Infant snowsuits and carseats

Unregistered · Sep 3, 2010

My 4.5 mo old DD is in a Snugride 32. I'm trying to find winter wear for her and I'm looking for advice.

With my first we used an infant seat cover that went behind her back and then over top of her. I understand now that these aren't recommended so I've borrowed an infant seat cover that goes over top of the seat (doesn't interfere with belts). Are these still considered safe?

My question about winter wear pertains to the fact that she will likely become too heavy to carry in her car seat before winter is over and I'll be leaving her Snugride in the car. Is there any type of snow suit that is safe to wear in the car seat? I can bring her TO the car without (we park in our garage) but what do I do when we arrive somewhere? Stand with the door open and throw her snow suit on just to walk in the store? It gets extremely cold up here (we're in Canada) and I worry about her health if I'm fighting her to get her snow suit on with the snow blazing in.

I want to do what's safest but that sounds unrealistic - so I'm wondering if anyone can offer some solutions for keeping my baby warm AND safe.

Thanks so much!

littleangelfire · Sep 3, 2010

Unfortunately no, no snow suit is safe to wear in a car seat. Too puffy, allowing for compression to happen in an accident. But it is awesome that you are even thinking of it and researching it! The shower cap style covers are just fine, they don't interfere with anything.

You can put fleece on your child. It's warm, but thin. Other than that? blankets.

jsmom · Sep 3, 2010

Fleece is a lot warmer than people think

We only use a winter jacket for playing in the snow. We are in Upstate NY and DD has never complained about being cold.

Mae · Sep 3, 2010

Here is how you check to see if a particular article of clothing is too thick to use in a car seat:

- Put your child in article of clothing that you are testing, buckle and tighten the harness appropriately.
- Take child out of the car seat without loosening the harness.
- Put child in regular day to day clothing, place into car seat and buckle up -- without tightening the harness.
- If there is too much slack in the harness, then that particular clothing item is not allowed. If there is no extra slack, you're good!

The reason that you aren't allowed to use a piece of clothing (snow suit, coat) if there is extra slack is because that fluffy clothing article will compress in a crash, allowing all that extra slack to become apparent and put your child at risk for ejection. Think of those vacuum space saver bags -- same concept.

Fleece is a good alternative. It's thin and very warm.

You can still use a coat in the car, you would just have to use the coat trick.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLTVPqn0aR8"]YouTube- A safer way to wear a winter coat in a car seat[/ame]

ElaynesMom · Sep 4, 2010

I'm in Ontario, and for the past few years have used fleece suits made by Columbia Sports Wear. They are much thinner than typical snowsuits and I was able to use it in the carseat without having to loosen the straps at all. They are very warm, and excellent quality, but aren't waterproof (though I'm sure your baby won't be playing in slush). They are really great because they cover head, hands, and feet too. They usually run about 45$ new, but we have found older styles at Winners for about 20$ occasionally. Other companies make them as well, you just want to be sure it's just one layer of fleece, nothing puffy.

http://www.columbiasportswear.ca/Snowtop%E2%84%A2-II-Bunting-Baby/SN0180,default,pd.html

gigi · Sep 4, 2010

I did fleece too. And if you are still worried, throw a blanket over her when you bring her in places (over the fleece suit). Just make sure you buy the right size suit and not one ahead, because the extra fabric gets bulky (I learned that from experience LOL).

amelia222 · Sep 4, 2010

I got a fleece one as well from MEC. It still seems too thick to me for use in a carseat. I don't even like using a thin fleece jacket because of how it gets too bunchy around the neck.

What I do is put the baby in the seat, take off her coat, buckle her in, then put her coat on her backwards. You can add a blanket over to if you need as well. The thing you were asking about that is goes over the seat and doesn't go behind the baby or interfere withthe straps are just fine and work well to keep little faces warm in the wind.

With the coat trick in the video, make sure you use the test in the same post with it as well. Some winter coats are too thick to use the trick with because of extra bulk behind the back and on the shoulders.

amelia222 · Sep 4, 2010

NannyMae said:
Here is how you check to see if a particular article of clothing is too thick to use in a car seat:

- Put your child in article of clothing that you are testing, buckle and tighten the harness appropriately.
- Take child out of the car seat without loosening the harness.
- Put child in regular day to day clothing, place into car seat and buckle up -- without tightening the harness.
- If there is too much slack in the harness, then that particular clothing item is not allowed. If there is no extra slack, you're good!

