Are you still scratching your head, trying to figure out what gift to get for friends or loved ones on your holiday list? Maybe a hoodie or a pair of slippers would be perfect. Consumer Reports’ editors tried some of the top brands to reveal their top picks.
Hooded sweatshirts
Let’s start with hooded sweatshirts, or hoodies. Consumer Reports’ Perry Santanachote left the labs and took to the streets to try out eight pullover hoodies from labels like American Giant, Nike, H&M, Adidas, and Champion.
“In addition to assessing how warm they kept me on crisp fall days, I also noted how well they were made by looking at all the seams and also what they were made of,” she said.
Perry also assessed comfort, fit and how easy each hoodie was to care for.
For example, the $40 H&M Cotton Hoodie requires line drying or dry cleaning, but it claims to be sustainably manufactured from 100% organic cotton.
Perry also looked at the $60 Champion Reverse Weave Hoodie. She says while it’s not 100% cotton, it is still one of the best options!
Consumer Reports also checked out the nearly $100 Yeezy Hoodie.
“So Yeezy is Kanye West’s fashion brand. And they did a collaboration with GAP. And we wondered, you know, what could possibly make this hoodie worth almost $100. And what we found was that it is a departure from the typical GAP hoodie… it is double lined throughout which is something you rarely ever see. So that made it really, really warm, like about as warm as a coat and heavy,” said Perry.
Unfortunately, Perry says it’s sold out at GAP -- but you can find it on secondhand marketplaces. However, Consumer Reports says beware of fake reproductions.
Instead, Perry says you can consider the American Giant Classic Pullover Hoodie for about $114. It’s 100% cotton, comes with a lifetime warranty and it’s made in the USA.
Slippers
Consumer Reports’ Angela Lashbrook took over where Perry left off and headed up another series of tests outside of Consumer Reports’ labs. This time with slippers.
“We clunked around our steadily cooling east coast homes in a wide variety of slippers including the L. L. Bean Wicked Good Moccasins, Glerups and the lined Crocs,” she said.
Angela and her fellow testers looked first for warmth. Then comfort, stability and of course, how the slippers look.
The Glerups Shoe with Leather Sole for $100 earned high scores from all the slipper pickers. Testers said they are warm, breathable, and easy to move around in, too.
Also tested were Bombas Gripper Slipper. While not quite as warm, they’re budget-friendly for $40, and they’re light and they travel well.
For someone likely to spend more time in the slippers, AngeIa says to consider the Crocs Classic Lined Clogs for $59.
“Despite how they looked we were surprised by how comfortable they were and how much we liked them,” she said.
For a special gift -- where you’re willing to spend a little more money -- Consumer Reports’ editors also liked the $100 Ugg Fluff Yeahs slides for their soft and fluffy sheepskin material.