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Huggable Hangers in the Test Lab

  • Welcome back to Laura! One of our six bloggers trying out for a NY spot. Comment away...

8-21-hug1.jpgItem: Huggable Hangers
Designer: Joy Mangano
Price: from $14
Rating: Strong Recommend

Shopping on the Home Shopping Network (http://www.hsn.com/) is not a frequent pastime, but for a product as great as Joy Mangano's Huggable Hangers, we’ll make an exception. Covered in flocked material, the hangers have a fuzzy texture. At first glance, we thought the hangers were pretty silly looking, but after a test drive, they didn't seem so funny...

 
 

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The flocked surface prevents garments—even silk blouses and spaghetti-strapped dresses—from slipping off the hanger. Each one is also a mere 1/4” thick (a standard plastic hanger is about 1/3”), multiplied by 50+ hangers, you're looking at a few extra inches of closet space, which is nothing to scoff at in New York. The curve of these hangers is gentler than most, which means your clothes won't end up with those irritating bumps from hanging on the hanger too long.

Fortunately, HSN has a website so you don't have to stay up watching the Home Shopping Network to purchase a set. Bed Bath & Beyond also sells similar hangers, which were recently reviewed by AT San Francisco right here.

>> HSN: Huggable Hangers by Joy Mangano

- Laura Fenton

(This is the second of four posts by Laura that we'll be posting over the next two weeks)

>> To All Blogger Tryouts

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*Our Ratings:

Strong Recommend
Recommend
Weak Recommend
Avoid!

Tags

Test Lab, clothes hanger, Blogger Tryouts

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Comments (29)

why are these so much more expensive than the BB&B ones? Is there a major difference between the two? The recommendation for the cheaper ones was only weak while these are strongly recommended.

posted by ajh on 2008-08-21 14:14:59
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I've used these and they work SO well!

posted by Nevis on 2008-08-21 14:23:49
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Why are these better than the Bed, Bath and Beyond variety? I'm debating between the two.

posted by diana731 on 2008-08-21 14:29:00
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not to jump on grammar but shouldn't it be "strongly recommend/ed"

As for the post, I'd have rather heard something different than what the HSN website or product showcase already tells you. I didn't learn anything new. Some sort of personal testimony would have been more effectively I think. And, like the others said, if you're going to talk about two similar products, it would be helpful to know the differences and pros/cons especially when there is a price difference.

posted by Enamorada on 2008-08-21 14:35:43
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more effective*

posted by Enamorada on 2008-08-21 14:36:39
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If you wait, you can can get a really good deal on HH. Joy just had a Today's Special on the hangers in July. She will have another this winter for the Hangers and you can get a lot for a good price. If you live near an HSN outlet, you can always swing by and get a ton of them for a really good price. The best prices are when she is actually at HSN, which is this weekend so you're in luck!

posted by KellyKelleye on 2008-08-21 14:37:48
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I've got both sets, first ordered as a birthday gift from HSN, then I picked up a 50 pack at BB&B... they both work fine, I use them for exactly what they say, I can even fit more than one cami per hanger. I also use them for pants sometimes. And I have only gotten those shoulder bumps once on an item that was too heavy to be hung in the first place. Good stuff, at either price.

posted by That70sHeidi on 2008-08-21 14:40:28
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the only reason i'd get the HSN ones is because of the little clips that can make them skirt/pant holders. does the BBB ones have a similar accessory? because the BBB ones are significantly cheaper, and i can't figure out why except for the accessories...

posted by kdkaboom on 2008-08-21 14:46:43
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no, the bb&b's don't have the clips. also, target sells the JM brand. brooklyn had two chic shades of gray/greige in the closet storage section.

posted by Lady J on 2008-08-21 15:00:23
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I bought matching wooden hangers a few years ago and they look gorgeous but they take up too much "bar room". I'm kinda digging those colorful Huggable Hangers.

posted by I Love Upstate on 2008-08-21 15:01:53
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It's a subtle difference, but I do think the Joy Mangano hangers are a little sturdier than the BB&B ones. (Though I also received mine as a gift, so I didn't have to decide if I thought they were 40 cents/hanger nicer than the BB&B ones. Plus, when I got my first set, BB&B hadn't knocked off Joy's hangers yet!)

As for a personal experience, I actually think these hangers are better than traditional padded hangers for knits/jersey fabrics--I broke down and bought a DVF wrap dress this year(!), and I wouldn't hang it on anything else.

