The Bottom Line: The blanket with sleeves concept is interesting. It does keep you warm, and does solve the problem of keeping your arms warm as well. The material, though, feels a little cheap and wearing the Snuggie makes someone look a little funny. If that doesn't bother you, you might actually enjoy the Snuggie. Just be aware of the alternative products on the market that we found to be a little better.
Reviewed by: Jonah HalperReviewed on: 2/17/2010 2:41:54 PM
What It Claims To Do: The Snuggie boasts being a thick, ultra-soft luxurious fleece, one-size-fits-all, machine-washable blanket with sleeves. They claim to solve the problem of either having to let your arms remain cold, or keep them beneath a blanket and restrict their movement. What We Found: Our first impression was that the Snuggie is NOT an ultra-soft, luxurious fleece. It felt more like a very cheap felt. The one-size-fits all is kind of true - it is definitely very big - even for my 6'3 height. A small child wearing it might look a little silly, but any adult should be able to wear it. Just keep in mind that if you're a little short, you might have to roll up the sleeves a bit. Even I found that I had to adjust the shoulders every now and then. In terms of fashion - we don't give this very high marks. The commercial looks a bit like a Harry Potter convention. We're not sure how socially acceptable wrapping up in a Snuggie will be. It does look a little silly. However - despite these drawbacks, it is quite warm. It does seem to work in the sense of being a warm blanket that covers more of you than a traditional blanket. One more drawback - the Snuggie is a one-person blanket. Snuggling up with someone on the couch is out, unless they have their own Snuggie. We think the Snuggie would more aptly named "the warmie", because it doesn't snuggle as much as keep you warm. The Snuggie creates a lot of static. Some throw blankets do this as well, but we felt that the amount of static created was a little excessive. Despite the warmth, we couldn't shake the feeling that wearing the Snuggie feels a bit like wearing a hospital gown. A throw blanket can create the same warmth and will probably be made of better material. You could also just wear your bathrobe backwards. However, we do want to mention that we know many people who were given Snuggies as gifts and seem to really like them. The Snuggie does have its merit. There are alternatives to the Snuggie, like the Slanket, that cost a little more but seem to be made of better material. The Bottom Line: The Snuggie does what it's supposed to do - keep you and provide your arms with both warmth and the freedom to move. The material seems a little cheap, you may have to adjust the Snuggie if you're a little shorter, and you can't really share it. Plus, there are more substantial alternatives on the market. However, some people really seem to like the Snuggie, so if you've been eyeing it for a while.... well, we won't tell you what to do.