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Wearing your child in the colder months of the year is an amazing solution to stroller tires stuck in snow banks and a great way to keep your hands free while accompanying older snow bunnies. But it can pose practical problems: Do you put your own coat on under or over the carrier? How many layers does the baby need to wear? Won’t one of us be too hot or too cold?
There are many reasons why choosing baby carrier-specific cold-weather gear is preferable to bundling both wearer and baby up individually. For one thing, you benefit from each other’s body heat. For another, it’s much easier to remove layers that are on top of you and the carrier rather than having to remove the carrier to take off your sweater or remove baby’s snow suit when you get too warm. Furthermore, if you’re a big fan of the winter wonderland walk followed by carrier-to-crib transfer so mama can enjoy her hot chocolate, you’ll know that disturbing baby to remove her snowsuit is a risk you’re not willing to take. If she’s been kept warm under a cover, sweater or coat extension, then she’s not wearing extra layers when you roll her onto the bed or plunge her gently into her cot. Lastly, since we know that car seats and bulky snowsuits don’t mix, these babywearing cold-weather accessories are great ways to get baby to and from your vehicle without exposing him to inclement weather.
There are a lot of options at Lil’ Monkey Cheeks for fall and winter babywearing solutions. I’m here to break it all down for you so you can figure out which option is right for you and your little one!
Coat Extenders
Coat extenders are used with the jacket you already have! They work with most lengths and styles of zippered fall and winter coats. You can also use the coat extender to accommodate your baby bump. With the purchase of additional adapters, you can use the extender with a variety of coats, meaning both you and your partner can take advantage of this practical solution.
Kokoala
The Kokoala Zip-in Coat Extension features sturdy Velcro along its edges to which you attach the zippers that match your particular coat. Don’t worry, there’s a really easy-to-follow quiz that will tell you exactly which zipper to order!
To up the warmth of your Kokoala, you can also purchase an additional fleece liner that attaches inside. Kokoala also makes special warm socks for carried babies, a hood that attaches to the extender and a neck gaiter for the babywearer!
Read my full Kokoala review here.
Make My Belly Fit
Like the Kokoala, the BellyFit Zip-In Jacket Extender zips into your favourite winter or fall coat. The extension has zippers already attached, and depending on your jacket, you may or may not need to purchase additional adapters which zip on to the extender and then onto your jacket. For extra warmth, you can add a snap-on fleece layer.
Carrier Covers
Carrier covers go on top of the baby carrier and around the baby wearer. Depending on the weather, you might wear your own coat open, on top of the carrier, or zipped up and underneath. If you want to secure your coat around the carrier and cover so it doesn’t flap in the wind, you can use one of those mitten clips (You know, the ones you use to attach mittens to children’s cuffs?!) to attach the two edges of your coat.
Cozy Frog
The Cozy Frog by Little Frog is made of high-quality fleece. It secures around the wearer’s neck using Velcro and is tightened to fit around baby using drawstrings. There are cuddly pockets for your hands, too! Dress baby in regular clothes and add the cover on top when it’s just a bit chilly, and add layers to baby’s outfit as the season progresses!
Chimparoo Babygloo PLUS
The Chimparoo Babygloo Plus protects baby from wind, rain and snow, and is rated to minus 15° Celsius. The hood is removable and can be placed in different positions, allowing you to wear baby both facing in and facing out, on your front or back. The cover attaches to the straps of most babycarriers, and the elastic hem tucks up around baby’s legs. You can also use the Babygloo in the stroller or car seat!
Babywearing Sweaters
Babywearing sweaters go over or around the wearer and the baby: imagine a sweater with an opening for baby’s head and enough extra width for their body. This is a sized option, so not always easy to share between wearers. A babywearing sweater is enough to keep the chill off in the fall, or a great base layer for really cold days.
Belly Bedaine
The Belly Bedaine is suitable for pregnancy, front carries, back carries and even just as a loose-fitting nursing sweater. The side zippers make it easy to get the sweater over you and baby. It takes some practice to pull the sweater over baby in a back carry, but it’s very doable. The lighter version is made of a tight mesh jersey knit. I start using it around 10° C, with baby dressed in regular clothes. As it gets cooler, I add a fleece layer to baby and put a coat on top for me.
New this September is Belly Bedaine’s Kuuma Kangaroo Sweater! It is lined and is recommended up to -10° C. Belly Bedaine also makes matching hoods for baby, you can see my review of their baby bear hood here.
Belly Bedaine also makes a tandem babywearing sweater, which you can special order!
Read my full Belly Bedaine review here.
Enter to win a Baby Hood here!
Boba Hoodie
The Boba Hoodie is recommended for about 7-18° Celsius. Made of soft French terry, it has thumb holes to keep those sleeves in place when layering. You can use it for a front or back carry.
