Six Camp Blankets for Comfort and Warmth

Kids use blankies—those soft, individual-sized, personal hugs like the one Linus from the Peanuts carries around—to provide comfort from nightmares and bullies, not so much to keep warm. Adults have supposedly outgrown the need, but couldn’t we all benefit from a cozy camp blanket that can provide comfort from life’s stresses and also keep us warm while we sit at sporting events, campfires, and backyard dinners after the sun goes down?

Because I like to be outside in all weather, or need to be, at times (youth sports!), I keep at least one camping-oriented blanket in my car or in my giant soccer mom bag at all times. I like them so much I decided to review the available options.

Over the past six months or so, I’ve been alternating between using different blankets and sharing them with parents whose teeth are chattering on the sidelines of youth soccer games. I’ve taken note of their feedback on each, while filing my thoughts on them each time I snuggle up comfortably somewhere outside. For my final test, I sat in my backyard on a 52-degree day and cozied up in each blanket while I wrote up its review on my laptop. It just so happened to be my oldest son’s sixteenth birthday, and I was feeling a little nostalgic and mourning how time is passing way too quickly, so I certainly didn’t mind the blankie-like comfort.

I’ll be putting these picks to good use car camping in the Colorado high country this summer, and whenever I need a little warmth…or an enveloping hug. This isn’t a comprehensive review, as there are dozens of camp blankets on the market. But I thoroughly tested these six:

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Most Weather and Wear-Resistant

Rumpl Original Puffy

$94 at Rumpl $94 at REI

My favorite thing about this blanket is the soft, slick exterior shell. That shell, and the light insulation inside, are made of 100 percent post-consumer recycled polyester. I’m surprised by how much warmth this blanket creates despite how thin and stow-able it is. And I love that it’s stain- and water-resistant, as well as machine washable. I’ve let my wet dog lie on it in the back of my car, and it has always wiped clean. Another great feature is what Rumpl calls a “Cape Clip,” paired with simple loops in each corner and in the middle on one side, which allows me to secure the blanket around my waist or my shoulders. Besides a snuggly wrap, this blanket can serve a variety of purposes—like as a picnic blanket, for instance.

Most Packable

Rumpl NanoLoft Flame Blanket

$98 at Rumpl $98 at REI

This Rumpl, though not as warm as the Rumpl Original Puffy, has gotten the most use out of all the blankets I’ve been testing because it conveniently rolls up and stashes into a stuff sack to the size of a Nalgene bottle or a gigantic sausage roll (3.5 x 11”) if you try hard enough (if you just shove it in the stuff sack it’s the size of an extra-long Nalgene bottle). I’ve been keeping this in my soccer mom tote bag and pulling it out to wrap around my legs during spring games and high school track meets. Like the Original Rumpl Puffy, the NanoLoft Flame Blanket has a small clip and loop on the opposite ends of the short side that, when connected, creates a cape-effect. I do wish there was an additional loop midway along the longer side to create a skirt-like blanket; it’s my legs that are usually cold. Another great thing about this blanket: One side is fire resistant. Those sparks that combust off a campfire won’t stress me out as much.

Best for Keeping Legs Warm

The Mozy Wearable and Waterproof Thermal Wrap

$129 at Mozy $129 at Amazon

Parents on the sidelines of a late-fall soccer game got a good chuckle when I pulled out this thing and Velcro’d it around my legs, but let me tell you: The Mozy keeps legs warm, stays on, has pockets, and makes a ton of sense. Most often when sitting at a campfire or cool-weather sporting event or concert, I’m wearing a puffy jacket or, at least, a cozy hoodie. It’s the bottom half of my body that suffers from the cold while wearing jeans or all-but-the-plushest sweatpants. The Mozy wraps securely around the waist with easy Velcro fasteners. You can also personalize it with Velcro patches, available in a wide variety of themes (like adding National Park or camp patches to a backpack). The Mozy’s exterior is waterproof nylon, which I appreciate for varying Colorado weather. And the two large, simple pockets are perfect for things like a headlamp or lighter (for the campfire, people), an iPhone, and/or a deck of cards. One knock: The Velcro grips aggressively and frayed the stitching on my sweatpant cuffs.

Most Complete Coverage

Voited Slumber Jacket

$215 at Voited

This piece stretches the definition of blanket, but if I were into cold-weather camping, or a hockey mom who had to sit at an outdoor ice rink, I’d be using the Voited Slumber Jacket all the time. And I have happily used it at cold evening soccer games in early spring, and loaned it to a friend’s mom on the sideline of a frosty morning game. This thing is bomber, offering the most warmth and coverage of anything in this roundup. It’s like a waterproof swim parka—with jacket arms, fleece-lined handwarmer pockets and a hood—plus, it has a sneaky, insulated bit of material tucked away at the foot. Unzip the stash pocket, unroll the material, and zip it to the bottom of the parka and you’re suddenly in a sleeping bag with arms. It’s a brilliant contraption. Adjustable sleeve cuffs and stretchy hand covers with thumbholes add to the apparel-like functionality of this piece, although I find the thumbholes make the arms rather restrictive when trying to strum a guitar. (Still, playing a guitar in gloves would be impossible, so this piece offers some warmth to cold campfire hands playing music.)

Most Versatile

Voited Cloudtouch Pillow Blanket

$129 at Voited

I’m kind of in love with this versatile blanket with one waterproof side, and the other side the softest, coziest, manmade Sherpa fleece-like material ever. It doesn’t pack down very small; shoved into the stuff sack, it’s about the size of a large sleeping bag. But, what this thing has going for it beyond warmth and coziness is ingenuity—and I love a smartly designed product. The blanket stuffs into its own pocket with the fleece side facing out to create a very comfortable pillow. Unzipped, it’s a blanket. Snapped closed along three sides, it becomes a warm-season sleeping bag (rated to 46˚F). And snapped just around the shoulders, it’s a warm cape that leaves hands free for things like roasting marshmallows. I also love that it is made of 100% recycled materials and is machine washable.

Best for Road Trips

Thermarest Vela Quilt Double

$315 at Thermarest $315 at Backcountry

My family and I first used this quilt on a two-week camping road trip six years ago, and we all still love it. The 650-fill Nikwax Hydrophobic Down is luxuriously warm while remaining lightweight, and it dries quicker than regular down, should we get caught in the rain. The Box Baffled Construction keeps all that fluffy down in place, so it stays evenly distributed instead of piling in a corner. And the 20D polyester taffeta interior with a 20D polyester shell with DWR coating is soft to the touch; my younger son even stole this blanket for his bed for a few weeks. Weighing 2.7 pounds, the blanket is intended for backpacking and has a tapered toe box for sleeping. We bring it car camping and have used it at many outdoor sporting events.