It’s definitely one for wearing while cosying up on the sofa rather than when trying to get anything productive done, as its size and weight make it a little cumbersome, and the large hood often falls over the eyes – great for napping, not so great for WFH. There are also now lots of online-only brands that specialise in these hoodies, like Oodie, Kudd.ly and Snuggly. It's one of the lightest and softest ones we tested, feeling baby-soft against the skin, and it’s handy to be able to open it up if you get too hot, although it’s not as chill-proof as a regular hoodie.

WITH temperatures dropping and heating costs rising, an oversized hooded blanket should be an essential item of loungewear this autumn and winter. For us, though, Oodie just takes the top spot for keeping the body at the perfect temperature and for its vast range of designs and viral fame. Are hooded blankets worth it?

There are a few different styles – and prices – on the market, but the hoodies from specialist retailers like Oodie, Kudd.ly, Onesnug and Snuggly are all very similar, if we’re being honest. If you’re after that fluffier, soft-as-clouds style of fleece rather than the denser type of, say, Oodie, this is the best one we tested. The long elasticated cuffs at the wrists are also useful, keeping your sleeves rolled up and well out of the way if you want to, say, type or cook.

Longer than most, cushiony soft and cosy without being too bulky, this one from UK-made brand Onesnug gets a big thumbs up from us. The shorter, boxy style means that it does flap around a bit, so one for when you plan on doing absolutely nothing except relaxing. Today’s hooded blankets are a world away from embarrassingly old, greying loungewear you wouldn’t be seen dead in.

More of a poncho than a hoodie, this has short sleeves and open sides that can be popped together at a couple of points for a slightly snugglier fit. It comes in five colours and two sizes for both men and women, with a version for children also available. Cute ‘n’ cosy, this one looks so good you could probably wear it out of the house, and might even pass as an expensive throw when left on the sofa. It’s got all the essentials – hood, big front pouch, long length – while this Sherpa fleece has a particularly fine knit, giving it a neat look.

Of course, you can also always add one to your Christmas wishlist and let someone else treat you to a cosy winter. This comes in two different sizes, to fit up to a UK size 34, but even the smaller of the two was ginormous – the largest we tested – and may swamp smaller frames. Long and luxurious, we love this one’s teddy fabric, which is very lightweight and soft as air but surprisingly very warm and toasty, and we like that this one comes in multiple sizes. This poncho’s shape means that your hands remain free for typing, drinking, reading etc (although does mean that they miss out on the heat), and we found this perfect for keeping the upper body warm when working from home on chilly days. We did try hooded blankets that kept us slightly warmer, but thanks to Onesnug’s ‘MicroCool’ fabric, this won’t leave you feeling uncomfortably hot and sweaty.

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verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ It comes in just one colour, ivory, in keeping with The White Company’s typical neutral palette – very Cameron Diaz in The Holiday, we feel. It probably goes without saying that theirs is incredibly soft and cosy. The inner fleece is as soft as cotton wool while the outer feels silky, meaning that, despite its size, it didn’t actually feel as bulky to wear as some of the others.

It plugs into the wall like a traditional heated throw, with a remote to control the power, heat intensity and amount of time it stays on for. And it also has an auto-shut-off function. It’s not the warmest one we tried (think late autumn chills rather than depths-of-winter, below-freezing temperatures) but we’d probably say this was the most practical, while this pale pink colour we chose (prettier in real life than our phone camera could capture) is about as ‘feminine’ as one of these items could get. Arguably the original and most famous, the word ‘Oodie’ is now synonymous with hooded blankets – we even found ourselves telling people that we were “testing out Oodies” when talking about this feature. They may also help to save you money on your heating bill this winter too, as heating the body is always a cheaper option than heating the home; ideal if you work from home or spend long periods of time bingeing Netflix on the sofa.This hoodie is, of course, oversized, but not so big around the hood or sleeves that you can’t see, eat or type – we could comfortably wear this at our WFH desk or walking around the house without it getting in the way. Hooded blankets have become so popular that they’re now widely available across the high street, from upmarket lifestyle stores like The White Company to your local supermarket.