Size Guide

Last updated: October 31, 2026

Picking a hoodie size should not be the hardest part of ordering for game day. This guide helps you choose the right size for every Hood Haven pullover hoodie, crewneck sweatshirt, zip-up and quarter-zip, whether you are buying one for yourself, a set for the whole family or fourteen for a team. Instead of a generic chart, it walks you through the most reliable method we know: measuring a hoodie that already fits you well and comparing. It also covers adult and youth sizing, growing kids, layering, mixed-size family and team orders, and what to do if a size is not right when it arrives.

How our sizes are organised

Each product page has a size option. Adult and youth sizes are listed separately so you can tell them apart at a glance.

Not every style comes in every size. The sizes you can pick on a product page are the ones we can make for that product. If you need a size you do not see, email us before ordering and we will tell you what is possible.

Understanding a unisex fit

Our adult hoodies use unisex sizing. In practice that means a straight cut through the body, without shaping at the waist, and shoulders and sleeves set for a relaxed look. Many people find unisex hoodies fit the way a classic team hoodie should: comfortable over a T-shirt and easy to move in on the sidelines.

• If you usually wear men’s sizes, start with your normal size.
• If you usually wear women’s sizes, unisex sizing tends to feel a little roomier than a women’s cut of the same label. Many people go one size down from their women’s size for a similar fit, or stay with it for a looser, slouchy look. Measuring a hoodie you own, as described below, takes the guesswork out.
• Sleeve length on a unisex hoodie can feel long if you size up a lot. Pushing the sleeves up a little is usually an easy fix.

Measure a hoodie you already own

The best guide to your size is a hoodie or sweatshirt in your closet that fits the way you like. You will need a tape measure, or a piece of string and a ruler, and a flat surface such as a table or the floor.

1. Lay the hoodie flat, front facing up. Zip it closed if it is a zip-up, and smooth out wrinkles without stretching the fabric.
2. Chest: measure straight across the front from one side seam to the other, just below the armpits. That is half the chest width; double it if you want the full around-the-body figure.
3. Body length: measure from the highest point of the shoulder, where the shoulder seam meets the collar or hood, straight down to the bottom edge of the waistband.
4. Sleeve: measure from the shoulder seam down the outer edge of the sleeve to the end of the cuff. For a raglan sleeve without a shoulder seam, measure from the centre back of the collar across the shoulder and down to the cuff.
5. Write the numbers down and keep them with your order notes so you can compare quickly next time.

Then ask yourself how that hoodie fits. Is it the comfort you want, a touch tight across the chest, or slightly short in the body? Use the answer to decide whether to choose the same size, one up or one down. If you would like help comparing your measurements with a particular style, email us with the product name and what you measured.

Measuring yourself instead

If you do not have a hoodie to compare, measure your body over a thin T-shirt. For your chest, wrap the tape around the fullest part, under the arms, keeping it level and snug but not tight. Hoodies are made with room to move, so the garment will always be wider than your body measurement. Tell us your chest measurement and how you like a hoodie to fit, and we will help you choose.

Choosing between two sizes

Most sizing questions we get are about the line between two sizes. These rules of thumb cover the common situations:

Here is a real-life example. A dad usually wears a large but plans to wear his team hoodie over a light puffer jacket at cold Saturday games. His large hoodie at home feels snug over the jacket, so he picks XL. If he only wore it over a T-shirt, L would be the better call.

Adult or youth? Telling them apart

Youth sizes are cut for children’s proportions, with shorter bodies and sleeves than adult sizes. Older kids and teens often move into adult sizes. As a general approach:

• Younger children usually wear the smaller youth sizes, YXS to YM.
• Older children often fit YL or YXL.
• Once a youth XL feels short in the body or sleeves, it is usually time to switch to adult XS or S.

Age is only a rough indicator; kids of the same age can differ by two sizes or more. Measuring a hoodie your child wears now is far more reliable than going by age.

