H&M vs Old Navy: the whole-brand comparison
How the two brands stack up across every category we cover them in — drawn from what owners and reviewers actually report, with sources. How we review · last researched 2026-07-18
The short answer
H&M and Old Navy sit in the same budget bracket but aim at different shoppers: H&M cuts closer to the body and chases trends — one comparison notes its "overall fit is more tailored and runs smaller than Old Navy's" — and it offers a genuine step-up tier (wool and cashmere knits, a heavyweight premium hoodie line) inside the same store. Old Navy is the comfort-and-sales brand: roomier American sizing, very soft fleece and stretch fabrics, and near-constant promotions that make full price essentially optional. Neither brand's clothes are built to last years — owners peg H&M jeans at roughly a year to a year and a half and report pilling and shrinkage at both — so the real question is fit and feel, not durability. Pick H&M for slimmer cuts and the occasional above-its-price piece; pick Old Navy for relaxed fits, softness, and the lowest sale prices.
At a glance
Prices are each brand's representative staple in the category.
Jeans: H&M vs Old Navy
At $35 list, this is a dead heat on price and a split decision on everything else. Owners give neither brand durable denim: H&M pairs are pegged at roughly a year to a year and a half of wear, while Old Navy testers saw inner-thigh pilling by the fourth wash on the slim fit and a belt loop come loose after five on a loose pair. The asymmetries are fit and buying strategy. H&M's cuts favor slimmer hips and occasionally punch above the price — one reviewer called a selvedge pair possibly his best under 70 pounds — so it rewards shoppers willing to hunt style by style. Old Navy's stretch blends need no break-in, its Straight Built-In Flex held shape best in testing, and reviewers uniformly say to wait for sales that drop core fits to $22–$28, which Old Navy runs almost constantly. Sizing runs in opposite directions: Old Navy waists run a half inch to a full inch large (size down), while H&M's slimmer cuts mean most people stay true or go up.
Owners describe the jeans as decent for the money but short-lived: commenters in a long discussion thread peg typical lifespan at about a year to a year and a half and advise not to expect longevity, framing them as trend purchases. Individual style reviews are warmer — one reviewer was impressed by a selvedge pair that felt tough and rough out of the box, calling them possibly the best jeans he had bought for under 70 pounds, and a reviewer of a stretch style (91% cotton, 7% polyester, 1% elastane) reported lots of stretch that does not bag out and keeps its structure. The common thread is that quality and durability vary noticeably by style.
- Strengths
- Low price; some styles (selvedge, stretch) reviewed as well-made and shape-holding
- Watch out for
- Owners report roughly a 1 to 1.5 year lifespan; quality varies by style
Reviewers treat the line as a budget buy that is fine at sale prices but uneven across fits. A long-form test of the men's line found the Straight Built-In Flex held its shape best through repeated washing, while the slim fit showed inner-thigh pilling by the fourth wash and a loose pair had a belt loop come loose after five. The stretch blend (about 74% cotton, 24% polyester, 2% elastane) means no break-in period and decent shrink resistance, but a shorter overall wear life than pricier denim; shopper feedback on the stretch fits is heavily comfort-driven. Reviewers consistently advise waiting for the near-constant sales rather than paying full retail.
- Strengths
- comfortable stretch fits with no break-in; frequent sales drop core fits to the $22-$28 range
- Watch out for
- durability is uneven across fits — pilling and loose stitching showed up within a handful of washes on some pairs
T-Shirts: H&M vs Old Navy
The closest category — both are soft cotton basics with the same failure modes (shrinkage after hot washing or machine drying, pilling under heavy rotation), and both are cheap enough that owners largely forgive it. The differences are structural. H&M's line spans four distinct cuts from slim to intentionally oversized loose, so fit problems are usually a wrong-cut problem rather than a wrong-size problem; its multipacks work out to roughly £6 per tee, undercutting Old Navy's $12 list (though Old Navy's 2-for-$20 promos close that gap). Old Navy's soft-washed tees run relaxed only, with more weight and opacity than the price implies, but carry a caveat H&M reviews don't raise as often: quality varies batch to batch by factory. If you want a fitted or slim tee, H&M is the only one of the two really offering it; if you want a relaxed, opaque tee at a promo price, Old Navy's is the better fabric.
Reports split along expectations for the price. Owners describe the basics as soft to the touch and cheap — one reviewer put a three-pack at roughly £6 per tee and called it worth it — and say color and shape survive normal cold washing. The recurring complaints are shrinkage when washed hot or dried on high heat (the brand's own quality page allows up to 5% shrinkage on knits/jerseys) plus pilling and fabric thinning under heavy rotation. The line spans several distinct cuts (slim, regular, relaxed, loose), so much of the fit feedback comes down to picking the right cut rather than the right size.
