Another winter coat question

[tarynsmum]

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And yes, I've searched, and yes, I posted about this before.

Here's my problem: I feel like the only real option I have is the Trail Model Fleece Jacket from LLBean. But will it really be warm enough in the winter? I live in Pittsburgh, where it does get cold, but not below 0 usually. I do park outside, and we do have to leave the house around 7:00-8:00 in the mornings (so it'll be cold). She's NOT into the fleece poncho, and I don't think a blanket will work, because the seat itself is what's cold.

I guess I'm just getting frustrated. It seems like all the 'good' coat/jackets start at 4 or XS. I need something in 18/24 month, MAYBE 2T (although I'm afraid 2T might be too big, tbh).

I'm so confused about what I'm going to do once it gets cold. She's very independent, and wants to climb in and out of her car seat, take her coat off and on, etc. Don't know how well that'll go when it's 15 degrees.

[joolsplus3]

Ooh, and that's a good price, too. I think I have the same one for my ds and it's quite cozy. I think with an undershirt, turtlneck, sweater, and fleece jacket there's really nothing to compress and she should be warm enough. Plus she's RF...she won't be slamming forward into straps that are further away from her body under compressing clothing...

[UlrikeDG]

For 18 mo - 2T, I really like this: Hanna Andersson Cozy Fleece Warmup Suit. It's one layer of SOFT cotton and one layer of WARM fleece. Not very thick at all, but very warm. I did get mine (two of them) on clearance, so I didn't spend $62 on them, and they have been/will be handed down.

LandsEnd has one that's not cotton lined, but is less expensive.

[joolsplus3]

I took your advice on that Hanna from years ago, Ulrike...found one on ebay last year for about twenty bucks, I think, and it's NICE. Leah's about 86 cm, and she has an 80 suit, it's getting a tad short on either the arms or legs, I can't remember... might be time to buy a 90

[UlrikeDG]

I have an 80 and a 90, but this year I'll actually have a winter newborn instead of a winter toddler. I guess I should start looking for a good deal on the smaller sizes.

[Kalinky]

We had this one last year http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/st...berId=12500226 .

We're in Cincy - I bought another for this year in 18M. Iv'e seen these around but not as cheap as this site and the biggest they have left now is 18M. I like how the hands and feet cuff over.

I would love to get a car seat poncho to put over that when it gets really cold (or to use instead of that) but they're so expensive. I'm really not looking forward to seeing how it all goes....

[wendytthomas]

Could you microwave a blanket before you go and have it warm and ready to toss over? Or is it the sitting down in the seat part that's awful? Maybe put a rice sock in the microwave and then run that out to the car for a minute before you bring her out?

No more help, we live in North Carolina where we rarely need to worry about compression under the harness.

Wendy

[melniemi]

http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/sto...p&feat=5267-tn

I've always gotten my dd these snowsuits for winter. We live in Upper Michigan so it gets very cold. She has never complained about being cold. She even plays outside in it when it is above 30 - and when she comes in, she isn't cold. I haven't ever had to adjust her straps when she wears it. I'm disappointed it only goes to a 3T - it is a bit small on her this year - yes, we've had to break them out already! It's been 30's in the a.m.!! I love them - and have often gotten them in LLBean's sale section and see them on ebay a lot. Good luck! The Columbia ones work well, too. Check out cabelas.com - they had some on sale. Sierra Trading Post has some thin fleece snowsuits, too. I just got my baby a Columbia one - my llbean one is too big for her - she didn't grow as fast as my others.

[lovemyfamily]

I buy the boys heavy Columbia coats for winter. They do not wear them in their carseats. Typically I give the car 5 minutes to warm up before I put the boys in it. I warm it up, it is not parked in a garage, then come in and get them the rest of the way ready, I run out, and crank the heat. By the time I come in, get them at the door, turn on the security system, get them out the door to the car, it is toasty warm. I then take their jackets off and lay them over them in their carseats.

[snowbird25ca]

My dd was into both independence and blanket hating last winter. We spend probably half the year with morning temps below freezing, and when winter hits a warm day is 5 F, average is more like -13 F, deep freezes can hit -40 (although the car is warmed up before we go out when it's that cold...)

We do undershirts and sweaters for every day clothes, then a thin coat that gets left on in the car. Everything else gets taken off when we get into the car & then they get covered up with double fleece blankets.

Dd and all her independence last winter & not willing to use blankets made me so sure she'd get with the program after a couple car trips in the cold and want to have blankets - nope, she still didn't want them and never complained of being cold... Once a car warms up, I don't think it's really that much of an issue. The biggest PITA is getting them bundled, and then unbundled every time you get them into the car or out of the car.

(This year I'm going to try and make a poncho for the kids, the idea of 2 kids to dress & undress multiple times every time we go somewhere isn't all that appealing. )

Oh, and when it was really cold, I left dd's snowpants on her. They weren't really bulky and I felt better about them than a coat because they didn't change how the straps fit.

[lovemyfamily]

http://www.carseatponcho.com/ has anyone tried these?

[andbabiesmake4]

Originally Posted by snowbird25ca

My dd was into both independence and blanket hating last winter. We spend probably half the year with morning temps below freezing, and when winter hits a warm day is 5 F, average is more like -13 F, deep freezes can hit -40 (although the car is warmed up before we go out when it's that cold...)

