Who Invented the Hooded Blanket? A Short History of Blankets You Wear

People have wrapped themselves in blankets for as long as there have been blankets. Giving a blanket sleeves, and later a hood, is a much newer idea, and no single person can really claim it. Here is a short history, and how it led to the hooded blankets we make today.

A blanket with sleeves

A sleeved blanket is a body-length blanket, usually fleece, with sleeves sewn in. It is a bit like a bathrobe worn back to front: open at the back, so you can sit under it and still use your hands.

Who came up with it?

There is no single inventor. One widely reported early prototype dates from the late 1990s, when a university student in a cold US dorm room cut holes in a sleeping bag to keep his arms free, then had a blanket with a sleeve sewn for him. Other people had similar ideas, and sleeved blankets were already on sale before they went mainstream.

From niche idea to pop culture

Sleeved blankets went mainstream in late 2008, when a nationwide TV advertising campaign in the US made them a pop-culture talking point. In 2017, a US trade court even ruled that a sleeved blanket is a blanket, not a garment, partly because it is open at the back.

Then came the hood

The next step was the hooded blanket: an oversized hoodie made from blanket-soft fleece, often with sherpa inside.

Where Hoodie Haven fits in

We didn't invent the hooded blanket, and we don't claim to. What we do is make our own: Havens. Every Haven has soft fleece outside, soft sherpa inside, a hood and a roomy, relaxed fit. Pull-on Havens have front pockets for warm hands, and our Zip Havens have deep lined pockets.

Find your Haven

• Adults — our classic oversized fit, in playful prints and calm solids
• Full Length Havens — 140 cm (55 in) from shoulder to hem, with two front pockets, pull-on or zip
• Long Havens — 130 cm (51 in) from shoulder to hem, pull-on, with a front kangaroo pocket
• Zip Havens — full length with a full-front zip, so you can step in and zip up
• Youth Havens — oversized hooded blankets for kids, 84 cm (33 in) from the shoulder
• Toddler Havens — little Havens for little ones, 64 cm (25 in) from the shoulder

Not sure where to start? Browse All Havens to see every print, solid and Starry Collection style in one place, or check our Haven Sizing Guide.