Best name labels for childrens' clothes, stationery, shoes and bags

To help find the best name labels that won't just come flying off in the washing machine or dishwasher (or even with a little rough and tumble) we've put them to the test. We asked parents in our Top Testers Club to share their personal recommendations, and asked parents to try more unusual offerings to label their child's belongings. Our list includes everything from stamps to stickers, and we've even included allergy alert labels too.

To help you with iron-on labels, take a look at our roundup of best irons. If you've still got to do some school shopping, we've also rounded up the best back to school sales we could find from UK retailers.

• Jump to what to consider when choosing a name label

Best name labels at a glance

• Best name label set for variety: Name Label Starter Pack, £22 for 80
• Best name label for longevity: Stamptastic Stamps Basic Bundle, £24
• Best anti-bacterial name labels: MyNameTags Name Labels, £13.95 for 56
• Best name labels for mix and match: TinyMe Name Labels, £9 for 36
• Best name labels for small items: MyNameTags Ministickers, £15.95 for 175
• Best name label for dark clothes: KiddoStamp Customised Name Stamp, £14.99
• Best bag name labels: Colour Themed Bag Tags - Aluminium, £6.99 for 2
• Best name labels for shoes: Petit Fernand Personalised Shoe Labels, £6 for 10
• Best labelling pack for school trips: School Trip Labelling Pack, £27.95
• Best labels for allergies: Allergy Alert Labels, £2.50

Our pick of the best name labels recommended by parents...

1. Petit Fernand Name Label Starter Pack, £22 for pack of 80

–Best for variety

Size: | Washing machine safe: Yes (up to 90°) | Dishwasher safe: Yes | Microwave safe: Yes

This great value starter pack contains 80 labels; clothing labels (20 stick on and 20 iron on), object labels (10 stick-on mini labels and 20 one-line stick-on labels) and 10 stick-on shoe labels. This pack is great for if you're just jumping on the name labelling bandwagon. This set should include enough labels to label all your child's school supplies plus any other extras down to their glasses and glue stick!

Parent tester Bryony uses Petit Fernand name labels for her daughter Abigail's school uniform (pictured above): "We started using the stickers when my daughter began Year 3, she's just finished Year 5 and the same stickers are still going strong now! I love how hardwearing they are and thee cute designs are fun".

Pros: Variety of stickers to label different things, fully customisable, durable, can have different sticker designs for each
Cons: Can only have name and not contact details on some stickers

Available from: Petit Fernand

2. Stamptastic Stamps Basic Bundle, £24

–Best for longevity

Size: 38mm x 15mm (maximum) |Washing machine safe: Minimum of 50 washes | Dishwasher safe: N/A | Microwave safe: N/A

If you don't want to use stickers or iron-on labels then you could try a stamp. Members of our Top Testers Club praised Stamptastic for being a really fast and easy way to label clothes, and MFM editor Gemma uses this to label all of her son's clothes for nursery.

The bundle includes 1 black ink pad and 1 personalised stamp. When the ink runs out you only need to buy a new ink pad, not a whole new stamp. The special ink will last a minimum of 50 washes on care labels, and the brand claims that the stamp pad will last for 2 years, but only if stored in the bag provided – the air will dry it out much faster.

The handy transparent design of the stamp makes stamping in the right place easy too, and you can add a cute image from dozens of options to show off your child's personality, or upgrade to a character like the Paw Patrol one we picked for an extra 99p.

Parent tester Kirsty, mum of Daisy, 8, and Addie, 4, used the stamp on their school uniforms and said, "I love that it's small and lasts so long! Also that the pad can obviously be used for all children rather than needed 1 each, you just need different stamps for each."

Pros: Lasts up to 50 washes, only have to buy the stamp once, great longevity
Cons: Only suitable for clothes not objects, only has child's name not contact details

Available from: Ryman and Stamptastic

3. MyNameTags Name Labels, £13.95 for 56

–Best anti-bacterial labels

Size: 30mm x 13mm | Washing machine safe: Yes | Dishwasher safe: Yes | Microwave safe: Yes

MyNameTags offers both sticker labels and iron-on labels. The iron-on labels are best suited for clothing, including socks and underwear, while the sticker labels work for pretty much anything else. The regular stickers have an antibacterial layer to kill any bacteria on the surface of the labels, which is a great bonus if your kids love to get messy.

The iron-on labels and stickers are both washing machine-safe and the regular stickers are also dishwasher and microwave-safe too. Parent tester Nirali, mum of Aayush, 3, uses these labels on her son's belongings, such as his water bottle (pictured above) and said, "They've held well in the washing machine and dishwasher".

