How to dress your baby for the weather

The one-more-layer rule

The simplest guide comes from the NHS: dress your baby in one more layer than you are wearing. If you are comfortable in a T-shirt and a jumper, your baby will probably be comfortable in a vest, a sleepsuit and a cardigan.

It works because you can feel the weather and your baby can't tell you. If you feel chilly, they probably do too. If you have taken your jumper off, take a layer off them as well.

How to tell if your baby is too hot or too cold

Feel your baby's chest or the back of their neck. Their hands and feet are usually cooler than the rest of them, so cold hands are not a reliable sign that they are cold.

• Warm and dry: they are fine.
• Hot, sweaty or clammy: take off a layer.
• Cool to the touch on the chest: add a layer of clothing.

The NHS notes that babies do better being slightly cool than too warm, and The Lullaby Trust explains that babies who get too hot have a higher chance of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). When in doubt, check, and take a layer off rather than adding one.

Dressing for cold days

Several thin layers keep a baby warmer than one thick one, and they are much easier to adjust when you go from a cold street into a warm shop.

• Start with a vest, then a sleepsuit, then a cardigan or jumper.
• For trips out, add a hat, mittens and socks or bootees. The NHS suggests close-knit fabrics, as loose knits can catch little fingers and toes.
• Take hats and outdoor clothes off as soon as you are indoors or in a warm car, bus or train, even if it means waking your baby.

Dressing for hot days

• One layer is usually enough. Lightweight cotton is best because it lets their skin breathe.
• Keep babies under 6 months out of direct sunlight and in the shade as much as possible.
• Use a wide-brimmed sun hat to keep the sun off their face.
• Never cover a pram with a muslin or blanket to block the sun, as your baby can overheat. Use a clip-on parasol or sunshade instead.

In-between days

British weather rarely makes up its mind. On a cool morning that warms up, choose layers that come off easily: a vest and sleepsuit with a cardigan on top means you can adjust in seconds without a full change. Keep checking the chest or the back of the neck as the day warms up.

Questions parents ask

Does my baby need a hat indoors?

No. Hats are for keeping warm outside. Take them off as soon as you come indoors or get into a warm car, bus or train, so your baby doesn't overheat.

Are cold hands a sign my baby is cold?

Not on their own. Hands and feet are normally cooler than the rest of the body. Feel their chest or the back of their neck instead.

How many layers should a baby wear in winter?

One more than you are wearing. Adjust as you move between outside and inside, and check them regularly.

Should I cover the pram to keep the sun off?

No. Covering a pram with a blanket or muslin traps heat. Use a parasol or sunshade and keep to the shade.