Oh the frustration of dealing with car seats and winter weather. Living in Canada, winter gear is a must and unfortunately my kids don’t want to hibernate like I would like to all winter so we have to leave the house daily too. Puffy, heavy, winter jackets can post a real hazard for infants and toddlers when strapped into a car seat because the thing is, those jackets keep the straps from being snug against the child like they’re supposed to be.
Here’s a great quote on the subject from pediatrics.about.com:
Instead of putting your child in a car seat with a heavy winter coat, the Texas Department of Public Safety recommends that you ‘keep your child in the clothes they will be wearing when they are indoors. Place the child in the infant seat or car seat, making sure the harness straps are snug over the shoulders and that they lie straight and flat down to the buckle.
Wait what? Same clothing as indoors? Did you note that the quote came from Texas? If I lived in Texas this would be a non-issue! Unfortunately, I don’t live in Texas during the winter months so I have to figure out a way to keep my toddler safe, yet not frozen, this winter.
When babies are little and still in the bucket-style seat, parents have the luxury of putting baby in the seat while still inside, then carrying it out to the vehicle. Blankets work for covering baby but I always felt like I was packing my kids in like a sardine because I’d stuff blankets all around them to keep drafts out.
Once toddlers are in their big-kid car seats, this all changes. If you take along blankets, they can keep a child warm but the car seat itself is freezing when you get into the vehicle!
One great solution is an Urban Bundle Me by JJ Cole Collections.
We’ve just experienced our first snowstorm of the season and already jackets have become a problem. If I put my toddler in a warm coat to keep her cozy when we first get into a cold vehicle, the straps have to be adjusted (I know, I know) and then by the time we drop off her older siblings at school, the van is toasty warm and she’s overly warm.
So, I decided to give the Urban Bundle Me a try on her car seat. My husband was able to install it in a matter of minutes and all the straps easily came through the back. A quick zip and my toddler is snug as a bug in her car seat with the straps close to her chest and a cozy zip-around blanket of sorts around her keeping her warm.
In our case, the back of the Urban Bundle Me doesn’t go around the entire back of the car seat (likely due to the protective sides around the head) but in a bucket-style car-seat and a stroller, it would. Still, it keeps her toasty warm with just a light fleece jacket on instead of a big bulky jacket.
If we were more outdoorsy this would be a really great stroller addition for three season use. Parents wouldn’t have to worry about blankets being kicked off and tossed on the ground and the baby would stay cozy warm while mom and dad are being far more active than us!
The JJ Cole Collections Urban Bundle Me is available in two sizes: infant (up to 21 lbs or 1 year) and toddler (1 to 3 years) for $49.95 and $59.95 directly from JJ Cole Collections, or you can use the handy Store Locator link on the site to find a store that carries JJ Cole Collections products near you.
One of my readers is going to win a JJ Cole Collections Urban Bundle Me (choice of size infant/toddler)! To enter to win, just use the Rafflecopter form below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I’d like to win this for my cousin’s baby.
my niece really could use this. thanks for the chance to win it.
looks like an awesome product!
My brother and Sister in law are pregnant with my first niece or nephew!! I would like to win it for them because they deserve everything they can get to help them with the life of their child when he/she is born!! I am so excited to be an aunt.
I’d like to win because we’re expecting our second baby in January so this would be very handy with the cold weather!
I have wanted one of these for my son for awhile now and with winter coming it would be really nice to have. We are very broke atm since loosing work, so this would be something nice to keep my son warm. Ty for the chance
My sister could really use this for her son!
My nephew is having a baby tonight. THis would be great.
I’d give this to my brother and wife for their first baby.
This would be a perfect gift for my niece – baby is arriving this week
It will be perfect for my niece’s baby
For my 2nd due in januaey
for my daughter.
It’s getting cold here, and I would love this for those freezing days where I have to travel.
tHIS IS PERFECT FOR MY NEPHEW.
This would be perfect for my little nephew – I would love to win for him.
perfect for packing in toddler to do school runs
That looks cozy! Would love to win it!
Carseat safety is so important to me. I don’t put my son in his carseat with his jacket on so I’d love to win this!
This would be great for my youngest for while in the car during those cold winter days!
I dont put my babe’s jacket on in the car either, we cozy up with blankets- so this is a great alternative!
i wold love this for my cousins baby
I’d win this prize for my goddaughter.
i LOVE THAT THIS IS AVAILABLE FOR BIGGER KIDS!
I WANT THIS FOR MY LITTLEST MAN
I would like to win that for my family!
Ooooooo we have the Bundle Me for our bucket car seat, but I didn’t realize you could get it for the toddler size! Our 1.5 yr old HATES her big bulky winter coat! And…mind you….she does kinda look like she can’t bend her arms!
Would love one of these for her!!!
its for my sister’s expecting baby!
I would like to win this for my niece
my first is due in december – she’s going to need to be bundled up for the cold months ahead!
I would love this for my new baby – she was due Nov 1st but is now past due! This would be perfect for keeping a tiny baby warm this winter. I love J J Cole products too – great quality.
I like that this is better than a blanket always falling off of a car seat.
My new grandbaby is due in 3 weeks and it is getting cold out
I would like to win this becaue it is perfect for my nephew
I would love to win because I just found out we are moving from VA to WI and I need to keep my baby warm!
I would love to win this for my grand niece.
I am pregnant, I could use this for my baby.
I have a newborn.
I would love to win this because I live in New England and I am due with my first baby this winter! I love that it is so much safer than putting the baby in a heavy, bulky jacket. Thank you for the opportunity to enter this give away!
This would be a great item to have for our stroller. We take our baby 11 month old with us to the bus stop to drop her brother off and pick him up. I know that it will be cold for her in her stroller even if she is in a coat and warm layers. I know that these are very warm and keep the little ones from catching a chill. Thanks for the chance.
bekki1820cb at gmail dot com
i would love to win because this would keep my daughter super comfy and warm in the winter!
yay me I won!