated blanket has power surge protection, overheat protection, and a 2-hour auto-off feature to save power and allow you to fall asleep without concern.

This type of blanket (USB battery-powered) allows you to carry extra battery packs for longer periods of use. Note that this is a throw and again, best for personal use.

No products found.

Cozee Battery Operated Portable Heated Blanket

At 60″ x 60″ (5 feet square), this is a larger blanket than those previously mentioned. For reference, a queen-size bed is 60″ x 80″ (5′ by 6’8″).

It has a soft velour lining as well as an insulating layer and a heat-reflective inner liner. It’s weatherproof with a water-resistant exterior.

It comes with a battery (92.6 Watt hours rechargeable up to 500 times) that has 2 USB charging ports to allow the charging of devices like phones and tablets on the go. It also comes with a 12-volt adapter for charging the battery on the road as well as a wall charger and a 36″ extension cable.

Cozee says that “high” heats it to 108 F (42 C) and provides 3+ hours of continuous heat. They also note that it’s approved for airline use.

Eddie Bauer Portable Heated Electric Throw Blanket

This blanket is powered by a rechargeable lithium battery with a USB port.

The blanket itself is referred to as “smart fleece” and is made from 100% polyester (face) and 100% nylon (back). It’s machine washable (remove the battery before washing) and the nylon outer material is water-resistant.

The Eddie Bauer portable electric throw is 50″ long and 40″ wide, (so this isn’t a blanket to cover your king-size bed).

The built-in USB port allows it to be charged from a portable power bank.

This model has five heat settings total and claims that 3 of those settings provide 2-4 hour heat. Again, check reviews to see how real people make out with the amount of time their blankets stay warm.

It also has an app for controlling the settings via WiFi, but there are complaints in the reviews about the quality of that feature.

DalosDream Battery Operated Portable USB Heated Blanket

This one is also a throw blanket and is fairly small at 56″ x 36″.

It has a large-capacity battery that’s claimed to keep the blanket warm for up to 5-8 hours. (As always, check user reviews!)

The manufacturer says that this blanket warms in 5 seconds (!) and one video reviewer notes that this is an accurate representation!

Made of polyester, with high-tech heat insulation, it’s soft and lightweight and features three temperature settings.

This blanket comes with one battery and cable and a carry/storage bag.

Speaking of needing a warm blanket…

Have You Done Any Winter Camping?

If not, you might want to give it a try sometime. Winter camping isn’t for everyone, and we’ve certainly done our share of snowbirding to stay away from the cold. But winter camping can be a great experience if you’re properly prepared.

We did some winter camping in Zion National Park and it was well worth the effort!

Zion NP is one of our favorite places on the planet, so we’ve been many times. We go back every chance we get, usually in the Spring or Fall, and summit Angel’s Landing almost every time! But our winter camping there proved to be an especially terrific experience.

Check out those snow-covered mountains in the video below!

Geek Out with Us Every Week

Join our newsletter to learn about all things RV-related. Every week we offer free tips, tricks, product reviews, and more to our online community of RVers. So, whether this is your first time on the road or you’re a seasoned expert, we’d love for you to geek out with us!

We'd Love It If You Shared This!