Kids' winter hats

Kids' winter hats covers infant, baby and toddlers' hats. Just like with adult hats, there is a wide variety of winter hat wear available. There are knitted baby hats for boys and girls, fleece baby hats, crocheted baby hats, hand knitted baby hats and baby beanie hats. Then the same or similar can be found for toddlers and young children too.

Key features of kids' winter hats

Winter head gear for infants and toddlers in particular, must have these basics so a good winter hat has to:

Cover your child's head and ears
Have a chin strap to keep the hat in place
Fabric needs to be warm and soft on the inside and wind or water-resistant on the outside.

The only item you may not want is a chin strap if you think your child doesn't need one or are confident that the hat won't be lost or get left behind.

Depending on the type of winter you have, you'll need to have several hats on standby to suit the changing seasons from fall to winter and through to spring although the lighter hat can be used for both the fall and spring. It's always better to have several back-up hats for those random disasters that happen when the main hat is misplaced, the dog has chewed on it or it mysteriously disappears.

Best hat fabrics for kids' winter hats

Natural fibers like soft wools will keep your child toasty and warm. This includes wool, cashmere, lambs wool, fleece, knitted wools and sheepskin. They are the warmest of all the fabrics available. You'll also find that polar fleece is a common and popular material used for kids' winter hats. It's a man-made synthetic but it's lightweight and equally as warm as the natural fibers. Also if the hat gets lost, replacing a polar fleece hat won't break the budget unlike the other fabrics mentioned here that will most likely cost a little more.

Wool, wool blends, knits and fleece are the most durable and can take the wear and tear of winter life. They stand up well to the rigors of their pint-sized demanding owners when they accidentally drop their hats in snow or slush and end up with salt stains on it. In fact, your child may outgrow the hat before it can be replaced.

Hat Lining:

The inside lining could be cotton, hemp or bamboo as they are all soft and provide a good barrier for young sensitive skin. Keep in mind that some fabrics are better for your child than others. Some types of wool may irritate baby skin or fleece may create unnecessary static that could give a small shock to your child because of the dry winter air.

Recommendations for buying kids' winter hats

Here are some key questions to ask yourself when buying your young one a winter hat.

Choose the type of fabric that is the most comfortable for your baby or toddler and won't irritate sensitive baby skin e.g. knit baby hat or fleece baby hat
What is the best hat style for your child?
Make sure the hat fits comfortably over her/his head and covers the ears properly
Does the hat have a chin strap? Do you want one?
Is the hat for fall and winter? e.g. a lightweight hat for the warmer fall/spring days or a more insulated hat for colder days needed
Is the hat fabric easy to wash and care for?

Kids' winter hats - Babies and toddlers

The close-fitting beanie shaped hats are the most popular for both babies and toddlers.

Beanie hats might be made of pure natural fibers like fine wool and/or a blend of different fibers like cotton, micro fleece, knit, acrylic and polyester. Whatever it is, it needs to be soft, warm and comfortable for your child. The small beanie caps for babies are the most common ones for infants up to two, sometimes even three years.

For toddlers, the head-shaped beanie cap and wool knit hats can be fitted or more loose in style. it is the most popular style for this age group and comes in a multitude of colours and textures. You'll find they are readily available from just about any clothing retailer who stocks baby and young children's hats and clothes.

Best kids' winter hat style

The beanie shaped hat is a universal shape that gets worn by just about anyone, from babies to adults. However, there is another popular hat style that is worn quite often as children get a little older.

This is the baby bomber, trapper or trooper winter style hat. For really cold winter climates with cold temperatures, snowy conditions and high winds, this style works really well. Not only does this style make your child look adorable but it is be warm and comfortable too.

This style has:

Fur/faux fur or quilted lining on the inside
Earflaps to keep little sensitive ears warm and protected
May have a longer back flap to protect the neck
Big fold-up brim (sometimes with fur/faux fur) in the front to deflect the wind or snow
A chin strap to keep the hat in place.

Generally, these trapper/trooper type hats have a waterproof or a windproof exterior such as suede, fur, leather or a synthetic exterior.

Kids' winter hats - older children

Besides beanie hats and trapper hats and everything in between, older children may like to wear fun hats like animal-themed hats or characters from their favourite shows, movies or books.

Tweens and Teenagers

Whatever you buy for them won't be want they want so let them choose their own style - it's their "job" and not yours! They want to be cool and fit in with their friends so let them.

Bright colours

Buy bright or bold colours to make the winter a little brighter for your child. This could be for a hat, scarf, mittens, even a coat or jacket. Unlike adult winter clothing, winter wear for children has a much wider range of colours to choose from. The other benefit is that bright colours will be easier to spot outside as they race around building snowmen or making snow angels.

Caring for kids' winter hats

Different fabrics and materials require different treatments. Washing natural fibers like wool and wool blends may shrink so read the washing instructions first. Fleece and acrylics will retain their shape and texture and last quite a long time with just normal care and attention.

Return to Winter Hats from Kids' Winter Hats

Return to Winter Living Advisor