We do undershirts and sweaters for every day clothes, then a thin coat that gets left on in the car. Everything else gets taken off when we get into the car & then they get covered up with double fleece blankets.

Dd and all her independence last winter & not willing to use blankets made me so sure she'd get with the program after a couple car trips in the cold and want to have blankets - nope, she still didn't want them and never complained of being cold... Once a car warms up, I don't think it's really that much of an issue. The biggest PITA is getting them bundled, and then unbundled every time you get them into the car or out of the car.

(This year I'm going to try and make a poncho for the kids, the idea of 2 kids to dress & undress multiple times every time we go somewhere isn't all that appealing. )

Oh, and when it was really cold, I left dd's snowpants on her. They weren't really bulky and I felt better about them than a coat because they didn't change how the straps fit.

Pretty much ditto everything she said, considering we live in the same city It gets COLD here... the deep freezes are the worst.. although we try not too leave the house if it's below -30C. Last year DS2 kicked the blankets off so I kept him in his snowpants and just a fleece. "Wasted" a lot of gas warming up the vehicles!!

[Holly]

In my opinion, the best one is the inner jacket on the Walmart 4 in one coats. They are the Athletic works brand and they are only $24 but you get 2 coats! There is an inner jacket and an outer jacket and you can either wear them both separetly or you zip them together and it's one BIG coat.

Last year we used just the inner jacket as her main coat and it does get pretty cold here too (in Utah). The inner jacket is fleece and a waterproof layer on the outside (or inside, the jacket is reversible LOL). They are very cute as well, and the inner coat is thin enough to use with a car seat. If you decide to do that, try on the whole coat and then try on just the inner coat. Last year the Outer coat was a little too big (it was fine though) so if we would have picked one that fit perfectly in the outer coat, the inner coat might have been small.

We had the 18 month size coat last year (they come even smaller than that too by the way) and she wore the inner coat the whole winter and the outer coat once. Our youngest is going to be wearing last year's coat this year and we got a new one for our oldest. I plan to buy those coats every year, they are a great value in my opinion and have just the right thickness for being safe in the car seat, with just the right warmth and they are very cute too! I even got myself one of those coats.

Right now it's 2 am and walmart.com is down for a scheduled maitenance, but I will come back tomorrow when it's back up and I'll post the link to the coats!
I tell ya, you can't go wrong, they are so perfect and a great price too and adorable!

[amy919]

I've bought these the last 2 years at Sears. They're thinner than they look in the picture, I don't have to adjust the harness to buckle them in and I'm totally comfortable using them. It's hard to find a thin winter coat!

Neither girl has ever complained about being cold. They also have the "snow coats" and snow pants, which I'd never put them in the car with. Those are strictly for playing in the snow .

Neither of my girls will stand for those fleece one piece deals. We always have blankets in the car and best of all, I have a remote start, which I cannot live without. We NEVER get into a cold car.

[Paperdragon]

Wouldn't it be great if Lands End or one of the other companies that sell wind proof fleece jackets (like the Marinacs) would make a baby snow suit out of the same fabric? I saw that individuals can buy the wind proof fleece fabric on the Polartec web site, but it's expensive.

[skaterbabs]

When Joy was a baby we had a fleece "snowsuit" that was thick enough to be warm but not too thick for the car seat. I was surprised, my step mom bought it without my input (she bought the kids all coats for Christmas that year) and she did a great job! LOL

[Holly]

Ok, I am back and posting the links to the great walmart coats!

Remember, these are 2 coats in one, so the outer coat you see in some of the pics would be too big to wear in the car seat, it's the inner coat that my girls wear and it's warm enough to be the only one they need. We use the outer one if they are going to be outside playing in the snow, so both coats do get used too.

Girls 12 mo. - 24 mo: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5692835

Girls 3t - 5t:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5692845

(This year I got the fuschia and pink coat, the one they call "vivid plum combo" because the wind and waterproof outside of the inner coat is pink, but on the other 2 colors, one is a VERY light pink and one is white, too light for a coat for me. The one from last year is purple and green but they don't have it this year.)

With the boys coats they have a link for each color instead of having all 3 in the same link.

Here are all 3 boys 12 mo - 24 mo:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5692811
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5692814
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5692817

Here are all 3 boys 3T- 5T:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5692820
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5692826
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5692823

Walmart also has these coats in girls and boys and adults too! Seriously, I can't recomend these coats enough, they are so nice and cute, and perfect!

[cheerbop]

I have a similar jacket we got from LLBean. It is the Wilcat coat. It is similar to the Walmart one above, but it is not down/feather filled. The outer jacket is like a water resistant Spring/fall jacket and then the inner (removable) inside is fleece. http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/sto...Search&feat=sr
It doesn't come in smaller sizes than a 4, but I htought someone might be able to find this of some help. We love it because it is not too thick, but still warmer than just a fleece.

[azgirl71]

We bought Tucker this jacket for this year. They had it for $74 awhile back. It will probably fit her next year as well. Not that it get super cold here, but it is really cold at night and we are at the base of a mountain range, so we get snow.

[cryswilkins]

I got this:
http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/sto...p&feat=5267-tn

Off ebay ofcourse, its a 18 to 24 month and pretty big on her right now. Zoe is 20 lbs and 32 inches (at her 9 month about a month ago.) I would say that a 2T would be huge based on your DD's stats in your Siggy.