The Best Picnic Blanket for 2023

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In 2022, Nemo redesigned its Victory Blanket, giving it new hardware; it's also no longer available in a two-person size. After testing the new, larger version, we continue to recommend it.

Staging a picnic requires little more than the union of a blanket and a patch of grass. Yet, when combined, those humble elements can elevate a mundane meal into an alfresco fete.

Not all picnic blankets are equal, though: We considered 44 and tested 14 before choosing the Nemo Victory Blanket as our favorite.

Its soft flannel is comfortable to sit on, the waterproof underlining keeps you dry, integrated straps help you transport it easily, and the colorful stripes make your picnic feel like an Impressionist masterpiece.

Our favorite picnic blanket travels easily, feels comfortable to sit on, and holds up to wear and tear.

We think the four-person, 95-by-95-inch Nemo Victory Blanket offers the best combination of comfort, durability, and compactness (rolled up, it's just a 16-inch-long cylinder with an 8-inch diameter). The top doesn't trap dirt as some other blankets do, and it also comes in an even larger size—120 by 120 inches, good for roughly 7 or 8 people—so you can choose the one that best suits your picnic needs.

This tough, spill-proof blanket isn't the cushiest or softest for lounging, but it is the easiest we’ve found to keep clean, and it folds the smallest for easy transportation.

If spills are a special concern, or you value toughness and durability over comfort, the 80-by-60-inch MIU Color Outdoor Picnic Blanket is the easiest we’ve found to clean. Its polyester fabric feels similar to what you might find on outdoor lawn furniture or a tablecloth—not soft, exactly, and it doesn't feel like a traditional picnic blanket, but it will definitely last. And it folds up small enough (just 12½ by 7½ inches) to fit in a tote bag or backpack, making for the easiest transportation of any of the blankets we tested. (We also tried a nearly identical blanket, the Angemay Outdoor & Picnic Blanket, that performed the same but at the time cost a few dollars more. The prices of each blanket have since fluctuated, so now we would recommend getting whichever one costs less, or comes in a pattern you prefer.)

This plush-on-top, sturdy-on-the-bottom blanket was the most luxurious and the sturdiest of all those we tested (and the only one that you can machine wash and dry), but it has an eye-popping price tag to match.

The Yeti Lowlands Blanket was easily the softest blanket we tested—so soft, we could use it on our bed and sleep soundly. And not only is its sturdy underside waterproof, but its top is spill resistant, too, causing liquids to bead up on the surface but not sink in. Even if it does somehow catch a mess, it can tolerate machine washing and drying—it's one of the few blankets we tested that can withstand both. Still, it's awfully pricey, and with our other picks being nearly as comfortable and durable, it isn't a worthwhile investment for anyone but the most devoted picnic (or Yeti) enthusiasts.

If you’re looking for a picnic basket or any other items for outdoor cooking and picnicking, head over to our "Great Gear for Picnics and Grilling" guide.

Our favorite picnic blanket travels easily, feels comfortable to sit on, and holds up to wear and tear.

This tough, spill-proof blanket isn't the cushiest or softest for lounging, but it is the easiest we’ve found to keep clean, and it folds the smallest for easy transportation.

A good picnic blanket should offer several, diametrically opposed features: It must be large enough to fit a few people and several food items yet pack down to a size small enough for transportation and storage. It must be soft enough for a baby to lie on but durable enough to withstand dog paws and errant twigs. It should be thick and comfortable to sit on yet also water resistant and easy to wash. And it must, above all, be utilitarian but still cute (remember, a picnic is usually a public experience and, for many people, an occasion for beauty). We kept all of these aspects in mind while selecting our blankets and testing them.

For easier toting and storage, we looked for blankets that came with attached straps or a separate sack to keep the blanket compactly folded or rolled. We preferred blankets that came with elastic loops, as they usually didn't have to be folded as precisely as those with Velcro straps or those that had to be shoved into sacks—sacks that, we should add, invariably get lost.