Huggaloops Multiway Sweater
The Huggaloops Multiway Sweater is so much more than a babywearing sweater. Yes, you can wear it on top of your Huggaloops Carrier, but you can also rock it while pregnant, nursing, or none of the above! You can definitely use it on top of other carriers if you don’t own a Huggaloops.
Read my full Multiway Sweater review here.
Enter to win a Multiway Sweater here.
General Tips for Cold-Weather Babywearing
- Tread carefully: It’s bad enough to slip on ice when you’re on your own, but with your baby strapped to you it could be disastrous! The best way to prevent falls is to wear appropriate footwear and take your time.
- Layer: Even when it’s well below zero, don’t forget that your baby will be pressed against your chest or back, and you will both be sharing body heat. I find I dress myself lighter if I know I’ll be carrying my daughter than I would if I were going out without her. Choose apparel that’s easy to remove as the day warms up or as you start to sweat from the effort of trudging through snow with an extra 20 lbs! I like to use baby legwarmers on my arms and on baby’s legs because they’re easy to pull off without taking off the carrier.
- Keep baby’s airway clear: Make sure baby’s airway is not obstructed by the extender, cover or sweater you’re wearing. Also make sure your own accessories (your hood, your scarf) aren’t impeding baby’s breathing.
Shop & Connect
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Nicole says
I think the belly bedaine is the baby wearing option for me once the weather gets cooler which sadly it’s started already.
Stephanie S says
I love the idea of the Belly Bedaine as it can be used for both pregnancy and babywearing (and I love supporting Canadian companies!)
Britney L says
I’ve always used a maternity coat to zip up over my carrier and baby, but all these innovations are very cool!
Chelsey Gike says
I can’t wait to try out some of these options this winter when my little man gets here!
Kate says
I have a Kokoala with fleece liner and love it for these cold Alberta winters. I’ve been looking into sweaters for this Fall – thank you so much for breaking it all down for us!
Carrie says
I would love to have the Boba Hoodie!
Elishia says
Without trying anything on, I love the look of the Belly Bedaine sweater. It looks perfect for chilly weather, and we could add some layers and wear it through winter, too! I’m not a fan of heavy coats and usually just layer sweaters and jackets through winter.
Jennifer noel says
To me they are all great ideas. But for what I want to do while baby wearing, the belly bedaîne and the huggalloops layered sweater are my favorite.
Sadly belly bedaines don’t do plus size,or at least my size. But hugaloops has a custom option so I am.definitely getting one for myself….or two. Or five.
I do wish more of these makers did have plus size parents in mind. I mean size 24 and more. Because we are there.
Thank you for the nice reviews.
Christina H says
It’s hard to find information on babywearing cold weather solutions so thank you for compiling this list! I really like the idea of the Kokoala coat extender because then I can stay warm easily without my own coat flapping open.
Vannessa Leppek says
I can’t decide if I would like the cozy frog or the belly badaine better. Both would definitely keep baby warm just the way I would want it too!
Marie says
I love the idea of the jacket extender. Then I could use any baby carrier 🙂
The belly bedaine sweater does look very cozy too!
Bethany S. says
I have the Make My belly fit coat extender and I LOVE it. I wore it with my winter parka last winter while pregnant and it was perfect! I even got to wear it a few times with my baby in a carrier and it worked great. I’m looking forward to testing it out again this winter with more babywearing! The Belly Bedaine sweater and the Huggaloops Multiway sweater also look like great options for fall/spring!
Amber Ludwig says
I love the Belly Bedaine’s Kuuma Kangaroo Sweater!! I love being able to share my body heat with my kiddo and both be super comfy!! Plus it gets so cold here that anything for super cold temps is a huge plus!!
Tannis W says
I think I would like the Belly Bedaine sweater the most.
Dulce Finegold says
Perfect for winter!
stephanie says
I love the different sweaters, which would be great for indoors or less chilly days. I hate the cold so I would probably prefer a coat extender!
Sophie Magnuson says
I would love the Make any Belly Fit since I’m pregnant this winter and love baby wearing so I’ll get a ton of use out of it!! Even if I don’t win I’ll be buying one!
elizabeth says
the cold-weather babywearing option that is right for for me is Boba Hoodie, thanks for the chance.
Darlene W says
I like the kokoala coat extender, my dil is due December 19th so this would come in handy
Kimberly Stoessel says
Since I live in Northern Minnesota, and I don’t drive either a carrier cover or a coat extender would be the best option for me. Last “spring” at my mom’s after all winter putting my daughter in her snow suit to go to appointments and taking it off when we got there I discovered that I could zip my inner layer of my two layer coat to make a quick babywearing cold weather cover. I am currently thinking of options for this year. We also did blankets in my coat.
