Sweatshirts come as a crewneck with a plain round neck, a pullover hoodie, or a zip-up hoodie that opens down the front like a jacket. All three are cut from thick cotton jersey (the stretchy knit of a T-shirt, made heavier), smooth outside and soft inside.
It does the same job as a cardigan or a thin fleece: the warm layer over a long-sleeve T-shirt or bodysuit. On a dry day at 16–19°C (61–66°F), it is the top layer. When it's colder, a light jacket goes over it. Indoors, in a warm room, it comes off.
A zip-up works from the first weeks, and the pullover kinds from about six months, once the head is steady.
- For ages0–3years
- You'll need2–3per size
- Wear it below20°C68°F
Sweatshirt or fleece?
Both go over a long-sleeve top as the warm layer. The difference shows when they get damp.
Sweatshirt
Cotton soaks up sweat, so it's comfortable in a warm daycare room and on a dry walk. Outside, once drizzle or sweat has made it damp, it stays cold.
Fleece
Polyester fleece takes up almost no water, so it stays warm through drizzle or a sweaty ride in the carrier, and it dries fast.
Types of sweatshirt
The zip-up is the easiest on and off, the crewneck is the one for car days, and the pullover hoodie is for the playground.
Crewneck
A ribbed round neck and no hood. It lies flat under car seat straps and under a jacket's hood, so it's the easy one for days in the car.
- Good: Flat under straps and hoods
- Not good: Goes on over the head
Pullover hoodie
A hood and a front pocket. On a breezy playground the hood keeps the wind off the ears. Under a jacket with a hood of its own, the two bunch up behind the neck.
- Good: A hood for a breezy day
- Not good: Two hoods under a jacket
Zip-up hoodie
It opens all the way down the front, so nothing goes over the head, and in a warm shop or bus you just unzip it. Look for a small fabric flap over the top of the zip, so the teeth stay off the chin.
- Good: Nothing over the head
- Good: Unzips in a warm shop
- Not good: Bare zip teeth at the chin
How warm is it? Look inside
In the shop, turn a sweatshirt inside out: the inside shows how warm it is. Online, look for the names shops use.
Loops
Rows of small flat loops, like a thin towel. Shops call it French terry or loopback. The lighter kind, for spring, early autumn and heated rooms.
Brushed fluff
The same loops brushed up into soft fluff, which holds more warm air. Shops call it fleece-back or brushed fleece, but it's still mostly cotton, so unlike a thin fleece it stays cold once damp. The warmer kind, for cold days and under a jacket.
A thick lining
Sherpa, quilting or a deep pile inside turns a hoodie into a jacket. It's warm on a cold playground, but too thick for car seat straps.
How to choose a sweatshirt
1. A neck that opens wide
A toddler's head is big for the body, and a crewneck has to stretch over it every morning. Snaps at the shoulder, a short zip at the neck (a half-zip) or a ribbed neck that springs back make that quick.
- Good: Snaps at the shoulder
- Good: Neck springs back after a stretch
- Not good: Tight neck with no opening
2. No cord at the hood or neck
Children's hoodies are made without drawstrings at the hood and neck, because a cord can catch on a slide or a fence. Older hand-me-downs and adult-style hoodies may still have one, so pull it out before your child wears it.
- Good: A plain, flat hood edge
- Not good: A drawstring through the hood
3. Cuffs that stay at the wrist
Under a jacket the sleeve gets pushed up. A snug ribbed cuff holds it at the wrist, so no cold skin shows between the sleeve and the mitten, and a sleeve that's a little long folds back once.
- Good: Snug ribbed cuff
- Not good: Wide, open sleeve end
Hood up or down?
Up on a breezy playground, and down wherever your child rides. In the stroller, a hood doesn't turn when your child turns the head, so its edge blocks the view to the side. A knit hat turns with the head.
In a carrier, keep it down too. Pulled up, a hood can slip over the face of a baby who can't push it back, and you need to see the face every time you glance down.
Questions parents ask
Can a baby wear a hoodie in a car seat?
Yes, an ordinary sweatshirt or hoodie is thin enough to go under the straps. Smooth the hood flat down the back before you buckle, so it doesn't bunch up behind the neck. A sherpa-lined or padded hoodie counts as a coat, so test it like one. On a cold day the warmth goes on top: a blanket or the coat over the buckled straps.
Can my toddler sleep in a hoodie?
No. The sweatshirt comes off for naps and the night, and the hood above all, because in bed it can slide over the face or bunch up around the neck. Pajamas and a sleep bag or blanket do the warming in bed.
How many sweatshirts does a toddler need?
Two or three per size, if it's your child's everyday warm layer: one to wear, one in the wash, and a spare for the day one comes home from daycare covered in paint.
What is a toddler sweatsuit?
A sweatshirt and sweatpants in the same soft fabric, sold as a set. It's an easy outfit for daycare and cool mornings, and the ribbed ankles stay down over the socks.
What's the difference between a sweatshirt and a sweater?
A sweater is knitted from yarn, like a cardigan. A sweatshirt is cut from thick cotton jersey, and it washes like a T-shirt.
