Stickers, iron-ons or the dreaded labels you have to SEW IN – what really is the best way to name your kids’ clothes?
In Association with Tesco
IT’S the time in the summer holidays every parent dreads – sorting out the kid’s school uniform for going back to school.
While buying shirts, jumpers and trousers is the easy part, it’s making sure their names are in all the items that’s the real hassle.
But what’s the best way to label your children’s school clothes? Sewing them in, ironing them on or simply whipping out the permanent marker?
We asked Sun Mum Natasha Harding to try out five different methods of labelling shirts to see which one came out on top.
She assessed them in terms of ease, cost and durability, popping each garment in the washing machine afterwards to see how well the labels fared.
And the results may surprise you…
Embroidered sew-on labels
First Natasha tried the good old-fashioned sew-in labels.
These were pre-ordered them so they were already embroidered with Natasha’s son’s name, Zak.
All you need is a needle and thread - and a spare few hours depending on how many children you've got!
Natasha’s verdict
"The sew-on labels definitely took the longest to do, however it's exactly the same as it was before it went into the machine and it feels really secure. I imagine it would last the whole of the school year.
"Although it does take longer to do initially it's probably a really good use of your time.
"I give the embroidered sew-on labels 8/10."
Handwritten sew-on labels
These sew-on labels were bought from Tesco as part of a kit, which came with a fine-line laundry pen.
With these, you manually trim the labels with a pair of scissors and write on your child's name.
Natasha’s verdict
"The label stayed in place in the wash, it looks exactly the same as when it went in the machine.
"However some of the writing has already come off, and it was a specific laundry pen.
"After just one short wash it's not great that some of it's begun to come off already.
"I think I give this 6/10."
Iron-on labels
These were also pre-ordered online with Zak’s name printed onto the label.
Simply peel the label off and stick it onto the care tag on the garment, then secure it using a hot iron.
Natasha’s verdict
"The iron-on label looks exactly the same as it did when it went into the machine, and if I try to peel it off there's absolutely no give at all.
"Although the ironing takes a bit of a while as you have to repeat the ironing several times, I give it 9/10 and I think it will probably last for the whole term, which is fantastic."
Sticky labels
You may be familiar with these sort of labels for identifying lunch boxes and pencil cases, but these special stickers can also be used on clothing and are meant to withstand the washing machine.
We ordered these , opting for the simple black and white text, though different colours were available.
Natasha’s verdict
"I love the idea of the stick on labels, however after just one short wash it has already started to peel quite significantly at the corner.
"I don't think it would last for too much longer unfortunately.
"I think for lunch boxes, pencil cases, anything that isn't going to go into the washing machine, I'd probably give it eight or nine out of 10.
"But although the labels are super quick and easy to use, for clothes it only gets a 2/10."
Sharpie laundry pen
You can pick up a Sharpie laundry pen for just £2 at .
But how effective are they when it comes to labelling school uniforms?
Natasha’s verdict
"The Sharpie pen is very easy to use, very quick, it's cheap as well which is always an advantage.
"However the ink did bleed quite a bit. I think once I got the knack of how to hold the pen it was OK, but just for that little bit of bleeding it does lose some points.
"I give the Sharpie pen 5/10."
The winner?
Out of all the different methods, Natasha said the iron-on labels were her favourite.
She explained: “I think when it comes to ease of use, durability and cost, they win hands down.”
