A baby wetsuit is the best tool to have on hand when taking your baby to outings at the lake, pool or ocean. Since babies under one year have a more difficult time regulating their body temperature a wetsuit can help keep them warmer while allowing them to join in on the family fun.
Sizing
You may be tempted to buy a baby wetsuit that is a little too large so that your child can wear the suit for an additional season or to make getting the suit on a little easier. This is usually not recommended when buying baby wetsuits because you need for the ankles and wrists of the suit to fit tightly. By fitting snugly the wetsuit keeps the water off of baby’s skin so that they are much warmer and more comfortable in water.
Some suits do have adjustable shoulders to allow the suit to fit snugly while being simpler to get on baby. Make sure that you also use a Lycra rash guard with your baby wetsuit to help keep their skin clear. Since the wetsuit is snugly fitting it is possible to get a rash wearing the neoprene suit. A rash guard is also a good idea since it is an extra layer of warmth for baby to wear in the water. In oceans, you will want to always use the rash guard to protect against the cool water.
How it Works
Your baby wetsuit works because the neoprene is designed to capture a small amount of water that is heated by your body. The thin layer of water helps to keep colder water out and maintains the body temperature of the person wearing it. This thin layer of water is also the reason that it is so easy to get a rash when wearing a wetsuit. Thicker wetsuits are ideal for babies as long as their range of motion isn’t affected by the wetsuit.
For instance, a baby wetsuit that is 3 millimeters thick or thicker will protect even in cool water while wetsuits that are thinner than 2 millimeters should be used in warmer waters and heated pools. The wetsuit you choose may have a variety of thicknesses on different parts of the body with the thickest layers on the torso and back of the suit. Thinner arms and legs allow for easier movement when wearing the wetsuit.
Buying
Buying a baby wetsuit can seem confusing when you don’t know which option to get. If you have any doubts about how cool the water is going to be then you will want to opt for a full body wetsuit with thicker neoprene.
You can find many different styles of wetsuits online. You will also want to know your baby’s size to get a wetsuit that will work to hold in warmth and reduce exposure to the water. You will find that a baby wetsuit is useful for swimming as well as canoeing, kayaking, and even for fishing trips on a boat.
