It’s cold outside? It is not a reason to stay home! Long walks are a perfect healthy activity for the whole family. If you don’t want push the stroller through the snow or simply want to continue babywearing in the winter, here are some cold weather babywearing tips for you.

Winter and cold weather babywearing

Babies can't adjust to temperature changes as well as adults and can lose heat rapidly, much faster than an adult. This is why once it gets cold many parents are wondering how to keep their baby warm while babywearing. Should I put an extra layer of clothing on my baby? Should I zip up my coat and put the carrier on over it? Should put the baby carrier on under my jacket? If so, should I buy a bigger jacket size to cover me and my baby and should I put on my baby an outerwear?

In this article our babywearing consultants answer all this questions for you:

• How do I keep my baby warm during babywearing?
• How to prepare for cold weather babywearing walks?
• How to dress a baby for babywearing?
• How to keep baby's feet warm ?
• What are the winter babywearing safety rules?

How do I keep my baby warm during babywearing?

Having extra layers and clothing on you and your baby can make babywearing challenging. But trust our babywearing consultants, it does not have to be the case! Babywearing in winter cold weather may be simple!

Just keep your baby close to you with no unnecessary clothes layers between you and your little one. The advantage of babywearing over a stroller in winter is that you keep your baby warm with your own body heat. To use this advantage you should not put layers between you two.

This means you should not put a jacket, snow-suit or other outerwear on your little one.

How to prepare for cold weather babywearing walks?

The best option is to buy a babywearing coat or a jacket for babywearing. If you don't have big enough budget go for a babywearing sweatshirt with a babywearing cover for your little one and ordinary jacket for you.

We recommend wearing newborn and little babies (under 3 month) only under the coat. It is essential to provide the correct babywearing position for the babies who can’t support their head. It is very difficult to wrap a baby tight on the coat. In our opinion even with older babies, wearing under the coat is the best choice. However, lots of toddler like walks, when they can run and play. When their legs start getting tired, they want to be carried in this case best option is babywearing cover.

Babywearing coats, jackets and ponchos

The best solution for winter and cold weather walks while carrying your baby in a carrier is a coat, jacket or poncho designed for babywearing. Having your baby and a carrier under your outwear will use your body heat to keep your baby warm.

We recommend you Mamalila Hooded Babywearing Coat for a ice cold weather.

 You can also go for a Mamalila Softshell Babywearing Jacket fro you and Mamalila Softshell Babywearing Jacket for Men for your partner.

In a mild climate when it is not icy cold you can go for a MaM Äiskä Babywearing Poncho Polar Fleece or MaM Äiskä Babywearing Poncho Herringbone Classic.

Our pro tip for happy cold weather babywearing:

If you go out with a toddler who knows how to walk if your babywearing coat or jacket don’t forget to take a jacket of child with you in case your little one wants to stretch the legs.

Babywearing covers

It is not essential to have a babywearing coat to practice babywearing in winter. If you don’t wish to spend too much you can also choose a bit less expensive option. You can keep your usual coat (or your a jacket) and buy a babywearing cover that will protect baby from the cold and make the link between the two parts of your coat.

We recommend you go put under a Babywearing Sweatshirt (for example: Naturiou Maternity and Babywearing Sweatshirt 3 in 1)

A babywearing cover attaches to a baby carrier and is usually equipped with a hood.

The advantage of the babywearing cover over a coat or a sweatshirt is that you can use it to keep your baby warm while staying cool wearing only a T-shirt. This is useful if you are hiking and you are worm but it's cool and you little one may be cold.

There are many different brands of babywearing covers available. You can find them all here: best babywearing covers.

For cold weather we recommend you:

•  Ergobaby Winter Weather Cover Black
•  Naturiou Babywearing Softshell Cover
•  Lucky Babywearing Cover 3 in 1
•  Néobulle Universal Babywearing Cover V2
•  MaM Deluxe Softshell FleX Babywearing Cover
•  MaM Deluxe FLeX Babywearing Cover
•  Mamalila Babywearing Cover Softshell Vario

If you are searching for a cover that you can use all year long in all weather conditions! Go for the MaM All-Season Combo FleX Babywearing Cover 3-in-1

The MaM Exclusive FleX Wool Blend Babywearing Cover Herringbone Classic is more suitable for mid-season whereas the Ergobaby Weather Rain Cover Black you can use simply as a rain protection.

Keep in mind that most of the above mentioned covers are multi-functional (Lucky, Narturiou,Neobulle,MAM). You can use them as a babywearing cover, but also a car seat cover or a stroller cover. Take a look at this Naturiou Babywearing Softshell Cover:

How to dress a baby for babywearing?

Dress your baby as warm as you are dressed. Remember that a wrap or a carrier is an additional layer of clothing and you will be dressed in the babywearing coat. We recommend you to wear wool clothing, as wool absorbs moisture, keeps you dry and warm. Weather you are carrying with a baby wearing coat/jacket/poncho or you carry with regular coat avoid the thick baby snow-suits and thick outwear as it makes very difficult to adjust the baby carrier. Choose comfortable, soft clothing like for example the Lennylamb Bear Romper.

Don’t forget to protect the baby’s head, hands and legs from cold!

Baby hats and hoods

We recommend you to keep you baby’s head and neck nice and warm with MAMidea ManyMonths Natural Woollies Elephant Hood made of rib knit 100% merino wool, the Naturiou Baby Hat Adjustable Balaclava Style that will serve you form birth to 3-4 years old or the Turtleneck for Two by LennyLamb that protects well the space between the caregiver and the baby from cold and wind and is equipped with a baby hood.

Turtle-neck Double Dickey

If you already have a hat don't forget about keeping your and your baby's neck worm. The Turtleneck Double Dickey by MaM is a great option when you already have a had for you little but you wan to protect the space between you.

How to keep baby's feet warm ?

Socks are definitely needed in cold temperatures, made of warm, organic materials (for example Wool). Wearing shoes should be avoided as much as possible during the first year of a baby’s life to allow for natural foot development. The best choice are the soft babywearing booties.

Best Winter Babywearing Booties

• Naturiou Babywearing Softshell Booties
• Mamlila Winter Booties

Winter babywearing safety rules

• Keep your baby’s airways clear: your baby’s face should be always uncovered.
• You should always be able to see your baby’s face at simply glancing down.
• Always use a hat (mittens and booties as an option). Head, hands and legs need additional layer of clothing as they are not covered by wrap or carrier.
• Keep in mind that a wrap or carrier is an additional layer of fabric on the baby and caregiver is also the source of heat. Do not overheat the baby.
• Avoid slippery surfaces and choose appropriate shoes for winter walks to avoid falling down.

Now you are ready for winter walks! You wish you amazing adventures and lots of discoveries! Do not hesitate to ask if you have any questions about babywearing in the cold winter weather.

Important: Babywearing coats and sweatshirts as well as covers are not products that may carry the baby's weight. They simply protect your baby from cold while babywearing. You need a baby wrap or carrier to use them.