- Strengths
- soft cotton jersey at multipack prices, in a wide range of cuts from slim to loose
- Watch out for
- shrinkage from hot washing or high-heat drying, and pilling or thinning with heavy wear, are the recurring complaints
The vintage/soft-washed tees drive most of the coverage. Owners call the fabric soft with enough weight to stay opaque, and like the promo pricing (one reviewer bought hers at 2 for $20). Long-term reports are mixed: slight shrinkage after a wash-and-dry cycle is common, some tees pill after a few washes, and a recurring caveat is that quality varies by which factory made a given batch. The vintage-style cuts run relaxed rather than fitted.
- Strengths
- soft, opaque fabric at low promo prices
- Watch out for
- batch-to-batch variation by factory; slight shrinkage and pilling after a few washes reported
Hoodies: H&M vs Old Navy
Old Navy takes this one on the evidence. Its washed Rotation hoodie averages 4.8 of 5 stars across more than 15,000 ratings, and the most repeated behavior in reviews — buyers reordering the same style in extra colors — is about as strong a satisfaction signal as budget fleece gets. Its one recurring flaw is wash shrinkage, which some buyers preempt by sizing up. H&M's case is different: the outer fabric resists bobbling and pieces reportedly survive three or four winters, but the brushed lining flattens and hardens with repeated washing, so the hoodie that felt plush in year one won't in year three. H&M's real edge is range — its premium blank line is a genuinely heavyweight loopback cotton that Old Navy has no answer to at $30. For soft, light, everyday fleece, buy Old Navy; for a heavier, more structured hoodie, H&M's upper tier is the only option between the two.
Owners describe H&M hoodies as soft-lined, easy daily wear that delivers more than the low price implies, and long-term posters report pieces surviving three or four winters of home wear. The most consistent durability note is that the brushed fleece interior flattens and hardens after repeated washes, even though the outer fabric holds up without going bobbly. Reviewers also flag that weight varies a lot across the range: standard pieces are mid-weight, while the premium blank line is a genuinely heavy 460 gsm loopback cotton.
- Strengths
- outer fabric resists bobbling for the price; the premium blank line is heavyweight (460 gsm loopback cotton)
- Watch out for
- brushed lining loses its fluff and hardens with repeated washing; fabric weight differs widely between lines
Owner ratings on the fleece hoodie lines are strongly positive — the washed Rotation hoodie averages 4.8 of 5 stars across more than 15,000 ratings — with softness and lightweight warmth the most repeated praise. Buyers frequently come back for extra colors of the same piece, and the zip fleece styles get named for layering and workouts. The recurring complaint across the brand is shrinkage after washing, which leads some buyers to size up.
- Strengths
- very soft fleece at low prices; owners repeatedly reorder the same style in more colors
- Watch out for
- shrinkage after the first washes is a recurring complaint across the brand
Sweaters: H&M vs Old Navy
This is where the brands' philosophies diverge most. H&M's knitwear has a ceiling Old Navy doesn't attempt: wool and cashmere pieces in the $60–$80 range that owners report washing well and holding up, with a fashion editor calling an H&M wool jumper her best purchase from the brand. Its floor is shakier — the cheapest knits draw the same short-term-purchase doubts as the rest of the fast-fashion range. Old Navy plays one note and plays it well: the SoSoft line gets repeat praise for feeling more expensive than its $35 price, in a wide color range, but reviewers concede these are budget knits that won't outlast pricier ones, advise checking the fiber content because pilling varies sharply by blend, and note they run big and roomy. If a natural-fiber sweater is the goal, H&M is the only one of the two selling it; if you want soft, cheap, roomy crewnecks in many colors, Old Navy's consistency wins.
Reports split by fabric tier. The wool and cashmere pieces draw the strongest reviews: one long-term owner reports the cashmere held up well after washing at a $59.99–$79.99 price, a fashion editor called the wool jumper her best purchase from the brand, and forum posters say their H&M jumpers wash well and get bought in multiple colors. On the basic knits the picture is more mixed — owners like individual pieces but some treat the cheapest knitwear as short-term and look for something longer-lasting when it matters.
- Strengths
- wool and cashmere pieces reviewed as well above their price and reported to wash well
- Watch out for
- quality varies across the range; longevity doubts concentrate on the cheapest knits
Owners buy these for softness at a low price — the SoSoft line in particular gets repeat praise for feeling far more expensive than it is, with strong marks for color range and basic shapes. Durability reports are mixed: some sweaters last several seasons and hold their shape, while pilling shows up faster on some blends, so reviewers advise checking the fiber content before buying. The most common care advice is to hang-dry them to extend their life.
- Strengths
- Softness and color selection for very little money, especially the SoSoft knits.
- Watch out for
- Pilling varies a lot by fabric blend; these are budget knits and reviewers concede they won't outlast pricier ones.
Sizing & fit, side by side
Sizing notes are per category — we never convert sizes across brands.
