These $20 Toddler Coats Have a Secret Hack That’ll Get You Two Seasons of Wear

Kristine Solomon
·3 min read


If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission.


Any parent is familiar with the hustle and bustle of buying clothes for a kid who seems to be growing like a weed. Wouldn’t it be amazing if their clothes could actually grow with them? What a concept, huh? Well, Target’s in-house kids’ brand, Cat & Jack, is one step ahead of you. The brand that brings us the coolest, most affordable threads and a return policy that’s beyond generous has managed to outdo itself with this secret hack.

More from SheKnows

Today's Top Deals


It turns out there’s a $20 Cat & Jack Puffer Jacket for toddlers with a trick up its sleeve, quite literally: its sleeves are designed to extend after your child has outgrown the coat, so you can get another full season of use out of the jacket before it gets tossed in the giveaway pile.


Our mission at SheKnows is to empower and inspire women, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Target is a SheKnows sponsor, however, all products in this article were independently selected by our editors. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Cat & Jack Toddler Puffer Jacket

Click here to read the full article.

Price: $20

Buy Now


It’s the simplest trick and it’ll save you time and money (how’s that for a love language?). Check out the hack in action: this TikTok mom not only explains this hidden phenomenon, but she also visually demonstrates it.


While holding up a size 2T jacket — and specifically the sleeves that have gotten just a tad bit short for her 3T daughter — this resourceful parent reveals, “there’s a string in here that will let you extend it.” She then flips the sleeve inside out to reveal a row of stitching in red thread. “So we’re gonna give it a try and see if we can’t get another year out of this coat.” Then she grabs a pair of scissors and gets to work snipping away at the string, then unraveling it to reveal the extra fabric that was sewn down.


In less than a minute, the entire string is gone, and this clever mom holds up the sleeve to reveal at least a couple of inches more in length. “So now we have a whole cuff,” she notes, as the extension trick reveals more of the elasticized wrist cuff. “Should be able to get another season out of it — thank you, Cat & Jack!”.

Cat & Jack Toddler Puffer Jacket

Price: $20

Buy Now


A commenter noted that she actually got two extra years of use out of her kid’s Cat & Jack jacket thanks to this hack. Another was so excited, she ran down to the basement to check her kid’s coat in storage. “This is a game changer!” she gushed.


One commenter even pointed out that Cat & Jack snow pants have the same red string and are designed to do the same thing: extend the legs — and the life — of the slacks. “Cat & Jack always winning!” another user summed it up. Between this extension hack and Cat & Jack’s policy to provide a refund for any item within one year of purchase, no questions asked, we tend to agree. Kids will always need new clothes, but hindering the rate of hand-me-downs makes things so much more manageable.

More Top Deals from SheKnows

Best of SheKnows

Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter.
For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.