And ajh, it's possible the difference of opinion between myself and the San Francisco reviewer has more to do with the size of my Brooklyn closet--and my gratefulness for the extra inches of closet space--than with our feelings about the hangers themselves. I'd strongly recommend just about anything to make my closet feel bigger.

posted by LauraF on 2008-08-21 15:10:48
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I acually prefer the BB&B ones. I bought the HH's from HSN and had several of the "heads" break off, nothing like that has happned to the one's I bougt that BB&B.

posted by vpalmer975 on 2008-08-21 15:33:55
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I am intrigued by this closet. It appears to be built for a person with standard shoulder widths who has a torso that is approximately 8" long.

I assume that there is an ingenious library ladder system off-frame to allow our broad shouldered lilliputan apartment dweller to climb to the highest three bars.

posted by Max on 2008-08-21 15:35:00
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you guys think the HSN pant/skirt clips will fit on the BBB hangers? i'm being incredibly cheap here, i know.

posted by kdkaboom on 2008-08-21 15:37:18
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I've seen these at Target too. I got some and I really like them so far. I always end up getting rid of so many plastic hangers when I move, I figured it was time to get some that I would want to bring with me next time.

posted by christie on 2008-08-21 15:52:43
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HSN? What's next, new AT bloggers touting Ron Popeil? Please try to do better...

posted by LBhirise on 2008-08-21 15:52:49
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I think the little clips look dirty. But then, I am a pervert.

posted by tequila red on 2008-08-21 15:56:26
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daaaamn, tequila, you're right! but not dirty, just very georgia o'keefe :)

posted by kdkaboom on 2008-08-21 16:05:23
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Can you believe I was scammed on eBay. I paid Joy Mangano prices for cheapie chines knockoff! AND I'm a veteran eBayer too!! I don't have the real macoy to compare but I do like these.

posted by roccos on 2008-08-21 16:50:26
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has anyone actually used the clips? I have the container store tubular hangers that you can attach clips to and I hate them and I'm looking to switch. the clips don't stay put and so all of my neatly ironed skirts end up falling to one side.

posted by lcg on 2008-08-21 17:29:25
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Hangers that look like these at wal-mart break really easy.
Perhaps these are stronger and that tells why the price is higer???

posted by poptart on 2008-08-21 23:26:09
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LOL @ tequila red - Robert Chouraqui, anyone?

Thank God I live in London and have John Lewis, and their sturdy chrome clip-hangers - none of which get more intimate than my slacks, thenkyewverrimush!

posted by yeti3a on 2008-08-23 16:18:30
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I'm transitioning slowly. I've got an unfortunate mixture of old plastic hangers, wire dry-cleaner hangers, and the BB&B brand. Like LF, I'm open to anything that will give me a few extra inches of closet space. I'll continue to trash and replace over the next year making that 40 cent difference a pretty mute point.

posted by heather551 on 2008-08-25 17:03:37
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@LBhirise If something works well, why does it matter where it comes from? Seems like a silly excuse to post a negative comment.

posted by careinthecity on 2008-08-27 13:34:25
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Are there colors other than the ones shown in your post? None of those seem very guy-friendly. But then again guys aren't hanging up spaghetti strap or DVF wrap dresses.

Note to heather 551: it's moot, not mute.`

posted by daddio on 2008-08-27 14:49:33
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Totally rad!

posted by design_scouting on 2008-08-27 22:29:42
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I got some awesome ones at Ross ( "you know dress for less") that are blue grey amd were 10 for $4.99. I am not sure of the brand but so far they are holding up great. They don't have clips though. I am super happy about this find and am going look for more in the great color I got too.

posted by rosiewm on 2008-08-30 01:09:49
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I must admit that I am a Home Shopping network hater, but these hangers look useful. I too like that they have the clips so you can change them into pants hangers. I hate searching the closet for a free one when I have to hang a skirt.

I wish the colors were different. Though they sound like they perform well for an adult closet, they're pretty garish in color and look like they'd be more at home in a kid's room.

posted by Spiderbite on 2008-09-03 15:16:28
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ORGANIZE WITH STYLE!
Hang your best tops or bottoms on one hanger.
If you suffer from a small closet and need more space and want to stay organized than check out the HankyTankyHanger.

HTTP://WWW.HANKYTANKYHANGER.COM

Thanks

posted by HankyTankyHanger on 2008-10-02 00:22:15
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