Forever seeking summer! I don't know about you, but I'm cold - and I refuse to put the heating on in June. The forecast looks chilly too, and so I've got my cosy items out of hibernation and firmly in use, and that includes my snuggle hooded blanket. Nothing's cosier on a cold day when I'm working from home, and it saves on heating bills too.
The original, the Oodie, is a constant bestseller and has been lauded for its cosiness, with reviewers waxing lyrical about how they can skip putting on the central heating when wearing one. Their designs are fun, silly and brighten up a dreary day. An Oodie itself can cost around £59 for an adult Oodie, and the same for a kids’ Oodie - and if that's a bit pricey for you, then the high street and its array of Oodie alternatives is your friend.
We like to rely on them for summer day's in the park too, as they're great for warming up the kids post splash park fun when they're feeling super chilly. And there's loads of hooded towels too, Oodie even does one with towelling fabric for grown-ups in their summer shop. And the rise of the dryrobe after wild swimming proves that you need something cosy all year round.
- The personalised hooded blanket: Etsy Personalised Hooded Blanket, from £24.99
- The hooded blanket under £20: Silentnight Snugsie Hooded Blanket, £20 at Next
- The extra long hooded blanket: Wowcher Hooded Blanket, from £8.99
- The fun hooded blanket: Online Home Shop Fast Food Hooded Blanket, £6
I own an Oodie, and even bought a matching one for my five-year-old (the avocado print, if you were wondering). They're incredibly warm - and I mean incredibly - extremely oversized (no bad thing!) and comfortable. The soft material is literally dressing gown worthy but less embarrassing to answer the door in, and I love that it has a hood for extra cosiness. It is true what they say, you don't need the heating on wearing one, you really don't.
There are children’s versions too, which parents praise as an after-school saviour for kids to stay warm in while relaxing before bedtime or to throw on for a chilly school run. There’s even versions for dogs too. It’s worth reading the reviews of the high street hooded blankets; Dunelm’s version was rated as “less stiff and boxy than the original” and M&S’ lookalike has had over 190 reviews with “incredibly warm” and “cosy” as some of the most common descriptions.
How I chose the best Oodie alternatives
- Trusted and personal reviews: This is where reviews really shine! I've searched through online reviews to find the Oodie alternatives that actually deliver in terms of warmth and comfort. And if I've tried one, you'll find my own personal review in there too.
- Price: All of the hooded blankets listed cost less than the original version.
- Design: Hooded blankets come in all sorts of styles, from block colours to bold patterns. I've found as many different versions as possible, but it's always worth checking if the style you like comes in an alternative print to the one I've listed.
- Warmth: As much as I'd love to, I haven't tried all of the products listed but where possible, I've called out the ones that seem to win for warmth in reviews and again, if I've tried it, I've made it clear just how warm it is (or isn't).
Shop the best Oodie alternatives
1/8
kudd:ly Hooded Blanket
- Sizes: One size (equivalent to 6XL)
- Colours: 11 to choose from, including plain and patterned
HELLO Tried and Tested:
"I was sent the tie-dye print to try and on first impressions, I'm really into the print - it feels cooler and more feminine than some of the other designs.
"Compared to my original Oodie, it's a lot less thick but I actually quite like that - the Oodie can feel heavy and almost a bit much sometimes. It's very soft, big and roomy (I'm a size 12, and wore it with a hooded sweatshirt underneath with plenty of room to spare). And at 5ft3ish, it comes to my knees like the Oodie does.
"I'd say if you want something very warm, stick to the Oodie but I found this a lighter way to keep warm enough. The Oodie offers almost instant warmth but this kept me toasty, without overheating, all day long. I love that the hood is big too!"
Carla Challis, Commerce Partnerships Editor
2/8
Wowcher Matching Family Snuggle Hooded Blankets
- Sizes: Young child 1-5 yrs, Older child 5-15 yrs, Adult 90cm, Longer adult 140cm.
- Colours: 9 designs to choose from
Wowcher's got a matching hooded blanket for the whole family in nine fun designs, ranging from avocado print to teddy bear. Warmth wise, this is huge - long enough to curl up and cover your legs with.
3/8
OHS Hoodie Blanket
- Sizes: One size
- Colours: Lots of patterns to choose from, including animal print, characters and fair isle
How fun is this food-themed hooded blanket! Not ideal for any January detoxes but a cute and silly design that'll put a big smile on your face. This comes in one size, and there's lots of other designs to choose from if this doesn't float your boat.
4/8
Dunelm Hooded Blanket
- Sizes: One size
- Colours: 11 to choose from
Dunelm's cornered the market on snuggly, with their fluffy oversized hooded blanket. It comes in one size, is unisex and available in an impressive 11 colours, from black to light pink.
5/8
Etsy Personalised Hooded Blanket
- Sizes: One size
- Colours: 7 available, including brights and neutrals
Who doesn't love something personalised? This would make a fab present for a loved one, or of course yourself. There's a few colours to choose from too, including neutrals like black and grey and a bright pink or blue.
6/8
Gentlewarm Store Oversize Hooded Blanket
- Sizes: One size
- Colours: 30 to choose from
Spanning 30 colours, including prints, Amazon's hooded blanket gets almost five star reviews across the board for being warm, cosy and comfy.
7/8
Hugzee Harry Potter Oversized Fleece Hooded Blanket
- Sizes: One size, to fit 7-12 year old
- Colours: Harry Potter print
Got a mini Harry Potter fan? They'll surely adore this HP-printed cosy hoodie, with flannel fleece on the outside and a cuddly, Sherpa fleece lining. It also includes a supersoft cushion cover to stuff the Hugzee inside.
8/8
Bluey Hooded Blanket
- Sizes: 2-4 years or 4-6 years
- Colours: Bluey-design
Wannabe Bluey's will adore this themed hooded blanket, complete with Bluey print and doggy hood with ears. Cute!
The soft fleece design is perfect for Bluey's number one fans.
