Kids' unicorn onesie: how to choose the right hooded one-piece

A kids' unicorn onesie comes down to three things: the child's height (not their age), the way the onesie opens for going to the loo, and caring for a hood with a horn on it. The Kids' Plush Animal Onesie comes in five unicorns, from size 100 to 140, in thick fleece flannel. Here's where the animal comes from, how to read the size chart, what to check before giving the onesie as a gift and how to keep it soft.

The unicorn, a creature of legend turned children's bedroom heroine

The unicorn is a legendary creature with a single horn, known in the West since Greek antiquity through travellers' tales from Persia and India (Wikipedia (French), "Licorne").

In the Middle Ages, it took on the body of a horse, a goat's beard, cloven hooves and a long spiral horn in the middle of its forehead, as in the tapestries of La Dame à la licorne (The Lady and the Unicorn). "Unicorn horns" were sold as remedies at the time, before being identified as narwhal tusks, from a marine mammal of the Arctic, according to the same page.

Photo: Emma Brick / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Since the late 19th century, the unicorn has mostly lived in fairy tales and fantasy, as a tall, "magical" white horse. It's that colourful, gentle image you find on children's pyjamas: a horn, ears, a contrasting tummy, and nothing fierce about it.

The five unicorns of the Kids' Plush Animal Onesie

The Kids' Plush Animal Onesie comes in five unicorns: rainbow, galaxy, pastel, pink and purple, all available from size 100 to 140. They're among the onesie's eighteen styles, alongside the cat, the shark, the panda, the dinosaur and the capybara.

They all share the same base, according to the product page:

• Thick, plush fleece flannel, for the living room in the evening as well as for night-time under the duvet.
• The horn and ears on the hood, with a contrasting tummy.
• Two hidden pockets at the sides, for little treasures.
• A zip or button fastening depending on the style, and an opening at the back.

For siblings or a kids' sleepover, each child can pick a unicorn in a different colour, or another animal from the same range.

One thing to check before you wrap it: the slippers seen in the photos aren't included, the product page points out. The onesie is sold on its own.

What size kids' unicorn onesie?

The size of the Kids' Plush Animal Onesie is chosen by the child's height, not their age: measure them standing up, barefoot, then check the chart on the product page.

People often search by age ("unicorn onesie age 4", "unicorn onesie age 5"), but two children of the same age aren't necessarily the same size. A 4-year-old who is 104 cm tall takes a 110; if they're 98 cm, the 100 is right for them. If your child is between two sizes, our guide kids' kigurumi: what age, what size, what precautions explains how to decide.

Above 140 cm, the kids' range stops: the plush onesie doesn't come in adult sizes, and the shop doesn't offer a unicorn for adults.

The opening at the back: independence at the loo

The opening at the back of the Kids' Plush Animal Onesie means they don't have to take the whole onesie off to go to the loo, which matters for a child who has just been potty trained.

Let them try it at home before a night at friends'. A little one can't always reach an opening at their back on their own, and it's better to know before they have to ask for help in front of their mates. On a button style, also check they can undo the buttons; on a zip style, show them where the pull is.

Photo: Lskbrown / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

A unicorn onesie for a baby: daytime wear

For a baby, the Baby Animal Kigurumi comes as a rainbow unicorn, from 0–6 months to 4 years, and is chosen by age. It's a soft, light fleece flannel onesie, lined with the same fabric, with the animal's face on the hood, a zip down the front and fold-over cuffs that cover little hands.

This kigurumi is worn when baby is awake, under an adult's eye. For night-time, France's national health insurance (Assurance Maladie) recommends putting a baby to sleep on their back, in their own cot, in a suitable baby sleeping bag, with no pillow, duvet, blanket or cot bumper, in a room at 18–20 °C (ameli.fr, "Comment bien coucher un bébé ?"). Our article on matching parent-and-baby pyjamas goes over these habits for family photos.

Washing a unicorn onesie without damaging the horn

The product page for the Kids' Plush Animal Onesie allows machine washing on a normal cycle, or hand washing, then air drying.

To keep the horn and ears in shape:

• Turn the onesie inside out and do up the zip before putting it in the machine: the hood rubs less against the drum and the other clothes.
• Wash it with soft textiles, not with jeans or towels, which make fleece pill.
• Dry it flat or on a hanger, in the open air as the product page says.

Our article how to wash and care for fleece pyjamas details the temperature and the habits that keep flannel soft for longer.

Safety tips with a hooded onesie

A roomy fleece onesie is worn well away from flames, and the hood goes down at the back for sleeping.

At night, hood down. A child old enough to sleep under a duvet can keep their unicorn onesie on, as long as the hood is folded down at the back and they don't have extra covers: the flannel is already warm.

Away from candles and the fireplace. The London Fire Brigade reminds us never to place a candle near anything that can catch fire, clothing included, to keep flames out of children's reach, and presents LED candles as a safer alternative (London Fire Brigade, "Candles"). At a unicorn-onesie birthday tea, the candles on the cake are lit and blown out while an adult keeps the hood and sleeves at a distance.

On the stairs, watch out for legs that are too long. If you went a size up, roll up the bottoms of the legs so the child doesn't trip over them.

In short

To choose a kids' unicorn onesie, measure the child and read the chart for the Kids' Plush Animal Onesie: 100 for 80-100 cm, up to 140 for 130-140 cm. Then pick the colour from the five unicorns, let them try out the opening at the back and wash the onesie inside out. For a baby, the rainbow unicorn of the Baby Animal Kigurumi is chosen by age and worn while awake. If it's a gift, our St Nicholas gift ideas for kids round out the list, and every style is in the shop, with free delivery.

Cover photo: OdesaCamp / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0), cropped