Tips for Babywearing in Warmer Weather

It is well known that Natural Baby Shower are huge advocates and personal fans of baby wearing for it’s long list of benefits to both parents and baby. But some parents are put off from carrying their little one when it gets hotter through the summer months or travelling. They fear that their baby will get too hot in the material of the baby carrier, also parents think they themselves will get hot and sticky having the material wrapped around their own body.  We often get asked is it still ok to carry baby in a carrier when the temperatures rise or will it be too hot?

To answer this question and help parents carry their baby all year round we have teamed up with Ergobaby to compile some quick tips on keeping baby cool and show the best summer friendly baby carriers using breathable materials so both parents and baby will stay cool in warm weather.

Thin Layers

It’s best to think of your baby carrier or wrap as being at least 1 extra layer of clothing, so it’s important to keep baby lightly dressed when using a carrier. We recommend dressing them in a light natural fibre such as cotton or bamboo as these are softer and much more breathable than synthetic materials. You should still bring along some extra layers for when they are removed from the baby carrier or just in case the British weather suddenly changes.

Protection

Even though the carrier will be covering most of your little ones body, their little arms, legs, neck and head will still be exposed to the sun. Make sure you protect them from those harmful UV rays by either draping a soft muslin over their arms and legs and popping on a wide rimmed sun hat on their head. Or better yet protect them by applying high SPF  sun cream to these exposed areas. Head over to our sun safety tips blog to learn more about how to protect your little one from UV rays.

All Ergobaby carriers come with an integrated sunhood (folded into an open or zippered pocket on the back panel). This can be attached to one side or both sides on the shoulder straps, to allow flexibility.

Switch it up

When it’s hot outside wearing your baby on your chest can feel like wearing a hot water bottle on your chest and can get uncomfortable for both of you. If your baby is old enough, you might find it more comfortable to carry them in a different position. Try carrying them on your hip or back.

Picking the right carrier

There are baby carriers that are designed specifically for those warmer months, designed to keep you and your little one more comfortable by using lightweight breathable materials and features to keep you both cooler. For example, the Ergobaby Cool Air Mesh Collection carrier have breathable, quick-dry mesh fabric panels and a 100% polyester construction, keeping them light weight and breathable, perfect for carrying on hot days.

Or if you are more of a wrap person, Ergobaby Aura Baby Wraps are made from 100% Viscose, made from Eucalyptus and Acacia, not only making it lightweight and breathable, but also super soft on baby’s delicate skin.

So there are our top tips and favourite warmer weather baby carriers, but we do love a little science to back up our claims and to give parents extra peace of mind that you can continue to baby wear when the temperatures rise in confidence.

Does mesh on an Ergobaby carrier really make it cooler?

Well Ergobaby have teamed up with an expert carrying consultant who lives in the balmy hot temperatures of Croatia to find out what the difference is between a baby carrier made of breathable mesh materials compared to a cotton carrier.

The tester was given an Ergobaby Adapt, which is made from cotton, and a Ergobaby Adapt Cool Air Mesh carrier which a lightweight and breathable version of the Ergobaby Adapt with clever breathable mesh panels to help keep baby cool.  

To find out the difference, she first kept the original Ergobaby Adapt and an Adapt Cool Air Mesh at home at a constant 25 degrees and wore each for 10 minutes at a time. After just under half a minute and at the end of the test wearing, a photo with a thermal imaging camera was taken. Her baby was wearing a cloth nappy and a cotton undershirt. She wore a cotton T-shirt herself. 

The results of her experiment really amazed her Croatian colleague: While the temperatures in the Adapt rose from 25.3 to 33.2 degrees in the area of the back panel within 10 minutes, in the Adapt Cool Air Mesh almost nothing changed in the same period! It changed from 27.7 to 27.8 degrees, just 0.1 degree difference. Only in the lower area, where the mesh material ends, was an increase of 1 degree recorded.

Ergobaby Adapt Temperature Change

Ergobaby Adapt Cool Air Mesh Temperature Change

The fine mesh fabric keeps it’s promise: it ensures good air circulation at higher temperatures and reduces the risk of heat accumulation. However, the carrying consultant also notes that the temperature between the carrier and the baby is identical in all carriers.  The larger body - in this case the mother's - "takes over" the baby's warmth and cools it down - no matter which carrier you are using. To make sure this is the case, you should always make sure that you don't wear too many layers of clothes and, above all, the right clothes when carrying your baby.  

This test carried out by our Croatian carrying consultant is really exciting. With the help of the thermal images, it confirms that a Cool Air Mesh carrier is definitely a good choice in Summer and warmer temperatures.

So there you have it; with the right clothing, sun protection and choosing the perfect baby carrier designed for warmer weather, you can carry on carrying whatever the weather.