criteeker's Full Review: All Star Snuggie Leopard Print
Please Note: This review was written for the consumer to raise blanket-with-sleeves awareness. The holidays are approaching, so shop smart.
Snuggies (and their equivalents) are everywhere it seems - even selling well on Ebay and Amazon. You have to admit that the Snuggie phenomenon is fueled by a great marketing campaign but the concept is nothing new. Is the Snuggie really a blanket with sleeves or just an over-sized robe? How does the All Star Snuggie really stack up to the competition?
This five-way competition is comprised of (drum roll please) The Freedom Blanket, The Slanket, The Blankoat and, of course, The Snuggie and its newer All Star Snuggie. You didn't know there were five options when it comes to the ultimate couch potato accessory, did you?
First up is the "Freedom Blanket." In terms of available sizes, the Freedom Blanket wins. The available sizes are; 50" x 60" (kids), 60" x 65" (teen), 60" x 72" (adult), 60" x 80" (XL) and 60" x 90" (supersize). Price ranges from $15 to $40. Available colors include Hunter Green, Burgundy, Honey Yellow, Navy Blue and Charcoal Gray. Again, the Freedom Blanket is thicker than the Snuggie and comes in more size options but fewer colors / styles. www.thefreedomblanket.com
Next up is the "Slanket." Are they meshing the words "Soft" and "Blanket?" Running about $38 and measuring at 60 inches by 95 inches, its ample length will cover most people. Other sizes include 44" x 66" (kids), 58" x 66" (travel size) and 120" x 95" (Siamese Slanket for two people). The folks at Slanket claim to be the original couch potato sack. It's quite thick and made of polyester microfiber fleece. It's about double the thickness of the original Snuggie. Again, because of its size and over-sized sleeve openings, the Slanket will allow a great freedom of movement while you watch TV, work on your computer or play video games. Seventeen available colors / styles include; Alaskan Blue, Apricot, Beige, Castlerock, Chocolate, Hunter Green, Moss Green, Limoges Blue, Pink, Royale (Lavender), Ruby Wine, Texas Tea, Yellow, Camouflage, Bloom (yellow flowers), Safari (Cheetah) and Arghhh! (Skull & Crossbones). www.theslanket.com
Our third contender is the "Blankoat." Odd name - high price tag. I guess they tried to mesh "blanket" with "coat" - gee, that's clever. For $330 dollars (yes that's three hundred and thirty dollars) you'll get Sruli Recht's version of the cozy blanket with sleeves concept only made of luxurious Icelandic Sheep wool - oddly enough imported from Iceland. They come in two color options - natural and a dyed blue-ish color. They measure 130 cm x 306.5 cm or about 51" x 120". I don't know about you, but wool makes me all "itchy and scratchy." They claim it's soft unless you dry clean it, but who needs all the drama with cleaning a blanket? And if you've got $330 to spend on a fancy robe, you can afford to walk around your mansion naked with the heat on high 24/7. www.srulirecht.com
Bringing up the rear is the "All Star Snuggie." All Star Snuggie? Is this product aimed at the best athletes in a particular sport or the prime couch potato? Why not call it "The Super Snuggie" or "Snuggie Supreme?" Coming in at a mere $15-19 the over-hyped original Snuggie is thinner and smaller than the competition at 54" x 71". But it comes with a free reading light as a consolation prize of sorts. The folks who make the Snuggie saw what they were up against and have recently released a thicker, larger and more plush All Star Snuggie in the 25-$30 price range.
This All Star Snuggie in the Leopard print design was given to my wife for her birthday by a co-worker. I'm 6' tall and have to curl my legs in order to really fit into it. She likes it but I think it's still too small and the material is still a bit thin compared to the others. I also find the arm holes a bit small and I feel a bit confined in my movement.
Size wise, the Snuggie is limited to adult or child sizes. They do, however, offer a myriad of colors and designs including leopard, zebra, tie-dyed, camouflage, pink, black, beige, red, green, blue and others. I think the tie-dyed version is perfect for all of our Grateful Dead friends. They have even come out with a few sports team Snuggies to appeal more to men.
Let's face it, this concept of a blanket with sleeves / monk's robe / fleece jacket / wizard's cloak hybrid is a cool concept, but can't we really just use a large fleece blanket? Do we need sleeves with our blanket in order to become even lazier whilst on our couches? I mean, this product in brown or beige really could double for a monk's robe or an Obi Wan Kenobi outfit - a black version could double as a Jedi costume, but have we gotten that lazy that we really need a fancy blanket or a fancy robe? Can't we just wear our robes backward? Well no, because the robe only goes to the knee of most people and the back can reveal what a hospital gown reveals - YIKES.
Do we really need this product? For the fact that the sleeves allow for movement without a blanket falling off our shoulders, I say yes. And besides, these blanket hybrids are just so darn comfy and cozy - I especially like the concept of the two-person version.
As far as the competition goes... the Blankoat comes in last for sheer over-price and level of maintenance. The ORIGINAL version of the Snuggie comes in third because it's thin and small. The Freedom Blanket AND the All Star Snuggie tie for second place while my #1 pick goes to the Slanket for over-all appeal and options.
So there you have it. The original Snuggie does NOT stack up to the others. The newer and more plush All Star Snuggie is close to the Slanket, but I prefer the Slanket.
In either case, I don't think wearing these types of garments out in public is the smart thing to do - at least in my Epinion. Better kept for home use only except for perhaps Halloween.
Bottom line is that I can't recommend the original Snuggie for its thin material and one size doesn't fit all. I can, however recommend the Slanket, the Freedom Blanket and the All Star Snuggie for gift giving and for snuggling with your mate. Don't get "fleeced" by the cheaply-made $15 version of the original Snuggie.
To be clear, the original Snuggie gets 2.5 stars and is NOT recommended. The newer and more plush All Star Snuggie gets 3.75 stars and IS recommended and is comparable to the Slanket but still not quite as good as the Slanket.
If you're really into making your own blanket with sleeves, try this link for patterns - http://compendiumsearch.googlepages.com/snuggleuptoasnuggietypeblanket
* * * Please Note: I'm not sure why this product wound up in the "toy" section, because it's far from a toy. It's technically a blanket or robe for serious couch potatoes or avid readers during the cold months. Also note that the price noted for this product is $14.99 but that's the price for the original Snuggie. The newer thicker All Star Snuggie runs about $25 - $30.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): gift Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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