You could call the Snuggie blanket a cultural phenomenon that first appeared on the scene in 2007. This self-proclaimed "blanket with sleeves" found its way into over five million American homes within the first two years of its release. Its success has a lot to do with a tongue in cheek infomercial featuring people wearing Snuggie blankets on the couch, while camping and at a soccer game.
More about the Snuggie Blanket
The Snuggie blanket is like a cross between a blanket and one of those hospital gowns that doesn't close in the back. You slip your arms into the sleeves and wrap the rest of the blanket around your body. This allows you the freedom of movement you can't get with a traditional blanket, comforter, or throw. The Snuggie also has a rounded neckline.
Since the blanket stays open in the back, it can accommodate people of almost any size. All Snuggies are sold as a one size fits all. Due to its popularity, the Snuggie was released in a variety of colors and styles. Besides the basic blue of the original model, you can also purchase one in pink for breast cancer awareness, as well as green, chocolate brown, camel, burgundy, and several animal prints.
Materials Used in Producing the Snuggie
The Snuggie blanket is made of synthetic polyester fleece. It is sold by Allstar Products Group, that markets many successful As Seen on TV products, such as Bumpits and the Perfect Brownie pan. Most Snuggies are made in China.
Variations on the Snuggie
Along with the traditional Snuggie, there are two additional Snuggies on the market: the Snuggie for Kids and the Snuggie for Dogs. The kids' size is available in blue and pink and is designed to fit kids between the ages of six to twelve. Each one comes with a matching pair of slipper socks. The dogs' version comes in four different sizes: extra small, small, medium, and large, since one size doesn't really work when comparing Chihuahuas and golden retrievers. Each Snuggie for Dogs comes in a set of two with a matching set of dog tags. The tags are also available in pink or blue.
Snuggie Imitations
The success of the Snuggie blanket resulted in an onslaught of copycat products using the same blanket with sleeves concept. These include the similarly named Snuggler. You can tell your Snuggie is a true Snuggie by looking for the label on the outside of the left sleeve.It's a bit controversial as to whether or not the Snuggie itself is a knockoff of an older and similar product, named the Slanket, which was larger and sold on QVC beginning in 2007. The Slanket has yet to reach the sales heights of the Snuggie.
Buying the Snuggie
While it is sometimes difficult to find Snuggies for sale around the holiday season since they tend to sell out, most big box retailers and drugstores carry them, as do toy stores and some pet supply shops. You can also find them online at places like Amazon.com, which is a good resource to use for finding the exact color and style you want. Some home or bedding catalogs may also carry the snuggie.You'll find the Snuggie to be fairly inexpensive, which is part of the reason it found its way into the number of households that it did.
