When the heating fails in a winter power cut, staying warm is about trapping the heat you already have. A good blanket, insulation from the cold floor and a little supplementary warmth go a long way — and cost far less than trying to heat a whole house you can't power.
We've chosen a breathable wool blanket for everyday warmth, a compact foil blanket for the car and grab bag, air-activated hand warmers for cold fingers and toes, and a self-inflating mat to keep you off the cold ground.
A wool blanket keeps you warm even when damp and won't melt near a flame — the rugged, reusable warmth layer for a cold house, a stranded car or a night outdoors.
The more genuine wool, the better it insulates when damp and resists flame. Blends with a lot of synthetic lose those advantages.
A large, dense blanket wraps fully around an adult and holds real warmth — worth the extra bulk for a car or home kit.
A close weave resists snagging and lasts for years of rough use, unlike loose throws that pill and thin quickly.
Foil blankets reflect heat but offer no padding and tear easily. A wool blanket is the reusable, sit-on-able layer a foil sheet can't replace.
Put a blanket away damp and it can go musty or mildew. Keep it dry, ideally in a bag, so it's fresh when you need it.
A large, durable lambswool blanket that insulates even when damp and resists flame — dependable, reusable warmth for cold homes, winter car kits and nights outdoors.
A multipack of reflective mylar blankets that reflect body heat back to fight the cold and shock. Cheap insurance to scatter through car, home and grab kits.
Air-activated hand warmers that give hours of gentle heat with no batteries or flame. Cheap, packable warmth to stave off cold hands in an outage or outdoors.
A self-inflating mat from a trusted UK bedding brand — insulates against cold ground and packs down into its own storage bag, no separate pump needed.