****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Update November 25, 2021:I am quite impressed with the weight and warmth of this blanket. This is a good blanket for the winter in Texas. It may be a bit too much for the dead of summer in some locales. I was expecting a much thinner blanket with a looser weave. The weave on this is fairly tight for a cotton thermal blanket. It does feel kind of like a waffle weave thermal shirt. It's warm, but the cotton keeps it from becoming too hot.The California King size for my rather tall (18+") Queen mattress was a good call. The blanket did shrink, despite my washing in cold and drying on low. The blanket does hang enough down the sides to cover up with, but just comes short of being able to tuck any blanket in on the sides. That's okay. My huge mattress is a beast to tuck anything under/in due to its weight, anyway.Original Review:I have laundered but not yet used this blanket. I expect it to perform well and be warm when we finally put together our new bed and dress it using this blanket.Facts about cotton blankets/towels, responding to some other Dollcent/Hillfair reviews:1. Because they are made of lots of 100% cotton in a commercial factory, they will be FULL of loose cotton fibers. That means they will shed a lot of lint in both the washer and dryer when they are first laundered. ***There is nothing wrong with the item; shedding is normal and will become less over time.***The same thing happened with our thick towels from Costco. It also means you are not getting a flimsy item, but one of better quality because it contains more cotton.2. a. 100% cotton shrinks, especially foreign-made.b. 100% cotton shrinks, especially foreign-made.c. 100% cotton shrinks, especially foreign-made.Therefore, size up some to allow for shrinkage and still have the size you need.For our new extra-deep Queen mattress with topper (will be 17"-18" high), I chose to get a *California King* (NOT a regular King) blanket so that there would be enough length to accommodate covering the sides and still be able to tuck it in, even after laundering.3. All-cotton thermal blankets tend to stretch out over time when used on the bed, due to their loose weave. Don't panic too much or too quickly about shrinkage!! After laundering, my 2 California King blankets ended up being about 88.5 inches wide by 96 inches long. After I put them on the bed and start pulling them around when making the bed, I totally expect the blankets to stretch by as much as 6-12 inches in both directions, based on what all my other all-cotton thermal blankets have done.4. All-cotton thermal blankets are not made of microfiber, polyester, fleece, or acrylic, but are made of cotton, a naturally nubbier-feeling fabric. Therefore the blanket will feel more nubby and natural. The loose weave also makes the blanket feel more nubby. This is normal, and not a flaw or a sign of poor quality. Use a fabric softener, dryer balls, or a dryer sheet to give it a *slightly* softer feel, if you must.My take: I think the blankets are more substantial than my other thermal blankets with a looser weave. I expect my 2 identical blankets to perform well this winter. I'm happy all 4 sides are hemmed, so the blankets can be used going either direction.
