Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

So far, we have purchased two sets of Leveret PJs on Amazon for toddlers aged 2 and 3 years, boy and girl. We also purchased on Amazon a set of PJs by Elowel at the same price of $12.99. But that was just the beginning. If interested, read on. (I'm leaving a review for the Elowel jammies, too.) Over the years, I have benefited from product reviews by other Amazon shoppers, but I rarely review products myself. Being busy is a challenge for many parents, so I won't use this as an excuse. Maybe I haven't felt like I could add much to a discussion that might be of value to another potential shopper. However, when it comes to buying PJs for babies and toddlers, I've recently acquired experience that I can now share. My toddler went though a major growth spurt -- all of a sudden, nothing fit! I ordered Elowel and Leveret PJs on Amazon and, while waiting for them to arrive, also ended up buying GAP (2 sets) and Petit Lem (1 set) jammies at local brick and mortar stores. On top of that, friends sent us some Hanna Andersson jammies (because it's their favorite brand). Now I have SIX sets of PJs to compare. All are labeled as the same size. All say they are 100% cotton. All are long legs, long sleeves. Here are my impressions... BEST: Hanna Andersson! Deliciously soft cotton, excellent quality, generous fit. The pattern is in the thread, not printed on top with synthetic inks. Washed/dried twice - once before wearing and once after. The jammies feel even better after being laundered. No pilling. I looked up the price online. They were on sale for $28 (reduced from $42). We love them and would appreciate receiving Hanna Andersson again as a gift, but I'm not sure we'd enjoy paying such prices. RUNNER UP: Baby Gap! Bought two sets of jammies from the sale rack, and received an additional 50% off at the register. In the end, one set cost $8.99 and one set cost $9.99. Once set has silky thin/light cotton; the other set has a thick/cushy cotton fabric. Soft fabric, nice workmanship, good fit, adorable styles. The pattern is in the thread, not printed on top with synthetic inks. Washed/dried twice - once before wearing and once after. No pilling in either set of PJs, and the heavier cotton got even thicker and softer feeling after the wash. The prices were better at the brick and mortar than the same jammies online, so I'll keep my eye out for sales and shop here again. (We stocked up on other Gap sale items - tops, bottoms, etc.) PLENTY GOOD ENOUGH: The Leveret PJs we are keeping. They cost $12.99 and we don't like them as much as the Baby Gap but they are close enough. The Leveret fabric is not as soft as Gap but feels okay; the constructions seems solid. The stripes are woven, not painted on. There is a weird rear seam in the pants that make it look like the diaper is always full, but this makes for more room in the bottoms. The sizing is a little more snug than Gap, but I have now purchased a second pair of Leverel PJs so they are plenty good enough. (I have also purchased a women's PJ set, which ran too large for the size.) NOT GOOD ENOUGH: Petit Lem PJs were purchased at Marshall's for $7 (retail $17). The fabric is thin, stiff, and a little rough. Pilled and got significantly smaller after the first wash; even more so after the second wash; printed design is cute but shows signs of breaking down and the seam on the cuffs is fraying. The 100% cotton turned out to apply ONLY to the ribbed cuffs. The rest of the fabric is actually 95% cotton and 5% poly. NOT true to size -- too small. NO, NO, NO: The Elowel PJs are being returned for a refund. They were purchased for $12.99, same as the Leveret set that we are keeping. The fabric says 100% cotton but it is very stiff, rough, and crunchy. It does not feel like cotton, certainly not like good cotton. And the sizing runs waaay too small. The stripes on the bottoms are printed/painted on. The waistband is a piece of elastic that is not covered by fabric. The top of size 3T Elowel is SHORTER than the top of size 2T Leveret PJs and the legs and sleeves are identical in length. The pant legs are very narrow. To be fair, the top seems a little nicer quality than the bottoms, which feel terrible. Would not buy again or recommend Elowel to others. I am truly puzzled by the positive reviews received by Elowel. Best case scenario is Elowel is an inconsistent brand with inconsistent quality.