Keeping Baby Comfortable Year-Round {Wee Woollies Review + Giveaway}

I think one of the hardest things about having a baby now in the mix of our family adventures is relearning how to keep her comfortable and the right temperature.  I naively often think that if I’m hot/cold, my kids (all of them) must be following suit.  Rarely is that actually the truth, but it’s the triggers that make me think about how they are doing (if I am freezing or sweating.)

In an effort of keeping Baby comfortable all summer, we often turn to merino wool (which happens to be the exact same thing we use in the winter too!)  The self-regulating properties of wool make it an excellent layer for people of all ages, really, but it is more crucial in the little ones who aren’t able to really tell you how they are feeling.

Benefits of merino wool for the whole family:

• No complaining of being hot and no sweating.
• The wool protects with an UPF of 50+ (so no chemicals from sunscreen on the kids’ skin.) **note: the UPF of a garment depends on the tightness of the weave of the fabric and varies from company to company**
• When careless water-drinking or wet, leaky diapers ends up resulting in wet kids, we didn’t worry about the cooler temperatures later because the moisture easily vaporized AND continued to protect when wet.

Why Merino Wool works so great:

Wee Woollies sources their Merino from New Zealand, promising environmental, social and ethical sustainability, animal welfare and traceability back to the source. Those sheep adapt to a broad range of conditions, making their wool work for them keeping them warm in the winter and cool in the summer, which then translates into the garments made from their wool working for us.

The long, fine hairs are extremely soft, light, airy, itch-free, and actually wick moisture away from the skin (something only merino wool does since it has a capacity to absorb up to 30% of its own weight of liquid and then release it in the air as vapor.) The wool is extremely breathable, which makes it great for hot summer days and is the reason our kids don’t sweat when wearing it.

The kids (all 3 of them) wear their merino shirts on every hiking, skiing and camping trip we go on (and they only have one…) And for all those worried laundry-doing parents out there: Yes, care is machine wash and line dry.

Extra bonus: Merino wool is also extremely fire resistant and resists odor (both qualities appreciated when we are out camping with campfires and small tents.)

Wee Woollies for Babies:

We tested and mentioned Wee Woollies for the older kids this winter and continue to love them: “Merino wool is never cheap, but this is the most affordable and quality brand I have found.  While a set here runs about $55, you could expect to pay well over $100 (even for a 1 or 2 year old) through any other company for wool.  It’s made in Canada and can be purchased at Mountain Baby or directly from Wee Woollies (shipping to the US is totally reasonable).  Our kids wear it for both pajamas and base layers.  It holds up to washes great and is very cozy.  They are a fitted style (which means warmer kids) but the tops are long so you can tuck them into the bottoms.  Can’t say enough good about them!”

Over the past two months, we have had L in her own long-sleeve onesie and beanie.

• The beanie ($16) is worn every single night due to the fact that it is soft, stays on her head and keeps her warm and regulated.  Our very favorite.  It’s available in 4 different sizes up to 18 months and 4 colors.  L easily wears the 0-3 month size, and while she is small, I would venture to guess they run a bit big.

  

• As I mentioned above, the Merino Long Sleeve ($38) is especially beneficial for babies because it dries quickly, wicks moisture away from their skin (spit-up, leaking diapers, etc.) and just lasts a long time.  L has worn hers both on its own and as an extra layer particularly when we are camping (and it is still freezing at night in the mountains).  We see some very very slight pilling after a bunch of washes, but I personally think that is inevitable and doesn’t take away from the function or look of the pieces.  It’s just because it’s wool and actually means it’s getting softer.  It’s also available in 4 different sizes up to 18 months and 4 colors

My only gripe? I wish it came in more colors.  And apparently more colors are coming….

Win a Wee Woollies set for your baby!

Wee Woolies has very generously offered the chance for one of you to win a Merino Short Sleeve and a Beanie in winner’s choice of size and color.

As usual, please use the Rafflecopter Widget below to enter to win. The winner will be emailed and announced on this post in the Rafflecopter Widget. Have questions? Please don’t hesitate to contact me at mountainmamatales(at)gmail(dot)com so I can help!  Giveaway open to the US and Canada.

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