Stop sand leaking from your weighted blanket. Find out how to repair your weighted blanket with this tutorial.
Do you have a weighted blanket that’s dripping tiny pieces of sand? Does it sound like you’re sleeping under a gentle rain? Relax! The solution is simple, make sure your weighted blanket isn’t leaking.
Weighted blankets have been gaining a lot of popularity as a way to create calm and center in one’s life. They are weighted with glass beads, sand or water to increase their weight and provide more pressure on the body. This pressure can help people feel more grounded in their experience of being alive. In the past decade they have become very popular but there are some downsides and ways to troubleshoot those issues. If your weighted blanket starts leaking glass beads then you know that it is time to do some repairs.”
Weighted blanket without beads
The best weighted blanket without beads is designed with a high-quality, durable material and multiple loops for hanging the glass beads. This weighted blanket is made to last you a long time without any leaks or breaks. You can’t beat the price of this blanket either! The price is less than most cheap weighted blankets that don’t last as long anyway.
Weighted blankets are designed to mimic the feeling of being hugged and soothes you. This weighted blanket was designed to be a commercial-quality cover that is comfortable enough for everyday use. The inner layer is made of a soft jersey cotton, while the outer layer is made of soft polyester. This combination makes it perfect for all seasons, even when temperatures fluctuate between warm and cool days!
I have noticed that although it looks like the beads are coming out of all the stitching once it’s filled with weight, there’s really no way for them to escape.
Weighted Blanket Leaking Glass Beads
Helpful articles on weighted blanket beads shift, micro glass beads for weighted blankets and micro glass beads for weighted blankets uk are also available to check out on solaroidenergy so do check them out! These are regularly updated frequently so be sure to check back as often as you can and also share them with anyone you know who would benefit from these articles.
Weighted Blanket Leaking Glass Beads
WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE A WEIGHTED BLANKET WITH GLASS BEADS
WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE A WEIGHTED BLANKET WITH GLASS BEADS
What should you consider when purchasing a weighted blanket? One of the most important factors is actually not visible – it is the filling inside of your blanket which gives it weight. Now you may think that it’s just the filling right? As long as the fabric on the outside feels nice, why does it matter? It does matter and here are some reasons why.
HARMFUL CHEMICALS
The two most common fillings for weighted blankets are plastic pellets or glass beads. One of those options can actually melt in the washer and leak harmful chemicals onto your blankets and clothing. We are talking about plastic pellets. On the contrary, glass beads are completely washer and dryer safe. They also do not contain the harmful chemicals that are present in plastic pellets.
MACHINE WASHABLE
As we touched upon earlier, plastic pellets can melt in high heat so they cannot be machine washed or dried. They are often dry clean only and can be quite expensive to maintain. Glass beads can be washed. Our Nimbus blankets are so easy to care for that you can just wash and dry them normally as long as your machine can handle the weight. This means that caring for your blanket can also be stress-free.
SIZE AND NOISE
From the picture above, you can see that the plastic pellets (bottom) are significantly larger than the glass beads (top). What does that mean? First, it means that plastic pellets will feel like small pebbles in your blanket. Glass beads will barely be noticeable inside your blanket. Secondly, it also means that plastic pellets will make more noise when you move the blanket. This can be distracting especially for anyone suffering from sleeping or sensory disorders.
EVEN WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION
Because plastic pellets are larger, they often move around between the pockets overtime and gather in the corners of the blanket. This causes your blanket to tug or sag in certain corners. Therefore, diminishing the effect of your blanket overtime. Because glass beads are so tiny, they cannot cause the same damage to the stitching of the pockets. This means that the weight will be evenly distributed throughout your blanket.
ECO-FRIENDLY
Did you know that a very small percentage of plastic gets recycled every year? The remainder ends up in our landfill or leaks into our soil. We believe in environmental sustainability. That is why we chose glass beads. They are eco-friendly compared to plastic pellets.
WHY ARE PLASTIC PELLETS SO COMMON THEN?
We can’t deny it. There are more weighted blankets that are filled with plastic pellets than glass beads. The reason for this is because glass beads are more expensive. It is harder to manufacture and there is less supply for it. Therefore, most weighted blankets are made with plastic pellets. This means that both the supplier and consumer pays less for a blanket with plastic pellets.
Whether you choose to purchase a blanket with glass beads or plastic pellets, we just urge you to carefully consider your long-term costs. It may cost you less to purchase the blanket, but it may cost you more to own the blanket.
So… you’ve had your eye on weighted blankets for awhile, but you haven’t quite decided to buy one yet.
How do I know if it will work for me?
So it’s supposed to weigh 10-15% of my body weight, but boy that seems awfully heavy.
What if the weighted blanket is too heavy?
What if the weighted blanket feels claustrophobic?
What happens if I buy the weighted blanket and hate it?
Why does this need to be so complicated?
Easy answer…. It doesn’t need to be complicated.
We’ve heard your plight, in fact, we’ve been exactly where you are. So today, we’re going to do some myth busting and break down 7 of the most common weighted blanket myths to help clear up some confusion.
Myth #1 – Your Weighted Blanket Should be 10% of Your Body Weight
Not only is this myth antiquated, it’s wrong. More weight does not equal more effectiveness.
Unfortunately, this old formula is not using the most current neuroscience, but is still being used by most mass-produced weighted blankets on the market. Their blankets are made up of large sized squares, each filled with tiny flakes of shifting sand glass.
