Everything you need to keep your baby warm this winter

As temperatures drop, it's natural to feel worried about keeping your baby warm enough, especially newborns who aren't as good at regulating their own temperature as older babies. But it isn't difficult to keep your infant warm if you have the right gear. 

While thick garments are handy for freezing temperatures, on most cool days, it's better to dress your baby in a range of layers. And of course, you need to keep your baby warm at night as well as in the day. 

In this article: Halo Sleepsack Wearable Blanket, Happy Cherry Baby Snowsuit and Burt's Bees Baby Organic Cotton Bodysuits.

What should babies wear outside?

It's important to find a balance between keeping your baby warm and making them too hot. What they need to wear depends on the temperature, but you should always start with a bodysuit as a base layer. On top of this, footies or onesies are ideal — and you can find different thicknesses, depending on the temperature. Hats and mittens are great for cold days, and you can add a snowsuit if it's extremely cold. 

What should babies wear at night?

How much your baby needs to wear at night depends on the temperature of their room rather than what's outside. In a warm room, kept about 75 to 80 degrees, they only need a bodysuit and a light sleep sack. However, in chilly rooms of 60 to 65 degrees, they need a bodysuit, footie pajamas, socks, a hat and a heavy sleep sack. Adjust for temperatures between these extremes, and look out for signs that your baby is getting too hot or cold. 

What you need to keep your baby warm in winter

These are some of the items you need to keep your baby warm this winter: 

• Bodysuits: Bodysuits are essential base layers that provide the first line of defense against cold. You should have a range of long- and short-sleeved versions. 
• Footies: Footies, sleepsuits, jumpsuits or whatever else you call them, these garments are versatile and cozy. 
• Hats: Hats keep babies from losing heat through their bare heads and are perfect for outdoor use. You can also find lightweight hats that are great for indoor wear on cold nights. 
• Socks: When temperatures drop, simply adding a pair of socks to your baby's outfit can make a big difference.  
• Mittens: Mittens keep little hands warm while outside or on exceptionally chilly nights. 
• Snowsuits: Sometimes called bunting suits, these thick, padded onesies are great for babies to wear outside in extremely cold weather. 
• Footmuffs: Stroller footmuffs act as a kind of blanket to keep your baby warm in a stroller, but unlike loose blankets, they can't be kicked off. 
• Sleep sacks: Also known as wearable blankets, sleep sacks for babies are perfect for nighttime use. Loose blankets increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, but sleep sacks are designed so they can't cover babies' noses or mouths and pose a suffocation risk.

Best items for keeping your baby warm

Halo Sleepsack Wearable Blanket

Keeping your baby snug yet safe at bedtime is easy with a sleep sack. This one has a medium 1.5 thermal overall grade, which is ideal when indoor temperatures are sitting around the low-to-mid 60s.

Sold by Amazon

Mama Cheetah Baby Wearable Blanket

With a 0.5 TOG warmth rating, this lightweight sleep sack is perfect for mild nights or times when you have the heat set to the low-to-mid 70s. It's made of organic cotton with a two-way zipper that makes nighttime changes easier.

Sold by Amazon

Happy Cherry Baby Snowsuit

This warm, heavily padded snowsuit is perfect for your baby to wear outdoors on days when the temperatures dips below the freezing point. It's available in sizes from 0 to 6 months to 18 to 24 months and in four colors: black, red, pink and dark blue.

Sold by Amazon

Cuddle Club Fleece Baby Bunting Bodysuit

Thanks to its cozy fleece material and rollover cuffs that transform into mittens or booties, this onesie is perfect for cold days. It comes in a range of cute designs, including bear, bunny and dinosaur versions.

Sold by Amazon

Gerber Baby Footed Pajamas

Footies aren't just great for sleep, they're practical daytime wear for young babies, as they don't need to be wearing two-piece outfits. These are made of cotton with a long zipper for easy changing, and they come in various cute designs.

Sold by Amazon

Burt's Bees Baby Organic Cotton Bodysuits

Perfect for layering underneath other clothing for warmth, bodysuits are vital for your baby to have in winter. These come in packs of five in either long- or short-sleeved versions, both of which are good to have.

Sold by Amazon

Little Me Baby Socks

These cozy terry cloth socks are great for keeping little feet warm on cold days or nights. You get six pairs in a pack, and they come in sizes ranging from 0 to 6 months to 12 to 18 months.

Sold by Amazon

Grow by Gerber Baby Mittens

Not only do these mittens keep newborns from scratching their faces, they keep babies' hands warm when it's cold out. You get four pairs in a pack, and they're made from 97% cotton with just 3% spandex for the elasticated cuff.

Sold by Amazon

Simple Joys by Carter's Hat and Mitten Set

In this set, you get a cut hat with ear flaps and bear ears plus matching mittens. They are made of warm fleece and come in gray, ivory, pink or brown.

Sold by Amazon

Geyoga Newborn Baby Hats

Perfect for babies up to 3 months old, these adorable hats help regulate temperature on cool days without causing little ones to overheat. They come in packs of six, each in a different color or design.

Sold by Amazon

Worth checking out

• The cozy JJ Cole Bundle Me bunting bag and stroller cover helps keep your baby toasty warm while you're out on adventures. 
• On extra-cold snowy or icy days, the iXtreme Baby Bunting Suit comes into its own. 
• You need plenty of footies for young babies, such as Onesies Brand Baby Sleep 'N Play Footies. 
• With a 2.5 TOG rating, the Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Sleeping Sack is perfect for very cold nights. 

Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews.

Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.

Lauren Corona writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.

BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.