Are electric blankets safe?

Electric blanket fires are largely a thing of the past. Since the standard for electric blankets was toughened up in 1988, most of the old problems of overheating and fires have disappeared. Each year, as more old blankets get replaced by safer new ones, the number of blanket-related fires continues to fall.

They haven't entirely gone, however. In 2008 there were 26 fires caused by faulty electric blankets. We suspect most of these were older blankets, which should be checked each year without fail (see Safety checklist).

Tougher safety rules

To comply with the tougher safety rules, most makers now use special fail-safe heating elements or controls that automatically turn down the power if the blanket gets too warm. If severe overheating happens, the blanket is designed to automatically cut the power.

There are also tests to make sure the cable won't short circuit where it enters the heat-control switch, a simulated wear test on the blanket fabric, and further checks to ensure all electrical connections are durable.

We tested blankets ourselves in 1995, and all passed with flying colours. The Australian consumer magazine Choice repeated the exercise in 1998, with the same result.

This focus on safety means all you have to do is decide the size, the type of material used to make the blanket, the number of heat settings on the controller, or whether you want features like detachable controls so you can wash the blanket.

Yes, you really can machine wash and tumble dry some blankets. But not all blankets are up to a session in the washing machine.

What about EMFs?

Many people are worried about the effects of the electromagnetic fields (EMFs) associated with electric wiring and appliances. Can they cause cancer?

The studies are not conclusive, but the evidence suggests that if the risk exists at all it's minimal.

Such a risk seems particularly relevant to electric blankets, because you lie only millimetres from the wiring. But EMFs only exist when an appliance is switched on. For fire-safety and overheating reasons, you should switch a blanket off when you get into bed anyway. EMFs are possibly one more reason not to have the blanket on when you're lying on it.

Also, remember the control unit switches the power off at the control. To stop EMF from the control unit – switch it off at the wall.