Gravel’s toiletry kits did pretty well right away on Kickstarter. Those things were a huge hit, and they sold out almost as soon as they came out. I have one and reviewed it here (Gravel Explorer Slim Toiletry review). They are great. Most of these businesses will then build on their success by coming out with new product lines. They made some beverage containers, put out one of the more expensive bag kits on the market, and so on.
The Layover Travel Blanket is another thing they started making. A blanket that has everything you need and is made to go with you. And yes, blankets can have everything (or at least they can now). On a recent trip to Italy, I used this blanket in normal upright seating, my wife used it in lie-flat seating because we paid for business class one way, and I also tried it in the lounge.
Gravel Layover Overview
The Layover is said to be made of high-quality materials, right down to the insulation, which is a synthetic material that weighs 40g per square meter and is made from recycled water bottles. People say that it can keep you warm down to 60F, but as always with temperatures, your mileage may vary.
It is a 20D nylon. This bad boy has YKK buttons, and an anti-static coating, and can be washed in a machine.
It is 41″ x 67″ (105cm x 170cm) and weighs just over 12 ounces, which is 35% less than a pair of certain Nikes, according to Gravel. I’ll just have to take their word for it, but that’s a good statistic.
It costs $129 to buy online.
Gravel Layover Travel Blanket Features
As I joked about above, we now want to talk about the benefits. Because this blanket does have them. I also want to be clear that this isn’t just a “camping” blanket or a travel blanket for emergencies that doesn’t do much. It can be used for camping, the park, etc., but I think it’s best for when you’re traveling or in a hotel or something. I think you’ll understand when we talk about these.
For one thing, it has a buttoned pocket where you can put your stuff sack so you don’t lose it. This is good, because the first time I used it, I might have almost lost it because I didn’t know it had a pocket.
Next, it has a pocket that looks a bit like a kangaroo pocket, which is a pocket on a jacket. It’s lined with wool, and you can put your hands in here to sleep. Also, this has a zippered pocket where you can put things like your phone, cash, earbuds, AirPods, etc.
Also, you can use one of the snaps to make a foot box, just like you would in a sleeping bag. Clever.
You can keep this blanket from falling down by joining the top snaps together and snapping it behind your head. On a freezing-cold trip, we all used a blanket and woke up with cold shoulders because it fell down. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s a good way to solve the problem.
There’s more to say about snaps. Using the snaps along the length, you can also connect two blankets so that you and your trip partner can share. For example, this is a good idea for the way planes are usually set up.
Last but not least, the anti-static is a benefit. Adding that to the blanket was also a good idea.
The Good
This isn’t a big surprise, but the set of features is a big plus. I really do think this is a better “travel” blanket than a typical camping or picnic blanket, which is what you might think of first when you hear the word “travel.” It’s more about how you can use it on planes, trains, during delays, in bars, hostels, etc. I liked the foot box in this piece a lot.
I liked how warm this was and how comfortable it was for planes.
The quality of the things here is also pretty good. I didn’t really worry about it at all.
Love that it can be washed in a machine! This makes it easier to wash when you get home or, if necessary, at your location.
The Bad
The price will be “bad” for many people, which probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise. I’m not one of them, but like with all my reviews, I’m trying to look at this from many different angles. It hurts some people. Because this makes it more of a luxury thing for many people who are very careful with their money. And this will not be for that group. But I’ll say more about this in my last words.
This is going to be a bit of a hot take, especially since I’m short, but I think it’s probably too big. Their website says that it “fits up to” people who are 6’3″, so maybe I’m not the right person to ask. But I think this could be made smaller for one person, just to make it easier to pack. But if you’re pretty big, you can just ignore this, Haha. I also think it would be easier to use if they could be snapped together and used by two people at once.
But there’s nothing bad to say about any of the features or functions.
Gravel Layover Travel Blanket Improvement Requests
If at all possible, the only real advice would be to cut a few inches off the whole thing so that it can fit into a smaller stuff sack.
I’m not going to list the price here, which might be controversial. I think that in this case, the price reflects what they think the value is, and the fact that this item sells out quickly when it’s in stock shows that the market agrees. It might not be the best price for you, but I think it’s about right for a small team that wants to focus on good materials and move a product category forward.
Conclusion
Gravel’s toiletry kits have been a hit on Kickstarter, with their latest product, the Layover Travel Blanket, being a popular choice. The blanket is made of high-quality materials, including synthetic insulation, 20D nylon, YKK buttons, and an anti-static coating.
It weighs just over 12 ounces and weighs just over 12 ounces, making it 35% less than certain Nikes. The blanket features a buttoned pocket, kangaroo pocket, zippered pocket, and snaps for a foot box. It can be washed in a machine, making it easy to share with your trip partner.