The reason that you aren't allowed to use a piece of clothing (snow suit, coat) if there is extra slack is because that fluffy clothing article will compress in a crash, allowing all that extra slack to become apparent and put your child at risk for ejection. Think of those vacuum space saver bags -- same concept.

Fleece is a good alternative. It's thin and very warm.

Do you mind if I use this on my facebook?

Mae · Sep 4, 2010

amelia222 said:
Do you mind if I use this on my facebook?

Nope, not at all.

amelia222 said:
With the coat trick in the video, make sure you use the test in the same post with it as well. Some winter coats are too thick to use the trick with because of extra bulk behind the back and on the shoulders.

This usually isn't a problem, though, because the child's weight will compress the coat that is behind them. It never hurts to try it though.

VoodooChile · Sep 4, 2010

We've always used ponchos: http://www.carseatponcho.com/

Kobain's Mommy · Sep 4, 2010

We are going to use a fleese Columbia snow suit. We have one like this http://www.columbia.com/Snowtop™-II-Bunting-Baby/SN0180,default,pd.html

An Aurora · Sep 4, 2010

I have several similar to this that I have been wanting to test out. Last winter, when he was a baby, we did fleece bunting suits like the one in the previous post, and if it was really cold I would put a fleece jammie under the fleece bunting.

Pixels · Sep 4, 2010

I'm lazy. I put baby inside my coat. It's prewarmed by my body heat, fast, easy. I pretty much never zip my own coat, so it's just a question of tucking baby in, wrapping my coat around babe, and going. Great for quick in-out trips.

Heck, I still do this with my 2yo.

luckyclov · Sep 4, 2010

Fleece and blankets (if still needed after warming the car up).

canadiangie · Sep 4, 2010

Thin warm layers of clothing first: undershirt, long sleeved shirt, cords or jeans. Socks with booties overtop. A well fitting hat, and mittens if needed. Then..

a fleece one piece Ursus 'snow suit' from mec.ca is all I've ever owned. This year a friend is giving me an unused Columbia one piece, and prior to it fitting I intend to use this fleece one piece from Old Navy that I found.

I think it's *really* important to remember that while clothing does compress in a crash it doesn't completely disappear. Providing the child is wearing thin layers, the snowsuit is not made of slippery and/or puffy fabric, and the harness is adjusted snug over the child it *is* okay to use forms of winter wear. The glitch is that it takes a little bit of extra effort in terms of shopping, sometimes a little bit of extra money (most of us have car winter wear and outside winter wear for our kids), and almost always extra time when securing the child in the seat.

HTH's

leighi123 · Sep 4, 2010

VoodooChile said:
We've always used ponchos: http://www.carseatponcho.com/

This is what we use too. Except I made my own. I've also made 2 layer ones for people who live where its REALLY cold, with snaps down the back that you open up for when in the carseat, and do up for when you are outside!

Also, when my son was a baby, I put him in a fleece carrier to keep him warm. So he would wear long pants, a onsie, a long sleve shirt, with the poncho on top in the car, and then I'd take him out of the car and slip the poncho off as I stuck him in the fleece carrier, topped him with a hat and we were good to go. He helped keep me warm that way too!

Unregistered · Sep 7, 2010

Thanks so much! You've been very helpful!

luvsviola · Sep 8, 2010

Unless we are running errands, I just cover the baby up with a blanket. We leave from my warmish garage, so the car isn't that cold to begin with. We are going to either grandmas or a friend's--I go open the garage door, then run kiddo in quick covered in a blanket. I just warm up the car before we leave and cover baby in the warm blanket from the house after I have strapped him/her in.

For Target, where I can't warm up the car when we leave, we do a fleece snowsuit. But those are hot in the store and a PITA, so we try not to have to wear them unless it is 10 degrees or colder.

CarSeatPoncho · Sep 8, 2010

To the Original Post'er,

The product I invented, the Car Seat Poncho, was made EXACTLY for the purpose you're looking for: to keep your little one warm while in the car seat and retain your sanity while getting in and out of the car!

You put the poncho on before you go into the garage, and as you seat her, the body heat she carried with her under the poncho begins to fill the space around her, creating a cozy little cushion of warmth while you fasten her harness. Close the zipper, and you're good to go.

A poncho is especially convenient for rear-facing children, because even though RF is safer, it's more cumbersome because you have less space to maneuver yourself and your child. hth and feel free to PM me with any specific questions. Prices start at $28.99.

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