Kids' Oodie review: "I wanted to wear it straight away"

Price on writing: £39 | Buy now from The Oodie

How we tested

Our 12-year-old and six-year-old testers wore the Kids' Oodie over a period of 3 months in autumn and winter. Wearing their Oodies around the house - mostly first thing in the morning and after school - we took detailed notes on the Oodie's warmth, fit, quality and design, as well as comparing the Oodie to their dressing gowns.

Read next: Best kids' blanket hoodies

What is an Oodie?

An oodie has come to mean an oversized hoodie, otherwise known as a blanket hoodie. It's also the name of the most popular brand of blanket hoodies, and Oodie make their famously soft and warm hoodies for both adults and children.

Features include their trademark sherpa fleece lining and a generous pouch pocket at the front.

Oodie is possibly best known for their huge range of patterns and designs. From avocados to dachshunds and Harry Potter to Winnie the Pooh, there's an Oodie for every kid - as well as plenty of plain colours to pick from, too.

Tried and tested: Read our review of the adults' Oodie

First impressions

My 12-year-old's first impressions of the Oodie were that it was incredibly soft. "I wanted to wear it straight away, so it was annoying that it needed to be washed first."

This was because it had been delivered vacuum packed, and needed to go in the washing machine in order to fluff it up and get rid of any lingering plasticky smell.

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What's the Kids' Oodie like to wear?

"It's nice and warm, and if they're cold it's big enough to tuck my feet under it. It's got a good, big pocket. Compared to my dressing gown, it's lots warmer but harder to take off."

The oversized fit of the Oodie means it can be worn over pyjamas as well as chucked on over a school uniform for instant cosiness. The cuffed sleeves mean it fits perfectly despite the sleeves being too long for my son, and the large pocket is useful for carrying snacks around.

However, some of the stitching on the pocket did come apart after a few weeks of wear. It was easy to repair with a needle and thread, but I was quite disappointed that a premium product would need repairing this soon.

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What size is a Kids' Oodie?

On their website, Oodie says their kids range is designed for ages 7-13, and Kids' Oodies are available in just one size. When laid flat, the Kids' Oodie measures 26" (66cm) from collar to hem and 30" (76cm) from side to side. You can find detailed sizing information for all Oodie products on their website.

On my 5', slim 12-year-old, the Oodie has a nice oversized fit and comes down to his mid thigh. There's plenty of room for growing, and he'll certainly get a lot of wear out of it. The sleeves have good quality, thick stretchy cuffs that ensure they fit perfectly - the Kids' Oodie really is very well designed to fit different ages and sizes.

We also asked a six-year-old tester about how the one-size-fits-most Kids' Oodie fit on her, and as you can see from the below image, it comes way below her knees with a extremely oversized, and "spectacularly cosy" fit.

He opted for an understated grey which seems like a safer bet for longevity than one of the more colourful character designs that may end up feeling too young before they're grown out of. Having said that, the character and licensed Kids' Oodies are very cute and make brilliant gifts for teens and kids.

If you're wondering whether the Kids' Oodie would fit an adult, I tried it on myself (I'm 5'8" and wear a UK size 12), and it fit like a slightly oversized hoodie, sitting on my hips. For those of a shorter stature, a kids' Oodie could be a better fit than the adults' design - Mumsnetter pineapplepinecones says:

"5 foot here and the kids one is perfect. Soooo warm!"

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Is the Kids' Oodie machine washable?

The Kids' Oodie is washable on your washing machine's gentle cycle, and it's recommended to give your new Oodie a wash before wearing it. It's not suitable for the tumble dryer, though, and we found it took a long time to dry due to the thickness of the fabric - especially the cuffs.

Running a dehumidifier nearby helped speed up the process, but it still took a few days for the Oodie to be ready to wear.

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Price: is the Kids' Oodie worth it?

"It's very soft and thick, I think it's good value for money."

Compared to cheaper alternatives like the Sienna Blanket Hoodie, you can feel the quality and warmth of the Oodie easily. The high quality of an Oodie means thousands of happy customers are willing to pay more for the branded version, and it's clear to see why - Oodies are thicker and warmer than cheaper hooded blankets, plus their thoughtful design means they'll fit kids for years as they grow.

What's more, a good-quality hooded blanket will keep kids warm while the heating's off, so kit the whole family out and you could save on your energy bills in the long run, too.

About the author

Poppy O'Neill is a Content Editor at Mumsnet and a mother of two. She researches and reviews the products Mumsnetters swear by, with a particular focus on home essentials, laundry and fans. From a highly-recommended retractable washing line to the best quiet fans money can buy, and Mumsnet's favourite dehumidifier to the steam generator iron that'll cut your ironing time in half, she loves to deep-dive into research and find the very best products on the market.

With an MA in Creative Writing and a PGCert in Lifestyle Journalism, Poppy's written about parenting topics for The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Mirror and The Sun. She's a best-selling, award-winning author, and her books for children and parents have been translated into 12 languages.

About Mumsnet reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.