What you want is a blanket with very small squares and larger round glass beads in order to control the exact amount of concentrated weight, measured in precise ounces per square inch (vs. total weight of blanket).This controlled and even weight distribution maintains gentle contact with more nerves, activating the release of endorphins.
Having just a “heavy blanket” does not ensure Deep Touch Pressure and therefore cannot ensure your nerves are being activated. Having large sized squares holding tiny sand glass beads is not the same thing as having an even distribution of weight that conforms to your body and effectively activates your nerves, releasing endorphins that cause you to relax.
Myth #2 – Weighted Blankets are Hot
Most mass-produced weighted blankets are hot for several reasons.
One reason is: in an attempt to stop the shifting of the sand glass beads, they’ve added several layers of compressed polyester, or poly-fil.
The additional filling blocks nerve activation, does not effectively solve the bead shifting problem, and makes the blanket increasingly hot.
Essentially, they have created a heavy winter comforter. If you add a duvet cover on top of the weighted blanket, which many mass-produced weighted blankets do, you’re going to trap even more body heat under the blanket.⠀
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Here at CapeAble®, we have chosen fabrics that are cool to the touch and breathable, even with their luxurious feel. Our larger glass beads also allow for more airflow than sand glass. Many have noted that our blankets are so breathable, they do not provide adequate warmth.
However, it is important to remember, if you are a hot sleeper, your body heat will be trapped under any blanket or sheet you use, whether weighted or not.
Myth #3 – Weighted Blankets are Only for People with Special Needs
If you are a human with a nervous system, then a weighted blanket, with correct nerve input, is for you. The reality is that every single human benefits from the release of serotonin and dopamine that happens when our sympathetic nervous system is calmed.
We are an overworked, over-stressed, and exhausted society. We are more connected and disconnected than ever and because of this, we’re lonely, anxious and depressed.
The evenly distributed weight of therapeutic weighted blankets activates the nervous system to send a signal to the brain that you are safe and it’s ok to relax your entire body.
The consistent deep touch pressure acts as a massage on your muscles to release the tension and reminds you to breathe. Our sympathetic nervous system needs that deep level of relief that comes from the release of stress and tension.
Myth #4 – Weighted Blankets are all the Same
Mass-produced weighted blankets are the same in that they’re focusing on the overall weight of the blanket. Everyone is operating under the belief that weighted blankets are simply heavy blankets, but that’s not what it’s all about.
A weighted blanket should have weight to it, but overall weight isn’t good enough, and basing the quality of the blanket on overall weight, is missing the point.
When you’ve got a weighted blanket made with large squares and plastic or sandglass beads, you’re going to be dealing with constantly shifting ineffective weight.
Rather than asking, “How heavy is the blanket?” ask instead, “What is the overall size of the blanket and what is the distribution of weight per square inch?”
CapeAble® weighted blankets utilize the smallest squares in the industry. They are filled with the correct size and number of round glass beads and no extra fillers, allowing for the effectiveness of the 3 C’s of Deep Touch Pressure – Conformity, Compression and Consistent Contact with every nerve, making it the most effective therapeutic blanket on the market.
Myth #5 – Weighted Blankets are a Restraint
This is both true and false. A 20-25 lb. mass-produced weighted blanket that feels like a sand bag is absolutely restrictive and can easily become a restraint. Anything that restricts freedom of movement is a restraint.
For someone with previous trauma, that heavy, sand-laden blanket will cause the vagus nerve to send a signal to the brain that they’re being restrained and can cause a panic response.
If you have lain under a weighted blanket and felt claustrophobic or experienced any level of discomfort, this is likely why.
However, if the weight per square inch is controlled to maintain gentle and even nerve contact, you will be able to move freely while still experiencing a positive neurological release.
That’s why at CapeAble®, we keep our squares very small and use round glass beads, rather than sand glass in large squares. Because no one should ever feel restrained under a blanket.
Myth #6 – Duvet Covers on Weighted Blankets are Superior
The reason many mass-produced weighted blankets are put inside duvet covers is because the blanket itself is too heavy to put in a standard washing machine. Their solution was to add a duvet cover that can be removed and washed.
These duvet covers are a burden because:
- The ties and zippers that hold these duvet covers in place rip or break almost instantly under the pressure of the heaviness and shifting weight of the blanket.
- These ties and zippers also put a strain on the seams, causing the threads to pull, allowing the tiny sand glass beads to either leak out of the blanket and into your bed, or into other squares, causing further imbalance in the distribution of weight.
- They increase the amount of body heat trapped by the blanket, making you feel hotter.
- They are a nuisance to get on and off, easily tangling and causing a great deal of frustration.
A better solution is a quality, weighted blanket that can be thrown in a standard washer and dryer without needing to be dismantled, which is exactly what CapeAble® has created in our weighted products.
CapeAble® – One Piece. Machine Wash. Tumble Dry.
Doesn’t get any easier than that.
Myth #7 – Micro Sandglass Beads are Best
Glass is better than plastic beads, because it has more weight density per bead. However, size matters too. Larger round glass beads allows for better deep touch pressure per square inch. This precise control over the weight per square inch is superior to the tiny flakes of shifting sand glass.⠀
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The micro sand glass “beads” will also shift through the stitched seams into the other large squares, causing even more of an uneven distribution of weight in mass-produced weighted blankets. ⠀
With our smaller squares filled with larger glass beads, CapeAble® Weighted Blankets will deliver true and precise Deep Touch Pressure for more nerve activation.
