CDNTech
Senior Community Member
I feel kind of silly for having no clue how cold you guys get and for how long at a time.
You shouldn't feel silly. You've never lived in that climate, so how would you know just how cold it gets, kwim?
-
Welcome! CLICK HERE to ask a question about the best carseat or safest choice for your family. Visitor posts subject to approval.
Cuddle Bags
- Thread starter Mom2twins
- Start date
You shouldn't feel silly. You've never lived in that climate, so how would you know just how cold it gets, kwim?
ADS | |
Jewels
Senior Community Member
I don't think the weight of it is really any different. My biggest issue is that it goes in the bum area and often bunches in the crease of the seat.
I feel kind of silly for having no clue how cold you guys get and for how long at a time.
But how is the padding under the bum any different then a cloth diaper
If anything the padding in a bundle me lite would be much thinner.Yeah, it gets cold here! Not a biggie, don't worry about it i'm from BC and didn't know what cold was until I moved here.
CDNTech
Senior Community Member
***I've changed my stance on this after some checking... see post #33 in this thread***
If the holes in the cover don't match up with the seat, I would be cutting new holes at least an inch on either side of the slot.
This way you can visually check to see that the harness is laying flat and not caught up on anything and still have that extra warmth that the fleece bag would provide.
If the holes in the cover don't match up with the seat, I would be cutting new holes at least an inch on either side of the slot.
This way you can visually check to see that the harness is laying flat and not caught up on anything and still have that extra warmth that the fleece bag would provide.
Last edited:
TechnoGranola
Forum Ambassador
I wish they did! And they could close work while they were at it too!
Honestly though, in the last 10 years, I believe school has been closed exactly ONCE. And that wasn't necessarily due to temperature, but due to a huge blizzard that brought in so much snow that the buses couldn't run and people couldn't get out of their driveways or garages. Interestingly enough, DH still had to go to work that day....
In my entire school career here (elementary + high school + university), I had ONE time when we were sent home from school due to an impending blizzard. School was never once closed.
The baby has this CD she loves to listen to in the vehicle, and it has this song called "Snow Day" on it where it sings about kids wanting a "Snow Day" off of school to play in the snow. I always laugh because that doesn't exist here, and even if it did, it would too darn cold and dangerous to play outside!
TechnoGranola
Forum Ambassador
A huge problem I find is that the plastic shell gets sooooo cold and doesn't warm up the entire time you are in the vehicle on the ride to school (say a half hour). Without decent insulation behind baby's back, the cold transfers right through. And I'm not talking just a chill, but the plastic would literally freeze your skin if you had to place skin directly on it. So, it's mighty cold. The SafeSeat had a huge issue with this because the cold from the base would transfer through the car seat shell and through their skimpy fabric. I am glad that the convertibles I am considering seem to have some foam in the lower back area.
I have 2 snowsuits for DD. One is a one piece Columbia fleece suit which isn't particularly grand for here because the wind whips right through fleece. The other is called the Patagonia PuffBall. It sounds puffy because of the name, but it really isn't. Another car seat tech on another board actually recommended it because she said it's really no thicker than fleece.
I did the reverse of aidensmom02's test to check for fit. I put her in with the snowsuit and tighten her like I would. Then I took her out without loosening the straps, removed the snowsuit and put her back in. I then checked if I could pinch a horizontal crease into the straps and I could not. Although I am sure I could tighten a tad more without the snowsuit. The thing is, clothing won't compress to zero, so if you're going to wear something, you're going to need a tad bit more room to fit it.
The reason I did the test this way, is because I can know I can tighten the straps the same way everytime with her wearing the snowsuit. If I put her in with just a t-shirt, and then try it with the snowsuit, I have to remember what that tightness was with the t-shirt and everytime I harness her I have to think, "oh is this the same tightness as it would be with a t-shirt?". So, I think this way worked better for me.
Is my logic sound and is she still safe?
I have 2 snowsuits for DD. One is a one piece Columbia fleece suit which isn't particularly grand for here because the wind whips right through fleece. The other is called the Patagonia PuffBall. It sounds puffy because of the name, but it really isn't. Another car seat tech on another board actually recommended it because she said it's really no thicker than fleece.
I did the reverse of aidensmom02's test to check for fit. I put her in with the snowsuit and tighten her like I would. Then I took her out without loosening the straps, removed the snowsuit and put her back in. I then checked if I could pinch a horizontal crease into the straps and I could not. Although I am sure I could tighten a tad more without the snowsuit. The thing is, clothing won't compress to zero, so if you're going to wear something, you're going to need a tad bit more room to fit it.
