This novelty blanket with sleeves became so popular that some joked 2009 was the “Year of the Snuggie”. It wasn’t a unique product – the Slanket, a similar sleeved blanket, had come years before – yet it was the Snuggie that found success, kickstarted by an infomercial which got everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Ellen DeGeneres talking about it. By 2013, the in-demand blanket had sold 30 million units and pulled in a massive $500 million (£426m).

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