Jessica CG says
I like the Belly Bedaine’s Kuuma Kangaroo Sweater and Huggaloops Multiway Sweater. My 15 month old still likes to be worn on front and back and I like the option to do both.
Savannah K says
The Huggaloops Multiway Sweater Is the one that is calling my name. It has so many options and would be perfect for a lot of different weather.
Elizabeth C. says
I bought two Make My Belly Fit jacket extensions (ordered the wrong size first but kept it as it fit another jacket lol) last winter to accommodate my growing pregnant belly. I ended up not having to use them so I am very excited to test them out this winter for baby- wearing!
Jen Houle says
I would love the cozy frog because it would work with either of our carriers for my husband or myself.
Sabrina Hansen says
Trying to make the final decision but I am drawn to the Make My Belly Fit the most.
Doriana Hutton says
I think the cold-weather baby wearing option I would like to try the most would be the Belly Bedaine!
Aurora PL says
I like the Carrier Covers and coat extenders
Rachel Wifethenmama says
I really like the sweaters that allow you and the baby to wear them at the same time.
Savannah Meri says
Anything that protects LO’s face from the elements and doesn’t totally kill my back 😉
Ashley Morel says
I would love one of the coat extenders because it gets REALLY cold where we live and I would love to be able to use my regular coat with baby.
Briana says
I already have a Kokoala (which I got from Lil Monkey Cheeks). I used it last winter when I was pregnant and loved it! Can’t wait to use it this winter with my baby. I am dying for a Multiway Sweater.
Krystal Finhert says
Loving the new lennelamb fleece sweaters 🙂
Annie Mercier says
since I bought a mantoo last winter, I understand how important babywearing cloths are. I think the sweater from belly bedaine is what I need to complete my collection. With the hood for my daughter.
Ashley says
I love the idea of the coat extender. We have a very tiny two year old but dont wear him as much. He is EXTREMLY active hence why he doesnt come up much ha ha. That said were trying to extend are family so this would save me from buying a new coat, and let me wear the next little one during the cooler months.
Shantiqua Allen says
I would use the maternity coat because after my second baby boy comes it will be better for me, it will give us that special bond besides with breastfeeding
Gretchen Luper says
baby wearing sweater would be my choice or the hoodie.
Tara G says
The Belly Bedaine looks like it would great in a variety of temperatures. Would love to try one!
Michelle Rosser says
I would like to buy all of these haha, but I have researched Belly Bedaine would be my choice I love how they are Canadian and also how it’s a nice sweater instead of the coat, easy to layer!
Wendy says
Love the Huggaloops Multiway Sweater and would love to gift one to my daughter.
Brianna Lynn says
I really like the The Huggaloops Multiway Sweater because I am yet to loose the weight from having my baby girl. This option would work best for me to carry baby in the winter, just roomy enough.
Laura says
I really like the Belly Bedaine’s Kuuma Kangaroo Sweater. These are awesome! Love it!
Shailja says
All of these are so cool…I want Warm..but the Chimparoo baby wearing gloo will work best for me while I walk to pickup my elder one from school and keeping my infant warm at the same time.
Brooke Reber says
I’m so nervous about baby wearing in the winter as it will be my first winter with my son but this actually made me feel better! I didn’t realize there were so many options!!!
Nadia Blasutti says
I have a jacket insert and it works great for front carries. I wouldn’t mind and all in one like the Belly Bedaine Kuuma Kangaroo Sweater.
Danielle D says
Make my belly fit would be perfect for us. I think that it would be the most versatile and useful for our lifestyle and family.
Knittinchick says
I love the Kuma Kangaroo… I think that would be great for a good chunk of walking days in Calgary in the winter! (says the girl who’s hopeful for a not-too-intense winter!)
Angela Ingles says
I would use many of these fall/winter babywearing options, but I’m intrigued by the Belly Bedaine’s Kuuma Kangaroo Sweater – specifically the tandem wearing one. I have a 2 year old and am expecting a newborn in January.
Alleyjack says
Love the Kokoala extender! This would be great for babywearing and future pregnancies! 🙂
Wanda Bee says
The Chimparoo Babygloo PLUS would be perfect for me.
Octavia says
I love the sweaters for fall, but the Chimparoo looks awesome for cold weather and would be just right for me during winter.
Erin A says
Last time I had a baby was summer so I didn’t have to worry about this. I think the best option might be boba hoodie for me, but I don’t know! Tough decision…
Marie Cole says
These are all really nice babywearing coats. I didn’t know they made stuff like this last winter so I ended up just making myself a crocheted attachment for my own winter coat but these are so much nicer.