Necessity is the mother of invention, and quite often, the best-selling products offer solutions to everyday problems. I’d not heard of Rumpl Blankets before writing this piece, but within 10 minutes, I was sold.
Rumpl began their journey “in the back of a van,” where on a surf/ski trip through California, the founders awoke to freezing temperatures and a van that wouldn’t start (sounds familiar). As they waited for assistance, they bundled up in their sleeping bags and acknowledged how much better the materials felt and performed compared to what was on their beds back home. A resolve was made to create a “sleeping bag blanket,” and upon returning home, the first Rumpl “Puffy” blanket was handsewn in their apartment.
The team realized that “the materials typically found in everyday blankets hadn’t evolved in hundreds of years—the entire category wasn’t utilizing any of the material innovation that was taking place in apparel, outdoor gear, and activewear.” Thus, the Rumpl brand was born.
They pitched the product to Kickstarter, were funded in less than 24 hours, and ultimately achieved 10 times the original campaign goal. I’m not surprised, as this is a brilliant product, offering an elegant, functionally superior replacement to traditional household blankets. As someone living in a van, I’m always on the lookout for innovative products that make life on the road more comfortable. The opportunity to replace my heavy, bulky, and poorly insulated bedding with one of Rumpl’s lightweight, compressible, and thermally superior down or synthetic blankets is a no-brainer.
Further still, this is a company that “look to the future responsibly,” and in 2019, completely redesigned their core line of blankets to use only 100-percent post-consumer-recycled materials. As a result, Rumpl now recycles over five million discarded plastic bottles every year. They’re a member of 1% For The Planet (giving one percent of all revenue to environmental non-profits), are certified carbon neutral, and in 2021, became a Certified B Corporation (meeting the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose). Now, that’s a company I can get behind. So, what about the blankets themselves?
Rumpl offers a diverse range of blankets for one or two persons (including lightweight travel options, the Nanoloft version weighing 0.7 pounds). Customers can choose from down, synthetic, or Nanoloft insulation and an array of tasteful colour schemes. Prices vary from $79 (for their Junior Original Puffy Blanket) right through to $400 for their premium Featherlite Down Blanket. Many of their most attractive colour schemes are only available in one-person sizes, so it’d be nice to see more two-person options in future. I’m particularly impressed by their Nanoloft technology, which is made up of tiny clusters of fiber that mimic the properties of down but are made from 100 percent recycled materials. Additionally, as someone living in a vehicle, I love that their blankets are so compressible, meaning they’re easily stowed away in a cupboard when not required (unlike the household bedding I’m accustomed to). A few other notable features are that they’re machine washable, stain/water resistant, integrate corner loops (allowing the blankets to be pegged down outside), and come with a water-resistant stuff sack.
