A rare post from me concerning a non-local D.C. issue, but I’m currently engaged in a heated Twitter debate over whether those hideous blankets with the sleeves, marketed under such names as Slanket or Snuggie, are remotely acceptable.

In one corner are those who reasonably argue that these blankets are an abomination, too strange and ridiculous looking to even be considered a reasonable purchase. In the other corner, the comfort-at-all-costs camp, who say that staying warm while having your hands free is just awesome enough to merit looking like a jerk. These are invariably the same people who show up at the airport in their pajamas and think shorts and flip-flops are perfectly fine fashion choices for a second date.

You can probably see which way I’m leaning here, but the trouble is more and more friends who I previously trusted keep indicating their support for the besleeved blanket. And as each one turns, I’m finding myself growing ever more curious about whether the Snuggie is really so inferior that it’s worth only half as much as the Slanket. Does the Slanket just have a better name and snazzier product descriptions? Or is the fabric of the more expensive model worth its weight in snuggly warmth? I do not want to buy a Slanket! Or do I?