A kind sentence, printed where a stranger can read it. That's the whole idea. For more than five years it has been starting conversations and spreading awareness about mental health, while a portion of every order goes to the people doing the hard work on the front line.
The stranger moment.It happens every day, in every city we ship to.
1 in 7people worldwide
lived with a mental health condition in 2023. Most of them look exactly like everyone else in the queue. They're the person behind you at the checkout, the one across from you on the train, the one you've known for years and never asked. That's who the message is for.
A kind sentence, worn in public, changes the mood of a room without anyone saying a word.
Raise awareness
Mental health gets talked about when it's easy to bring up. We make it easy to bring up.
Kind acts for strangers
The message isn't for the person wearing it. It's for whoever happens to read it that day.
Support mental health programs
A portion of every order goes to crisis lines, hospital programs for young people, and prevention work.
How it started
It started with bags, and the positive quotes we put on them.
We had a small, slightly silly idea. What if the bag you carry every day could say something kind to everyone you pass? A few warm words, printed on the side, facing outward so the people around you could read them. So we made some, and we started putting positive quotes on bags.
The idea was simple. Someone reads it on an ordinary day, and it inspires them, or makes the rest of their day feel a little warmer, or starts a conversation that wouldn't have happened otherwise. The person carrying the bag doesn't have to say a word. The quote does it for them.
People loved the bags, so we made more quotes, then sweaters, then hoodies. Everything we've made since follows the same rule. The sentence changes. Sometimes it's a sleeve, sometimes it's the back of a hoodie where you can't see it but the person behind you can. The direction never changes: the message is for someone else. And a portion of every order goes to the people who do the hard work of mental health support.
Five years and more than half a million customers later, across everything we make, that's still the whole idea.
A bag with a kind sentence on it, facing the room. That's where it started.
Love the sweat shirt and more so the power of simple words. Hope it makes a lot of people stop and smile.
Claire M., verified review, Kindness Is Free Sweater
How it works
Three steps, no small print.
We'd rather explain the whole thing in plain words than hide it in a policy page.
1
You choose a message
A bag, a hoodie or a sweater with a sentence on it that you'd want someone to read. Most people choose one for themselves and one for someone they're thinking about.
2
We pack it and ship it
Your order is packed, tracked, and on its way within a few working days. Orders to the US and UK usually arrive within 6 to 8 working days of dispatch, and we cover all taxes and duties.
3
A portion goes to support
Part of every order is set aside for mental health programs: crisis support lines, care for young people in hospitals, and prevention work in communities. You don't have to do anything extra.
Out in the world
The message isn't really for you. It's for the person next to you.
Three things happen when you carry a kind sentence in public. We know, because our customers keep telling us in their reviews.
1
Strangers smile first
A kind sentence gets read by everyone you pass. Most people smile back before they realise they've done it.
I've gotten a number of compliments and smiles from people reading the message on the back, it's never been so easy to spread some kindness.
Nina M., verified review, Cloudy Days Hoodie
2
Conversations start
The sentence gives people permission to talk. Not about the weather. About the thing they've been carrying around.
Love the statement printed on the hoodie, it certainly started conversations when we were out.
Gwen B., verified review, Cloudy Days Hoodie
3
Someone hears what they needed
You never know who's reading. That's the point. The right words land on the right person on an ordinary Tuesday.
I get so many compliments on them and it always makes me smile when someone tells me it brightens their day as much as it brightens mine.
Letia H., verified review, Kindness Is Free Sweater
A note from the team
Why we still read every message you send.
We started Hoodies For Heroes because we kept seeing the same thing: people having a hard day in public, and everyone around them pretending not to notice. We didn't have a fix for that. We had a bag, a kind sentence, and a hunch that a message carried where strangers can read it does more than we give it credit for.
Half a million customers later, we still read the messages you send us about the people who stopped you. They're the reason the company exists, and the reason a portion of every order goes to the people who answer the phone at three in the morning.
Thank you for wearing it. Thank you for giving it. And thank you for reading it on someone else, and smiling back.
The Hoodies For Heroes team
Kind acts, reported back to us
Small things people did because of a kind sentence.
Nobody buys these for the compliments. They buy them for whoever happens to read the message. Here's what that looks like in real life, in our customers' own words.
One person laughed at "still standing" and commented well nobody has knocked her down, THEN she saw what it said on the back and absolutely loved it. She's a counselor and wanted to know where she could get one so I gave her the website.
Debbie L., verified review, Cloudy Days Hoodie
My cream hoodie was so well liked, that when I took it off & put it on my chair in a cafe, someone took it for themselves! So I hope they are sharing the message & the love too. You never know who needed that message today.
Christine S., verified review, Cloudy Days Hoodie
I have had so many compliments on my crossbody bag. People want to know where to get them and I refer them to your website. I have ordered many for my friends.
I get compliments everywhere I go. Then I encourage people to go to the Hoodies for Heroes website to order their own colour preference. It seriously brings joy wherever I go!
