Product Review: The Snuggie

Anyone who has watched television has probably seen the advertisements for the Snuggie. Advertised as a blanket with sleeves, the commercial claims that it keeps you “totally warm”, that “one size fits all”, it is “ultra soft”, and gives you the convenience of using your arms without having to take them out from under a blanket. The Snuggie has gotten so much popularity that it is now available in most department stores. So what exactly is the Snuggie? And is it everything the commercials make it out to be? As with most “As Seen On TV” products the answer the the latter question is an unsurprising “no”. The question then becomes, what makes the Snuggie such a lousy product? That can be found in the answer to the first question.

The Snuggie describes itself as “the blanket with sleeves”. The idea being that you can read, use a remote control, and even eat all while in the warmth of a blanket. This sounds great, which is probably why the Snuggie has sold so well, but once you actually have one in your hands, you will know that you’ve been duped. The Snuggie is essentially, as claimed, a fleece blanket with sleeves on it. It should be clarified that it is a soft and very thin polyester.

The first major problem in it’s construction is the 100% polyester material that it is made out of. The material itself is fine, it won’t cause itching or any discomfort to your skin, but the blanket is simply not that thick, and hence it is not very warm. The claim that it can keep you “totally warm” is absurd, maybe if you live in Southern California, but certainly not anywhere that actually has cold weather. The commercial claims that you won’t have to turn up the heat, but in actuality you will.

The second major problem with this product is in it’s claim to fame, the sleeves. They are a hassle. First of all, their diameter is so small that unless your arms are bare, it is a pain to get your arms inside them. For example, if you are wearing long underwear the friction between your shirt and the Snuggie is going to, undesirably, roll up your sleeves. It must also be realized that the fact that it has sleeves, means that cold air can get through them, which means that unless you have a sleeping bag, or another blanket to put over the Snuggie, your still going to be cold, and your going to have to hold the ends of the sleeves shut with your hands, which means you can’t do anything with your hands.

Perhaps the last complaint and by far the worst is the claim that “one size fits all”. That is a flat out lie. The true slogan should be, “One size fits none.” The thing is simply to small, and not just the diameter of the sleeves. Those who have seen the commercials will be under the impression that you can wear the thing like a robe. In the commercials the Snuggie is always shown from the front, but look around back, and you’ll see it is wide open, it is too small to wrap around even the smallest of human beings. The idea behind it must have been that you sit down and place it on top of you. Well, that isn’t how people wear regular blankets, they wrap blankets around themselves. Owner’s of Snuggies are frequently asked questions such as “What’s it like wearing it?”, or related comments, and all they can think is, “You don’t wear it, you just sort of put it on top of you and slide your arms through the sleeves.” If you actually need to get up to do anything, you will have to remove it.

The bottom line is that the Snuggie is too small, you can’t wrap it around yourself. It isn’t thick enough to keep you warm. Pretty much everything that the commercial promotes is impractical in the real world. If you purchase this, or receive it as a gift, you will be disappointed by it. You’ll use it, sure, but honestly you are much better off getting a blanket, or a sleeping bag, or a heavy robe, or anything but this worthless pile of cloth. Sit in a chair and duct tape a blanket around yourself, you’ll be much happier.

This review is strictly for the popular product The Snuggie™ and may not apply to other sleeved blankets.