Buying for kids who are still growing

Kids grow fast, especially during a season. A hoodie that fits perfectly in September may be short by spring. A few tips:

• If your child is at the top of a youth size, order the next size up.
• One size up is usually enough room to grow. Two sizes up can be long enough to get in the way during play.
• Sleeves that are a little long can be pushed up or folded once, which is easier than living with sleeves that are too short.
• If the size still turns out wrong, use the exchange route. For example, a parent ordered YM for a nine-year-old, and it came out too small for a growing kid; they exchanged it for YL within 60 days using our free return label.

Matching family sets in mixed sizes

Family matching hoodies often cover everyone from a youth XS for the youngest to an adult 4XL. Our Family Matching designs let you choose a size for each hoodie in the set. To make sure everyone gets the right one:

1. Add each hoodie to your cart with its own size, so the cart shows, for example, two adult sizes and three youth sizes.
2. In the order notes, list each family member’s name next to their size if names are going on the hoodies. For example: “Dad – XL – GRANDPA JOE’S CREW; Mia – YS – MIA”.
3. If the set is going to two different homes, for instance grandparents in one state and cousins in another, place one order for each address.
4. Check all the notes once more before paying. We do not send a proof, and you have 24 hours to email us with any changes.

Team orders in mixed sizes

Team parents and coaches often order a whole roster at once. Our Team & School Hoodies and Coach & Staff designs work well for this. The key is to match each size to each name:

• Collect sizes from every family before you order, ideally by asking them to measure a hoodie their child already wears.
• Add the quantity of each size to your cart, for example five YM, six YL and three adult S.
• In the order notes, write one line per player with name, number and size, such as “CARTER #7 YL”. This is how we know which name goes on which size.
• Count the lines in your notes and make sure they match the number of hoodies in the cart.

If one player’s size is wrong after delivery, that single hoodie can be exchanged within 60 days. The rest of the order is not affected.

Sizing a gift when you cannot measure

Gifts are where sizing gets tricky, because you cannot ask the recipient to lay out their favourite hoodie without spoiling the surprise. A few gentle ways around it:

• Check the size label on a hoodie or sweatshirt they wear often, next time you visit.
• Ask a partner, parent or teammate’s family, who will usually know their size.
• For a grandchild, ask the parents what size they are buying for this season, then think about whether to go one up for growth.
• If you really cannot find out, choose the size they wear in most tops. A unisex fit is forgiving, and an exchange within 60 days is free.

A grandmother sending a varsity-letter hoodie to a grandson who just started college, for instance, might check with his parents, learn that he wears a large in most sweatshirts, and choose L. If he prefers a baggier look, he can exchange it for an XL after it arrives.

Coach and staff sizing

Coaches often wear their quarter-zip or hoodie over a polo or long-sleeve shirt and want it to look neat on the sideline or in team photos. A coach ordering a quarter-zip with “COACH RIVERA” embroidered on the chest will usually be happiest in their normal size, unless they plan to wear it over a heavy layer in cold weather.

Different styles, different feel

• Pullover hoodies slip on over the head and have a hood, which makes them the most relaxed style.
• Crewneck sweatshirts have no hood, so they can feel slightly neater at the neck; see Crewneck Sweatshirts.
• Zip-ups and quarter-zips can be worn open or closed. If you plan to zip it up over layers, consider sizing up; see Zip-Ups & Quarter-Zips.

Keeping the fit after washing

To help your hoodie keep its size and look, wash it inside out on cold and air-dry it. Hot washes and high dryer heat can affect fit over time, and ironing directly on prints or embroidery can damage the decoration.

When the size is not right

If a hoodie does not fit, you can return or exchange it within 60 days of delivery, including personalised items. We send a free return label, so you do not pay to send it back. Email support@hoodhaven.shop with your order number and the size you would like instead. Full details are on our Returns & Exchanges Policy; for refunds see our Refund Policy.

Still unsure? Ask us

Send us the product you are looking at, your measurements or the hoodie you compared, and how you like it to fit. We reply within 24 hours on business days. You can also browse FAQs or start at the shop.