Toddler Basic Clothing Comparison
We often get asked about where the best place to shop for toddler essential clothing is.
So, we did some research comparing affordable basics from Target, Old Navy, and H&M for toddler boys and girls. We chose wardrobe staples to compare: basic tees, leggings, sweatpants and twill joggers and looked at everything from price to fabric to fit when comparing the styles to each other. Before we get into the details, here are the main takeaways from our research:
Target’s Cat & Jack brand stood out as the overall best brand to shop when it comes to value equation, quality and fit
Old Navy does have good basics, but definitely wait until they are running a sale to purchase them because the ticket prices are often double those of Target. Their products are more cotton based, so they have the chance of shrinking more too.
H&M impressed us the least with quality, however if you have a tall girl, their leggings stood out as a good longer option.
Let’s get into the details:
Girls Basics
When comparing the 3 retailers against each other, Target is the clear winner here. Their year round essentials, like leggings and tees for girls are only $5 or less and are updated often with cute prints and colors for the season.
Girls Short Sleeve Tees
Target: Cat & Jack always has a huge presence of basic short sleeve and long sleeve tees in great colors and prints. The short sleeve tees are $5 and have a curved shirttail bottom hem with a more feminine cap sleeve. They are 1/2 inch wider than Old Navy’s tees and 60% cotton/40% poly so they will not shrink as much.
Shop the tee shirts here.
(Paid link)
Old Navy: This basic tee ticket is $9.99, the biggest difference from Target is it has a straight bottom hem and tighter crew neck opening. It is also 100% cotton so it will shrink a bit more.
Girls Leggings
Target: Overall, these were our favorite essential leggings. The quality, price and print/color choices cannot be matched. For $5 they are a great basic to stock up on.
Shop the prints here. Shop the solids here.
(Paid link)
Old Navy: These ran the shortest of the 3 brands by 1/2 an inch, so they are a good option for anyone shorter. Overall, the quality was very similar to Cat & Jack however the ticket price is $9.99, so I would wait to buy them during a sale.
Shop the leggings here.
H&M: These leggings were one of the biggest surprises of our research. They measured 2 inches longer than Old Navy’s and 1.5 inches longer than Target’s, so they are a good option for anyone tall. The fabric was the thinnest of the three, so could get more wear and tear over time. They run $12.99 for a 2 pack.
Shop the leggings here.
Boys Basics
Like girls, our top recommendation is to shop basics at Target. Even though Cat & Jack discontinued everyone’s favorite toddler boy joggers this past year, their replacement twill jogger is still better than anything we have found, especially for the price.
We have a separate guide that shares our favorite shorts for boys too! We did a ton of research last year to find great options for casual, twill and athletic shorts that are all at a good length (aka not capris). Shop our boy shorts guide here!
Boys Short Sleeve Tees
Target: Cat & Jack basic tees for boys are $5 and were the softest of the 3 retailers. For the price, these were our favorite with a true to size fit and big range of solid, print and graphics.
Shop the tee shirts here. Shop prints/stripes here.
(paid link)
Old Navy: Their basic tees are $9.99, a similar fit to Target but they are 100% cotton so they will shrink more. I would wait to purchase when there is a sale.
Shop the stripes/prints here. Shop graphics here.
H&M: Their basic tees are mostly sold it sets, with the price per tee being $5.99. They ran the biggest (an inch wider and longer than Old Navy) and are 100% cotton so they will shrink more. The assortment is more limited to solids in packs.
Shop the tee shirts here.
Boys Twill Joggers
Target: Cat & Jack discontinued everyone’s favorite joggers last year that had the knit cuff on the leg opening. They replaced them with a woven jogger that has a few tweaks but still was our favorite across the 3 stores. For $10, the quality and color selection doesn’t compare to anyone else. They have a functional draw string and reinforced knee too.
Shop the joggers here.
(paid link)
Old Navy: Their basic joggers are $19.99, so double the price of Targets. The quality, fit and details are similar, but for the price I would suggest the Target ones.
Shop the joggers here.
H&M: We were the least impressed with these joggers. They fabric is stiff and doesn’t look as polished as the other two brands. The price was competitive at $9.99.
Shop the joggers here.
Boys Sweatpant Joggers
Target: If you need very basic sweatpants, these are the best value. Only $6 for a fleece pair that doesn’t have pockets or a drawstring and serves its purpose as a very comfy but basic jogger.
Shop the sweatpants here.
(paid link).
Old Navy: Old Navy has a few options for joggers with a basic style or one that is more expensive with a quilting detail. The biggest difference is the fit, they run 2 inches longer than Target’s so if you have a tall kid these are the way to go.
Shop the sweatpants here.
H&M: Their soft joggers were the lightest weight out of the three, which for warmer climates may be preferred. They also were the shortest from a fit perspective, so if your child is on the shorter side they are a good option.
Shop the sweatpants here.
Paid links and prices subject to change.