Most blankets without some kind of barrier will pull moisture up from the ground like a sponge, especially if you’re lying on them for a few hours (and every good picnic should last at least that long), so we tested only those blankets claiming to have water-resistant or waterproof backing materials. For an earlier version of this guide, which Kit Dillon wrote, we placed all the blankets on a recently watered lawn in the shade and lay on each one for roughly 10 minutes. We then put a 45-pound plate weight on each blanket and inspected the weighted spot after 20 minutes for dampness. For the 2020 update of this guide, which Dorie Chevlen wrote, we tested blankets by having two adults sit on them atop grass for one hour. We also poured water on the underside of each blanket to see if it would leak through to the surface. Thankfully for us and the comfort of our afternoon, none of the blankets we tested let any moisture through their layers of fabric. In 2023, Dorie Chevlen repeated that process while testing the new version of the Nemo Victory Blanket.

Last, we looked for blankets that we thought would be durable. Amazon has plenty of $12 picnic blankets, but they didn't look like they’d stand up to much wear and tear. Given that, we focused in our initial testing on blankets that cost $20 to $70. This seemed like a reasonable price range for a durable blanket that wouldn't fall apart after just a season of use. In later testing, we included pricier options as well.

Our favorite picnic blanket travels easily, feels comfortable to sit on, and holds up to wear and tear.

The two-person Nemo Victory Blanket was our favorite picnic blanket for several years, thanks to its combination of comfort, durability, compactness, and affordability. It has nearly every feature we value in a picnic blanket, plus extras such as stake loops and a little pocket for stashing small items. Nemo has stopped making the two-person size, however; the blanket now comes in only two size options: 95 by 95 inches, which is called XL and fits four people with room for food or other items, or 120 by 120, which is called XXL and is enough for at least seven people. (In 2023, we examined the XL version, comparing it to the previous Victory blanket we’d tested; apart from the fact that the straps that you roll it up with have changed—see below—it remains the same.)

Its acrylic flannel top is soft enough to let you comfortably nap in the sun and gentle enough for the delicate skin of infants or children. The top isn't quite as soft as the polyester-rayon blend of our upgrade pick, the Yeti Lowlands Blanket, but considering that it costs 25 percent less and is over twice the size of that blanket, we thought this softness disparity wasn't enough to bump it from its throne. The blanket's ample padding blocks out most of the sticks and twigs underneath you, and the waterproof polyurethane underlayer keeps moisture from seeping through. And unlike cheaper, less durable options, it will withstand people's walking, rolling, and jumping across it from time to time. Several Wirecutter staffers own the Victory Blanket, and all report that even after years of use, it's holding up well.

The Victory Blanket's flannel made it less prone than fleece blankets to trapping particles of food, grime, and dirt, which is important given that a picnic by definition involves … food, grime, and dirt. The blanket is not technically machine washable, though one Wirecutter staffer has tossed it into their washing machine anyway without consequence. Still, we found that we could easily wipe mud and dirt off the flannel with a damp cloth without leaving a mark. Unlike most blankets we tested, the Victory Blanket also includes corner loops to stake it into the ground on windy days.

At roughly 95 by 95 inches according to our measurements, the four-person Victory Blanket is bigger than most blankets we looked at, making it well suited for larger groups of people, or two people who want to fit more board games and snacks. For those who really need extra space, the Victory Blanket is also available in a truly mammoth extra-large version (120 by 120 inches). Both sizes come with two adjustable, clasping straps that keep the blanket rolled up tight, and those clasps can also perform double duty as bottle openers.

