Handy to have all over for emergencies. I have used these for window coverings to a West facing glass door. I have used these for an elderly relative that was freezing in the middle of southern summer. Placed it inbetween a sheet. No bulk of a heavy blanket. The only comment was lovingly joking about the mouse in the chip bag when they shifted around. Purse, brief case, glove box, back pack...

I took some camping to try them out and they worked. All the people who gave this negative reviews either don't know what mylar is, or expect the blankets to be something they are not. What they ARE: emergency blankets, meant to be lightweight and portable for use in an emergency to keep you alive, not necessarily comfortable. What they ARE NOT: a waterproof version of a thick blanket you would have on your bed. These are not really even meant for camping "“ I only did that to try them out. If you keep this in mind, you will find they serve their purpose. And at this price, you could give half of them away (I did) and still pay less per blanket than more expensive ones like Grabber Outdoors. To give a fair and helpful review, at the end of my review I will give a comparison to Grabber Outdoors, which is commonly recommended as better quality.

For those who don't know what mylar is, it is that shiny material that balloons are made out of, kind of like a softer version of aluminum foil. And the fact that they come in a package smaller than your wallet should tell you immediately that these are not going to be soft, thick blankets. This is what keeps the size and weight down. That being said, the product claims and most of the comments are true: as advertised, they do reflect back most of your body heat; they work well as windbreakers and to keep water out; they reflect sunlight away when you want to stay cool and they weigh almost nothing and take up very little room so you can easily keep a few in your camping gear, go bag, car, home emergency kit or even in your pockets. But to be lightweight and reflective, they are also thin and crinkly; they are not insulating, so in cold conditions you will need some sort of layer between your skin and the mylar; they will get holes if you lay them directly on ground that is not smooth (or forget to take keys and other pointy objects out of your pockets) and they will tear if you are not gentle with them. This is true of ALL mylar emergency blankets.

TEST CONDITIONS: I did not use a sleeping bag, blanket or even a tent. I slept in the open using only a ground mat and my emergency blankets and was wearing only a T-shirt, shorts and low-cut socks. It didn't get very cold, but it did get cool enough that in the middle of the night I needed something to keep warm. I tend to get cold when sleeping, and there was a cool breeze. After wrapping myself in a blanket, I did not feel the breeze at all and was able to stay warm, and even had to remove the blanket at times because I began to sweat. So even in freezing weather, with a sweatshirt, long pants and better socks, these blankets will keep you warm. I also move a lot in my sleep and I turned over many times, sometimes twisting and pulling on the blanket, so I expected to find it torn in the morning. But it was still almost completely intact. The only problem was a small hole, which was the result of me forgetting to take my keys out of my pocket. I was lucky it was only one small hole, which I fixed with duct tape. When they tear too much to repair and use as a blanket, they can be cut and used as liners for wind and waterproofing, signaling devices, sunshades for your car, and so many other things.

SUMMARY: these blankets are extremely lightweight and packable. They are thin, crinkly and not the most comfortable but will keep you warm and dry. If it is really cold, the blanket will feel cold on your skin so a layer of clothing or light blanket between you and the mylar blanket will make you more comfortable. They will last the night "“ probably many nights "“ as long as you are careful with them, and they have many other uses. Finally, they cost less than $1 each.

COMPARED TO GRABBER: Grabber makes two different products: a mylar space blanket like this one and an all-weather blanket. The best price at the time for the mylar blanket was a sale price of about $13 for a 4 pack, which is the three times the cost of these. When not on sale, they can be 4-5 times as much. They are slightly thicker than these, so yes, they are slightly more durable, and they also take up slightly more room in your bag/kit. Basically, the Grabber is like putting 2 of these blankets together to make it twice as thick for 4 times the cost. For both brands, once used, you will never be able to fit them back into the original plastic bag, so keep an extra sandwich bag handy. The all-weather blanket feels like a tarp. It is much more durable but is also heavier, bulkier and is much more expensive "“ they are typically about $15 each. Basically, the trade-off is durability for portability, and cost. Whichever you choose, they both do what they are intended to do.

Not worth the money

Really thin and flimsy. Cannot recommend.

I bought these for my "Emergency Backpack Kit" that I'm putting together. I have 4 Backpack kits to put together. I have purchased a few individual packages from Big 5 Sporting Goods. I used one of them a couple of years ago and I liked it. Then I saw these and read the positive reviews. So I decided to get them. When they arrived, I opened one and tried it outside over this winter. It worked great and kept me warm. Of course I had some winter clothes on but the Mylar Thermal did kept me warm. I got another pack of 20 and split it between the backpack kits and my family vehicles (wife and two kids and son in-law). Highly recommended to have in your vehicle for that emergency situation.