That's true. I think there is a learning curve with using these products, and it's not been explained well by the companies that produce them.
For these to work you need some dead air space between you and the blanket. The reflective material heats that air, and that's whats keeps you warm. If your skin, or even thin clothing, is touching the blanket then it sucks the heat out of you, or does practically nothing to retain it. So it's about heating air. Air that's moving takes the heat with it.
This is why a layer of thick fleece works good under the blanket, the material has dead air trapped in it. It's why bubble foil insulation works great under your bag when you're in a hammock or on the ground. It's why a campfire tent made with this material works so good.
I spent several cold nights out last winter using a the standard SOL e-blanket over my down bag and there was a very thin layer of frost on the inside of the blanket and the top of my bag when I woke in the morning, but whenever that blanket slipped off my bag during the night I felt the cold instantly. My bag never got wet, the frost didn't thaw, and I shook most of it off and let it set in the sun a bit before packing it.
It could be that condensation issues with these have a lot to do with the dew point. If this new material can solve that problem to a reasonable degree without reducing the effectiveness of heat retention or adding much weight, that's significant.
I think putting my bag inside that breathable bivy might work great, and I'll probably figure out a way to get one before this next season is over.
The biggest drawback I've noticed with the standard SOL brand blanket is the shiny stuff comes off with use. This will obviously effect its efficiency, but I also worry a bit about what toxins that shiny stuff may contain.
It's what they don't tell you about that you have to look out for.