Weighted blankets simulate the feeling of a big hug. “I don’t think it’s ready for prime time yet.” Khalid Ismail, a sleep medicine researcher at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. Regardless of how it’s promoted, the evidence behind the product is scarce. The crowdfunding site prohibits campaigns for “any item claiming to cure, treat, or prevent an illness or condition.” Kickstarter has previously said that the rule was developed out of concern that medical claims could have “harmful consequences” for consumers. The marketing language also appeared to violate Kickstarter’s rules. They shouldn’t claim that a product can treat an anxiety disorder. They can be marketed as supporting people who live with anxiety. However, FDA recommendations released in July 2016 laid out clear guidelines for promoting wellness products, which are low-risk items designed to support a healthy lifestyle. Gravity isn’t the type of product regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. After STAT inquired about the campaign with both Kickstarter and the Gravity blanket’s creators, Kickstarter said it asked the Gravity team to change the language because it wasn’t in line with their rules on health claims. The blanket’s creators didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The Kickstarter campaign made big promises: “The science behind Gravity reveals that it can be used to treat a variety of ailments, including insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, as well as circumstantial stress and prolonged anxiety.”īut on Thursday afternoon, that language was swapped to say the blanket could be “used” for those conditions, rather than treat them. People quickly snuggled up to the idea: More than 15,000 donors contributed to the Kickstarter campaign to help get the blanket to the market, where it’s projected to sell for as much as $279.Ī slew of publications have touted the product with headlines such as, “I Want This Anti-Anxiety Blanket and You Will Too.” But the science behind the blanket’s claims is scarce- as STAT found by reviewing the studies the manufacturer cites as evidence for its claims. The creators of Gravity call their product a “premium-grade, therapeutic weighted blanket” intended to treat psychiatric illnesses. But on Thursday, the company quietly deleted the boldest medical claims on its crowdfunding site - language which violated Kickstarter policy and went against FDA recommendations - after STAT inquired about about its promotional statements. A “Gravity blanket” on Kickstarter that claimed to use cozy pressure to treat anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other conditions has been taking the internet by storm, raising more than $3 million.
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