'I tested an Oodie against Primark's £16 dupe - one will help me survive winter'

12 December 2023 , 15:36

691     0

I put the Oodie and the Snuddie to the test (Image: Zahna Eklund/The Mirror)

Wrapping up warm at home is a vital part of staying comfortable this winter, and while the Oodie is taking households by storm, we tried out the £16 dupe from Primark to see how it compared.

With energy bills still sky-high, many of us will be looking at ways we can reduce the amount of time our heating needs to be on so that we don't rack up a huge bill, especially with Christmas right around the corner. Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has been urging people to "heat the human, not the home" in recent months, and one of the best ways to do this is through layers of warm clothing that will ensure you stay comfortable without breaking the bank.

If you've ever looked into cosy hoodies and jumpers that provide cold relief at home then you may have stumbled across the Oodie. Essentially a wearable blanket, the Oodie has been highly recommended by many and has been taking the UK by storm - but how do the cheaper dupes compare?

The Snuddie (left) isn't as thick as the Oodie (right) (Zahna Eklund/The Mirror)

The Oodie often carries a hefty price tag when it's not on sale, with many of the products on the official website being listed at around £89. There is currently a sale on, in which most products seem to be slashed down to £49, but that's still a lot of money, especially considering there are much cheaper dupes on the market. One of these dupes, the Snuddie from Primark, costs just £16 and has been receiving rave reviews from bargain hunters - but is it just as good?

As a lover of all things cosy, and as someone who lives (and works) in a bedroom that has three external walls and gets incredibly chilly, I was eager to find out whether the Primark dupe really stands up to the Oodie, so put both to the test to see which one I'd be putting my trust in to see me through this winter.

Shop prices 'are yet to peak and will remain high' as inflation hits new heights

The Oodie

I initially heard about the Oodie from adverts on social media and succumbed to the desire to buy one back in the summer of last year, as the energy bill crisis rumbled on and I knew I'd need something to stop me from putting the heating on. At the time, they were buy-one-get-one-free, so my mum and I picked up two for around £90 - or £45 each. Offers on the Oodie website change all the time, and the exact Oodie I have - known as the Bunny Oodie - is currently reduced to £39.

The Oodie is much warmer and bigger (Zahna Eklund/The Mirror)

I first tested out the Oodie in October last year when the weather was milder, and I was sweltering within minutes and genuinely thought the double-lined furry hoodie was going to be too warm. But, as the temperatures plummeted to signal the start of November, and as they continued to drop throughout the month until December, curling up with what is essentially a wearable duvet has been sheer bliss.

A year after I first tested the Oodie, I have to say I'm still in love with it. As soon as the weather gets remotely cold I throw it on and hunker down at my desk to work in comfort. I happen to sleep and work from a bedroom that has three external walls and gets very chilly, so the super warm fleece lining has been bliss. I've even been known to lay my Oodie over my duvet to help keep me warm in bed on nights when it feels impossible to get cosy under the covers.

Primark's Snuddie

Primark's answer to the Oodie is known as a Snuddie, and cost me just £16 when I picked it up in November 2022 and still costs the same today - making it less than half the price of the Oodie even during the product's £39 sale. But, that reduction in price does come with a reduction in quality too, although not as much as you might expect.

Instead of the double lining found in the Oodie, the Snuddie is just one layer of warm fluffy material, with a double lining found only in the hood. That does, naturally, make it less warm than the Oodie, but it was doing a stand-up job in the autumn months when the temperatures were cold, but not freezing.

The Snuddie is just as good for a fraction of the cost (Zahna Eklund/The Mirror)

After a year of testing, however, I have to admit that my Snuddie has not come out of my wardrobe at all this winter. As soon as temperatures dropped I went straight for my Oodie and didn't think about putting on my Snuddie, as I knew it wouldn't be warm enough to keep me from shivering. It may still be something I wear in the autumn and spring when it's a little chilly but not too cold, but it certainly won't be seeing me through any harsh winters.

On the plus side though, the Snuddie is still super comfortable and could be enough for you if you don't live in a super cold house like I do. The Snuddie doesn't follow the one-size-fits-all approach that the Oodie does and is instead available in two sizes - XS/S, and M/L. Being a plus-size person, I picked up the M/L and while I was initially worried about the sizing, the Snuddie fits well and is baggy enough to be super comfortable.

It's a tighter fit than the Oodie, however - but that's no bad thing. The closer fit around the arms means I can stay warm while working from home without any excess material getting in the way, and it doesn't feel as heavy on the body.

The verdict

Whether or not the Snuddie is better value for money than the Oodie will largely depend on how cold your house gets, and how uncomfortable you feel without the heating on. For me, the Oodie wins my vote despite the higher price tag, as forking out £39 - or even £89 when the product isn't on sale - feels worth it when I practically spend the winter months living in it.

In contrast, the £16 that I spent on the Snuddie was not worth it. While cheaper, the fact that I haven't bothered to reach for it at all this winter tells me that it just doesn't stand up to the cosy warm power of the Oodie, and even though it's cheap, that price means nothing if it doesn't do what I want it to do - keep me warm.

8 money changes coming in February including Universal Credit and passport fees

However, if you don't live in a cold house with poor heat retention like I do, then you might not need the extreme power of the Oodie to see you through the winter. If you find that just layering up in regular jumpers is enough to keep you warm, then the Snuddie should be adequate. It's comfortable, it's cosy, and it's cheap.

Zahna Eklund