How to dress your baby properly in winter

For most parents, there’s nothing better in cold winter months than taking a leisurely walk with the baby: Feeling the warm sun, admiring the snow-covered landscapes and enjoying the time together – all this is wonderfully relaxing. However, it is important that the baby is properly dressed.

Here, many mothers and fathers ask themselves what to consider. Because: It goes without saying that the child should not freeze, but at the same time adults often mean it too well with the baby and dress him much too warm. Of course, this can lead to the fact that the child quickly begins to sweat and the clothes feel rather uncomfortable. Remember, this can also lead to a cold, especially if the baby experiences frequent temperature changes between heated buildings and freezing cold.

We show you what to look out for when you want to be outside with your baby in winter.

Baby clothes in winter – what is fundamentally important

In principle, it is always recommended to put on a bodysuit. This is recommended because a combination of briefs and shirt can quickly slip apart once and expose the belly or back. It is not absolutely necessary to choose a long-sleeved bodysuit, because, of course, very few adults wear long undershirts in the winter months. In addition, it would usually only sweat unnecessarily in these clothes. So it is quite enough to put on your child a normal short bodysuit and slip a shirt or sweater over it.

Many parents choose for their baby tights with colorful motifs, which of course look particularly cute. They are a good choice for cold days and, together with pants pulled over them, provide sufficient warmth in the snow. Likewise, do not do without a warmly lined jacket or a little coat. A good tip: Have at least two jackets ready for your child, because it can quickly happen that the baby spits on it and the clothes are no longer wearable.

Hats, Gloves & Co. – What babies really need in winter

Gloves, hats and scarfs are the most important accessories for adults on cold winter days – but are they just as important for babies? In principle, of course, it is recommended to additionally protect the baby from the cold, but you should choose the accessories carefully. A good solution, for example, are scarves in triangular shape, which can be excellently tied or also closed with a Velcro fastener. The scarves protect the child’s neck area from cold air and prevent a possible cold.

The scarves can be combined excellently with a pretty baby hat – parents should not do without this in any case. Remember: most of the body’s heat is lost through the head. So make sure that this area is always protected from the icy temperatures. This applies not only to the scalp itself, but also to the ears, where drafts can quickly cause a middle ear infection – and this is no less painful for the child than for adults too.

Gloves are a popular subject of dispute when it comes to baby clothing. Cold hands are often prevented by stretching the long sleeves of the jacket far over the hands or by tucking the hands under the warm blanket in the stroller. However, it is still recommended to use proper gloves as soon as the child can sit alone in the stroller. Pediatricians also recommend that newborns use socks for their hands, as the gloves available for babies are usually still too big.

Of course, parents should also keep their hands warm during walks in the cold air, but because you have to put on and take off gloves more often when you need to do something that requires free hands, many parents are annoyed and do not put on gloves at all. A good solution for winter walks with strollers is a so-called hand muff with fleece lining, which is folded over the handle of the stroller and fastened with snaps. This keeps out cold wind and even rain or snow, while always keeping your hands free.

Synthetic fiber – a surprisingly good choice for babies in winter

Surely most people automatically think of cozy wool clothing when it comes to winter clothing. Although this sounds nice, wool is not suitable for babies, because the fibers scratch the sensitive skin, which is unpleasant for the child and can even lead to irritation of the skin. Much more suitable at this point are synthetic fabrics such as fleece/polyester or even mixed fibers, which contain only a small amount of wool. Synthetics can also be confidently chosen for underwear, which should nevertheless be breathable. Unlike normal cotton, moisture is not absorbed by the fibers, but is effectively conducted to the outside.

Fleece is not a particularly skin-flattering material, but still always a good choice if you want to put a warm garment on your baby for outdoors. This is because fleece creates a cushion of air that retains heat optimally.
A popular example is fleece overalls that close with a zipper or snaps on the front. Important: The outer side should not be made of fleece, but preferably of a functional material that is water-repellent and robust.

Baby shoes or wool socks? What is the better choice in winter?

No matter how long you are outdoors with the child – in any case, the baby should not get cold feet. However, shoes are not always a good choice, as they can affect the development of the delicate feet of children. A better solution are leather slippers or even soft socks made of wool. These fit ideally to the feet and ensure that they remain pleasantly warm even in cold temperatures.

By the way: If you go for a walk with the stroller instead of the sling, it is quite normal for the baby to lie down a lot in the first few months of life. As soon as it is able to sit on its own, you can use a buggy, using a footmuff for the lower part of the body to protect the child from the cold.

The right baby clothes at home

Of course, in heated rooms it is not necessary to equip the baby with very warm clothes. However, at night it is often more comfortable if the child can put his feet in a lined sleeping bag – this could be lined with cozy lambskin, for example. Long-sleeved pajamas are also a must.