snowsuit search

[mam615]

I'm due Oct. 4 and live in the northeast. I'm also planning visits this winter to very cold Iowa, and to a ski resort in Canada -- taking baby on both trips. It seems like all the good quality brands I've looked at (Patagonia, Hanna Andersson, LL Bean) don't make a heavy snowsuit for infants. They all make a nice fleece suit, but I know a fleece jacket wouldn't keep me warm enough through the winter! I was hoping to find something with a heavy lining and a wind/water proof outer layer. Anyone know where can I get a good quality snowsuit like this? Or should I get the "Bundle Me" that everyone raved about last winter (http://www.windsorpeak.com/dcforum/DCForumID3/59.html)?

Thanks,
Michelle

[suzska]

I got Evan the two-piece fleece jacket/overalls from LLBean for last year. We only used the overall part once (with the jacket), but used the jacket all winter long. I used the overall part when we went to an outlet mall the week before Christmas and had to push him from store to store in the stroller. It seemed pretty warm to me for only a layer of fleece. I would just put something heavier on underneath if I felt it wasn't warm enough. Evan never played in the snow, so "waterproofness" wasn't an issue.

But now that I look at their site, I don't know if they carry it anymore. Too bad.

[thorsmom]

I know Columbia Sportswear makes Snowsuits. I got my son one at the Nordstroms rack marked down to $19.97 that includes overalls and a nice heavy jacket lined in Fleece. Another good place to try is REI online at www.rei.com.

[Momof3Labs]

I saw some snowsuits that were like-new in 3-6 and 6-9 month sizes at a resale shop near us. The prices were very good - under $20, sometimes under $10 - and they had a great selection. At that age, the babies don't do much in them except stay warm, so I guess that's why they still look so new!

At that price, I picked up one snowsuit and two buntings (?) that were fleece but lined so that they would be a bit warmer.

Lori
due 10/12 w/ #1

[egoldber]

Lands End has a 300 weight polarfleece bunting. 300 weight fleece is like Everest kind of protection (except for wind) and would be exceptionally warm. LL Bean also has a parka jacket and overalls set that looks very warm. But if your baby isn't due until October, then at the height of the winter your baby will only be 3-5 months old. You probably won't be outside much with a baby that young in the dead of winter.

Are you looking for somehting for walks (extended time outdoors) or just to and from the car to the store kind of thing? Unless you plan to spend extended time outdoors, then you probably won't need a really heavy snowsuit. Even in Iowa in the winter (lived there, done that), unless you will be outside for a long time, transfering baby in a fleece blanket from car to the house should be fine. I had a hand me down snowsuit for Sarah last winter (she was 5-7 months old) and I only used it once or twice. I found it really inconvenient to take her in and out of. I also had a Hanna fleece jacket (another hand me down) for her that we wore for "show". Even when we visited my in-laws in Michigan in the winter, we were fine. I had a "Cozy Traveller" (similar to the Bundle Me) for the carseat that I thought worked REALLY well.

HTH,

[MinnieMouse]

We live in PA and had a Land's End fleece suit for my dd last year. Their fleeces are great because they are thin yet REALLY warm. The problem with little kids and heavy coats/suits is that they can't wear them in their car seats. The heavy stuff is so thick that the harness straps are set significantly larger than without the coat/suit and in an accident the coat or suit will compress leaving way too much room between the baby and the harness straps. The common recommendations are to use a thin good quality fleece like Land's End or no jacket at all and use a blanket or Bundle Me type of cover over the seat.

We are getting another Land's End jacket and snowpants for our dd this year....we are hoping to get her on the slopes this winter :-)

HTH

Christine

[jojo2324]

I know of a company called Cherry Tree that makes snowsuits with fleece inside and an outer shell. They are not overly thick. Actually, I think that they are thinner than their all-fleece counterparts. Try www.campmor.com; they always seem to have infant outerwear at *really* good prices. I've seen Columbia stuff there definitely. They also have other clothes, like pjs and onesies.

[KathyO]

If you do go for a snowsuit-style garment, one feature that will help a lot is dual zippers that go down to the knees or so, rather than one central zipper. It makes it a lot easier to put the baby in and take them out, especially if they are unco-operative, or sleeping.

I got a medium-weight snowsuit that wasn't too thick, and then a Kiddapotomas cover-up fleece thingy (http://www.kiddopotamus.com/prod_gbcufw.html). It's versatile - it goes on car seats, or strollers, or over a front carrier like a Baby Bjorn or whatever. It has an outer shell and an inner fleece layer, so it stood up to some pretty nasty weather.

The advantage to this approach is that you can use just the snowsuit for "cold-ish" weather, then add the cover-up if things get really chilly. It even has a little built-in stuff sack, so it stores pretty compactly when you're not using it.

HTH,

KathyO

[Shirale]

I agree with all the other posts about fleece suits. Last winter my baby was a newborn and every time we went outside (in NYC) I bundled her up in a snowsuit, hat etc and she hated it! Also, it was impossible to get her in the carseat with all the stuff on and she screamed and fussed the entire time she was in it! This winter I plan on getting her a fleece suit from lands End or LL Bean. They may be thin, but they provide a lot of warmth without all of the heftiness of a regular snowsuit. I did see, though, regular snowsuits in Gymboree and I received a snowsuit for 18 mo size from Deux a Deux, which looks incredibly heavy (ski slope worthy!) but my daughter would never go in with out a fight! Good Luck!

[starrynight]

I also agree both my kids hated snowsuits. I used a fleece bunting and a hat and on the really windy and cold days I took a heavy blankey with me to cover the stroller or carrier. The snowsuits are impossible to use and make it dangerous in a carseat. Those fleeces are warmer than you think, especially the ones from LLBean and Landsend. Happy shopping!

[sc]

Is there BIG difference between LandsEnd Polartec200, Polartec300, Polartec Aircore-200, and Polartec Aircore-300?

I found some good deal on the older version of Polartec (in LandsEnd Overstock), but wasn't sure if I should spend more $ on the newest version(Polartec Aircore-300) for the better quality?

[jra]

The main difference between the Aircore polartec and the regular polartec is that the aircore is a little softer and is a bit warmer. The 300 number is warmer than the 200 number. I have seen/felt both and truthfully I didn't think that there is that much difference between the 2.

[egoldber]

I was just reading through my new LE catalog that came today. It says that Aircore 200 fleece will provide the same warmth of regular 200 fleece, but will weigh less and be less bulky. So both products are fine, the Aircore is just the newer "thing". The catalog also said that the Aircore thing was an exclusive that Lands End had with Malden Mills, makers of the original (and trademarked) Polar Fleece.

HTH,