When I think about “space blankets,” I imagine those tinfoil-looking, crinkly, super-thin emergency blankets that don’t look comfortable at all. But the Biigloo team recently introduced me to a space-aged quilt that uses an aerogel material that can resist cold temperatures down to about -40 degrees Fahrenheit. My wife and I got to preview the Biigloo AeroQuilt, launching as a Kickstarter campaign on January 24, 2023, which is actually quite different than I would have expected based on my preconceptions of a “space blanket.” (*Disclosure below.)
Biigloo is leveraging a material used by NASA for insulation and potentially later in space exploration, according to Biigloo. This aerogel is the game-changer here because it is extremely lightweight, yet it also has incredible insulating capabilities. But you can’t just use it on its own. The Biigloo team has integrated it into the fabric of the Biigloo AeroQuilt.
Honestly, I wondered how it compared with traditional down comforters or even blankets made of artificial materials. So, when my wife and I received a production sample of the Biigloo AeroQuilt, I decided that the next time we changed our bedsheets, I would incorporate the AeroQuilt into the bed-making.
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Biigloo AeroQuilt real-world test results
First, let me start by saying again the AeroQuilt was not was I was expecting. I thought it would look and feel quite “techy” in nature. It doesn’t. It looks and feels just like any quilt you might get at a bedding store. There are no electronics nor heating elements nor any need to plug it into the wall to power it whatsoever. It is, essentially, a blanket or quilt.
To the touch, it is incredibly soft. There are sections with baffles containing the aerogel and other materials (more about the “technical” spec later in this sneak peek article). One thing that did surprise me quite a lot was how extremely lightweight the entire quilt is.
The surface is very silky to the touch. In fact, it is almost velvety. And this is probably the one thing that could be considered a minor negative about it. The surface is quite “slippery,” so in some cases, the AeroQuilt may tend to slide off your sheets from time to time. But honestly, I don’t really view this as much of a negative as you do want to have a blanket or quilt that is soft and luxurious feeling.
But how well does the AeroQuilt actually work? I must say, it is pretty impressive. As my wife’s and my bed is king-sized, the AeroQuilt doesn’t completely cover our bed’s width entirely. So I decided to let her be the primary tester of the AeroQuilt. Also, as she gets warm and cold frequently at night, I thought she would be a great candidate.
Also, we tend to keep our bedroom quite cold (better for sleeping, we believe) and often sleep with our windows open despite being cold outside. So, it was the perfect “testing” environment for the quilt.
I did test the AeroQuilt myself for a few days when we had it covering our entire bed. I use a weighted blanket usually (I like the heavy nature of those types of blankets). However, the AeroQuilt is so lightweight I practically couldn’t tell that it was covering me (as I wasn’t using the weighted blanket during my testing).
I found the AeroQuilt to be amazingly warm – something I wasn’t expecting, given how light the quilt is. I did not need any other blankets or covers to keep me warm during the night. But the champion of this review is actually my wife. She has been using the AeroQuilt now for several weeks.
Here is what impressed her about the quilt. As she runs hot and cold, with other blankets, she often has to remove them when she gets too hot and then cover herself back up when she gets cold. With the AeroQuilt, that on-and-off process was minimized. Once the AeroQuilt was covering her, she pretty much kept it on.
What was more interesting about her comments about the quilt was this – it seemed to magically adapt to her body temperature. While initially, when she got into bed, she was cold (which is normal), as her body warmed up, the quilt seemed to reflect the heat back to her. And, once she was warm, she stayed warm. This is precisely why Biigloo chose aerogel as the insulating material.
But, they used other materials to ensure that the quilt was not fragile and could be used regularly around the home. Let’s get into the technical, geeky stuff now!
The “tech” behind the AeroQuilt
Typically I write about technology or gadgets or consumer electronics. This Indiegogo project doesn’t really fall under those categories. But it somewhat aligns with the technology one, given that the materials used in the quilt’s construction are more modern.