They come in a pack of 56 and are super easy to create and personalise. All you have to do is type your child's name (and your telephone number, if you want to add this). Next, pick from their selections of designs and fonts. Finally, select whether you want iron-on or just the regular stickers. Nirali commented that her son "had a fab time picking the design labels".

Parent tester Charlotte, mum of a 4 year old uses the iron on labels and loved how you could customise them, and even choose a robin, her daughter's favourite bird.

Pros: Anti-bacterial, completely personalised, washing machine safe, dishwasher safe, microwave safe
Cons: Get all the same size stickers in 1 pack

Available from: MyNameTags

4. TinyMe Name Labels, £9 for 36

–Best for mix and match

Size: Varied | Washing machine safe: Yes (iron on)| Dishwasher safe: Yes (sticky) | Microwave safe: Yes (sticky)

One of the best things that TinyMe offers that other brands don't is the option to mix and match the stickers. Parent tester Catrina, mum of a 3-year-old, TinyMe labels on school uniform and water bottles: "I love how they come in lots of different designs, patterns and colours to choose from and all different sizes. There are options for her first name and her full name which is great. We have a mixture of iron-on labels and regular stick-on labels".

Each sheet contains 6 large square name labels, 12 small square name labels, 8 small name labels and 10 mini name labels, either iron on or sticky labels. This should be enough of a variety to label everything you need to, from big objects to small items, such as stationery.

The sticky name labels will not stick to clothing and you will need to buy a pack of iron on labels to label any school uniform or other fabrics, but the brand does offer lots of bundle deals. The iron on labels are washing machine/dryer safe and the sticky labels are dishwasher and microwave safe too.

Pros: Mix and match designs, can vary first name and full name, get variety of sizes
Cons; Sticky labels do not stick to clothing

Available from: TinyMe

5. MyNameTags Ministickers, £15.95 for 175

–Best for small items

Size: 16mm x 6mm | Washing machine safe: Yes | Dishwasher safe: Yes | Microwave safe: Yes

For small items, use MyNameTags Ministickers: they are big enough to fit your child's name clearly but small enough to label small bits of stationery or other items that may not be big enough to fit a regular sticker. You get 175 in a pack so you will easily have enough to label all your child's school supplies.

You can customise the colour, but because they are so small, there is no room for an illustration and you can have a maximum of 12 characters so you can only have a first name on the sticker.

Parent testers Nirali, mum of a 3 year old and Charlotte, mum of a 4 year old, use MyNameTags and they both praised how well they last, even after being in the dishwasher.

And, like the other MyNameTag labels, these too are anti-bacterial.

Pros: Great size for small items, anti-bacterial
Cons: Can only fit first name, not as customisable

Available from: MyNameTags

6. KiddoStamp Customised Name Stamp, £14.99

–Best for dark clothes

Washing machine safe: Yes | Dishwasher safe: N/A | Microwave safe: N/A

Another stamp option is the KiddoStamp. What sets this stamp apart is that it comes with 20 inches of white tape to print onto black/dark clothing. Not only that, but the stamp itself is also really cute: you can get a blue owl, pink cat, panda or dog.

The fun-looking stamp makes labelling fun and may mean your child wants to get involved too. You can also personalise the stamp by choosing a little illustration and then of course your child's name.

It's also washer and dryer safe, should last up to 50 washes and is reusable, so unlike plastic stickers, it's environmentally friendly.

Parent tester Hayley, mum of Charlie, who is just under 1 year old has used this stamp on her son's nursery bag (pictured above) and said, "It eliminates the need for sewing/ironing on any name labels, especially as he's growing out of clothes so quickly. I did originally use a Sharpie to write his name in the bag but this very quickly rubbed off".

Pros: Comes with white tape for dark clothes, fun stamp, customisable
Cons: Not suitable for some items, only has child's name not contact details

Available from: KiddoSpace

7. Labels4School Colour Themed Bag Tags, £6.99 for 2

–Best for bags

Size: 84mm x 53mm | Washing machine safe: N/A | Dishwasher safe: N/A | Microwave safe: N/A

With so many similar bags hanging up at nursery or in the school cloakroom a bag tag can be really useful for your child to quickly identify their bag or stop other children mistaking it for their own. These bag tags come in a pack of 2, you can get either PVC (100% biodegradable), or aluminium if you want a slightly more heavy duty option.

The PVC tags come with a key ring and the aluminium bag tags come with a stainless steel wire and barrel lock. They're both waterproof, scratch resistant, durable and lightweight.

MFM Reviews and Consumer Editor, Christy, used these bag tags for her daughter's PE bag (pictured above) and complimented how hardwearing they were, "They feel very durable thanks to the strong metallic materials".

There are lots of designs to choose from and they're super easy to create online. Our tester chose a forest illustration design and said, "The animals are really cute with very tasteful colours".

