Forget hats – this £16 M&S piece is the secret to staying warm this autumn

Blustery mornings are back, hair gets flattened under beanies, and the school run feels two degrees colder than the forecast. You want warmth without the faff, and you don’t want to spend a fortune. There’s a surprisingly simple fix hiding at M&S for **£16**, and it doesn’t sit on your head.

At 7.42am outside a corner café in Leeds, the wind turned the queue into a quiet dance of hunching and shivering. A woman tugged a wool hat lower, then gave up, pulling her hood over it. The man behind her fidgeted with earphones and a scarf, already late. One person, though, looked oddly unbothered: collar high, chin wrapped, ears covered without a hat in sight. No fluff. No fuss. Just a neat **fleece-lined** loop peeking from his coat, like he’d installed heating around his neck.

He paid, pocketed his gloves, glided away. I caught up to ask. “It’s a £16 snood from M&S,” he said, half laughing, “and I haven’t had cold ears all week.” The secret wasn’t on their head.

Meet the quiet hero: a thermal snood that replaces the hat

There’s a reason the neck is the first place cyclists and hikers protect. Warm blood passes just beneath the skin, and the breeze zaps it fast. A snug snood creates a soft seal that stops heat escaping up your collar and keeps your ears toasty when you slip it higher. It’s the small adjustment that changes your whole walk.

Unlike a hat, it won’t squash your hair, slither off in a gust, or block your headphones. It simply sits there, doing the unglamorous work of keeping you warm. Not dramatic. Just dependable.

I tried the M&S thermal snood across a wet week of commutes, dog walks, and a Saturday on the touchline. First morning, I wore it low and felt my shoulders drop. The second, I pulled it up over my ears as the bus turned the corner and felt the sting disappear. *It takes five seconds and feels like central heating.*

On the football pitch, kids yelled, parents stamped feet, and the rain did that sideways British thing. I tucked the snood into my coat and forgot about it until someone asked, “Where’s your hat?” It was on my ears, just invisible.

Here’s the simple physics: warmth is about trapping air. Hats protect a single exit point. A snood wraps the switches—neck, ears, jawline—so your core stops dumping heat into the wind. Coat collars are rarely enough because they gap as you move. A snood fills that gap and doesn’t budge.

We’ve all had that moment when a cold gust sneaks down your collar and makes your whole body tense. This solves exactly that sensation. The added bonus is flexibility: wear it low when you’re hot on the Tube, then slip it up when you pop back outside.

How to wear it so it actually works

Think of the snood as a seal. Put it on first, then zip your coat over it so the fabric sits inside your collar. When the wind picks up, roll the top edge to cover your ears and the back of your neck. If you’ve got a hood, pull that up and you’ve created a cosy tunnel of air around your face.

On mild days, leave it low and let your coat breathe. On nippy nights, layer it with a thin scarf for style without bulk. It’s also brilliant for running: pop it on, warm up, then fold it down to a neck band once you’re moving. Simple, no faffing at the gate.

The main mistake people make is size and fabric. If it’s too loose, wind whips in and you’ll keep readjusting. If it’s scratchy, you’ll take it off in ten minutes. Look for a soft, brushed inside, a slight stretch, and a mid-height profile that reaches ear level without bunching. Let’s be honest: nobody really does that every day.

Pairing matters too. With a trench, keep it slim and sleek. With a puffer, go plush. If you wear make-up, put the snood on before foundation and roll it down to avoid transfer. Headphones? On-ears fit fine with the snood rolled over the ear, in-ears disappear under it so you get a little extra sound insulation.

When someone says “Forget hats,” this is what they mean: swap single-use warmth for a piece you can modulate minute by minute.

“I stopped carrying a hat and gloves,” a reader messaged me. “The M&S snood lives in my bag, and I don’t think about the weather anymore.”

• Roll up for ear coverage, roll down for ventilation.
• Zip your coat over it to block crosswinds.
• Choose a **heat-trapping design** with soft lining.
• Machine wash cold, air-dry flat to keep it fluffy.
• Neutral colour = goes with everything; one pop colour for fun.

A small switch that changes your whole season

This isn’t an epic gear buy. It’s not a big-loud parka or some ski-tech balaclava. It’s a £16 habit. Pop the snood in your bag, hang one by the door, and you’ll feel different about stepping outside when the clouds look grumpy. Less bracing. More “I’ll be fine.”

If you’re someone who runs hot on the train and freezes at the bus stop, this is made for you. The speed of adjusting it is the magic—no hat on, hat off dance, no scuffed hair, no lost gloves. The comfort is low-drama and constant.

I’ve started noticing how many people are quietly wearing them—tucked into pea coats, peeping out from denim jackets, pulled high under cycle helmets. Not flashy, not fussy. Just a neat fix to a very British problem: the breeze that finds you on the corner, in the queue, on the walk home. You might still love a hat on frostier days. You might not need one as much.

There’s a wider shift here, too. Autumn feels better when we spend more time outside, not less. A small, cosy trick that removes the “ugh, it’s cold” hesitation is oddly powerful. You go for the lunchtime stroll. You say yes to the late pint at the pub garden with heaters. You show up to the match and actually enjoy it.

And if you’re gifting this season, this is one of those “How is it only £16?” presents that get used daily. It’s the kind of item that disappears into the routine and earns its keep five minutes at a time. If you try it, you’ll see what I mean.

FAQ :

• Is the £16 M&S snood really warm enough to replace a hat?For typical autumn days, yes—covering neck and ears traps heat fast, and a hood finishes the job in wind.
• Will it mess up my hair like a beanie?No, it sits at the neckline and can be rolled under your ears, so your hairstyle mostly stays intact.
• What’s it made from?Most M&S thermal snoods use soft, brushed synthetic blends with a cosy lining; check the label in store or online.
• How do I wash it?Machine wash cool with similar colours, skip the tumble dryer, and dry flat to keep the lining plush.
• What size should I choose?Many are one-size with stretch; if you prefer looser or tighter, look for styles with more height or adjustable drawcords.