Boutique guide · Winter
The right coat for your little one: how to choose by age, pushchair and car seat
Wool, warm cotton, padded or hooded: which to choose at each age, how to size it over a cardigan and what to do in the pushchair and the car seat, with guidance from paediatricians.
By The Noi da piccoli boutiqueUpdated November 20266-minute read
What type of coat should I choose for my child?
Before colour and brand, think about the life that coat will lead: family celebrations, nursery, the park, the pram. There are four kinds of coat, each with its own moment and a few things to bear in mind.
| Type | When | Who for | Bear in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wool coat | Christenings, ceremonies, festive lunches, Sundays. | All ages, from the first few months: it's the coat for special occasions and family photos. | Try the size over the cardigan they'll actually wear. In the car, it comes off before you fasten the straps (AAP). |
| Warm cotton coat | Every day: nursery, school, errands, visits to the grandparents. | Children who are already walking and want the look of a proper coat on ordinary days too. | Check the label for washing instructions. Like any coat, in the car it comes off and goes on backwards over the straps (AAP). |
| Padded jacket or puffer | The coldest days, the park, long walks. | Children who run, play and spend a lot of time outdoors. | Never under car seat straps (AAP). When you get back indoors, at home or in a shop, open it or take it off, even if they're asleep (NHS). |
| Hooded coat or pramsuit | In your arms, in the pram or pushchair, on outings in the first few months. | Newborns and children who aren't walking yet or have only just started. | Hoods and hats come off as soon as you're indoors, in the car or in a shop (NHS). Pramsuits and padded clothing don't go under the straps of the infant car seat (AAP). |
If you're only buying one, think about where they'll wear it most. If your winter is full of christenings, family lunches and parties, the wool coat is the one you'll see most in the photos. If your days revolve around nursery and the playground, warm cotton or a padded jacket will get more use.
Four styles to see up close
What size coat should you buy so it fits comfortably over a cardigan?
The coat goes over everything else, so choose the size with the layers underneath in mind: a bodysuit, a top or sleepsuit, and a cardigan. Leaving room for layers, though, doesn't mean buying it much bigger.
Every brand fits slightly differently. If you're unsure, message us on WhatsApp with their age, the size they usually wear and the coat you like. We reply Monday to Saturday.
And if the size isn't right once you're home? You can request a return within 14 days of delivery: start it on WhatsApp. Try the coat on over the cardigan before you remove the tag: it needs to come back unworn, unwashed and with its tag still attached.
Coats and jackets in the boutique
See all
In the pushchair or pram, do you need a blanket as well?
The starting point is a rule from the American Academy of Pediatrics: babies and young children need one more layer than an adult would wear in the same conditions. When you're out and about, the coat counts as part of that.
In the pram or pushchair, add a blanket or a pram footmuff on top of the coat. That way you can add or remove them without waking your baby. Pram footmuffs are designed for prams and pushchairs, not for use under the straps of an infant car seat.
To check how they're doing on a walk, feel their chest or the back of their neck: according to the NHS, cool hands and feet are normal. If the back of their neck is sweaty, open the coat or take the blanket off. When you get back indoors, at home or in a shop, take off their hat and any extra layers, even if they're asleep.
Can my child wear a coat in the car seat?
No. A coat, and even more so a padded jacket or pramsuit, should never go under car seat straps. The AAP is clear about this, because it leaves a gap between the body and the straps, so they can't hold your child as snugly as they should. Here's what to do:
- Take the coat off before you put them in. Underneath, keep to thin layers such as a bodysuit, a top and, if needed, a light sweatshirt.
- Fasten the straps and do the pinch test: if you can pinch the strap near their shoulder, it needs tightening a little more.
- Only then, over the straps, put the coat on backwards, with their arms in the sleeves, or lay a blanket on top.
- As soon as you're in the car, take off their hat and any extra layers, even if they're asleep. This is the NHS guidance.
The Italian Ministry of Health (Ministero della Salute) also points out that in Italy, children must always travel in an approved car seat suited to their weight and height, even on short journeys.
Hat, gloves and socks: when do you need them?
When it's cold, the AAP recommends adding a hat, gloves and socks to the coat, and dressing children in thin layers. If anything gets wet, from rain or from playing, take it off and swap it for something dry.
Hats are for outdoors. Indoors, take off hats and extra layers (NHS), and do the same as soon as you get into the car or a shop.
Hats for chilly days out
See all
How do you wash and store a child's coat?
There's just one rule: follow the care label inside. Wool, cotton, padding and fur trims all come with different instructions. The symbols on the label tell you whether the coat can be machine-washed, hand-washed or needs dry cleaning, at what temperature, and whether it can go in the tumble dryer.
At the end of the season, put it away clean and thoroughly dry, with the buttons and zips done up, on a hanger that's the right size. And if it's handed down to a younger sibling or cousin, the instructions will still be there, sewn inside.
The guidance on car seats, layers and temperature comes from the sources below and is no substitute for your paediatrician's advice: if you have any concerns about your child, ask them.
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org, ‘Winter Car Seat Safety Tips’, updated February 2025
- American Academy of Pediatrics, ‘Winter Safety Tips: Puffy Coats Should Not Be Worn in Car Seats’, 2021
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org, ‘Playing Outside in Winter’, updated January 2026
- NHS, ‘Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)’, reviewed November 2025
- NHS Start for Life, ‘How to dress a newborn’
- Italian Ministry of Health (Ministero della Salute), ‘Bambini e sicurezza in auto’ (Children and car safety)
The right coat, all winter long
Wool and warm cotton coats, padded jackets and hooded coats, all chosen by our boutique, with free shipping in Italy from €99 and returns within 14 days of delivery. For help with sizing, message us on WhatsApp, Monday to Saturday.
