Read Mumsnetters reviews of Tesco F&F school uniform

[JustineBMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for Mumsnetters with children aged 5-10 who tested out the Tesco F&F school uniform range. Each tester was given a £20 Tesco voucher to go into store and buy uniform for their 5-10 year olds and have been testing out the uniform the last few weeks.

Here’s what Tesco F&F has to say: “Tesco uniforms are our best uniforms yet and with features such as reinforced knees on trousers, As-New technology, Teflon coating (eco-friendly) and much more, we’re confident that they will last and last and last.”

Testers please answer the following questions:

• Could you get everything you needed for £20? How much would you normally spend on the ‘back-to-school’ shop for one child?
• Was there a good range available in store? Could you get the specific size items you needed?
• Based on the quality of uniform pieces you’ve bought, when do you expect you’ll next have to replace these?
• Did you talk to any store staff about the back to school range and were they helpful and knowledgeable about the range?
• Did the uniform fit well? Was it comfortable for your child to wear and play in?
• How did the Tesco F&F uniform compare to other brands you’ve bought school uniform from in the past? Would you buy it again?

All testers who leave their feedback on this thread and fill in the short feedback survey will be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 Tesco voucher!

Thanks

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

• Could you get everything you needed for £20? How much would you normally spend on the ‘back-to-school’ shop for one child?

No I couldn't. I would normally spend £30-40 plus shoes.

• Was there a good range available in store? Could you get the specific size items you needed?

No the range was appalling. I wanted black trousers or shorts and blue polo shirts. All I could get was two pairs of trousers.

• Based on the quality of uniform pieces you’ve bought, when do you expect you’ll next have to replace these?

The trousers feel like very good quality and I expect them to be outgrown rather than worn out. There were a lot of loose threads though so I'm not confident with the stitching. Perhaps four months at most?

• Did you talk to any store staff about the back to school range and were they helpful and knowledgeable about the range?

I didn't talk to anyone.

• Did the uniform fit well? Was it comfortable for your child to wear and play in?

I bought slim fit trousers for my slender son and they did fit him very well, which is highly unusual. He thought they were very comfy.

• How did the Tesco F&F uniform compare to other brands you’ve bought school uniform from in the past? Would you buy it again?

I would possibly buy the trousers again but the empty racks in store left me wondering whether I would get what I needed. A lot of it is down to personal preference but rows of plain white formal shirts are useless for primary school children, and cargo shorts just look untidy on any child over the age of four.
I didn't like that the trousers had creases ironed in, and not just one crease, but two or three lines, which meant I had to spend longer ironing out those creases initially and then ironing them in after every wash. Far too fiddly. I think I will stick to Next. More expensive, but always in stock and I know it lasts.

• I managed to get a few of the items that I was after for the £20 voucher.

• I would normally spend at least 30-40 pounds per child depending on how much wear the uniform has had and subject to growth spurts.

• There was a good variety of items available in alot of sizes in my local store.

• I did manage to get the sizes I required.

• The quality of the items was very good. The trousers especially feel very sturdy and seem that they will withstand the usual bumps and knocks.

• I did not need the assistance of a member of staff during my shopping trip.

• The uniform fit really well and is true to size for my children.

• The quality of the uniform seems on par with some of the more expensive brands, With the cost being very competitive. Overall very happy with the fit quality of items.

Could you get everything you needed for £20? How much would you normally spend on the ‘back-to-school’ shop for one child?
No I could not as I do buy atleast 4 full uniforms as my son gets hist clothes very messy.

Was there a good range available in store? Could you get the specific size items you needed?
Yes there was a also a good variety of sizes available.
Based on the quality of uniform pieces you’ve bought, when do you expect you’ll next have to replace these?
Until my son has a growth spurt and outgrows his clothes.

Did you talk to any store staff about the back to school range and were they helpful and knowledgeable about the range?
No I didn't
Did the uniform fit well? Was it comfortable for your child to wear and play in?
No as my son is short. I found the size for his age drowned him and a size down was good heightwise however way too snug around his waist. Shirts fitted well though.

How did the Tesco F&F uniform compare to other brands you’ve bought school uniform from in the past? Would you buy it again?
I was impressed qualitywise. If only the fit was better.

1. no but I wouldn't expect to get everything for £20. I usually spend 30-40 on trousers or shorts, or shorts and shoes.

2. no there wasn't a very good range shorts were only in grey when I needed black. I managed to get trousers and pe shorts in the correct size and fit though.

3. quality seams very good thicker than trousers I have bought before. Or shorts washed really well but not washed trousers much as too hot for them. I expect them to last the school year.

4. they got ds very well. I found them quite true to size. He found t very comfortable.

5. Price is similar to what I've paid before but quality is better would bug again.

i didnt get everything but thats not unusual for £20.
I use a large store but even then it was a struggle to find my sons sizes..maybe hes a popular age!
I have only washed a pair of trousers so far and they seem like theyll last a while
I didnt speak to anyone on the visit
fits well..my sons tall but it all fitted well
mid range but feels like good quality

Frustratingly one of the big Superstores near me just put up an amazing back to school display with all sizes, colours, and styles available. It would have been great to have such choice available fir the product test.

Nautical same happened here last week

I did end up buying some new stuff for dd(5) two pack pinafores, two pack skirts and a playsuit. Total £26. Obviously she hasnt worn them and wont until september.