The reason I did the test this way, is because I can know I can tighten the straps the same way everytime with her wearing the snowsuit. If I put her in with just a t-shirt, and then try it with the snowsuit, I have to remember what that tightness was with the t-shirt and everytime I harness her I have to think, "oh is this the same tightness as it would be with a t-shirt?". So, I think this way worked better for me.
Is my logic sound and is she still safe?
TechnoGranola
Forum Ambassador
And I forgot to add that putting her into any seat with just a t-shirt, mittens and toque would be crazy here. I would NEVER sit in the car with just a t-shirt on, one little bit of exposed skin accidentally touches a metal buckle and you've literally frozen your skin. Even with the vehicle warm, the seats (especially car seats with a plastic shell) just do not get warm enough for your baby to be safe from the temperature. I am thinking that here we likely have a higher risk of your child freezing skin or freezing to death than them being ejected out of their harness in an accident (assuming the thinnest snowsuit or jacket you can use, I don't mean using a huge puffy thing that won't allow you to tighten the harness).
TechnoGranola
Forum Ambassador
Sweet! Just wanted to be sure, it just seems to work better when explaining it to family and such if I do it the reverse way.It works both ways... if the harness is the same correct tightness while wearing the jacket/snowsuit vs. just clothing it is fine.
Yeah, but have you compared the thickness of the padding in your Peg Perego to say that of a bottom of the line Evenflo/Graco from Walmart? That alone is quite a difference in warmth.
My Evenflo for Aiden got cold in Spring weather... the top of the line Snugride I had for Mikkel was much more padded (similar to the Peg) and rarely got cold.
i was commenting for this instance, as she said it was a peg carseat she'd lent out
dang it gets cold there, i couldn't handle it being alberta born and raised
It is a Peg Perego that I lent out and I did have my twins in it that first winter with the cuddle bags and didn't find that we had the harness any looser than before we had the bags on it. But then it's hard to tell as the boys were growing! Oh and she went to a breafeeding dropin and almost all of the carseats had cuddlebags. We're in Ottawa and it's getting cold here and will only get worse.
Also with regards to snowsuits aren't they doing the same thing with my boys in their carseat (ie. adding a layer that can be compressed in an accident?). Are we all paranoid now? I don't think my parents have a single carseat for me and my brother and we're still alive 30 some years later. Yes I know it's the law and there's more traffic and nuttier drivers out there but back then they could drink and drive!
Also with regards to snowsuits aren't they doing the same thing with my boys in their carseat (ie. adding a layer that can be compressed in an accident?). Are we all paranoid now? I don't think my parents have a single carseat for me and my brother and we're still alive 30 some years later. Yes I know it's the law and there's more traffic and nuttier drivers out there but back then they could drink and drive!
Jewels
Senior Community Member
As far as cuddle bags go the only one I would really use is the bundle me lite and that is only if modifications were made to where the harness straps thread through because as it is now it isn't safe. It is much thinner then many of the bags and even then I would still check the straps every time to make sure they weren't getting caught up and that they are tight enough. For most areas usually a sweater, toque, mitts, lots of blankets and a shower cap cover really is sufficient.
A friend of mine wrote this article. It is very helpful for when you are putting older children in their carseats while wearing their winter jackets. Hope it helps you some
Things have changed in the past 30 years. Cars go faster, they are smaller, there are more cars on the road etc. Obviously there had to be an issue with children being injured or dying since they invented carseats. Just my :twocents:
A friend of mine wrote this article. It is very helpful for when you are putting older children in their carseats while wearing their winter jackets. Hope it helps you some
Things have changed in the past 30 years. Cars go faster, they are smaller, there are more cars on the road etc. Obviously there had to be an issue with children being injured or dying since they invented carseats. Just my :twocents:
Last edited:
CDNTech
Senior Community Member
I just got back from a trip to Babies R Us... I am changing my stance on the cuddle bags.
They are totally NOT SAFE!!
The cuddle bag that I had for Aiden (5.5 years ago before I knew better) had nice wide openings for the harness straps to come through at the correct spot.
The Bundle me Lite's openings do not come anywhere near the hip straps of the harness... meaning they would be improperly routed.
Here's a picture of what I mean...
Those hip straps coming out of the openings of the Bundle me Lite are a good 3" *above* where the actual straps come out of the hip slots. There's no way that harness could lay flat properly.
The thickness of the Bundle me Lite is totally fine... it's super thin...
This also means that the Bundle me Lite is not keeping anyone warm, much less a baby.
So... I'm back to investing in properly fitting fleece one piece 'snowsuits' for throughout the winter. It means you may need to buy more than one size, but I think it's worth it. A properly fitting thin fleece snowsuit will keep baby safe in the harness and it will also keep baby warmer. That's the route I would go with extra blankets piled on top.
