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Since Dick’s Sporting Goods merged Moosejaw with its Public Lands brand, our budget option, the Moosejaw Carpet Diem Outdoor Blanket, has been discontinued.
All you need to throw a picnic is a blanket and some grass. However, when you combine these simple elements, an ordinary dinner can turn into an outdoor feast.
Not all picnic blankets are created equal, though: We reviewed 55 and tested 19 of them before settling on the Nemo Victory Picnic Blanket.
Our favorite picnic blanket: easy to carry, comfortable, and durable. However, its price and size have increased in the last few years.
This blanket costs less than a third of our favorite and has a fairly soft top layer and a durable bottom layer, but it lacks padding and pile loops.
This soft-top, firm-bottom blanket is the most luxurious and durable of all the blankets we tested, and it’s also the only one that’s machine washable and dryable, but it’s surprisingly expensive.
Available in dozens of colorful prints, this blanket is the most compact of all the blankets we tested, foldable enough to fit in a purse. However, it lacks a soft lining and is less suitable for picnics.
Soft flannel provides a comfortable seat, a waterproof lining keeps you dry, built-in straps make it easy to carry, and vibrant stripes will make your picnic look like an impressionist masterpiece.
Our favorite picnic blanket: easy to carry, comfortable, and durable. However, its price and size have increased in the last few years.
The Nemo Victory Picnic Blanket measures 95 x 95 inches and fits four people, combining durability and comfort with a foam lining and waterproof bottom. It’s also easy to carry: When rolled up, the Victory Picnic Blanket is a 16-inch-long, 8-inch-diameter cylinder. (Though it’s gotten bigger and more expensive since we first tested it.)
The acrylic flannel outer layer doesn’t collect dust as easily as other blankets, and it also comes in a larger size—120 x 120 inches, which should fit about seven or eight people—so you can choose the style that’s best for your picnic. Grommets at the corners of the blanket allow you to secure it in place in windy conditions.
This blanket costs less than a third of our favorite and has a fairly soft top layer and a durable bottom layer, but it lacks padding and pile loops.
The Moosejaw Carpet Diem Outdoor Blanket is affordable and incredibly soft without getting too hot. Surprisingly, crumbs are easily brushed off, and if it gets dirty, it’s machine washable, unlike our top picks. The nylon straps are adjustable, so you can fold the blanket into a burrito shape even if you’ve rolled it loosely (which is much easier than the neat folding of the Yeti Lowlands Blanket or Rumpl Everywhere Mat Blanket).
The Moosejaw blanket doesn’t take up much space when folded (and doesn’t need to be folded face down); however, it’s not as compact as the Rumpl blanket, which we recommend. It’s not as soft as the top and top models we recommend, however, and it doesn’t have a locking ring.
This soft-top, firm-bottom blanket is the most luxurious and durable of all the blankets we tested, and it’s also the only one that’s machine washable and dryable, but it’s surprisingly expensive.
The Yeti Lowlands blanket is by far the softest we tested. It’s so soft we could lay it on our bed and sleep soundly. Not only is its durable underside waterproof, but the top layer is spill-resistant, meaning liquids will pool on the surface but won’t seep into the blanket. Even if it does get stained, it’s machine washable and dryable—one of the few blankets we tested that can do both.
However, it’s very expensive, and the other options we’ve chosen are just as comfortable and durable, so it’s not a worthwhile investment for anyone but the most dedicated picnickers (or snowmen).
Available in dozens of colorful prints, this blanket is the most compact of all the blankets we tested, foldable enough to fit in a purse. However, it lacks a soft lining and is less suitable for picnics.
The Rumpl Everywhere Mat is the most portable blanket we tested: It folds up to the size of a paperback novel (about 5 x 11 x 2.5 inches) and fits into the included carrying bag. It’s incredibly soft thanks to its polyester microsuede material, and it has thoughtful details like peg loops and little corner pockets. It comes with a 100-day trial period, so if you decide it’s not for you, you can return it.
This blanket isn’t as soft as our favorite and our upgraded model, and it’s also more expensive than our budget model. But if you like to take a blanket with you on picnics, this blanket is a great choice for its combination of comfort and portability.
When selecting and testing blankets, we took into account all of these aspects, as well as the following:
Portability and storage: We looked for blankets with straps or separate storage bags so the blanket could be folded or rolled tightly. We prefer blankets with elastic bands because they usually don’t need to be folded as neatly as blankets with Velcro or blankets that need to be folded into storage bags, which, it’s worth noting, are easy to lose.
Waterproof: Most blankets without a moisture barrier will soak up moisture from the ground like a sponge, especially if you’re lying on them for hours (and any good picnic should last at least that long). We only tested blankets that were advertised as having a waterproof or water-resistant lining.
