Any parent – or anyone who’s ever looked after a child for more than five minutes – will know that kids complain when they’re in the slightest discomfort.
While adults can put up with a lower setting on the thermostat, knowing it’s saving us money, children don’t understand and don’t like being cold. But there is a way to keep them super snug and cosy, so they don’t even realise the temperature is dropping – enter, the blanket hoodie.
Blanket hoodies are essentially hoodies made with a blanket material, with super soft and snuggly finishes and all the fleece feels. Armholes mean they stay on when you get up and move around, and they often feature a kangaroo pocket, so you can store snacks or keep hands warm.
While we have tried to wrap a regular blanket around us like a toga and waddle around the house, it doesn’t work for the kids. Blanket hoodies ensure little ones won’t trip over a blanket trailing behind them or come shouting to you to tie it up again.
They grew in popularity during the pandemic when loungewear was a fashion trend all of its own, and now you can find them in most high-street stores. Whether your child likes pugs, pandas or football, you can find a design to enable them to express their personality.
To help you navigate the multitude of hooded blankets available, we’ve tried and tested those from specialist blanket retailers, such as Snuggz, as well as high-street brands such as Marks and Spencer and Dunelm.
How we tested
We tested the hoodies on children aged 11, six, five and two, with each of the hoodies being worn on an evening where the thermostat was turned down to 17C. The children rated the hoodies on softness, warmth, pocket size and overall design, while we tested the material for quality and thickness by stroking it inside and out.
The best blanket hoodies for kids 2023 are:
- Best blanket hoodie overall – Snuggz original panda hooded blanket: £28, Shopsnuggz.com
- Best for freezing nights – Marks and Spencer sunggle teddy fleece ultra thermal blanket hoodie: £19.50, Marksandspencer.com
- Best for value for money – A2Z 4 Kids oversized pink blanket hoodie: £12.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for snuggles and cuddles – Snuggz lite pug pocket pal blanket hoodie: £22, Shopsnuggz.com
- Best for unisex appeal – Gavena racoon fleece snuggle hoodie: £18.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for growing with your child – Winthome fleece blanket hoodie: £23.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for active kids – Dunelm kids oversized football blanket hoodie: £12, Dunlem.com
- Best for toddlers – Cocomelon Hugzee oversized fleece hooded blanket: £27.99, Johnlewis.com