One of the little known facts about being a blogger is that it can be very cold. Literally. Sitting in front of a computer for hours a day in an empty office can easily lead to chilly arms and an equally chilly disposition, especially when it’s June but the weather’s screaming November. Sure, you can put on a sweater or two, but nothing really beats a nice snuggly blanket. Unfortunately, blankets and computers don’t go well together because you have to expose your arms to get at the keys. I understand that might seem like a trivial problem, but for a blanket loving blogger like Angela, it’s a perpetual frustration. What to do…what to do…Hello Slanket! This ginormous super fleecy blanket comes equipped with two roomy sleeves to keep the warmness inside without making you feel like you’re in a straight jacket. Might sound like a novel or even stupid idea, but it’s actually surprisingly practical.

For Angela’s birthday, the people at TheSlanket.com were nice enough to send her a box full of fuzzy blue goodness for her to try out. And it didn’t take long before her loving sister was green with envy and “borrowing” it whenever it wasn’t in use.

The Slanket is a cozy blanket that easily covers a wearer of any size and still has ample coverage for an extra pair of legs at the other end of the couch (usually mine). The sleeves are long and baggy so when you’re not using your hands, they can be easily hidden away and kept warm (usually à la muff style). You can even drape them over a keyboard for warm and cozy (if blind) blogging. The sleeves also work as great comic relief because of their Gandalf The Grey-like appearance. There’s just something amusing about someone reaching their hand out while wearing the Slanket that makes people laugh. I can totally see the sleeves leading to a huge mess were they worn around sticky food, sauces and easily toppled wine glasses, but as long as you watch what you’re doing, you’ll be fine. The creators were also clever enough to extend the fleece well above the sleeves so that the neck can also be very well covered in warmth, or folded down for a little air.

It seems a lot of people think of the Slanket as the ultimate in couch-potato apparel, but in reality it should appeal to a much wider audience. The simple addition of sleeves makes it incredibly functional. You can actually stand up and walk around in it if you want and do simple tasks like getting a snack, typing up an angry email, getting a book or playing a game without constantly exposing your arms to the cold (you do expose your back and legs if you get up though – it’s a blanket, not a sleeping bag). The Slanket would be great for people who are always cold (like myself), people with arthritis and other joint problems and would be a great addition to cabins and boats. When I build my multi-million dollar cabin in the cold mountains of Norway, I’m equipping it with enough Slankets to cover all my guests.

Who cares if it looks dorky. It does an outstanding job compared to a regular blanket (of which we have many), and that’s what it set out to do.

The Slanket is available in 8 colours through TheSlanket.com and will set you back $44.95 US + S&H. But order it soon if you plan to buy it as a gift because they’ve become so popular they’re on back order!

Paying it Forward: Since November 15, 2007, Slanket has been supporting charitable organizations by donating a percentage of all sales to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (lavender, ruby wine, and apricot Slankets), the H2O Africa Foundation (both blue Slankets), and the Natural Resources Defense Council (green, brown, and grey Slankets).

Spread the Warmth people!