Variations by hoodie and storage
Zip-up hoodies. Zip them all the way up before folding so the front stays flat and the zipper doesn't track diagonally through the fold. A zipped hoodie folds cleaner than an open one in every method below, including the pillow trick.
Pullover (no zipper). Easier to fold than zip-ups because there's no zipper bulk along one side. The hood-pillow method works especially well here since the pullover's flat front gives the hood a square pocket to tuck into.
Thin hoodies and lightweight fleece. Use the KonMari upright stack. Thin material doesn't have enough body for the pillow fold to hold shape, but stands up beautifully on edge in a drawer once you fold to a third of the height of the drawer.
Thick hoodies and sherpa-lined. Switch to the travel-roll method. The bulk fights against any flat fold, but rolling distributes the bulk evenly along the length so the hoodie packs smaller than a stack of two flat folds.
Kid's hoodies. The pillow method is faster for kids' drawers since you don't need a perfect KonMari rectangle — fold once long, tuck into the hood, done. Kids' hoodies are also short enough that one tuck completes the wrap, no extra fold needed.
Common questions about folding hoodies
What's the best way to fold a hoodie?
Depends on where it's going. Drawer or shelf: the KonMari fold stacks vertically and lets you see every hoodie at once. Suitcase or backpack: the travel roll packs smallest and won't wrinkle. Going on a trip and want to skip a pillow: the pillow-tuck method turns the hoodie itself into a pillow you can use on the plane. There's no single best fold; pick the one that matches where the hoodie is heading.
Should you hang or fold a hoodie?
Fold. Hanging a hoodie stretches the shoulders out within a few months, especially for heavier or fleece-lined ones. The hanger creates lumps in the shoulder area that don't disappear after a wash. Fold even your favorite hoodie; if you must hang, use a thick wooden hanger and lift the hood up over the hanger neck so the weight pulls evenly instead of just on the shoulders.
How do you fold a hoodie without it being bulky?
Fold the hood inward first instead of letting it hang off the back. A hood folded flat against the back of the hoodie disappears into the fold rather than doubling the height. Same goes for hoodies with kangaroo pockets: smooth the pocket flat before the first fold or it'll create a lump in the middle of the stack.
Can you fold a hoodie like a t-shirt?
Yes — the KonMari closet fold is essentially a t-shirt fold with one extra step to handle the hood. Lay the hoodie flat, fold both sleeves in toward the center, fold the hood down on top, then fold in thirds bottom-to-top. The result stands on edge in a drawer just like a folded t-shirt.
How do you fold a hoodie to fit in a small drawer?
The KonMari upright stack is built for this. Fold each hoodie to about a third of the drawer's height, then stand them on their narrow edge side by side instead of stacking. You see every hoodie at once and can pull one out without disturbing the rest — the same way folded t-shirts work in a Marie Kondo drawer.
