Last year I was really miff’d around this time when I was surfing the review blogs. Slanket and Snuggie t.v. commercials and print ads from Harriet Carter to Rite Aid were inescapable. Some new version of Elmo might have been the hottest new toy craze for kids, but blankets with sleeves were trying to invade the grown-up market through mass advertising.
And I was miff’d because it seemed like every which way I looked there was condescending mocking by people who hadn’t even bothered to try one out. I don’t mind someone being critical of a product because they have tried it personally and come to the conclusion that it isn’t for them, especially if they can explain why in some logical, practical or aesthetic means. However, instead I read comments that suggested that the people in the commercials, and thus the people who would buy such products, are inept because “until I saw this Snuggie commercial I never realized just how incredibly difficult it was for many people to get their hands out from under a blanket*“.
The reviewers and the commenters, the ones who did not own nor had not ever actually tried on or come in contact with, a Slanket or a Snuggie, viciously criticized the appearance — suggesting they looked like something worn by monks or cult members or that the design was just a backward robe. They also suggested that wearing them to outdoor sporting events like the family in the commercial was an invitation to harassment, embarrassment and “a beating”. Plus, they ridiculed the “one size fits all” sizing by stating the obvious that they are clearly too large for small children — this sizing thing has been corrected over the last year as you can now buy various sizes including children’s and dog sizes. (I really want to roll my eyes at the last one, despite being an avid dog dresser-upper.)
O.K. So here’s the thing about the appearance, who cares how it makes you look if you’re warm? I can’t tell you how many football games I went to “back in the day” in inclement weather and 20 minutes after arriving I stopped caring how my hair looked or if my lip gloss was glossy or whatever; mostly I either cared about what was going on in the game, what I was going to order from the concession guy, or how I was going to stay dry, cool, or warm in the stands. Nobody cares what you look like either because all they care about is the game, the concession guy, the bathroom, and the weather.
And if you aren’t in public, well, then you know it really doesn’t matter. When was the last time you bothered to worry about matching socks, matching PJs, putting the toilet paper roll on the ring, pouring the juice into a glass instead of drinking from the bottle, putting the toilet seat down, and so on, when it was just you at home?
The blanket with sleeves is a wonderful invention. It’s not a backward robe. You aren’t supposed to go wandering around your house, shuffling along in it; the length is too long for that — cuz’ it’s a blanket. You don’t want to trip and hurt yourself. You are supposed to snuggle into your favorite chair or curl up on the sofa, pulling it around you so your body, including your feet are toasty warm. Your hands can stay tucked under the longish sleeves if you like — say if you are watching t.v. and you just need a free hand to occasionally change the channel on the remote. Or as in my case, pet cats and dogs as they exchange positions on the sofa and my lap. (Sometimes one will crawl under the Slanket/Snuggie for a warmer experience.) Your hands are also free to hold a book, knit, do some sewing, type away on the ole laptop, engage in dinner eating, and so on. The list goes on and on.
During the extra cold Winter last year, when for 4 days in December I didn’t have heat in my house and for the month of January, Maine had an average high of 3°F while I broke in my new wood pellet furnace which had a habit of turning off in the middle of the night, I survived every evening curled up in my living room with my Slanket. I also have a Snuggie this year so I thought I could now fairly give a review of the differences, in my opinion.
The Slanket is made of a thick Polyester Microfiber and the Snuggie is made of a thin fleece material. Of the two, the Slanket is much heavier, feels warmer and softer, and has more of a blanket feel to it. The Snuggie, while quite warm, feels too thin for psychological comfort. The Slanket is also about 20 – 30 inches longer than the Snuggie — something to keep in mind for those concerned with height. You can easily get up and wander around in the Snuggie, while I feel the Slanket is best left behind on the sofa or in the chair, like a real blanket.
Of course, what may be the deciding factor for most people is the cost. The grown-up person’s Snuggie is available in local stores like Rite Aid and Wal-Mart for around $15 or online from $14 to $19, not including shipping. (I found mine at Rite Aid for $14.99.) The Slanket is about twice the cost online from $35 to $45. The Slanket came first and the Snuggie is the imitation.
Personally, of my two, I prefer my Slanket. There’s just something about the feel of the thick blanket wrapped around me from my feet to my neck while I cuddle with my snoring Pug on a really cold night while watching reruns on Lifetime or TNT or USA that gives me the warm fuzzies. I think the extra money was worth it, proving that you do in fact get what you pay for.
Do you have one? Which do you prefer? Why don’t you share your story in the comments?
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