One thing to note is that the tags are around the size of a credit card so are fairly big. Beware, as this means the contact information will be quite large and visible when out in public. However, this can also make identifying your child's belongings easier.

Pros: Plastic labels are biodegradable, highly durable
Cons: Aluminium may rattle against bag zips, big so contact information very visible

Available from: Labels4School

8. Petit Fernand Personalised Shoe Labels, £6 for 10

–Best for shoes

Size: 30mm x 30mm | Washing machine safe: N/A | Dishwasher safe: N/A | Microwave safe: N/A

To label shoe efficiently, try these specifically-made shoe labels from Petit Fernand. They're available in 38 background colours, with lots of different illustrations and fonts to personalise for your child.

The pack of 10 should be enough to label all your child's shoes, and they should stay on longer than some of the multi-purpose labels as they're designed to be rub-resistant.

Parent tester Andrea, mum of 2, uses the shoe labels (pictured above) and said, "They are very cute, you can use a mix of letters and image so if they are not old enough to recognise their name then they can identify the picture. Leyla wore them in her shoes for a whole school year and they stayed in just fine".

Pros: Rub-resistant, use image if can't identify name yet
Cons: Have to get all the same design

Available from: Petit Fernand

9. School Trip Labelling Pack, £27.95

–Best for school trips

Size: N/A | Washing machine safe: Yes | Dishwasher safe: Yes | Microwave safe: Yes

With all the excitement of a school trip and the potential for packing extra things your child may not usually take to school – most likely unlabelled items – there is a higher chance things may get lost or misplaced, hence why this school trip pack is such a great idea.

Each set contains 1 safety ID wristband, 2 bag tags, 30 clothing stickers, 20 stick on name labels and 20 transparent shoe label covers. With all this, the set could last you multiple school trips. All the clothing labels are washing machine and dryer safe and the product labels are also dishwasher and microwave safe too.

Pros: Labels for everything for a school trip, has added ID band
Cons: Labels not as customisable as others

Available from: Easy2Name

10. Allergy Alert Labels, £4

–Best for allergies

Size: Varied | Washing machine safe: N/A | Dishwasher safe: Yes (permanent) | Microwave safe: Yes (permanent)

If your child has an allergy these labels could help put your mind at ease. Our parent tester Bronte tested these labels with their 8-year-old daughter (pictured above), who has a severe nut allergy. She said, "The quality is fantastic, much better than I expected! They're durable, eye-catching and have really put my mind at ease for when she's in school/clubs without me as I'm always so worried that she'll be exposed to nuts. It's a great little reminder for all around her to be careful."

There are lots of allergy stickers available; dairy, bee, egg, fish, nuts, shellfish, gluten and wheat. In the pack you get 86 labels (18 large, 30 medium, 24 small and 14 round) to stick on anything you like. You have the option to choose semi permanent –for single use items or disposable food packets – or permanent. The permanent stickers are microwave, dishwasher and freezer resistant whilst the semi permanent ones are not.

"If you're considering buying these for your child with an allergy, do it! They really are worth it and give peace of mind. We will be ordering more! They're a strong, durable material and survived the dishwasher. The colours are great and my daughter loves the little squirrel design," Bronte added.

Pros: Puts mind at ease, great quality, lots of allergy options, permanent/non-permanent options
Cons: Does not include name

Available from: Labels4School

What to consider when choosing a name label

Durability – You want name labels that will last a long time – at least the whole school year – so you're not spending unnecessarily and having to constantly relabel your child's belongings. Therefore, it's important to get good quality labels that testers have found last well.

Dishwasher/washing machine safe – Much like durability, you don't want the labels to make your life harder (no hand-washing to preserve the label, for example). All the labels on this list can withstand dishwashing and machine washing (depending on use) and shouldn't come off or fade quickly.

Safety and security issues – As much as labelling is useful, you don't want everyone seeing your contact details, nor should you give away too much information about your child unnecessarily. In clothing, it's sometimes a good idea to label discretely, such as on the care label, so that strangers don't easily spot it. Teachers, childcare providers and other parents will know where to look. Also, be careful if you're putting further information such as an address or phone number onto anything. Only put details you feel are essential: a class or teacher name might be better?

Allergies – There are allergy stickers included in this list which are a must if you child has any kind of allergy. They will quickly alert a caregiver that your child may need special care, and are particularly handy if your child is too young to communicate this themselves.

What you are labelling – Different labels are designed for different things, so you may need more than one of the items on the list. Stamps, sew-on and and iron-on labels are much better suited for clothes and fabric whilst the stickers are great for lunch boxes, water bottles, stationery and pretty much everything else.

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