Which should you buy
Choose H&M if…
- You want slimmer, more tailored cuts — H&M's fit "is more tailored and runs smaller than Old Navy's," and its jeans cuts favor slimmer hips
- You want an upgrade path in the same store: wool and cashmere sweaters and a heavyweight premium hoodie line that Old Navy doesn't offer
- You want fitted or slim t-shirts — H&M sells four distinct cuts from slim to oversized, where Old Navy's tees run relaxed only
- You shop trend-first: H&M "reflects a global, trend-focused aesthetic" versus Old Navy's classic casual lane
Choose Old Navy if…
- You buy on sale: Old Navy's near-constant promotions drop core jeans to $22–$28, and reviewers say never to pay full retail
- You want roomy, predictable American sizing — Old Navy runs large and relaxed where H&M runs small, so it's the safer blind online order if you size down when between sizes
- Softness is the priority: the SoSoft knits and fleece hoodies (4.8 of 5 across 15,000+ ratings on the Rotation hoodie) are Old Navy's strongest suit
- You want stretch denim with no break-in period rather than style-by-style quality roulette
Ready to compare actual garments? Start with jeans →
Common questions
Which is cheaper, H&M or Old Navy?
List prices are nearly identical — both staple jeans are $35, and tees are $10 (H&M) vs $12 (Old Navy). In practice Old Navy usually ends up cheaper because its sales are near-constant, dropping core jeans to $22–$28; H&M's multipack tees (about £6 each) are its best per-item value.
Does H&M run small and Old Navy run big?
Broadly yes, and it's the biggest practical difference between them. A vanity-sizing guide describes H&M as selling clothes that run on the smaller side — a usual size 6 often needs an 8 or 10 — while Old Navy pieces mostly fit larger than the size tag, with jeans waists running a half inch to a full inch large. If you're between sizes: size down at Old Navy, size up (or stay true) at H&M.
Is H&M or Old Navy better quality?
Neither is durable, but they fail differently. Old Navy is more consistent in feel — very soft fleece and stretch fabrics — but shows batch-to-batch variation and early pilling on some jeans fits. H&M is more variable style to style, with a lower floor and a higher ceiling: its wool, cashmere, and premium heavyweight pieces review well above their price, which Old Navy doesn't attempt.
Are H&M or Old Navy jeans better?
Owners give both a short lifespan — about a year to a year and a half for H&M, and pilling within a handful of washes on some Old Navy fits. Choose H&M if you want slimmer cuts or a shot at a standout pair like the selvedge styles; choose Old Navy for comfortable no-break-in stretch and sale prices in the low $20s.
Is H&M or Old Navy better for work clothes?
For casual offices, H&M is the stronger bet: its more tailored, trend-aware cuts and fine-knit sweaters read dressier than Old Navy's relaxed, comfort-first shapes. Old Navy is better for weekend and family basics than for anything you'd wear to look sharp.
Sources
Although cheap, are H&M Jeans worth it? (Yelp discussion) · Selvedge Jeans From H&M Review (Michael 84) · Finding the Right Fit: H&M Ultra High Ankle Jeans Review (C'est Bien by Heather Bien) · Old Navy Men's Jeans: An Honest Review - Tumbleweed Thrift · Old Navy's Loose-Fit Stretch Jeans Are Just $30 Right Now - Men's Journal · Old Navy Boot-Cut Jeans review - ReviewStream · New In My Wardrobe: H&M Slim Fit T Shirts [Review] | Michael 84 · Product Quality | Sizing, Materials & Care | H&M CA · H&M Loose Fit vs. Relaxed Fit T-Shirt: What's the difference? - Apart Style · Washing clothes (h&m tees) without shrinking? | Kanye to The forum thread · Old Navy Vintage Tee Review - Wardrobe Oxygen · Best Old Navy T-Shirts: Snugged Crop & Vintage | Reviews - TikTok @michelle.heideman · Old Navy Reviews: Pros & Cons - ConsumerAffairs · H&M Hoodie Blank Staples Review - I Got One, Here's How It Stacks Up | Michael 84 · Quality of H & M sweatshirts | Mumsnet · Old Navy's Washed Rotation Hoodies Start at Just $10 - Men's Journal · 27 Reliable Pieces Of Clothing From Old Navy If You're Always In A Rush · Shoppers Are Raving About Old Navy's Cool Weather Essential - Parade · Old Navy Hoodie Review | TikTok · The Search for the Best Affordable 100% Cashmere Sweater — The Peak Lapel · Everyday jumper needed | Mumsnet · Decent knitwear that lasts? | Mumsnet · The H&M Wool Jumper That's Raking in 5-Star Reviews | Who What Wear · This $20 Old Navy sweater feels like cashmere and is my winter MVP (Yahoo Creators) · Old Navy SoSoft Sweaters Review: Styles, Fit, and Outfit Ideas — Merrick's Art · Old Navy SoSoft Cropped Cardigan Review: Fit, Feel, Pilling & Best Colors — Lemon8 · Old Navy Women's Sweaters Review — SheSpeaks · Men's White Regular Fit Oxford Shirt | H&M US · Men's White Slim Fit Easy-iron Shirt | H&M US · Review - H&M Oxford Shirt (Myntra customer reviews) · Does H&M Run Small or Large? A Guide to H&M Sizing - Wear Next · Old Navy vs. H&M: What's the difference? [2026 updated] · Vanity sizing: How to shop retailers like Old Navy, Loft, and H&M — Reviewed