Start with the room, then add layers. The NHS advises heating the rooms you regularly use, such as the living room and bedroom, to at least 18 °C if you can. On top of that, the simplest way to keep an older parent warm without an electric blanket is a set of layers they can manage on their own: clothes in several thin layers, a wool throw within reach of their chair and an extra wool layer on the bed, over the duvet.
A throw makes no heat of its own. It holds on to the warmth of the room and of the person underneath it, so it works alongside the heating, not instead of it. The rest is in the details: throws that are easy to lift and tuck in, that need little looking after, and someone who checks in when the weather turns cold.
Start with a warm room
Families have all sorts of reasons for doing without an electric blanket. Some parents never liked the idea, some have an old one that ought to be replaced, and some families worry about a switch left on or a control that has become hard to read. Whatever the reason, the first step is the same, because a throw can only keep in warmth that is already there. So look at the rooms your parent actually spends time in:
- Temperature. A simple room thermometer shows both of you whether the room really reaches 18 °C, rather than how it feels to someone who has just come in from outside.
- Draughts. A draught excluder at the bottom of the door and curtains drawn at dusk keep more of the heat in the room.
- Controls. Check that the thermostat and timer are set sensibly and that your parent can read and change them. Controls that are confusing tend to be left alone.
- The chair. A favourite armchair by a draughty window or against an outside wall can be the coldest spot in the room. Moving it a little way can help.
If the heating is being rationed because of the bills, that deserves a gentle conversation, and it is worth finding out what help with energy costs they may be entitled to.
Layers they can manage on their own
The aim is warmth your parent can adjust without help and without getting up and down all evening.
- Several thin layers rather than one thick jumper, so one can come off when the room warms up.
- Warm socks, or slippers with a grip on the sole, and a cardigan on the back of the chair.
- A throw folded over the arm of the chair, where it can be reached without standing up.
- A warm drink, the phone and the remote control within reach, so the throw does not have to come off every time something is needed.
A wool throw for the chair
For an armchair, a throw of about 130 × 170 cm is a comfortable size: big enough to cover knees and feet or to go round the shoulders, and small enough not to trail on the floor, where someone could trip over it.
Our merino throws come in exactly that size (130 × 170 cm, double-sided, 890 g), as well as two larger ones. They are 80% merino wool and 20% nylon, soft (4/5 on our own scale) and warm (4/5), and merino is fine enough that it hardly itches. Prices start at £49.90, and the range runs to about 30 colourways.
If your parent finds wool scratchy, our cashmere-merino throw (90% merino wool, 10% cashmere) is the softest we make (5/5). It measures 140 × 200 cm including the fringes, so fold it once for a chair; it weighs a light 655 g and costs £84.90–89.90.
A warm layer for the bed
At night, an extra layer on top of the duvet keeps the warmth in where it is needed. Wool suits the job, because it takes up moisture without feeling clammy.
- Pure new wool is the warmest throw we make (5/5 on our scale). Our pure new wool throws are 100% New Zealand wool; the solid-colour one measures 130 × 170 cm and weighs 890 g, and prices start at £49.90. The fibre is coarser and can feel scratchy on bare skin, so lay it over the duvet rather than next to the skin.
- Merino is softer, and its largest size, 150 × 215 cm, is big enough to cover the top of a double bed.
- Weight matters. The large merino throw weighs 1,450 g. Some people like the settled feel of a heavy layer; others find it hard to turn over under it, or to push it back when they get up in the night. If in doubt, a lighter throw folded in half across the lower part of the bed keeps legs and feet warm without much weight.
Tuck the throw in at the foot of the bed rather than letting it hang to the floor, for the same reason as with the chair: nothing to catch a foot on the way to the bathroom at night.
Easy care, and which throw goes where
Throws for an older parent should not come with a list of jobs, and wool asks for very little. Our pure new wool, merino and cashmere-merino (10% cashmere) throws carry a do-not-wash label: they freshen up with a few hours of airing outdoors, out of direct sun and rain, and go to the dry cleaner when they need more. Spills should be blotted straight away, not rubbed.
If there is a lot of tea going about, a cotton-blend throw is the easier option, because it can be hand washed at 30 °C. It is less warm than wool (3/5 on our scale), and at 940 g it is heavy when wet, so washing it may be a job for your visit rather than one to leave to your parent.
| Where | Our suggestion | Care |
|---|---|---|
| Armchair | Merino, 130 × 170 cm, 890 g | Air it; dry clean when needed |
| Bed, over the duvet | Pure new wool, 130 × 170 cm, or merino, 150 × 215 cm | Air it; dry clean when needed |
| Someone who finds wool scratchy | Cashmere-merino (90% merino, 10% cashmere), 655 g | Air it; dry clean when needed |
| Spills, pets and grandchildren | Cotton-blend, 140 × 200 cm | Hand wash at 30 °C |
Check in, especially when it turns cold
The most useful thing may not be a throw at all. A regular call or visit lets you notice what a parent may not mention. Is the heating on, and is the thermostat where you left it? Is the bedroom as warm as the living room? Are the throws being used, or folded away in a cupboard to keep them nice?
When a cold snap is forecast, a quick call to ask whether they need anything goes a long way, and a neighbour who knocks now and then helps too. If you are worried about how your parent is coping with the cold, or about their health, talk it over with them and, if needed, with their GP.
FAQ
Is a wool throw as warm as an electric blanket?
It works differently. A throw makes no heat; it keeps in the warmth of the room and of the body. In a warm room, a wool layer holds that warmth close; in a cold room, it cannot make up for the heating.
Which throw is warmest for an older person?
On our own scale, pure new wool is the warmest (5/5), followed by merino and the cashmere-merino with 10% cashmere (both 4/5), then cotton-blend (3/5). Pure new wool can feel scratchy, so it goes over bedding or clothes rather than bare skin.
What size throw suits an armchair?
About 130 × 170 cm: enough to cover legs and feet or to go round the shoulders without trailing on the floor.
Can you wash a wool throw?
Ours are labelled do not wash. Air them outdoors for a few hours or have them dry cleaned. For a throw that needs to go in water, choose the cotton-blend, which can be hand washed at 30 °C.
