The Chair Blanket After Shark Tank: The Deal Behind a Simple Fix for Wet Seats

The problem with bringing a fleece blanket to a cold game is where you put it. Drape it across your knees and the seat beneath you can still be wet. Put it on the seat and it may slide to the ground as soon as you stand up. The Chair Blanket uses a fitted back to hold a layer between the person and the chair. Once someone sees it on a seat, there is very little left to explain.

Chris and Tiffany McCasland used that simple demonstration to negotiate a $200,000 agreement with Robert Herjavec on Shark Tank. But television did not create the product’s first customers. The couple already had an outdoor brand, a way to reach buyers and a record of unit sales before the episode aired.

Product snapshot

How does a blanket stay on an outdoor chair?

A stretch-to-fit back hooks over the chair while the rest lies across the seat. The waterproof backing faces the damp surface and the fleece provides a softer place to sit. The design’s value is easiest to see when someone stands up: an ordinary loose throw needs to be gathered or repositioned, while the fitted cover can stay put. It also packs away, so a visitor can bring a cover to a chair they do not own.

The product listing describes different versions. The right question is whether the back will fit the seat you actually use. A chair with a back provides somewhere to secure the cover; a backless stadium bench is a different setup.

Who built The Chair Blanket?

The company’s history credits inventor Ryan Brooks with the original concept. Chris and Tiffany McCasland saw a way to bring it to market. Their earlier work at City Bonfires put them in front of customers who already spent evenings sitting outdoors. That connection makes this more than a story about one clever modification to a blanket: the operators understood when someone might need it and where that person might already shop.

There is an important distinction between inventing the concept and building the company that takes it to market. Brooks is credited for the former; the McCaslands pitched the business. Their existing partnership would also matter in the Tank when an investor proposed taking equity from a partner.

A still from the brand’s Chair Blanket gallery.

“The entire Shark Tank experience was incredible from start to finish.” — Chris McCasland, speaking to PPAI Media.

What happened to The Chair Blanket on Shark Tank?

The McCaslands asked for $200,000 for 10%. As local coverage of the negotiation explains, Kevin O’Leary offered $200,000 for 15% with a 4% sales royalty and proposed that the equity come from the existing partner. That made the smaller equity number a poor shorthand for the full cost. A royalty takes money from sales even before the partners divide profits.

The McCaslands accepted Robert Herjavec’s $200,000 for 20% on air. For the same amount of capital, Robert received twice the ownership originally offered, implying a $1 million post-money price rather than the $2 million opening ask. The public episode terms establish the agreement shown; they are not a current appraisal or an independently verified ownership filing.

Deal snapshot

Why a fitted blanket makes sense for an outdoor gift business

An established outdoor brand can show the product in a familiar setting instead of paying to introduce an entirely new activity. A person buying a portable fire pit can picture the cold chair beside it. A promotional-goods buyer can picture the same cover at a company tailgate. The use cases are distinct, but the demonstration is the same.

The company offers consumer shopping alongside wholesale and corporate gifting. Volume orders can put the product in front of groups of new users at once. They can also require different prices, dependable delivery and sometimes customization. Public unit counts therefore do not reveal what the company earned per blanket.

Business model snapshot

What happened after Shark Tank?

Latest update — November 12, 2026. The store lists an expanded range including a Deluxe version for winter 2026 and a beach towel edition. The company continues to offer direct and wholesale purchasing.

The Washington Business Journal reported a sales surge after the appearance. The 70,000-unit figure mentioned around the broadcast was cumulative since the November 2024 launch, not the size of that surge. The clearest longer-term change a shopper can verify is the range of products now offered under the same chair-fit concept.

Current status evidence

Company timeline

Which version fits the way you use your chair?

Look at the back of the chair, how exposed it is to moisture and how much bulk you want to carry. For damp seats by a fire or at a game, the original fleece-and-backing design addresses the immediate problem. Someone heading for a beach may care more about drying time and sand. Confirm the dimensions and materials on the exact listing: a new version with the same brand name need not fit or wash exactly like an older one.

Someone with a dry indoor seat who just wants warmth can use an ordinary throw. The fitted design earns its place when the chair itself is cold or damp or when repeatedly straightening a loose blanket gets annoying.

What can founders learn from The Chair Blanket?

Start with the moment a product fails. Here it was the moment a loose blanket slid down or left the cold seat exposed. Fixing that one interaction gave the founders a demonstration retailers and consumers could understand. In the negotiation, the same attention to detail mattered: compare the royalty, the share of ownership and whose equity is being sold before deciding which offer costs less.

The Season 17 episode guide lists the other pitches. Readers following how other founders negotiated on the show can also find CRANEL, BocceRoll, BoxBlayde.

Frequently asked questions

Did The Chair Blanket get a deal? Yes. Robert Herjavec agreed to $200,000 for 20% on air.

Who invented it? The company credits Ryan Brooks with the original idea and Chris and Tiffany McCasland with bringing it to market.

Did the company sell 70,000 units on Shark Tank night? No. That figure covers sales since launch.

Is it a heated chair? No. The original uses fleece and a waterproof layer, without an electric heat source.

Does the company sell to businesses? Yes. Its site offers wholesale and corporate gifting channels.