LMents of Style

View Original

Barefoot Dreams CozyChic™ Throw Blanket Review

LMents of Style uses affiliate links. By clicking on certain hyperlinks and buying a product, you may help me make a small commission off your purchase. It's links like these that keep this site going. Thank you for your support!

See this content in the original post

I avoided this post like the plague. I purposely never even touched a Barefoot Dreams blanket, because I felt that too many people talked about it and I thought it was over-hyped. Well, this past Nordstrom Anniversary Sale I broke down and purchased a CozyChic™ Throw Blanket. It was on sale for a whopping $97 instead of its normal $147 and I thought it could be perfect for the hospital room when I had my twins.

Keep reading to see what I think of the blanket, if it is worth the money, and my overall thoughts of the Barefoot Dreams product. It may have been one of Oprah’s favorite things, but let’s see if it is one of mine ;)

Barefoot Dreams CozyChic™ Throw Blanket |

HISTORY OF BAREFOOT DREAMS

I’m a sucker for a story and Barefoot Dreams has a good one. I actually learned this after I purchased the product and finding these details out made me like it even more. Barefoot Dreams was founded in Malibu (one of my favorite places) in 1994 by Annette Cook. Inspired by her 3 sons, it began as a children’s line, as it featured soft and cozy collections, perfect for kids. In 2012, she sadly lost her battle with cancer. Her husband was determined to continue her brand and legacy and the fueled him to grow Barefoot Dreams into the brand you know it as today.

Besides their story, I also really like that thy use their time and resources to give back. They have partnered with countless charities over the years like The Wunder Project, Baby2Baby, Northwell Health, Valley Presbyterian Hospital, Olive View at UCLA Medical Center and LAC+USC Medical Center. They also have a special collection called Covered in Prayer, which donates a portion of the proceeds to The WunderGlo Foundation. This chairty helps to find a cure for colon cancer. This collection was created by Annette and carried on my her husband.

If you are already in love with the brand and are near LA, they have a retail store in Malibu. I just found out about this and am planning to go soon. Talk about a cozy storefront!

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE BAREFOOT DREAMS BLANKET

  • Softness. Let’s get right to it. It’s biggest sell factor is its softness. It is super cozy and soft. Buttttt there are a lot of soft blankets out there. I think the biggest difference is that Barefoot Dreams doesn’t lose its softness over time.

  • Texture. In comparison to a regular microfleece blanket, a Barefoot Dreams blanket is loosely knitted. Not too loose to where air can get through, but loose enough to give it a unique texture and feel. It’s the texture that keeps it looking as good as new if you take care of it properly.

  • Weight. Another reason why it is more than just a soft blanket is its weight. It’s not a weighted blanket by any means, but it is heavier than a microfleece throw. The weight of the knitted, textured threads definitely make it feel luxurious as well.

  • Pilling. Really lack there of… The texture doesn’t allow for any pilling, which is what keeps it looking nice for so long. Sure you could get a “pull’ in it if it gets caught on something, but even that would be able to fixed / hidden if you caught it in time.

  • Machine Washable. Yes, a lot of blankets are washable, but blankets of this caliber typically aren’t. The fact that you can wash and dry it is a big deal.

WHAT I DON’T LIKE ABOUT THE BAREFOOT DREAMS BLANKET

  • Price. The elephant in the room. I mean that is why I didn’t even consider buying one for the longest time. I’ll talk more about this below.

  • Shedding. While it doesn’t pill, I did experience some slight shedding when I first got it. Little pieces of fibers would come off here and there, but that has since stopped.

WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE BAREFOOT DREAMS LINE

As of now, I’m not really interested in a robe or anything like that. I did however buy socks to take with me to the hospital! They have some cool lines and collaborations though if you’re interested in other products. For now I’ll just stick to blankets!

IS A BAREFOOT DREAMS BLANKET WORTH THE PRICE

This is a tricky answer for me. While I do think it is a very high quality blanket, I don’t think it is worth you going into debt to buy a $150 blanket. If it is in your means, get it! If not, please don’t or just wait until you find one on sale.

Overall, I DO like supporting small businesses and I DO consider them local, since I’m so close to Malibu and visit there frequently… both factors in whether or not I think something is worth the buy.

I have a hard time justifying with a black or white “yes it is worth it” or “no it is not worth it” for a few reasons.

One is that it is made of polyester. I don’t have an issue with poly, but it is a manmade fabric and less expensive that say cashmere or even cotton. This fiber content would typically resort in a lower price. Now it is a large piece knitted fabric verses a 1x1 rib knit or piece of cheap fleece, so I do expect it to be more expensive. This blanket is 54" x 72" which is 4.5’ x 6’ which is 1.5 yards by 2 yards. Fabric is typically sold in yards. Since this isn’t just a strip of fabric purchased and is a special knit, it makes sense that it is more expensive, as it takes more time. Sure they can sell a microfleece blanket of this size for $20 as the bulk fabric was probably $2 or less a yard and the labor was minimal. I’m not sure of their margin and people can price things at whatever they want! It is clearly a luxury brand, so the pricing could be just to put them at the level they would like to be. People are obviously paying the price for them, so why not keep it at that price? I would guess they wholesale these blankets for $45 or $50, meaning that they’d cost about $20ish to make all in. When you think about it that way, a microfleece blanket probably costs $5 or less all in, which is why they can retail it for $20. That’s enough on retail math today ;)

Two is that is made in China. I have no issue with Chinese factories; however, it is well known that producing there is cheaper than the United States. If it was made here in the U.S. I would have an easier time justifying the price.

So I know that isn’t a straight answer of if I think it is worth it; however, if it helps you understand my answer, know that I will probably buy another one as Nick (as well as the pets) fight me over this one. I’m not sure if they go on sale around Black Friday or any other time, but I do know that they go on sale every year during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and that you can usually find some at Nordstrom Rack. Nordstrom Rack has some now but they are 45” x 60” instead of the 54” x72” I reference here. The latter fits across my California King bed, whereas the smaller version would probably be better as a couch throw or a blanket for one person.

So what. do you think of Barefoot Dreams? When I polled you on Instagram, 53% of you said Barefoot Dreams blankets were worth the cost and 56% of you said you wanted me to do a review of it. I happily took one for the team and can say I purchased and kept the blanket, because yes… it is that good. Would make for a great Christmas gift this time of year, so keep it in mind when you are doing your holiday shopping.

Want to know all that I mentioned above and more? Here’s a YouTube video of it all. Enjoy!

See this content in the original post

Like what you read? Click here to subscribe to my weekly newsletter. I recap the week and share recent posts you might have missed!