A warm carrier cover is a padded or fleece-lined panel that fastens over the outside of a baby carrier. Your baby wears thin indoor clothes inside and gets warmth from your body. The cover keeps the cold off your baby's back, legs and feet, and the face stays out above it.
It is for carrier walks below 8°C (46°F). At 8–11°C (46–52°F), a light carrier cover without a lining is enough. Above that, your baby needs no cover.
You can do without one if a coat closes around you both, with its collar below your baby's face. A babywearing coat has a zip-in panel for this, and a partner's bigger coat often works too. A cover is handier when two adults take turns with the carrier, because it fastens to the carrier, not to a coat.
- For ages0–24months
- You'll need1
- Use it below8°C46°F
Fleece-lined or padded?
Both have a shell (the windproof outer fabric) that keeps off wind, drizzle and light snow. The difference is what sits under it.
Fleece-lined
A thin shell with soft fleece inside and no padding. It suits cold, windy days that stay above freezing.
- Good: Thin and light
- Good: Works in spring and autumn too
- Not good: Not enough on freezing days
Padded
A layer of padding between the shell and the lining, like a light puffer jacket. Pick this one if you often walk below freezing.
- Good: Warm on freezing days
- Good: Synthetic padding stays warm when damp
- Not good: Too warm on milder days
How to choose a warm carrier cover
Three things to check, in the shop or in the description.
1. Long enough for the legs
Your baby's legs hang below the carrier, and they get cold first. Pick a cover that wraps under the feet too. A snap or drawcord at the hem adjusts the length while your baby is small, so it does not flap.
- Good: Hem below the feet
- Good: Snap or drawcord at the hem
- Not good: Feet stick out under the hem
2. It fits how you carry
Some warm covers fit only a front carry, with your baby facing you. If you carry facing out, on your back, or in a wrap or ring sling, check that the description names your carry.
- Good: Made for front and back carries
- Good: Works facing out too
- Not good: Facing in only
3. It opens fast
Side zips or buckles you can reach let heat out in seconds, without unbuckling the carrier.
- Good: Zip down each side
- Good: Buckles you reach one-handed
- Not good: Opens only by taking it off
How to keep legs and feet warm
The cover keeps wind off the legs, but bare ankles still get cold under it. Once your baby sits in the carrier, the pant legs ride up, so pull tall warm socks up over the pant cuffs and put booties on top. Leg warmers do the same job.
Is your baby warm enough?
Do the neck check: slip two fingers inside the collar at the back of the neck. Warm and dry is right. A hot neck, sweat or damp hair means your baby is too warm, so open the zips or take the cover off.
A cool neck or chest means your baby is too cold: add a warm hat, close any open zips, or head inside. Cool hands and feet on their own are normal. Warm them with mittens and socks, not more layers.
Open the cover as soon as you step inside, or onto a warm bus or train. Take extra layers off there, even if it wakes your baby.
However cold it is, the cover stays below your baby's chin, and a hood on the cover never covers the face. You should always be able to see your baby's face.
Questions parents ask
What should my baby wear in a carrier in winter?
Thin layers, because you count as a layer. Below 8°C (46°F), that is a long-sleeve bodysuit, warm pants and a thin fleece, with warm socks, booties, mittens and a warm hat. Skip the snowsuit: it stops the carrier fitting snugly and makes your baby too hot against your body.
Should the carrier go under my coat or over it?
Under your coat is warmest, because your baby shares your body heat. Under the carrier itself, wear only something thin, such as a fleece: a puffy coat's padding stops the straps sitting snug. If your coat will not close over your baby, leave it open and let the cover close the gap.
Is a warm carrier cover enough below freezing?
Yes, if it is padded. On freezing days, keep walks short and check the back of the neck more often.
Can I just tuck a blanket around the carrier?
Only around the legs and body, below the chin. A blanket has nothing to hold it, so it slips, flaps up in the wind and can ride up over the face. A cover that fastens to the carrier stays put.
Until what age does a warm carrier cover fit?
Many fit from birth to about 2 years, and some to 3 or 4. Check the age or height range before you buy, especially for a toddler on your back.
Is an infant carrier cover the same thing?
Not always. In US shops, an infant carrier is often the infant car seat, so check the photos before you buy. For the car seat, see the warm car blanket.
