A cheap hoodie does not have to be a bad one. We compare the basics brands you can actually buy across Europe and Ireland — Fruit of the Loom, Gildan and B&C — with fast-fashion hoodies from H&M and Primark on fabric weight, cotton share, price per piece and print suitability, with prices checked in September 2026.
The cheapest solid hoodie you can buy in Europe at consumer prices is the Fruit of the Loom Classic Hooded Sweat (62-208): 280 g/m², 80 % cotton / 20 % polyester, €20.95 or €18.86 each at 5+ at Marmalade Co., with €7 DHL shipping and 2–3 day delivery. Gildan Heavy Blend (approx. 270 g/m², 50/50) and B&C ID.003 (approx. 280 g/m²) cost approx. €30.20 and €33.40 at wholesale list price; an H&M Regular Fit Hoodie is €29.99 in Ireland (approx., September 2026).
For a hoodie that keeps its shape after fifty washes and does not go limp at the cuffs, the realistic floor in Europe is around €17–21 for a blank when you buy from a discount retailer, and around €11 per piece at wholesale outlet prices if you are a business ordering in volume. Below that you are usually looking at a 200–240 g/m² no-name fleece with single-layer ribbing and a hood that flops. The good news is that the two best-known basics brands, Fruit of the Loom and Gildan, both land in that "cheap but solid" band, and a fashion-chain hoodie from H&M actually costs more.
This guide compares the cheap hoodies you can actually buy across Europe and Ireland — Fruit of the Loom, Gildan, B&C and high-street basics — on fabric weight, cotton share, price per piece and how well they take a print.
We checked prices in September 2026 at an official Fruit of the Loom retailer (Marmalade Co.), at an Irish blank-apparel wholesaler that stocks all three brands (Ntextil), and on H&M's Irish site. Wholesale prices are shown as list price / current outlet price and are approximate — they apply to businesses buying in quantity, not to a single hoodie for yourself.
| Brand / model | Weight | Composition | Price per piece (blank) | Print suitability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit of the Loom Classic Hooded Sweat (62-208) | 280 g/m² | 80 % cotton / 20 % polyester | €20.95 retail, €18.86 at 5+ (Marmalade Co.); wholesale list approx. €22.70, outlet €10.91 (Ntextil) | Very good — Belcoro® yarn on many colours, smooth face |
| Gildan Heavy Blend hooded sweatshirt (18500) | approx. 270 g/m² | 50 % cotton / 50 % polyester | wholesale list approx. €30.20, outlet €11.07 (Ntextil) | Good — very stable, higher polyester share suits transfers |
| B&C ID.003 hooded sweatshirt | approx. 280 g/m² | approx. 80 % cotton / 20 % polyester | wholesale list approx. €33.40, outlet €16.58 (Ntextil) | Good — aimed at promotional and corporate print |
| H&M Regular Fit Hoodie (Ireland) | not stated | cotton blend, not stated | €29.99 (sale price €18.00 seen); Loose Fit Hoodie €34.99 | Not sold blank for printing |
| Primark / Penneys plain hoodie | not stated | not stated | We could not verify an online EUR list price at the time of writing | Not sold for printing |
| No-name discount hoodie | 200–240 g/m² | varies, often 65/35 or lower | approx. €8–12 | Poor — thin, uneven surface |
Two things stand out. First, the Fruit of the Loom Classic is the heaviest fabric in the cheap band at 280 g/m² and has the highest cotton share of the three brands at 80 %. Second, once you look at a consumer price rather than a wholesale price, it is also the cheapest verified hoodie: €20.95 at Marmalade Co. is below H&M's regular €29.99 for a hoodie of unstated weight, and the quantity discount brings it to €18.86 each at five pieces.
Fruit of the Loom Classic hoodies in 9 colours from €20.95 — €18.86 each at 5+ — with a price guarantee and 2–3 day DHL delivery from Marmalade Co.
See cheap hoodies →This is the comparison most people actually make, because both brands dominate the print-shop market. The short version:
We go through the fabrics, sizing and printing differences in depth in Fruit of the Loom vs Gildan.
