Maxaloones. Monster Bunz?!
If you have NO idea what those are, you’re not alone. To me, they sound like a kid’s cartoon character or maybe a show name…but that’s not exactly what they are.
Grow with Me Pants.
Ok, nooow you probably know what I’m talking about. I bet you’ve seen them on a Facebook group. They have big cuffs, lots of fancy patterns, and you can only get them from shops who make handmade items, like Mouse & Hatter Designs.
So how the heck do Maxaloones and Monster Bunz relate to Grow With Me Pants? They are both patterns to make and sew Grow with Me Pants, but they aren’t as similar as you’d think.
Monster Bunz have been created by Opulent Monsters and can be found on Etsy. While Maxaloones where created by Max and Meena, and can also be found on Etsy.
So, thanks to Mouse & Hatter Designs, I have a pair of each to compare the difference.
1.) Sizing
They wouldn’t be Grow with Me Pants if they didn’t have a range of sizes that fit several age ranges, but the way they structure their sizes are a bit different. Monster Bunz offers fewer sizes with bigger ranges, while Maxaloones offer an additional size with slightly smaller ranges.
Monster Bunz
Small: 0 – 6 months
Medium: 3 – 18 months
Large: 1 – 4 years
Maxaloones
Squisiloones: nb – 3/6 months
Miniloones: 3 – 12 months
Original Maxaloones: 6m – 3 years
Monster Maxaloones: 1 – 5 years
[callout]CATEGORY WINNER: Monster Bunz (I’d rather buy fewer pants that last longer)[/callout]
2.) Shape
While it’s not initially obvious, once the two patterns are side-by-side, it’s easy to see that there’s a very different shape between the two patterns:
Monster Bunz: Wider
Maxaloones: Skinnier
[callout]CATEGORY WINNER: Monster Bunz (They are still fitted by aren’t too tight)[/callout]
3.) Length
Again, when paired up side-by-side, there’s not a huge difference, but the dimensions are slightly different.
Monster Bunz: Shorter
Maxaloones: Longer
[callout]CATEGORY WINNER: Maxaloones (My daughter is in the 100% percentile for height, so Maxaloones took the category for length)[/callout]
4.) Waist band
This was one of the most distinct differences for me because the band on the Monster Bunz is almost half the size of the Maxaloones. I like the fit of both, but I can’t understand the need to have extra fabric at the waist on the Maxaloones because even as your child grows, the waist in relation to the “diaper area” doesn’t change so it seems like it’s an unnecessary addition.
Monster Bunz: Shorter
Maxaloones: Longer
[callout]CATEGORY WINNER: Monster Bunz (I don’t need the extra fabric of the Maxloones)[/callout]
5.) Ankle cuffs
Again, the Monster Bunz are noticeably shorter that the Maxaloones
Monster Bunz: Shorter
Maxaloones: Longer
[callout]CATEGORY WINNER: Tie! (I keep going back and forth on this one, but I can’t decide. I like that the Monster Bunz are shorter because it’s a better fit, but my daughter is tall and I wonder about how they’ll fit at the top of the range.)[/callout]
The Winner:
Monster Bunz!! Ultimately this decision came down to the fit, which I found to be a bit more flattering. Please don’t get me wrong, I still love the Maxaloones and would be very happy to have more pairs, but if I had to choose between the two, I’d pick the Monster Bunz.
Where can you buys Monster Bunz?
Ottawa handmade shop, Mouse & Hatter Designs makes loads of them and have an unbelievable amount of fabric to choose from. I’ve worked with her before and she’s incredible fast and talented. I’d highly recommend her! She’s also one of the few people in Ottawa who makes Monster Bunz Grow with Me Pants. You can find her here: https://mousehatterdesigns.com/
Check out my daughter modelling both pairs of pants! Picture 1 & 2 = Monster Bunz, pictures 3 & 4 = Maxaloones.
