How to dress a baby for wearing in a wrap/carrier outdoors

If parents decide to carry their baby in a wrap or carrier and want to wear them outside as well as at home, they will certainly be looking for how to dress them for going outside so they are not too cold or, on the other hand, too warm. So how should you dress a child in different seasons for a wrap or carrier?

Summer

In summer, you do not need any babywearing clothing, because simply the fact that you are in contact with the baby over a large area of their little body keeps you both warm. Clothing made from functional materials is suitable for summer. It is important to cover the head, hands, and feet so the baby does not get sunburned. 

What would we dress a baby in for a wrap/carrier in summer:

• a sun hat or a cap with a brim and neck protection, a thin baby hat, or you can cover the baby’s head with the carrier hood
• a bodysuit - in a wrap it can have short sleeves (the arms are hidden), in a carrier it is better to have long sleeves so the sun does not shine directly on them
• leg coverings for the legs or leggings/trousers
• socks
• if it is cooler in the evening, you can put a lighter babywearing sweatshirt over both of you

Spring/autumn

For the transitional seasons of spring and autumn, it is a good idea to get some babywearing clothing - a babywearing sweatshirt, a babywearing sweater, and a babywearing softshell jacket. Thanks to this clothing, it will be easier for you to transition from outside to inside. If the baby is still sleeping, you can take off the jacket and sweatshirt and neither you nor the baby will get too warm. For the child, it is a good idea to get clothing made of merino, which is thin, warm, and wicks away any moisture, so you do not need to wear as many layers. You can also use it in winter when babywearing or even in the stroller. 

What would we dress a baby in for a wrap/carrier in spring and autumn:

• a hat or a thinner balaclava (it also covers the neck and nape of the neck)
• a bodysuit with long sleeves
• leggings or trousers, or tights (jumpsuits are better not, because they will pull at the baby’s legs)
• socks
• higher softshell booties that also cover the ankles
• a shared babywearing sweatshirt or babywearing/wrap sweater - if you do not have one, you and the child can both wear a sweatshirt
• a shared babywearing softshell jacket or a jacket with a babywearing insert
• for the wearer, an extra scarf for the neck (some babywearing jackets do not cover the neck, or a turtleneck is enough)

Winter

For winter, it is a good idea to get a winter babywearing jacket, under which you wear a babywearing sweatshirt or sweater, and dress the baby as you would at home. Merino clothing will definitely come in handy for both the baby and you, and you will sweat less. In winter, always check that the baby does not have cold feet and at the same time that they are not sweaty on the nape of the neck. 

What would we dress a baby in for a wrap/carrier in winter:

• a winter hat (the tie-on kind is more suitable because it will not shift on the child when they turn their head) or a thicker balaclava that also covers the neck and nape of the neck and does not shift on the head
• a bodysuit with long sleeves
• leggings or trousers, or tights (jumpsuits are better not, because they will pull at the baby’s legs)
• socks
• insulated higher booties
• a shared babywearing sweatshirt or babywearing/wrap sweater - if you do not have one, you and the child can both wear a sweatshirt
• a shared winter babywearing jacket
• for the wearer, an extra scarf for the neck (some babywearing jackets do not cover the neck, or a turtleneck is enough)

Other carrying options

Insulated cover

One option for carrying outdoors is the so-called insulated cover, which is placed over the wrap/carrier, while the wearer has their own jacket unzipped. It is a compromise if several people want to carry the child and do not want to buy babywearing jackets. 

Carrying over a jacket

When carrying over a jacket, parents usually carry older walking children who do not want to be carried the whole way and also do not want to walk the whole time. In this case, you dress the child exactly like yourself, or with one extra layer, because you will not be warming each other, and if the child falls asleep in the carrier, they will not get cold.

Whether you carry your baby in any season, always trust your intuition and follow your baby’s cues. If they are sweaty, dress them less next time, and if they have cold feet, add leg warmers or extra socks. Most importantly, enjoy carrying, because children grow up quickly and will no longer want to be carried as much as when they were little babies.