At a glance
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Rechargable & portable
- Three heat settings
- Heats up quickly
- High-quality & washable
Cons
- Classic fabric only grey
- A bit pricey
Our Verdict
If it’s not too expensive for you, the Big Hug XL is a luxurious and highly versatile electric blanket.
Best Prices Today: Stoov Big Hug XL
The colder months of the year will have you reaching for the central heating thermostat but an electric blanket can be a cheaper and more effective way of staying warm, especially in certain scenarios.
Stoov is a company that specialises in this type of product and I’ve taken the Big Hug XL, its heated pad (aka a heated blanket) for a spin.
It’s not the cheapest around but is certainly one of the most luxurious and well-made we’ve seen. Plus, it’s battery powered so you can easily use it just about anywhere you like.
Design & Build
- Designed for a chair
- Two fabric choices
- Portable
The Big Hug XL isn’t a traditional electric blanket, in that it’s not designed to go in your bed. Though there’s nothing stopping you from doing that, it’s been made to go on a chair to sit on.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Since the Big Hug XL (a smaller version is available) is battery-powered, you can use it anywhere. Perfect if you want to sit out in the garden when it’s a little cool, in your armchair inside or just about anywhere you can think of.
The battery is easily inserted into an orange pouch at the top, which gives this section some weight where it hangs over the back of a chair, helping it stay in place. Small cutouts and the back of the seat section help it turn vertically to go up the back.
Chris Martin / Foundry
On the side is a ‘smart label’ which has a charging port, power button and set of LEDs. Click the power button once and you get three lights meaning it’s on the hottest setting. Continuing to tap it cycles through the other two levels of heat followed by off.
A fourth LED indicates the charging status, pulsing slowly at first, then quickly and finally solid when the battery is full. It’s an easy system to use, although there’s no way of telling how much battery is left during use.
As standard, the Big Hug XL comes with a classic fabric “made from high-quality recyclable materials” – polyester and acrylic. This only comes in grey which is a shame.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Pay a little extra, and you can get the woolly model I’ve tested here which is available in black, white, graphite and beige. The sheepskin style is also made from recyclable polyester and acrylic and has a luxurious fluffy feel. Both covers are machine washable.
At 45x135cm the Big Hug XL (the regular size is 40x120cm) will easily fit over most sofas and chairs. It just about fits on my office chair which has a very high back. It would fall off when I moved too much or got up until I discovered the adjustable elastic to hold it on with.
Features & Performance
- Three heat settings
- Infrared panels
- Two battery sizes
As mentioned earlier, there are three heat settings to choose from on the Big Hug XL and these equate to around 32-, 37- and 42 Celsius.
I personally found the hottest option too hot, although that’s a good thing for battery life. You can, of course, easily change the setting based on how cold the environment is.
Stoov
It’s worth noting that even using the Big Hug XL switched off is warm and cosy, particularly using the woolly material on my office chair.
Heat is applied via two infrared pads with one underneath you and one around your lower back. They’re only 16x23cm each so relatively small compared to the overall size of the blanket but they disperse heat nicely and feel a lot larger.
They also heat up quickly once switched on, so you don’t need to go and make a cuppa to give the Bug Hug XL a chance to get up to temperature.
Chris Martin / Foundry
How long the heat lasts depends on two things, which heat level you’re using and which battery size you opted for. As standard you get a 2600mAh battery but for an extra £20 it jumps to 4500mAh.
The smaller one will give you 1.5, 2 or 3 hours of juice for decreasing heat levels while the larger one doubles those figures giving you a maximum of 6 hours. You can use the device while it’s charging.
Other features, though I haven’t needed them, include automatic switch-off and overheat protection.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Price & Availability
The Big Hug XL starts at £129.99 but you can spend an extra £20 to get a larger battery. This could be well worth it, doubling the battery life up to 6 hours.
It’s worth noting that although we’ve tested the XL model here, the regular Big Hug is essentially the same product but a little smaller at 5cm widthwise and 25cm shorter in length. It starts at £119.99.
Either way, you have a choice of fabrics with the original included in the prices above and an additional £10 if you want the woolly version which, as mentioned earlier, has a choice of colours.
Stoov also makes other rechargable heated products and I particularly like the electric hot water bottle called Homey. There are also cushions and even a dog bed.
Read our electric blanket buying guide .
Should you buy the Stoov Big Hug XL?
It’s not the cheapest electric blanket out there but it’s also not outrageously expensive either and the Big Hug XL (or smaller size) is an excellent piece of kit.
The fact it’s rechargeable and easily portable makes it very versatile. There’s almost no limit as to where you can use it.
It’s also very well made, and we like the choice of fabrics, heat levels, quick heat up and safety features. If you want a luxurious heated blanket to use just about anywhere then this is it.
Best Prices Today: Stoov Big Hug XL
Author: Chris Martin, Managing Editor, Tech Advisor
Tech Advisor Managing Editor Chris got his break as a reporter at infamous site The Inquirer and has been with us for more than 12 years. With a BA degree in Music Technology, audio is his specialism, but over the years he has reviewed all kinds of gadgets, from smartwatches to mesh Wi-Fi to coffee machines.
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