Not for a comparable garment. H&M's Regular Fit Hoodie in Ireland lists at €29.99 and the Loose Fit Hoodie at €34.99 — you will see them cheaper in sales (we saw the Regular Fit at €18.00), but the sale price is roughly the same as Fruit of the Loom's everyday quantity price of €18.86. H&M does not publish the fabric weight, which is usually a sign that it is lighter than a 280 g/m² fleece. Primark is cheaper on the high street, but it does not publish an online price list in EUR that we could verify, it does not sell blanks for printing, and colours change every season, so you cannot re-order the same hoodie for a team next year.
Fast fashion makes sense if you want a specific cut or colour for one season. For a plain, warm hoodie you can buy again in the same colour in two years, a basics brand is the better deal — and if you want to print on it, it is the only realistic choice.
A classic pull-over hoodie is warmer and cheaper. Fruit of the Loom's pull-over Classic costs €20.95 and the zip version (Classic Hooded Sweat Jacket) €27.95, so the zip adds about €7, or a third of the price. The zip hoodie is easier to take on and off, layers better over a T-shirt or polo and looks tidier in a workplace, which is why companies choose it. For everyday wear, sports clubs and class hoodies the pull-over wins on price and on print area.
For a country-by-country overview of shops see the cheapest place to buy Fruit of the Loom in Europe.
Compare hoodies, zip hoodies and crewnecks at the cheapest verified prices in Europe — price guarantee and quantity discounts included.
See bestsellers at Marmalade Co. →| Product | 1 pcs | 10 pcs | 50 pcs | 100 pcs | 250 pcs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crewneck sweatshirt | €23.95 €23.95 each | €159.55 €15.95 each | €769.75 €15.39 each | €1,532.50 €15.32 each | €3,820.75 €15.28 each |
| Hoodie | €27.95 €27.95 each | €195.55 €19.55 each | €949.75 €19.00 each | €1,892.50 €18.93 each | €4,720.75 €18.88 each |
| Zip hoodie | €34.95 €34.95 each | €258.55 €25.86 each | €1,264.75 €25.30 each | €2,522.50 €25.23 each | €6,295.75 €25.18 each |
Choose a product and quantity — the total includes the quantity discount (5 % from 3 pcs, 10 % from 5 pcs) and €7 shipping.
At consumer prices, the Fruit of the Loom Classic Hooded Sweat: 280 g/m², 80 % cotton / 20 % polyester, €20.95 at Marmalade Co. and €18.86 each when you buy five or more, with a price guarantee and €7 DHL delivery in 2–3 business days. Wholesale outlet prices go lower but require a business account and volume.
Not in Europe at consumer prices. At the Irish wholesaler we checked in September 2026, the Gildan Heavy Blend hoodie listed at approx. €30.20 against approx. €22.70 for the Fruit of the Loom Classic, and Gildan is rarely sold to private customers. Fruit of the Loom is also 80 % cotton versus Gildan's 50/50 blend.
H&M's Regular Fit Hoodie lists at €29.99 in Ireland and the Loose Fit at €34.99 (approx., September 2026), more than Fruit of the Loom's €20.95, and H&M does not state the fabric weight. Primark is cheaper on the high street, but we could not verify an online EUR price, and neither chain sells blanks for printing.
Look for 270–300 g/m². Below about 250 g/m² a hoodie feels thin and loses its shape at the cuffs quickly. Fruit of the Loom Classic is 280 g/m², Gildan Heavy Blend approx. 270 g/m² and B&C ID.003 approx. 280 g/m² — all in the right band. Discount no-name hoodies are typically 200–240 g/m².
Cotton/polyester blends like Fruit of the Loom's 80/20 or Gildan's 50/50 shrink very little — the polyester share holds the shape. Pure-cotton fleece can shrink a few percent on a hot first wash. Wash at 30–40 °C and avoid hot tumble drying and any of the hoodies in this comparison will keep their size.
The Fruit of the Loom Classic is the print-shop standard in Europe: many colours use Belcoro® yarn for a smooth face, and it takes screen print, DTG and transfers well. Gildan Heavy Blend's higher polyester share suits heat transfers, and B&C ID.003 is designed for corporate print. Fast-fashion hoodies are not sold blank.
