BougeRV 12V Portable Heated Blanket – stay warm in the wilderness!

REVIEW – With the proliferation of portable power stations and solar generators, an electric blanket is a great efficient way to keep warm while camping in cooler weather. The BougeRV 12V portable heated blanket is one of the first to market designed for camping and outdoor use. And it has an app!

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Price: $99.99
Where to buy: BougeRV or Amazon

What is it?

It’s an electric blanket designed for camping, that runs on 12V DC instead of normal 12V AC power like most electric blankets.

What’s included?

• The Blanket
• Storage Bag
• Cigarette Lighter Cord
• Controller Cable
• Manual

Tech specs

• Rated Power 0-48W
• Power Supply: 12V DC
• Materials: Unclear what the outer materials are, but the insulation is cotton silk
• Dimensions: 50 x 70 inches
• Weight: 3.3 lb

Design and features

This electric blanket has a few features which make it different for a “traditional” electric blanket that you might use in your house. First, it runs on 12V and has a cigarette lighter plug. Second, it only has electric heating elements in the center, instead of throughout the blanket. Third, it has an app for controlling the timer, heat level, and power functions. The blanket also features toggles built in which let you wear it as a cape. The blanket also features a built-in pocket where the cables can be stored.

Performance

I used the blanket on a few fall camping trips, and overall, I’m really impressed! I used the blanket with a power station rated for 1024 Watt hours, in two different configurations. First, while sitting outside by the fire on a very chilly night. I placed the blanket on the chair and sat on top of it. Because the heating elements are just in the center third of the blanket and not throughout, this is a great way to use it. You end up sitting right on top of all the heating elements, and it warms you nicely. You can wrap the rest of the blanket around you if it’s extra chilly.

When it was time to turn in for the night. I spread the blanket out and slept on top of it. I actually woke up very warm in the middle of the night (it was right around freezing outside!) and turned the blanket off. I turned it back on again in the morning when I woke up, and it immediately heated up and warmed we nicely.

Even though the blanket is big enough to cover most of a queen size bed, it works best for just one person, given how the heating elements are distributed.

You can control the blanket in two different ways. First, there is the control built right into the blanket. From here, you can turn the blanket on and off, set the power level from 1-5, and set the timer from 1-3 hours. Using the app, you can do all of these features as well as extend the timer for up to 10 hours.

I was surprised by how efficient the blanket was. On the highest power level, the blanket draws 48 watts. But the blanket is not on all the time – it cycles power as needed, based on the power setting you choose, and the ambient temperature. With the 1024 Wh power station I was using, the blanket would last about 13 hours.

Despite all it has going for it, there are a few things I wish for. First, I wish it was not made of cotton. Despite warnings about not getting the blanket wet, no product built for the outdoors should really be made of cotton. Nylon, polyester, and other synthetic fabrics are usually better adapted for outdoor use. Second, I the heating elements were spread through the while blanket. That would make it better for more than one person.

Final thoughts

If you have a portable 12V power station, the BougeRV Portable Heated Blanket is a great option to keep you warm while using just a little power.

What I like about The BougeRV Portable Heated Blanket

• Warm! It really does keep you warm
• Seems pretty efficient on power
• It has an app, although the functionality is limited and largely repetitive with the built-in controls

What needs to be improved?

• Spread the heating elements out through the while blanket
• Consider including other plugs beyond just the cigarette lighter
• Replace the cotton with synthetic fabrics more suited to the outdoors.

Price: $99.99
Where to buy: BougeRV or Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by BougeRV. BougeRV did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.