Straight to the point
Getting sizing right when shopping online is hard for everyone. When shopping for children, it can feel like trying to hit a moving target. Not to mention that sizing isn’t consistent across brands, and what looks perfect on a screen doesn’t always fit once it arrives.
When parents can’t get sizing right for their little ones, it results in disappointed kids and too many returns. For retailers, that means higher costs and lost sales. For families, it’s wasted time and extra hassle. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Kids’ virtual fitting rooms are changing the way parents shop online. They help parents find the right size the first time, every time. With technology built to account for growth, brand variations, and user behavior, these tools make kids’ fashion shopping smoother for families and more profitable for stores.
In this article, we’ll break down what a kids’ virtual fitting room is, how it works, examples of kids’ brands already using virtual fitting rooms, and why this technology is becoming the future of online kids’ fashion.
What is a kids’ virtual fitting room?
At its simplest, a kids’ virtual fitting room is a digital tool that helps parents find the right size for their child before checking out online. Instead of guessing whether a size 6 from one brand will match a size 6 from another, or buying multiple sizes and sending the wrong ones back, parents can use smart technology to get a precise recommendation.
Kids’ virtual fitting rooms are especially important because kids don’t stay the same size for long. Growth is rapid and unpredictable, and even siblings can grow at different rates. Consider these numbers:
- Babies triple their birth weight and grow about 10 inches (25 cm) in their first year.
- Toddlers (ages 1–3) shoot up 3–5 inches (7–12 cm) annually.
- Between 6–12 years, most children gain 2 inches (5 cm) in height and 4–7 pounds (2–3 kg) per year.
- During puberty, growth can accelerate to 4 inches (10 cm) per year.
It’s no wonder parents struggle to keep up!
With growth rates like that, it’s easy to understand why return rates in children’s clothing are around 15-20%, and just how valuable accurate sizing technology can be for children’s clothing.
A virtual fitting room is a time saver.
It makes the online shopping experience much smoother for consumers while simultaneously reducing returns, preventing disappointment, and helping kids get the right fit the first time.
How does a kids’ virtual fitting room work?
Sizebay’s virtual fitting room for children’s clothing is built on smart technology designed to solve a very human challenge: how to make shopping easier for parents while keeping kids comfortable and stylish. Here’s how it works:
- Parents provide simple details: Instead of pulling out a measuring tape, parents can enter their child’s age, height, weight, or foot length (for shoes).
- Data meets brand charts: The tool compares those anthropometric details with brand-specific size charts.
- Personalized recommendations: Within seconds, the virtual fitting room suggests the most accurate size for that specific brand and item.
The experience is designed to be fast and stress-free. On desktop or mobile, parents can shop confidently without second-guessing.
For retailers, the benefits go much beyond customer satisfaction. Every avoided return means lower logistics costs, less environmental impact, and higher profitability. Virtual fitting rooms also increase average order value: when parents trust they’re buying the right size, they’re more likely to add that extra T-shirt or second pair of shoes to their cart.
Imagine a parent shopping online for back-to-school sneakers. Instead of debating between two sizes, or ordering both and planning to send one back, they enter their child’s details into the virtual fitting room. The system confirms the exact size they should buy, factoring in brand fit quirks and recent growth. The shoes arrive, they fit perfectly, and everyone—parent, child, and retailer—wins.
Related: Children’s Size Charts: The Key to Reducing Returns in Your Online Store
Stores already making kids’ shopping smarter with Sizebay
Across the globe, leading children’s fashion and footwear brands are already using Sizebay’s virtual fitting room to create smoother shopping experiences for families. Here are a few:
BunniesJR
Based in the Netherlands, BunniesJR designs playful, durable footwear crafted for growing feet. Known for styles that balance comfort and design, the brand helps kids take their first steps and beyond. With Sizebay, parents can skip the guesswork around shoe sizing and buy confidently, knowing their child’s new pair will fit just right.
Case Study: Bunnies Jr
Braqeez
Another Dutch favorite, Braqeez is recognized for bold designs and durable construction. Its shoes are made to keep up with kids’ busy, adventurous lives. Through Sizebay, Braqeez makes it easy for families to find the perfect fit the first time.
Pablosky
Operating in over 40 countries worldwide, Spanish brand Pablosky is a leader in children’s footwear. Parents love the balance of design and durability, while kids love the comfort. Sizebay’s fitting room ensures consistency across Pablosky’s vast range and markets, building trust and reducing returns for both domestic and international shoppers.
Deux par Deux
Canadian brand Deux par Deux delivers premium, design-forward clothing that parents often see as investment pieces. With higher-priced apparel, parents expect a perfect fit on the first try. Sizebay reassures shoppers by taking the risk out of online sizing, ensuring that premium quality meets a premium experience.
Tip Toey Joey
Tip Toey Joey was founded by a Brazilian-Australian family to design soft, flexible shoes that support natural foot development from a baby’s first steps through childhood. With Sizebay, parents can be sure they’re choosing the right size for their child’s stage of growth, making the shopping process as stress-free as possible.
Tiny Cottons
Barcelona-based Tiny Cottons is known for playful designs and sustainable production methods. Its eco-conscious ethos extends naturally to reducing waste from returns, which makes Sizebay a perfect partner. By helping families order the right size from the start, Tiny Cottons delivers on both customer satisfaction and sustainability goals.
Why Kids’ Virtual Fitting Rooms Are the Future of Online Shopping
Returns in children’s fashion are expensive for retailers and frustrating for families. As more and more parents turn to online shopping for its convenience, brands need to provide solutions and tools that resolve sizing uncertainties.
Brands that don’t implement a good virtual fitting room tool can expect lost revenue, higher logistics costs, and the environmental toll of extra packaging and transport. Parents, meanwhile, can expect wasted time, disappointed kids, and fewer reasons to shop online again.
Children’s virtual fitting rooms tackle all of these problems head-on:
For parents: Confidence that what they order will fit their child.
For kids: Clothes and shoes that feel comfortable right away.
For retailers: Reduced returns, improved margins, and stronger customer loyalty.
For the planet: Fewer unnecessary shipments and less waste from returned goods.
Make Sure Your Brand Provides The Best Online Shopping Experience
As more brands adopt tools like Sizebay’s, accurate online sizing is set to become the norm rather than the exception. Families will expect it, retailers will depend on it, and the future of kids’ fashion e-commerce will look a lot more sustainable.
Shopping for kids online doesn’t have to be complicated. Shopping for growing kids is challenging, but the solutions to overcome those challenges already exist. Children’s virtual fitting rooms give parents peace of mind, kids the comfort they deserve, and brands the chance to grow sustainably.
From Dutch shoe designers like BunniesJR and Braqeez to global players like Pablosky, and Tiny Cottons, leading brands are already showing what’s possible when technology meets family shopping.
If your store wants to reduce returns, boost trust, and deliver a better shopping experience for parents, now is the time to explore Sizebay’s solutions.
Contact us today to schedule a demo!