In theory, the Victory Blanket is simple to fold up; in the earlier version of this guide, Kit specifically praised the blanket for this. Maybe Kit is much more adept at folding than Dorie—and he is, without a doubt, taller than she is, which may have helped—because in practice Dorie had to try two configurations before landing on one that worked well (and unfortunately, unless two people work together to fold the thing, you’ll have to place it face down on the grass to line it up correctly). Another drawback is that the Victory Blanket comes in only one pattern at a time; our photos show the current blue-yellow-and-red-striped design, as well as a previous season's Southwestern-inspired stripes and brown-green-and-white plaid.

This tough, spill-proof blanket isn't the cushiest or softest for lounging, but it is the easiest we’ve found to keep clean, and it folds the smallest for easy transportation.

If you're expecting a lot of spills at your picnics, or if you want an outdoor mat that's extra durable, consider the 80-by-60-inch MIU Color Outdoor Picnic Blanket. The bottom side has a coating of PVC vinyl film that keeps out moisture from the grass. It's not machine washable, but you won't need to wash it like that anyway: Both sides of the blanket are made to be wiped down by hand, and its material makes it resistant to stains. We spilled tomato salsa onto the blanket, left the red mess to dry for the next hour of the picnic, and then wiped it away with just a damp towel and a little elbow grease.

The MIU Color Outdoor Picnic Blanket is made of a polyester fabric that feels similar to that of lawn furniture; it doesn't match the soft, classic picnic blanket feel of the Nemo Victory Blanket or the Yeti Lowlands Blanket, nor does it have the padding that makes them so comfortable, but it does feel like it will last. Indeed, Wirecutter staffers who have tested the MIU Color blanket for years report that the polyester-PVC combo has held up great, even after six years of use.

The MIU Color is easier to fold up than the Nemo thanks to its thinner material, but you have to use a Velcro strip to fully wrap it up. This design means that you must be fairly precise when you fold up your blanket. But after you do that, it takes up barely any space at all, just a flattish 12½ by 7½ inches; unlike every other blanket we tested, the MIU Color would easily fit into a tote bag or a bike basket.

If you’d like a different pattern than the red stripes, tropical leaves, blue plaid, or pineapples that MIU Color offers, or if this blanket is unavailable, note that we tested another blanket that is nearly identical. The Angemay Outdoor & Picnic Blanket is made from the same material, feels the same, and differs in size by just 2 inches. When we tested it, it cost a few dollars more than the MIU. Since, we’ve seen it cost less by as much as $10, so you might want to check the current prices of each before making your decision.

The Yeti Lowlands Blanket was easily the softest blanket we tested—so soft, we could use it on our bed and sleep soundly. And not only is its sturdy underside waterproof, but its top is spill resistant, too, prompting liquids to bead up on the surface but not sink in. Plus, it comes in four muted shades (purple, red, green, and blue), so you can probably find one that suits your style. Still, the Lowlands Blanket is pricey, and with our other picks being nearly as comfortable and durable, it isn't a worthwhile investment for anyone but the most dedicated picnic (or Yeti) enthusiasts.

Like the Nemo Victory Blanket, the Yeti Lowlands Blanket has stake loops so you can tack it down on especially windy days, though if your picnic is adequately loaded with snacks, those can work well as an anchor, too. And it has plush padding that softens the poking of twigs or rocks below. Also setting the Lowlands Blanket apart is its washability; unlike most of the other blankets we tested, it can tolerate both machine washing and machine drying. Still, that probably won't be necessary, thanks to its wipeable surface, unless you drag it through mud.

The only less-than-ideal aspect of the Yeti blanket is its transportability; unlike the Nemo, which has integrated straps to keep it rolled up, or the MIU Color, which you secure with Velcro after you’ve folded it, the Yeti only comes with a zip-up carrying case. You have to fold the blanket precisely to fit it inside (once you’ve gotten it in there, it measures 19 by 9 by 5 inches), and cases are liable to get lost.