I will go back at some point and look at other stuff for other dc i just wanted to make sure i got her size in these items as they look lovely

New range finally in in my store! Just in time for me to not test it! Managed to spend my voucher anyway, thanks Tesco!

• Could you get everything you needed for £20? How much would you normally spend on the ‘back-to-school’ shop for one child?

I couldn’t get everything I needed in weather appropriate school wear. There just wasn’t the range. I couldn’t get any summer dresses and ended up buying tshirts and things more appropriate for the colder months. I would normally spend about £30 not including bags and shoes.

• Was there a good range available in store? Could you get the specific size items you needed?

No the range in store was really limited for girls clothes. I bought a pair of trousers that I would normally have rejected because they looked like they’d been dragged round the stockroom floor, simply because it was the only pair in her size.

• Based on the quality of uniform pieces you’ve bought, when do you expect you’ll next have to replace these?

The tshirts did not respond well to having suncream around the collars. For only £2.50 I’ll probably replace them rather than waste too much time washing them. The trousers and pinafore dress look good quality and should last well.

• Did you talk to any store staff about the back to school range and were they helpful and knowledgeable about the range?

No I didn’t.

• Did the uniform fit well? Was it comfortable for your child to wear and play in?

Yes my child was very comfortable.

• How did the Tesco F&F uniform compare to other brands you’ve bought school uniform from in the past? Would you buy it again?

If I could get the range from Tesco then I would buy from there again. There are other stores that are more convenient to me, and the lack of range and difficulty in getting hold of items at Tesco has put me off making any special effort to get the uniform from there though.

Another one here who's local Tesco now has the full range in all sizes..shame this wasn't available the time I used the voucher as would of saved me a trip to another town!

• Could you get everything you needed for £20? How much would you normally spend on the ‘back-to-school’ shop for one child?

If I bought just one of each (basic) item and bought shoes separately then yes. I tend to spend a lot as I have a few of each item so that I don’t have to wash my children’s uniform daily.

• Was there a good range available in store? Could you get the specific size items you needed? The store had a small selection considering the size of the store, but the sizes available was great.

• Based on the quality of uniform pieces you’ve bought, when do you expect you’ll next have to replace these?

I usually buy my children’s uniform basics from supermarkets and find they last at least two terms so I am hoping for the same from Tesco F&F!

• Did you talk to any store staff about the back to school range and were they helpful and knowledgeable about the range?

I didn’t

• Did the uniform fit well? Was it comfortable for your child to wear and play in?

It fits very well and my children were comfortable and happy.

• How did the Tesco F&F uniform compare to other brands you’ve bought school uniform from in the past? Would you buy it again?

I think the price and quality is on par with other supermarket brands of school uniform and I would buy it again in future. Kitting kids out with all they need for school can be so expensive so this is a great way to ensure we’ve got plenty of good quality pieces without breaking the bank.

The survey timing didn't really allow people to try the new range of uniform or to wear the uniform for long enough to make sensible comments on the quality - you'd need to wear it for at least a month to be able to make any comment about what it looks like after several washes etc.

Availability is the biggest downfall. The uniform is cheap and good enough quality for the price and what people will accept, but it's really important to have access to the full range of sizes and styles, at least online and msot should be in bigger stores. When you are pushed for time, reliability for getting what you need easily is worth paying extra for. When people go to Tesco and find they can't get the style or size they wanted and they can't order it, they go elsewhere and next time they need uniform,N they remember the problems before and go elsewhere. If you want to become the uniform supplier if choice, you need to sort out the accessing styles and sizes issue, because people aren't prepared to visit 6 times and still kit know they will have everything.

Lovely large selection of school uniform now available in my nearest Tesco Extra - the very same store that had just dregs a few weeks ago. Unfortunately I can't buy it now as I spent the £20 (and some!) on what I strongly suspect was the old range in order to test at the right time! Such a shame.

Could you get everything you needed for £20? How much would you normally spend on the ‘back-to-school’ shop for one child?

If items had been available I probably could have bought everything for 1 child for £20 with the schools logo sweatshirt as an extra. Very impressed with the reasonable prices.

• Was there a good range available in store? Could you get the specific size items you needed?

I had planned to buy the uniform online as my closest large Tesco is over 20 miles away and I was disappointed that it was no longer possible to order online. I went to a smaller Tesco which had a limited range and struggled to get the correct sizes, so I ended up sizing up.

• Based on the quality of uniform pieces you’ve bought, when do you expect you’ll next have to replace these?

The quality seems pretty good, not quite as good as M&S but better than other supermarkets uniforms. I suspect they may need replacing during the school year though.

• Did you talk to any store staff about the back to school range and were they helpful and knowledgeable about the range?

No, no staff around to ask.

• Did the uniform fit well? Was it comfortable for your child to wear and play in?

A bit on the big side and boys trousers are quite loose, although I see above there are slim versions but unfortunately not in the store I was in and I will definitely be looking out for those.

• How did the Tesco F&F uniform compare to other brands you’ve bought school uniform from in the past? Would you buy it again?

Overall I was pleasantly surprised at the quality and the price and would definitely buy again if I can find the correct sizes and styles, online would be good . The polo shirts have washed well and no stains as yet.

I just saw an advert on Facebook for Tesco uniform and it said "Mumsnet Rated"...
There are a lot of mixed reviews, so it seems a little misleading.

Rated badly by Mumsnet.

@IVEgotthePOWER Agreed. I won't be taking the "rated by Mumsnet" tagline very seriously anymore