Catherine M., verified review, Smile Today XL Crossbody
I've helped several people order after they saw my bag! It is a real conversation starter!
Paula B., verified review, Smile Today XL Crossbody
I brought the pink cross body bag and it made me smile from the moment I took it out of the packaging! Then, much to my delight, it made friends and strangers smile too! Mission accomplished!
Every order supports mental health programs. The part of each order we set aside goes to the work that meets people on their hardest days, and just as often, well before them. Three kinds of work, in the countries most of our customers call home, and beyond.
Crisis support lines
The people who pick up the phone when someone has nobody else to call, at any hour, and stay on the line as long as it takes.
Children's mental health care
Programs for children and young people on mental health units in hospitals, where comfort, activity and a kind face change what a hard week feels like.
Prevention and community programs
Education, peer support and community initiatives that reach people early, long before a crisis, which is where the quiet work happens.
Most of the work isn't dramatic. It's a room, some chairs, and someone who turned up.
If today is a hard day
You don't need to buy anything from us to get help. If you or someone you love needs support right now, these lines are open around the clock and free to call from most phones.
988United States and Canada, call or text
116 123United Kingdom and Ireland, call free
13 11 14Australia, call. Text 0477 13 11 14
If someone is in immediate danger, call your local emergency number.
Every order supports mental health programs.
Who wears it
Half a million customers. Most of them aren't shopping for compliments.
Across every bag, hoodie and sweater we've ever made, that's who wears them. People who wanted something that says it for them, so the person next to them hears it without anyone having to say a word.
This bag makes me smile when I see it and brings smiles to others, as well! It's a simple, subtle way to spread joy. It can also be a great conversation starter.
Amy G., verified review, Smile Today XL Crossbody
★★★★★
I'm mentally ill, so your Mission is personal to Me. Thank you and Im glad to help spread positivity and awareness ❤️
Melinda C., verified review, Cloudy Days Hoodie
★★★★★
I love my new sweater, love the colour as I lost my mum 4 weeks ago and it was the colour of her nightie which is why I ordered this colour sweater.
Elaine W., verified review, Kindness Is Free Sweater
★★★★★
I'm always happy when people comment on this bag because then I can explain about the company's mission. And I get lots of positive comments!
Jennifer A., verified review, Smile Today XL Crossbody
★★★★★
My sister actually cried when I gave her it. It's a special message so everyone can see and think about that decision if they're in a bad way.
Maurern B., verified review, Cloudy Days Hoodie
Good questions
The things people ask us most.
Plain answers to the questions we get every week.
Where does the money go?
To organisations doing frontline mental health work: crisis support lines, children's mental health care in hospitals, and prevention and community programs, in the countries most of our customers call home and beyond.
You don't need to do anything extra. Buying a bag or a hoodie is the whole ask.
Are you a charity?
No. Hoodies For Heroes is a company. We design bags and clothes, sell them, pay a team and the people who make them, and set aside a portion of every order for mental health support.
How long does delivery take?
Bags are processed within 1 to 3 working days, and clothing within 3 to 5.
Delivery to the United States and United Kingdom usually takes 6 to 8 working days after dispatch.
Delivery to the rest of the world usually takes 8 to 12 working days after dispatch.
You'll get a tracking link by email as soon as your order ships. Delivery times are estimates, not guarantees. If tracking stops for more than two weeks, get in touch and we'll open a case with the carrier, and if the parcel is confirmed lost we'll replace it at no cost or refund you.
Where do you ship, and are there customs fees?
We ship worldwide. Most of our customers are in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, but if there's a postal service, we can usually reach you.
We cover all taxes and duties on every order, so there is nothing extra to pay when the parcel arrives. The price you see at checkout is the price you pay.
How do I track my order?
You'll get an order confirmation straight away, and a second email with a tracking link the moment your order ships. You can also check any order on our Track Order page at any time. Give the first scan up to 48 hours to appear.
What about quality and sizing?
Measurements and fit notes are on every product page, so please check them before you order, and if you're between sizes, go up. Several of our bags come in a larger size as well as the original.
If the fit isn't right when it arrives, you have 30 days from delivery to request an exchange or return, as long as it's unused and unwashed.
What if I don't love it?
Message us and we'll sort it. Our 30-Day Happiness Promise gives you 30 days from the day your order is delivered to request a return or exchange. Items need to be unused, unwashed and in their original condition, and returns need to be approved before they're sent back. As a small brand we can't cover return postage, but once the item is back with us your refund goes to your original payment method.
30-Day Happiness PromiseReturn or exchange within 30 days of delivery
Taxes and duties coveredNothing extra to pay at the door
Real humansWe aim to reply within 1 working day
Secure checkoutSSL-encrypted Shopify checkout, we never store your payment details
Wear something kind.
Every piece we make is a sentence someone needed to hear, and every order supports mental health programs. Pick the one that sounds like you, or like someone you love.
