With the addition of baby #3 in the past year, you can bet I won’t be heading to a mall anytime soon for back-to-school clothes shopping. Online shopping has been my savior the past few years, but getting the right size is always a big question mark with kids. So I’m thrilled to have discovered a little help in that department with the innovative new AlvaKids app.
AlvaKids for iOS and Android is a handy shopping assistant that helps you determine exactly what size your kids should be wearing.
Come on, how many times have you wished for that, parents?
You simply create a profile for each kid and log in stats like height, weight, body type and shoe size. You are then able to pick from hundreds of brands to determine what size you should go with. You’ll find standbys like Gap Kids, Old Navy, Uniqlo, Lands End, J Crew and all the major sneaker brands.
I like seeing smaller brands too, that have long been Cool Mom Picks favorites, like Tea Collection, 7AM Enfant (Winter is coming!), Appaman, Petit Bateau, Junk Food, plus plenty of brands I’ve never heard of. But I admit I laughed to myself when I saw designer brands like Burberry and Dolce & Gabbana listed. Just in case my six-year-old needs a $965 floral dress for romping around, of course. (Not that it isn’t adorable.)
You can pick the brand to find the recommended size, star brands you purchase from regularly and even share sizes via email, which is super handy when the grandparents are looking to buy clothes for your kids. Like maybe that D&G dress?
There’s also a function that allows you to see their sizes one, three or six months from now, though I take that with a grain of salt because I cannot trust any tech that claims to predict growth spurts. As far as accuracy, I cross-checked the app against sizes I know my kids wear now, admittedly there were a few inconsistencies. However that may be because I tend to buy a little bigger to get a few more months out of our clothes .You also should take into account how your own kid wears clothes: Does he like things a little baggier? If so, you may want to size up or that’s actually a good way to use the three months from now feature.
If AlvaKids can help even eliminate having to ship back even half the clothes back we return from my online purchases, this app is a lifesaver for tons of parents. Plus, it’s pretty much a guarantee that my mall strike will continue.
AlvaKids app is available for free on iTunes and Google Play.
