Amazon's best-selling heated blanket drops to £25 as temperatures fall

With temperatures falling across the UK, Amazon shoppers are turning to a relatively inexpensive way to keep warm without reaching straight for the central heating.

A £25.49 heated blanket has climbed to the top of Amazon's Home & Kitchen best-seller rankings, putting it ahead of thousands of other household products, from kitchen gadgets to cleaning appliances.

The PROALLER electric heated throw has reportedly been bought more than 9,000 times in the past month, making it one of the retailer's standout purchases as colder weather arrives.

And with households increasingly conscious of energy bills, it is easy to see why a heated blanket might be attracting so much attention.

The PROALLER heated blanket is currently reduced to £25.49 on Amazon, down from £29.99, representing a 15% saving in a limited-time deal.

Measuring 160cm by 130cm, the dark grey throw is designed to keep people warm while relaxing on the sofa, watching television or working from home.

It has a reversible design, with soft flannel on one side and cosy Sherpa-style fleece on the other, making it suitable for use as an ordinary throw even when the heating is switched off.

Unlike some basic electric blankets, it offers 10 adjustable heat settings, allowing users to choose how warm they want to be.

There is also a programmable timer, which can be set for between one and nine hours, with an automatic shut-off function.

The manufacturer claims the blanket can cost as little as 3p an hour to operate, although actual running costs will depend on the heat setting and household electricity tariff.

That could make it an attractive alternative to heating an entire room when only one person needs to keep warm, although it is not a replacement for adequate home heating.

The throw has attracted more than 3,700 customer ratings on Amazon, achieving an average score of 4.3 out of five stars.

It also features overheat protection and a detachable controller, allowing the blanket to be machine washed.

Other colours and larger sizes are available, although these generally cost more than the discounted dark grey version.

With colder evenings becoming a regular feature, the popularity of heated throws suggests plenty of shoppers are looking for ways to stay comfortable without turning up the thermostat.