Wind chills are in the teens as I type this, and winds are gusting up to fifty miles an hour. As I gaze out the expanse of window here in Spud Central I nervously watch the trees bend and hope none break in two. Despite the inhospitable conditions outside, I'm feeling warm and toasty inside. On my head is a heavy knit cap doing the job my hair used to do.  My Lands End slippers keep my feet comfy, and in between feet and head I'm all wrapped up in the blanket that has sleeves, sleeves that keep getting in my way as I type.

It's blue, impossibly long, and hyperbolically hyped. Yes, I'm warm as an electric blanket in my Snuggie,  a product you've seen on TV, maybe on your friends, family, dog,  and perhaps even on yourself.
 
The SnuggieTM As Seen on TV
 
Here it is. From the TV to Spud Central and now through the magic of the internet I bring it to you, vicariously at least.  According to the box it measures 71" by 54" but it sure seems a lot longer. My SnuggieTM is  a royal blue color, and all the models on the SnuggieTM box are also wearing blue SnuggiesTM.

Features
 
Keeps you warm and your hands free!
Super Soft Fleece - Buy one of these, and you'll certainly feel fleeced.
One size fits all.  I'll say. This thing is so colossal that Mrs. Spudman and I can both fit in it, and probably Evie and Piper too.
Machine washable. That's true, though plenty of Snuggie will be left behind.
Take it everywhere. On the box a smiling woman is wearing one on an airplane.
Total Warmth and Comfort!

Comes with a Special Bonus!! Included inside the box is a compact (think small) Press ‘N Open Booklight.

The SnuggieTM doesn't slip and slide on you like a regular blanket because it has sleeves. It keeps you warm from head to toe while allowing complete freedom of movement. Don't you hate how the blanket on your bed restricts your movement?  While wearing your SnuggieTM you can actually eat, drink, read, sew, use the remote control, talk on the phone, use the laptop, watch TV, or even cluck like a chicken. Try doing all those things while wrapped up in an ordinary blanket in bed!

You can even wear your SnuggieTM outside while attending a sporting event.  If you do, there's a good chance your picture will end up on the Jumbotron.

The SnuggieTM, a modern wonder, is manufactured in China and distributed by Allstar Products Group.
 
Experiencing the SnuggieTM

Mrs. Spudman and I always get a kick out of those TV SnuggieTM commercials. All of the actors are wearing that same plastered smile on their faces, and no matter what happens, the smile never disappears. These are Stepford people, SnuggieTM automatons forever bundled up in a SnuggieTM. For all we know they may even shower in their SnuggiesTM. Our matching SnuggiesTM were a Christmas gift from the Spudette who is well aware of our fascination with the Snuggie movement.

Mrs. Spudman's SnuggieTM is still in the box, unopened. As stated earlier, I'm wearing my SnuggieTM at this very moment and feeling quite comfortable despite the brutal wind and temperatures outside. It gets chilly in our bedroom (I'm talking about temperature) so I have taken to wearing my SnuggieTM in the evening for a couple hours when I read.  It actually serves its purpose quite well, warding off the chill as long as I stay put. The problems occur when you try to move about once you've rooted yourself in the SnuggieTM.

The Snuggie blanket is so long that you have to pick it up while walking unless you're an NBA center.  With sleeves that are excessively long and baggy,  the SnuggieTM inhibits anything you try to do with your hands unless you're holding the sleeves back somehow. If you want to walk and talk on the phone, for example, you have to find away to lift the bottom of the Snuggie off the ground while at the same time holding back the sleeves so you don't lose the phone in waves of fabric. Text in a Snuggie? That would be difficult.

Note that one puts on the SnuggieTM from the front, as with a hospital gown. This leaves your back exposed, but as long as you have clothes on underneath and are leaning against something there should be no problems. Hopefully no plumbers start wearing these as uniforms. Try to picture that.

As I walk about in the SnuggieTM, or try to, I am constanly crackling and engulfed in little static electricity sparks. If someone makes fun of you and your SnuggieTM, it would be a simple matter to give that person some static. Do not wear your Snuggie around open flames or around flammable vapors.

In the washer and dryer. The SnuggieTM didn't bleed on the other clothes in the washer, but it left quite a bit of itself behind in the washer and in the dryer. If  such a drop off continues through multiple washings, I'd imagine that in time the SnuggieTM wouldn't be as snuggy.

Finally - Should you buy a SnuggieTM? I wouldn't buy one. The material is thin and light to begin with and gets a little thinner after each washing. Think of the horrible possibilities. What if you wore a SnuggieTM out to pick up the morning paper and locked yourself outside? You might be mistaken for a monk and taken to the local monastery. Or you might even be picked up and sent for a mental evaluation.

Though they look like so much fun on the TV screen,  try to contain your buying impulse. You might be one of the lucky ones like me and get a gift SnuggieTM. Keep your fingers crossed.

Recommended: No

Amount Paid (US$): gift
Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: Whole Family