If you sleep hot, you know the hell of waking up at 3 a.m., sweaty and angry, kicking off your covers in a rage. Thankfully, the best cooling blankets can actually provide real relief and quality sleep. They’re lighter, better at regulating body temperature, and in some cases, genuinely cold to the touch. When you’re shopping for a cooling blanket, you’ll usually have two choices: High-tech options that feel icy but take some getting used to, or lightweight blankets made from natural or plant-based fibers that feel more like a normal comforter but breathe easier. I tested a ton of options—risking my own sleeping temperature (and layering a few on top of each other, in the name of journalism)—to find the best cooling blankets for hot sleepers, sweaty couples, and anyone dreaming of that crisp, cool-bed feeling year-round. You’re welcome.
The Best Cooling Blankets, According to GQ
In This Guide
Best Overall Cooling Blanket: Rest Evercool Comforter
There’s absolutely no contest: The Rest Evercool is the best cooling comforter on the market right now. The material is ultra-smooth, lightweight, and engineered to feel cold against the skin without ever feeling clammy. There have been moments when my fan is on blast and I’m bundled up in this blanket and I feel legitimately cold in the summer (something that used to feel impossible). But all other times, it just keeps my body nicely chill and prevents mid-night sweats.
Even after a night of sleep, you can still shift the blanket and find the icy cool sensation all over again. I layer it under my duvet because I don’t love the way it looks on my bed (it lays flat compared to a regular comforter because it’s all drape and no loft), but this way I get the coziness of a normal comforter with the cool-to-the-touch magic right next to my skin. Some may not love the slinky, almost athletic-feeling texture, but if you’re serious about cooling power, nothing else comes close.
Best Cooling Comforter: Buffy Cloud Comforter
If you want your bed to still look plush and appealing, the Buffy Cloud Comforter is your best bet. It’s technically a comforter, not just a blanket, and has a lightweight, quilted design that is breathable without sacrificing that cloud-like loft.
That said, it got hotter faster when I was sharing the bed compared to some of the more technical fabrics on this list. Still, if you don’t want to give up coziness, texture, or aesthetics—and you sleep solo or only run moderately warm—it’s a strong option.
Best Cotton Cooling Blanket: Brooklinen Dreamweave Waffle Bed Blanket
Brooklinen’s Dreamweave Waffle Blanket doesn’t have fancy phase-change cooling tech baked in, but it doesn’t really need it. The airy, waffle-weave Turkish cotton creates a natural breathability that kept me feeling crisp all night long during testing.
It’s lightweight but still substantial enough that you don’t feel like you’re sleeping under a flimsy sheet. And unlike the slippery feeling of some synthetic cooling blankets, this one feels cozy, substantial, and classic—perfect if you want something that feels a little more traditional. Plus, it looks fantastic whether you cover your entire bed or use it as a throw and comes in rich, neutral colors.
Best Cooling Duvet Cover: Cozy Earth Bamboo Duvet Cover
If you’re in a committed relationship with your current comforter but hate waking up sweaty, a cooling duvet cover might be the smarter swap. Cozy Earth’s bamboo duvet cover doesn’t feel icy cold to the touch, but it breathes ridiculously well and helps regulate temperature better than most covers I’ve tested. I layered it on the Buffy Cloud Comforter (listed above) to create the dreamiest sleep system.
The result? I now sleep through the night without doing the classic sweaty-limb escape move. Plus, it’s incredibly soft, has a nice sheen to it, and drapes nicely on the bed.
Best Budget Cooling Blanket: Elegear Cooling Blanket
The Elegear doesn’t perform at the level of the Rest Evercool (not even close), but for around $100 less, it’s a decent upgrade from whatever’s currently making you sweat. The ultra-thin material feels cool at first touch but tends to trap heat a bit faster as the night goes on, especially if you run hot. (I layered it under my regular comforter and tossed it off after a few hours—you might have better luck if you can bear the thought of sleeping with just a thin sheet.)