Aerogel
Aerogel is a non-fibrous material. What does that mean? As fibers are typically organic, they are subject to potentially breeding bacteria. Aerogel is, therefore, easy to clean and doesn’t smell. Have you ever washed a down comforter? Do you know that damp smell that comes from it before it is dried? That doesn’t happen with the Aerogel.
According to Biigloo, 1mm of aerogel is equivalent to 40mm of cotton or down from a “warmth-keeping” perspective. Since only 1mm of aerogel is used in the lining of the quilt, it remains quite thin and lightweight. I couldn’t imagine how bulky the equivalent version would be using down or cotton – it wouldn’t be feasible for the same warmth level.
While I haven’t washed the AeoroQuilt yet, I am told that you can put it in your washer and dryer. You just can’t iron it. And, it is supposedly more eco-friendly than other similar materials.
Dimensions and specs
While the final specifications of the AeroQuilt are still being determined, I have been told that the quilt is 2.2 meters in length by 2 meters wide (7’3″ by 6’7″). And the weight is about 3180 grams or about 7 pounds. It is only a couple of inches thick at its thickest point.
The quilt layers
The AeroQuilt has a sandwich of layers. This is my non-technical diagram of the layering:
- Super-fine down & velvet
- DuPont SORONA bio-fleece
- 1mm Aerogel
- DuPont SORONA bio-fleece
- Super-fine down & velvet
One material that I haven’t mentioned yet is the DuPont SORONA bio-fleece. While the aerogel is completely non-organic, the SORONA fiber is derived from plant fiber. However, it is odorless and safe to be used around infants and children. Also, it can be washed in a washing machine which for me is critical (I hate doing delicate washes). Lastly, it has good breathability and moisture absorption, which means that if you sweat, you stay dry.
Lastly, the outer fabric is manufactured to not lose its color over time because it uses an “active printing and dyeing process,” according to Biigloo. So not only can you wash the quilt, you can also not worry that it will lose its color.
The colors that it currently comes in are Botticelli Blue and Linen White. The one we have is Botticelli Blue. Once they move to mass production, another color will be available – Champagne.
Additional details and thoughts
My wife and my multi-week test of the Biigloo AeroQuilt has thus far been quite positive. My wife likes how she can maintain a fairly even warmth based on the heat that her body radiates. The quilt can be used on a bed or simply as a blanket to wrap yourself in.
But Biigloo has another product in development worth mentioning – a sleeping bag that uses the same aerogel and similar multi-fabric technology (except that it uses 20D400T ultra-fine nylon as the inner and outer layers).
I have not had the pleasure of testing the sleeping bag yet, but I hope to do so in the coming weeks. So, while I have received additional details on the Biigloo sleeping bag, I will hold off on offering my opinions. But, from what I have read, it does look quite promising, including low-temperature resistance.
With our experience with the quilt, I expect the sleeping bag to be equally positive. Again, this product, as of the writing of this article, is launching on Kickstarter on January 24, 2023. In terms of pricing, I have been told by the Biigloo team what both the crowdfunded price and MSRP of both the quilt and sleeping bag will be. The quilt starts at $169 on crowdfunding (which is a 43% discount from the $299 MSRP). And the sleeping bag starts at $159 (a 41% discount from the $269 MSRP). Obviously, these may be subject to change, but I do feel they are reasonable, especially at the crowdfunded price, so don’t miss out!
Disclosure: I have a material connection because I received a sample of a product for consideration in preparing to review the product and write this content. I was/am not expected to return this item after my review period. All opinions within this article are my own and are typically not subject to editorial review from any 3rd party. Also, some of the links in the post above may be “affiliate” or “advertising” links. These may be automatically created or placed by me manually. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item (sometimes but not necessarily the product or service being reviewed), I will receive a small affiliate or advertising commission. More information can be found on my About page.
HTD says: Biigloo has incorporated space-aged technology into two products, a quilt and a sleeping bag, that allows both of these items to be lightweight yet provide warmth even in quite low temperatures.