Yes, I just ate crow. Quick... someone give me points for humility :ROTFLMAO:
They are totally NOT SAFE!!
The cuddle bag that I had for Aiden (5.5 years ago before I knew better) had nice wide openings for the harness straps to come through at the correct spot.
The Bundle me Lite's openings do not come anywhere near the hip straps of the harness... meaning they would be improperly routed.
Here's a picture of what I mean...
Those hip straps coming out of the openings of the Bundle me Lite are a good 3" *above* where the actual straps come out of the hip slots. There's no way that harness could lay flat properly.
The thickness of the Bundle me Lite is totally fine... it's super thin...
This also means that the Bundle me Lite is not keeping anyone warm, much less a baby.
So... I'm back to investing in properly fitting fleece one piece 'snowsuits' for throughout the winter. It means you may need to buy more than one size, but I think it's worth it. A properly fitting thin fleece snowsuit will keep baby safe in the harness and it will also keep baby warmer. That's the route I would go with extra blankets piled on top.
Yes, I just ate crow.
Quick... someone give me points for humility :ROTFLMAO:
Last edited:
CDNTech
Senior Community Member
What happened to the bundle me's that had the horizontal slots
I don't know but these ones suck!
snowbird25ca
Moderator - CPST Instructor
Jen, your last line of your post literally put me in giggles.
That's the exact bag that I was referring to earlier about the vertical lines and making the straps not lay properly. The mom whose seat I was checking at that seat check had a safety 1st infant seat, so different harness configuration, and it totally didn't fit in it either. And now you know why I said it wouldn't add any warmth..lol
It really is too bad though - if it didn't mess with the straps so badly, the weight of it most likely wouldn't interfere with the harness tightness. But a good fit is pretty much impossible with it.
It is kind of a catch 22 though, isn't it? Light enough to not interfere with the harness but heavy enough to actually add warmth. Someone needs to engineer a fabric that is thin but wind resistant, soft on the inside, durable and able to function like insulation. Anyone up for that?
eta: I tried to give you rep, but I have to spread some love first.
That's the exact bag that I was referring to earlier about the vertical lines and making the straps not lay properly. The mom whose seat I was checking at that seat check had a safety 1st infant seat, so different harness configuration, and it totally didn't fit in it either. And now you know why I said it wouldn't add any warmth..lol
It really is too bad though - if it didn't mess with the straps so badly, the weight of it most likely wouldn't interfere with the harness tightness. But a good fit is pretty much impossible with it.
It is kind of a catch 22 though, isn't it? Light enough to not interfere with the harness but heavy enough to actually add warmth. Someone needs to engineer a fabric that is thin but wind resistant, soft on the inside, durable and able to function like insulation. Anyone up for that?
eta: I tried to give you rep, but I have to spread some love first.
snowbird25ca
Moderator - CPST Instructor
Jen, this is totally OT, but what kind of gel nails did you say you have again? Seeing your pictures reminded me to ask.
Seeing your pictures reminded me to ask.
CDNTech
Senior Community Member
I just don't understand how a company can take a cuddle bag that could use some improvements and make it worse??
What were they thinking when they redesigned this thing?
Oh well... they are stricken from my list now. I didn't bother to check out the Jolly Jumper ones to see if they had changed (that's the one I had with Aiden... bad mommy!) because it is way to thick to use in the first place.
What were they thinking when they redesigned this thing?
Oh well... they are stricken from my list now. I didn't bother to check out the Jolly Jumper ones to see if they had changed (that's the one I had with Aiden... bad mommy!
) because it is way to thick to use in the first place.
CDNTech
Senior Community Member
Jen, this is totally OT, but what kind of gel nails did you say you have again?
They're BioGel and they are the best thing ever!
http://www.biosculpturenails.com/
You must read your carseat and vehicle owner’s manual and understand any relevant state laws. These are the rules you must follow to restrain your children safely. All opinions at Car-Seat.Org are those of the individual author for informational purposes only, and do not necessarily reflect any policy or position of Carseat Media LLC. Car-Seat.Org makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. If you are unsure about information provided to you, please visit a local certified technician. Before posting or using our website you must read and agree to our TERMS.
 |  |  |
Please Support Car-Seat.Org with your purchases of infant, convertible, combination and boosters seats from our premier sponsors above.
Shop travel systems, strollers and baby gear from Britax, Chicco, Clek, Combi, Evenflo, First Years, Graco, Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, Safety 1st, Diono & more! ©2001-2022 Carseat Media LLC