I tried Oodie dupes from bargain shops to keep warm as freezing temperatures & snow hit – the winner costs just £25
IF you’re looking to keep warm for cheap this winter, a hooded blanket is perfect for snuggling on the sofa on a cold evening.
Trendy versions by the brand Oodie cost around £65 each, but plenty of high street retailers and supermarkets now offer their own versions for far less.
Reporter Rosie Taylor tested out six hooded blankets from major brands to see which one was the best value for money.
Here are her verdicts…
Snug Borg Lined Hooded Blanket
- £59.99
- Mountain Warehouse
This Mountain Warehouse hooded blanket felt like a quality product, with a thick soft fabric on the outside and cosy fleece inside.
It had proper sleeves and cuffs, just like a hoodie, and it was long and covered my knees, making it very warm and snuggly.
It was one of the best products I tested – but the nearly-£60 price tag made it three times more expensive than the cheapest version I tried, from Asda and almost as expensive as a branded Oodie, so it lost marks for that.
- Score: 7/10
Navy Velvet Oversized Hoodie with Fur Lining – WINNER
- £25
- Dunelm
I wouldn’t personally have described this hooded blanket as being made from “velvet” or having a “fur lining”, but it was made with a soft, plush outer fabric and a warm fleecy inner fabric which was cosy.
It was quite long (I’m 5’ 7” and tried a medium size, so it might swamp anyone shorter).
It had a good pocket for warming your hand and it had proper sleeves, but these were also too long for me.
It was a good quality product for the low price, though, and would probably be my winner based on this.
- Score: 8/10
Pink Star Clipped Fleece Hooded Blanket
- £22
- Tu Clothing at Sainsbury’s
The hooded blanket by Tu was a good length and had proper sleeves, as well as a spacious pocket.
Its fleece fabric was very soft, but I have to say it felt thin and poor quality compared to rivals – it also didn’t have any lining to give it extra warmth.
Overall, this wasn’t bad for the price, but it didn’t match the quality of the Dunelm version, which costs just £3 more.
- Score: 6/10
Snuggle Supersoft Faux Fur Hooded Blanket
- £35
- M&S
This M&S hooded blanket really felt like a luxury product.
It had an incredibly soft plush outer material and was properly lined with a heavy warm fabric.
And it was so smart, it felt like it could be worn out the house – like as a poncho – instead of just used for lounging on the sofa.
But it was let down by being a weird shape. It didn’t feel like it was long enough to work as a blanket – and it seemed unnecessarily wide.
I wished M&S had cut the width and made it a bit longer instead.
It was also fastened with poppers at the side instead of having sleeves like a hoodie, which made it difficult to keep it in the right position.
It was a real shame this wasn’t a more practical shape, as it would have scored top marks for quality alone.
- Score: 7/10
Dark Grey Hooded Blanket
- £20
- George at Asda
I was disappointed by the George hooded blanket, which was just a shapeless blanket with a hood in the middle.
It did have two pockets, but weirdly these were in either corner of the blanket instead of in the middle, which didn’t seem very useful.
The fleece material was very thin and felt poor-quality, too.
This was the cheapest product I tested but you would be better saving just a few pounds more to get a higher quality version from Tu or Dunelm.
Score: 4/10
Navy Blue Hamish The Highland Cow Oversized Blanket Hoodie – JOINT WINNER
- £36
- Next
I wasn’t at all sure about the cow pattern on this blanket at first (it doesn’t come in any plain styles), but I am now a convert because it’s overall a great hooded blanket.
The soft, plush fabric felt like thick, high-quality material, and it had proper sleeves and proper hidden pockets, which would be great for carrying things like your phone around the house.
It was a good length and really warm, without being too bulky.
For nearly half the price of the fancy brands, this would make a great Christmas gift.
- Score: 8/10
What energy bill help is available?
There's a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you're struggling to get by.
If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter.
This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period.
If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don’t think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.
Several energy firms have schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills.
But eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.
For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000.
British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.
You don’t need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.
EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too.
Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR).
The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill.
Some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you’re struggling.
Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.