The Angemay Outdoor & Picnic Blanket is nearly identical to our budget pick, the MIU Color Outdoor Picnic Blanket. Depending on which pattern you prefer, or which one is less expensive that day (they’re usually about $3 apart in price, but we’ve sometimes seen a difference of $10), we think you’d be equally happy with either model. Like the MIU Color, the 80-by-60-inch Angemay is easy to clean thanks to its lawn-furniture-like polyester fabric. And it folds up small (just about 12½ by 7 inches) to fit in a tote bag or backpack for easy transportation. Though we haven't tested the Angemay for as long as we have the MIU Color, their identical construction and feel make us confident that this blanket will hold up just as well.

The Moosejaw Carpet Diem Outdoor Blanket felt very soft yet didn't cause overheating, and much to our surprise, crumbs shook off its surface easily. The nylon straps are adjustable, so even if you roll the blanket loosely you can still buckle it into a burrito shape (which is easier to do compared with the precise folding demanded by the Alcantar or the Picnic Time). The buckle itself is pretty tight to get onto that nylon strap (we had to wiggle it around and push for a bit before we could secure it), but after a few uses it became easier to slide. The Moosejaw doesn't take up too much space when it's rolled (and you don't have to put it face down to roll it); after the MIU Color and the Angemay, it was the smallest and easiest to transport of the blankets we tested. But that also means it lacks the padding of the Nemo or Yeti.

The Little Unicorn 5 x 5 Outdoor Blanket was the softest of the blankets we tested besides the Yeti, and the padding made it feel luxurious. Crumbs didn't stick to its smooth top material, and spilled drinks just pooled at the surface without sinking through, making for really easy wiping. But at 60 by 60 inches, it's the smallest of the blankets we tested, so it's better suited for children or the very petite. (Little Unicorn now makes two larger sizes of the blanket; we’ll take another look soon.)

The polyester fleece of the Picnic Time Blanket Tote (which, confusingly, is also sold under the Oniva brand name) was technically soft, but crumbs and grass stuck to it easily and were hard to brush off. Folded up, the blanket still takes a lot of space (18 by 11 by 5 inches), and you have to fold it precisely or the elastic unravels.

The Alcantar Beach Mat Picnic Blanket is fine and nothing more. The acrylic top fabric was comfortable enough for us (though not as soft as the material of the Nemo or the Yeti), but to fold it into its tote bag configuration, you have to line the edges up precisely, which is hard to do alone. After just one use, the handle started to fray, which made us worry about its long-term durability.

The Mambe Essential All Season Blanket isn't as easy to carry as most of the other blankets we tested because it doesn't come with a rollup sleeve or a built-in way to keep it secured when it's folded. We also found that it wasn't constructed well, and walking on the Mambe seemed oddly treacherous, like walking on a freshly waxed wood floor in cashmere socks. The fleece felt cheap, too.

The L.L.Bean Waterproof Outdoor Blanket is soft and machine washable, but it isn't as easy to roll or fold as our picks, and it doesn't have integrated straps for carrying. Instead, it comes with a stuff sack, which can be easily misplaced.

Like the Mambe, the REI Co-op Outdoor Blanket doesn't come with a rollup sleeve or fold into a tote for easy carrying, and it was smaller than many of the other blankets we looked at.

We also considered the Pendleton Roll-Up Blanket because it offers great quality and comes with a lifetime warranty (albeit a vaguely worded one). Unfortunately, not only is it one of the pricier blankets we looked at, but it will continue to cost you even more: This thing is dry-clean only.

Kit Dillon

Kit Dillon is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter. He was previously an app developer, oil derrick inspector, public-radio archivist, and sandwich shop owner. He has written for Popular Science, The Awl, and the New York Observer, among others. When called on, he can still make a mean sandwich.

Dorie Chevlen

Dorie Chevlen is a staff writer from Youngstown, Ohio, now living in Los Angeles. She has worked as a copy editor, fact checker, and sandwich maker, but this is probably her favorite gig. Her writing has also been published in Science, Slate, and The Wall Street Journal, among others. She has been called—both flatteringly and not—"a lot."

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