In an earlier version of this guide, written by senior author Keith Dillon, we placed all the blankets in the shade of a freshly watered lawn and lay on each blanket for about 10 minutes. We then placed a 45-pound weight on each blanket and checked after 20 minutes to see if the area where the weight was placed was damp.
In the updated 2020–2023 guide, written by staff writer Dori Shevlen, two adults sat on a blanket laid out on the grass for an hour. We also poured water on the back of each blanket to see if the water would soak into the blanket’s surface. Luckily, none of the blankets we tested leaked water, making for a comfortable day.
Durability: We look for blankets that are durable. There are a lot of picnic blankets on Amazon for $15, but they don’t seem very durable.
Price: We initially tested blankets that ranged from $20 to $70. For a durable blanket that won’t fall apart after a season of use, the price seemed reasonable. In later tests, we also included more expensive blankets.
Our favorite picnic blanket: easy to carry, comfortable, and durable. However, its price and size have increased in the last few years.
The two-person version of the Nemo Victory Picnic Blanket has been our favorite picnic blanket for years, thanks to its combination of comfort, durability, compactness, and affordability. Nemo has replaced the two-person version with the Nemo Victory Picnic Blanket, which measures 95 inches by 95 inches and can accommodate four people with room for food and other items. It’s now our current favorite. Here’s why.
It’s super comfy. Its acrylic flannel cover is soft enough for a comfortable nap in the sun, but gentle enough for a baby or toddler’s delicate skin. Its shell isn’t as soft as the polyester-rayon blend in our updated Yeti Lowlands Blanket, but considering it’s about 25% cheaper and more than twice the size, that’s not enough to knock it off the top spot. The blanket’s soft lining keeps branches and twigs from getting caught underneath, and its waterproof polyurethane base layer keeps moisture from seeping through.
It’s easy to clean and maintain. The Victory Picnic Blanket is made of acrylic flannel, which is less susceptible to food, dirt, and dust than wool blankets, which is important because picnics are all about food, dirt, and dust. Technically, this picnic blanket isn’t machine washable, but a Wirecutter staffer threw it in the washing machine and it came out unscathed. However, we easily wiped dirt and dust off the flannel blanket with a damp cloth without leaving any residue.
It’s big enough to accommodate the whole crew. At about 95 x 95 inches, the Victory Picnic Blanket for Four is larger than most of the blankets we reviewed, making it ideal for a group or two playing board games and snacking. For those who really need the extra space, there’s also an extra-large XXL version (120 x 120 inches) that can accommodate at least seven people.
It packs in some important details. Unlike most blankets we’ve tested, the Victory Picnic Blanket also comes with corner loops to keep it on the ground on windy days (but not the pegs themselves; we recommend this budget set). Both sizes come with two adjustable straps that keep the blanket secure and also double as a bottle opener. Each blanket has a small pocket for storing small items.
Unlike cheaper, less durable picnic blankets, our picks should be able to withstand people walking, falling, and jumping around every now and then. Several Wirecutter staffers own the Victory picnic blanket, and they all say it still holds up well even after years of use.
This blanket costs less than a third of our favorite and has a fairly soft top layer and a durable bottom layer, but it lacks padding and pile loops.
For the picnic-loving camper, the Moosejaw Carpet Diem Outdoor Blanket is the perfect combination of luxury and value. It’s soft—softer than the Rumpl Everywhere Rug, but not as soft as the Nemo Victory Picnic Blanket or Yeti Lowlands Picnic Blanket. It rolls up to about the size of a plush paper towel roll, which is smaller than our recommended Nemo or Yeti picnic blankets, but smaller than our recommended Rumpl Budget Picnic Blanket. And it’s cheaper than any other product we recommend. Perfect for those who don’t plan on taking their blanket long distances or aren’t ready to invest in something big or expensive.
The Carpet Diem Outdoor Blanket’s synthetic fleece cover is soft without being overheating, and to our surprise, crumbs shake off the surface easily. The nylon straps are adjustable, so even if you roll the blanket loosely, you can still roll it into a burrito shape (which is much easier than the neat folding required by our Yeti or Rumpl models). The buckle itself was a bit of a pain to latch onto the nylon strap (we had to twist and push for a while to get it to lock in place), but after a few uses, it snapped shut much more easily. The Moosejaw blanket doesn’t take up much space when rolled up; it forms a cylinder that’s about 15 inches long and 7 inches in diameter. Unfolded, it measures about 72 inches by 55 inches—smaller than the Yeti Lowlands Blanket and Nemo Victory Picnic Blanket, but larger than the Rumpl Everywhere Mat.
