Who makes a decent Utility (Moving) Blanket? (Not HFT)

[A&P mechanic]

Hello,

Who makes a good quality utility blanket (moving blanket)?

My dad has the harbor freight blankets at his house and he said the blankets are disintegrating in his FL attic without being used. He also has one different blanket from the same year that could be from HD or Uhaul, that blanket is not disintegrating. There are Caterpillar branded blankets online but the reviews are mediocre. Thank you.

 

[finn]

I noticed that some of the HF blankets I bought maybe seven or eight years ago when we moved are disintegrating, but they only cost around $5.00, so I can deal with that. We have one commercial moving blanket from a prior move that’s 36 years old and still good.

Can still get a few more years out of the HF blankets as covers for long term storage.

At the price point, they’re not bad, and I wouldn’t consider spending more unless I was a professional mover.

On the other hand, why would I store something for 36 years? Should have ditched all that trash 35 years ago.

 

[emeraldcoupe]

i have four of the hf ones, they stay in the garage in central florida and are fine.

 

[kbuhagiar]

I have a bunch of the HF blankets; hard to beat the price, especially with the coupons.
The oldest one is seven years old; I use it about once a month, and it is just starting to come apart from all the use. When it finally disintegrates I will toss it. IMHO just not worth the time/effort/cost to try and find one that would last longer.

Of course if you are a professional mover YMMV.

 

[mrvm]

OP wanted something other than HF but some moving blankets have a harsh life and should be disposed thus need to be cheap like a HF blanket. But it’s concerning that HF moving blankets are breaking down in storage….like wtf is in those blankets chemicals or insects or strange byproducts etc

 

[bas157]

How about checking at a U-haul dealer?

 

[bob15]

U-haul's blue blankets are good.

https://www.uhaul.com/MovingSupplies/Packing-Supplies/Quilted-Pads/?id=3053

 

[ste6168]

I have thrown a few of the HF blankets away over time due to them breaking down as well. Seems they hold up for a few years here, then need replaced. As others have said, for the price, they are all that I need.

 

[guitarbutt]

Harbor Freight ones are all I've used and I don't take care of them, yet they've been great. I have used a few cheap $2 throw blankets with good success too

 

[kmacht]

Florida attic? My guess is that harbor freight isn’t the problem, the heat in that attic during the summer is. It’s likely the nylon string and synthetic fiber in the blankets is breaking down because of the excessive heat they are exposed to. You will have this same problem with most moving blankets as they are all made out of the same synthetic material. My suggestion would be to go to a gooodwill store and buy some cheap blankets for a bed made from cotton or a non synthetic fiber.

 

[JohnKal]

I’ve had these in my watch list for a while. Seems like a decent deal for less than $9 each.

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[finn]

On my HF blankets, it’s the thin, slippery material (the blue cover) that’s going away. I suspect it’s a temperature/ abrasion issue over time. That cover material is really thin on a new blanket, and not very abrasion resistant.


Not really a problem. My underwear and socks eventually wear out, and that doesn’t make me think the sky is falling. Eight years is more than sufficient for underwear and socks, too.

 

[M635_Guy]

Harbor Freight ones are all I've used and I don't take care of them, yet they've been great. I have used a few cheap $2 throw blankets with good success too

I've got a bunch of them. The live in my garage and have helped with several moves of my spawn and friends, and have been great. I'm sure there are better moving blankets if you're willing to spend some real $$, but personallyh I'm not looking to spend commercial money. I guess if HF had offended me the next stop would be Northern Tool.

 

[FMB4]

I too say Uhaul. Have some that are 20 years old.

 

[A&P mechanic]

Thank you for the replies. The U-Haul blankets are 5.25 pounds each, the HFT blankets are 5 pounds each and the ones I found on sale today are 6.5 – 8 pounds each. The price for 12 came out to be around $14 each shipped x 12. I suspect these are made in China and the company is called moving blankets USA. I expect these moving blankets will last longer. Costco's CAT blankets were$20 each for comparison.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I too say Uhaul. Have some that are 20 years old.

No bet that the ones they sell today are the same quality !

 

[jumpstart]

Moving Pads

Protect your floors and furniture during moves with our durable furniture moving pads. Easy to use and designed for maximum protection. Order now!

www.newhaven-usa.com

 

[FTG-05]

We've been using these for over a year. they all look like new:

Amazon.com

 

[MFortie]

I have a bunch of these; they seem to be good:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073V5CRQ7/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[liliysdad]

I have had the same HF blankets for years, and have used them for everything without any issue.

 

[rlitman]

Florida attic? My guess is that harbor freight isn’t the problem, the heat in that attic during the summer is. It’s likely the nylon string and synthetic fiber in the blankets is breaking down because of the excessive heat they are exposed to. You will have this same problem with most moving blankets as they are all made out of the same synthetic material. My suggestion would be to go to a gooodwill store and buy some cheap blankets for a bed made from cotton or a non synthetic fiber.

I don't think it's the heat. I have several HF blankets. The ones that live in my garage loft right under the roof have held up just fine. I left one in the back of a car for a while, and the parts exposed to sunlight had the blue cloth covering turn to dust. It's UV that's killed mine, and I suspect that the attic mentioned above has UV light entering through gable vents.

 

[dr_clyde]

UV is a killer for blankets. I had a west facing window with no blind on it for a while and used a HF blanket as a temporary blind The UV from the sun absolutely destroyed that blanket in just a few weeks.

 

[GeoBruin]

I have several from harbor freight and several from Home Depot and the HD blankets definitely held up better.

 

[Nutria]

I've found that thrift stores make good moving blankets, called bedspreads. I do have a couple of U-Haul blankets too, and they are handy.

 

[blazemaster83]

I have some harbor freight moving blankets I bought in the 90s and they are still in use with little to no holes, I have used them to move countless pieces of heavy machinist tooling. I also have a few that I bought within 2 yrs and they are already falling apart to rags. Im sure any moving company would sell some decent ones.

 

[Jmellc]

I think Duluth Trading Company used to have them, not sure about now.