Outerwear for my young toddler

[ecarley]

Okay everyone, I need to know what I should do for my 14 month old and a winter coat/bunting/snowsuit etc. It gets pretty cold here, we usually have several weeks where it's in the teens and occasionally hits zero. We get a couple good snowstorms a year so there will be some snowmen coming to visit too :)

So what do I need for her? I'm thinking car trips and playing outside will call for two different strategies. Because, as you all know, being in a thick winter coat in a car seat is not very safe. Yet I want to bundle her so we can play outside, go for walks, go out the the zoo, etc.

I was at Once Upon a Child today, and the stuff there was either bulky and fluffy, or not-so-bulky but thick and heavy. I'm quite interested in the down stuff they have at Lands' End. It's warm, but still thin enough that she'll be able to move around. So what do all you chilly-climate moms do for your toddler?

[lmintzer]

I was just about to post a similar question, so maybe I'll tag on to yours. My toddler is now 17 months old, so our cold-weather needs will include car rides, zoo, walks (like the above poster) but maybe more playing out.

Last year, we had an LL Bean Kids bunting (like the Lands End ones), and we loved it. Although my toddler is small and most certainly would still fit in a fleece bunting (the 18 or 24 month size), I am thinking that something water resistant might be better. I also am concerned about the bulk factor.

Has anyone had any experience with the Lands End infant/toddler parkas and matching bib overalls? They look a little less thick than the down coat. With the Polertec 300, might they be as warm as down?

Thanks,
Lisa
& Little Active Jack, 17 months

[KathyO]

Nothing's warmer than down, but down loses all its insulation when it gets wet, and Polartec doesn't. Polartec also dries very quickly, and isn't as susceptible to mildew. If your child is going to be rolling around in the snow, I'd go with the synthetic - it's a close second, insulation-wise, particularly when it's paired with a wind/water-resistant outer shell.

If Polartec is what you want, check out www.chuckroast.com as well as Land's End. REI sells the Chuck Roast Snug As A Bug suit as well, for $10 cheaper, if you have a membership. I personally favour one-piece snowsuits, because it's harder to get snow up your back when you're sliding in it!

Cheers,

KathyO

[cara1]

I just saw a really adorable snowsuit by Jack& something-or-other. It was red and had little dinosaurs all over it. It was 100% polyester fleece, but didn't say Polartec or anything, and felt pretty thin. It was marked down on the Nordstrum Rack to about $14.00. I'm just not sure if it's warm enough for a snowsuit. Has anyone ever heard of this brand? Should I just get the LLBean snowsuit for $40? The dinosaur one was much cuter, never mind cheaper, it's just that I've never heard of this brand, and I'm not sure if it's warm enough. TIA.

The brand was Jack and Mac. There is also Ali and Mac. Anyone know this brand?

[KathyO]

If the fill or insulation is just generic synthetic (usually polyester), then you're probably not looking at a very warm suit. (Which may be just fine for what you need.) Polartec and Hollofil and Thermaloft and Thinsulate and so on refer to specific technological features (length of fibres, number of hollow insulating "tubes" per fibre, etc.) which make an insulating material effective.

Some insulate better. Some take repeated washings and dryings without losing their insulating qualities. Some can get wet and still retain their insulating qualities. If you anticipate really cold temperatures, check out the gear at some of the serious outdoor/wilderness outfitters.

I'd also look at how sturdy the outer "shell" is. Will it snag and tear on the first branch or corner that comes along? Will it resist passing wetness through to the interior? For a baby under 1, this is not much of an issue, but once they get tumbling around out there, it will.

Cheers,

KathyO

[cara1]

Well, I ended up buying that Jack&Mac snowsuit, and now I have to return it. It only opens down to the crotch, and it was impossible to pull DS's legs and arms through.

I just saw a polartec snowsuit on clearance for 19.99 by Rugged Bear-online. It has dual zippers, and mittens/foot coverings that flip over. Has anyone ever had anything from the Rugged Bear?

http://www.ruggedbear-online.com/infleecbunpo.html

Also, Kathy, you suggested a two-zipper front. Well, the two zippers come down to about the knee, in contrast to the Land's End or LLBean ones which go all the way to the ankle (but have only a single zipper down one leg). Which do you think would be easier?

Sorry I'm obsessing about this, you'd think I was buying a stroller! I found it really annoying to always pile blankets on top of DS last winter when he was still a newborn, and promised myself I'd get a nice warm snowsuit this winter so that I didn't have to worry about it. Thanks in advance.

[KathyO]

I have a Rugged Bear snowsuit I found used, and I'm pretty impressed with the way it's put together, and the detailing (little velcro flap that goes across under chin to block the wind, wind flaps on the zippers, sturdy zippers, stuff like that).

Rugged Bear's zippers come down a good distance, which I like. I don't like LL Bean's, which only come down to the waist, which still means doubling up a squirmy toddler and threading his/her legs down each snowsuit leg. This kind of thing increases the chance that the kid's pants will bunch up on the way down the snowsuit leg. The single-zipper-down-to-one-ankle is also acceptable, although one leg can still do the bunch-up thing. Mind you, this is a personal pet peeve - I'm sure lots of folks don't have this problem or don't mind it as much. Oh, and the two-knee-length-zipper design is a snap to get off quickly in "bathroom emergencies", or anything like that!

I think that the 19.99 is a good price for a Polartec fleece suit. (It's almost certainly Polartec 200 rather than 300, but frankly, you probably don't need 300 unless your kid is accompanying you up Everest.)

And don't worry about snowsuit obsession! Now that I am a mother, I understand why Mom was always trying to feed me or get me to put on a sweater. The drive to make sure that your child is fed and NOT COLD is a powerful and relentless one!! And better to obsess and research than to end up with something you'll curse every day you use it!

Cheers,

KathyO

[cara1]

thanks kathy, i've been anxiously awaiting your input. you've convinced me. i just ordered it. i'll let you know how it goes.

[KathyO]

I hope that after all this you like it! I assume that this won't be your roll-around-in-the-snow outfit? The one in your link is only fleece, with no shell, so it's more for use in the car seat and so on. You're probably totally on top of that but I just wanted to be sure. You can give me a virtual clout on the head if I'm being excessively compulsive.

Cheers,

K

[cara1]

Ummmmm.....Hadn't really planned on getting a second one with a shell....He's only 8 mos now, but I sense he will be walking soon, since he's crawling all over the place and pulling to a stand whenever he can. Do you really think he'll be rolling around in the snow this winter? Walking maybe, and perhaps playing a bit with assistance...but...now you're making me nervous! With an extra later underneath, you don't think this will be good enough??? In the LLBean catalog, the Polartec fleece snowsuit is advertised with a little one in the SNOW. Is this false advertising???? AAaaaggghh!!