We wish it came with a locking ring like our other recommendations—on a windy day, the corners will lift up if there’s no person or debris holding them down. However, we do appreciate that this blanket has a bottle opener in the buckle (similar to the Nemo blanket). It’s machine washable (but not tumble dryable), and usually comes in three styles.
This soft-top, firm-bottom blanket is the most luxurious and durable of all the blankets we tested, and it’s also the only one that’s machine washable and dryable, but it’s surprisingly expensive.
The Yeti Lowlands Blanket is easily the softest we’ve ever tested—so soft, in fact, that we could get a good night’s sleep with it on our bed. Its durable underside is waterproof, and the top is also spill-proof, meaning liquids will pool on the surface but won’t seep through. However, the Lowlands Blanket is expensive, and the other blankets we’ve picked are just as comfortable and durable, so it won’t pay off unless you’re the most dedicated picnicker (or Yeti-lover).
Like the Nemo Victory, the Yeti Lowlands picnic blanket has peg rings to secure it in place on windy days. If you pack a lot of snacks, the peg rings also double as anchors, which is handy since the blanket doesn’t come with any pegs. It also has a soft lining to cushion the impact of branches or rocks underneath.
Another great feature of the Lowlands Blanket is that it’s machine washable; unlike most other blankets we tested, it’s machine washable and dryable. However, since the surface is wipeable, machine washing and drying probably won’t be necessary unless you plan on dragging it through mud.
The only less-than-ideal aspect of the Yeti Blanket is its portability. The Nemo Blanket, which we recommend, has built-in straps for easy rolling, whereas the Yeti Blanket only comes with a zippered carrying bag. The blanket has to be folded just right to fit (it measures 19 x 9 x 5 inches when folded), and the carrying case is easy to lose.
Available in dozens of colorful prints, this blanket is the most compact of all the blankets we tested, foldable enough to fit in a purse. However, it lacks a soft lining and is less suitable for picnics.
The Rumpl Everywhere is perfect for those who love to picnic outdoors and need a blanket at all times. It folds up compactly (it measures just 5 x 11 x 2.5 inches, which is smaller than a hardback novel) and fits into a backpack, bike bag, or even a large pants pocket. Despite its small size, it is very durable. The ripstop polyester bottom protects against scratches from wet grass, as well as branches and rocks. The top is waterproof and sealed to prevent stains.
Folding the blanket and placing it in the included carrying bag requires a little more thought than the simple fold-and-roll method of the Nemo Victory Picnic Blanket or Moosejaw Carpet Diem Outdoor Blanket, and doing it yourself on a windy day can be tricky. Speaking of windproof, we were especially grateful for the peg loops; the blanket’s lightweight construction, plus the fact that it could eventually be used as a disposable picnic blanket, made flying in high winds easier. Like all of our recommendations, this blanket doesn’t come with pegs; we recommend these affordable pegs.
The Rumpl Everywhere rug extends to a size of 52 x 75 inches, which is large enough for two people to sit comfortably with their legs apart or four people to sit cross-legged. However, it’s the smallest of the options we recommend, and it doesn’t come with a lining. It comes in a variety of colorful prints and patterns, most of which are more playful than our other recommendations. Like our favorite Rumpl Down Puffy Blanket, the Everywhere rug comes with a 100-day guarantee.
If you value durability and price over comfort: Consider the colorful MIU 80 x 60-inch Outdoor Picnic Blanket, which we found to be the easiest to clean. The polyester fabric feels like the kind of fabric you’d find on outdoor furniture—not as soft or traditional as a picnic blanket, but definitely durable. And it’s compact enough when folded (just 12.5 x 7.5 inches) to fit in a bag or backpack. (We also tried a nearly identical blanket, the Angemay Outdoor Picnic Blanket, which was just as good but cost a few dollars more. Prices for each model have since changed, so for now, we recommend going with a lower price or one in a pattern you like.)
If you want a soft blanket and can tolerate the extra tidiness of storing it away, check out the Little Unicorn Outdoor Blanket, which is the softest of the blankets we tested outside of our pick from Yeti. The lightweight padding gives it a luxurious feel. Crumbs don’t stick to its smooth surface, and spilled drinks just sit on the surface without soaking in, making it super easy to wipe up. The only issue with this blanket is storage: It’s heavy, and it’s tricky to fold neatly into a Velcro bag on its own because the Velcro has to be perfectly aligned. That said, with three sizes available (60 x 60 inches, 60 x 84 inches, and 60 x 120 inches), it might be just what you need, and while the largest size is about the same as the Nemo or Yeti blanket, it’s cheaper than either.