A warm car blanket is a thick knitted, fleece or quilted baby blanket for winter car trips. You buckle your baby into the car seat in thin clothes, and the blanket goes on top of the straps. Any warm baby blanket you already have will do.
Nothing thick goes under the harness (the seat's straps). A puffy coat feels snug under the straps, but in a crash its padding presses flat, and the harness is suddenly too loose. Dressing a baby for the car seat shows what goes underneath.
Use it when it is below 0°C (32°F) outside. At 0–7°C (32–45°F), a light car blanket is enough. From 8°C (46°F), your baby needs no blanket in the car.
Shops also sell winter car seat covers for the same job. A winter cover stretches over an infant car seat (the small seat with a carry handle that clicks into the car) like a shower cap, with your baby buckled inside.
- For ages0–4years
- You'll need1
- Use it below0°C32°F
Warm blanket or winter cover?
Warm blanket
It works in any car seat, at any age, and you can fold it back the moment the car is warm. It needs tucking in at the sides, and a wriggly baby can push it off.
- Good: Fits any car seat
- Good: Off in seconds
- Not good: Easy to kick off
Winter car seat cover
It holds on to the seat with elastic, so wind and snow stay out on the walk to the car or into a shop, and there is nothing to tuck in.
- Good: Stays put in wind and snow
- Good: Nothing to tuck in
- Not good: Infant car seats only
- Not good: Some must come off in the car
How to choose a winter cover
1. It goes over your seat
Its elastic edge hugs the outside of the seat, like a shower cap, so nothing goes behind your baby or under the straps. Check that your car seat is on the cover's list of seats, so the elastic grips all the way around.
- Good: Elastic edge around the outside
- Good: Your seat named on the label
- Not good: Slots for the harness straps
2. It opens at the face
Your baby's face stays out in the open air. In a warm car or shop, you can let heat out without taking the cover off.
- Good: Zip down the middle
- Good: Face opening that never closes
- Not good: Flap that can drop over the face
3. Warm enough for your winters
Winter covers range from fleece-lined to padded, with a layer of padding between a windproof outside and the fleece. Some makers print the coldest temperature a cover is made for, so you can check it against your winters.
- Good: Windproof outer fabric
- Good: Rated for your coldest days
- Not good: Thin stretchy fabric only
How to use it
1. Buckle up, then cover
Buckle your baby in thin clothes, and tighten the harness until you cannot pinch a fold in the strap at the shoulder. Then tuck the blanket over the straps from the armpits down. A cover goes on the seat first, open, and you zip it up to the chin once the harness is tight.
2. Fold it back once the car is warm
When the heater has warmed the car, fold the blanket down to the lap, or open the cover. If you drive alone, stop somewhere safe first. At a stop, feel the back of your baby's neck: hot or sweaty means too warm.
Questions parents ask
Do I need a winter car seat cover?
For the car itself, no: a warm blanket over the straps does the job. A cover helps where winters are often below 0°C (32°F) and you carry your baby outdoors in the infant seat a lot.
Are winter car seat covers safe?
Yes, if the cover fits over the outside of the seat like a shower cap. There must be no layer under your baby, and the face stays uncovered.
Is a car seat bunting bag safe?
Only if it came with your car seat, or the seat's maker made it for that exact seat. A bunting bag is a padded sack that lines the seat, with slots for the straps, so the padding sits behind your baby. Sleeping bag inserts and stroller accessories, such as a stroller footmuff, never go in a car seat.
Can you put a blanket over a baby in a car seat?
Yes, once the harness is buckled and tight. Lay it over the straps, never under your baby or behind the back, because nothing bulky goes between your baby and the harness.
Can I leave a winter cover on in the car?
Check the label first: some makers say to take the cover off before the seat goes into the car. If yours may stay on, open it once the heater warms the car, so your baby does not get too hot.
Can my baby wear a winter coat in the car seat?
Not a puffy one. Take off a warm jacket, snowsuit or pram suit before you buckle up, and put the blanket over the straps instead. A thin fleece can stay on underneath.
How do I keep my baby warm on the way to the car?
In an infant car seat, buckle your baby in indoors and put the blanket or cover on before you go out. Keeping the infant seat indoors between trips stops it getting icy. In a seat that stays in the car, carry your baby in a coat or wrapped in the blanket, and take the coat off before you buckle up.
