How to choose the best maternity coat
When you’re looking for your ideal maternity coat, think about what you need from your winter coat:
Budget: While more expensive 3-in-1 styles can cost close to £200, less spendy winter maternity coats can be picked up for under £40, such as our best budget maternity coat, the Asda Maternity Padded Zip Up Coat. Think about how long you would reasonably wear the coat and whether you want to choose an investment buy or a less break-the-bank option.
Waterproof or showerproof: If you’re going to be doing a lot of walking around in the rain this winter then you’ll need a coat that’s at least showerproof, such as the JoJo Maman Bébé 2-in1- Faux Fur Trim Padded Parka. If you’re mainly working from home, as so many of us still are, then you may get away with one that doesn’t have wet weather credentials to tackle Snowdon, but will get you to the corner shop and back in style like the New Look Maternity Grey Hooded Long Sleeve Anorak.
Babywearing: If you’re planning on carrying your newborn in a baby carrier during the winter months, it might suit you to get a baby-carrying style of coat with an attachable kangaroo panel.Length: If you’re petite, you may prefer a shorter style such as the Zeta Ville Babywearing Coat but for full-on coverage during the winter months, a longer length maternity coat will keep you snuggly.
Length: If you’re petite, you may prefer a shorter style such as the Zeta Ville Babywearing Coat but for full-on coverage during the winter months, a longer length maternity coat will keep you snuggly.
Care: If you already have kids and spend a chunk of your life hanging around muddy playgrounds, it might be wise to opt for a machine-washable style such as the JoJo Maman Bébé Navy 2-in-1 Maternity Puffer Coat. If this is your first baby and you’re still living a relatively mess-free life, a dry-clean coat won’t be too much of a hassle for you.
What is the best maternity coat?
The best overall maternity coat is the Seraphine 3-in-1 Winter Maternity Parka, which gives you three stylish coats for the price of one and covers you during pregnancy, babywearing and afterwards too.
Do I need a pregnancy coat?
This question gets mixed responses on our Mumsnet forums. The answer probably varies depending on what time of the year your bump is at its biggest. In the summer, you may not need anything at all, other than maybe a raincoat.
In the winter months you’ll want something that covers your bump, but some mums-to-be find buying a bigger non-maternity coat does the job. However, if you want to allow plenty of room to grow but the rest of the coat to still fit you nicely then a maternity coat will be a good investment, especially as some of them have been designed to last well after your baby is born.
What is a 3-in-1 maternity coat?
If you’re going to invest in a maternity coat, a 3-in-1 will provide plenty of use for you and your little one. The coat can be used in three stages, firstly throughout your pregnancy with ties or toggles to allow extra room for growth.
Then, when your baby is born, the coat can be used when you’re carrying your baby in a sling or carrier, zipping on an extra panel to keep you both warm and dry. Finally, the idea behind a 3-in-1 is that you can use your coat afterwards too - simply unzip the panel and you can use it for all those cold days chasing a toddler around the park!
These kinds of coats can be a heavy investment but if you actually do use it all for all three stages, you should get your money’s worth out of it.
How we chose our recommendations
Recommendations from real parents
Whenever we want to find good products, we start by asking our Mumsnet users which one they recommend. Our forums have over 7 million users each month so where better to start our research? With every recommendation, we know we’re getting products that can withstand the needs of you and your family, while also catering for a range of different needs, budgets and lifestyles.
Expert advice
In order to recommend a list of tried-and-tested products, our trusted and experienced parenting journalists research each category thoroughly. We check with the experts to
to help us find products that can stand up to scrutiny.
This means using a variety of sources, including consulting independent review sites, such as Which?, to ensure we are bringing you the best products on offer right now.
Consumer feedback
How often have you relied on online reviews to help you pick a product? We know how important they are to consumers so we scour the internet to see how well-rated the products are when they are put to the test. We consult reviews on websites such as John Lewis, JoJo Maman Bébé and Amazon to make sure the products are worth your cash.
During our research, we read both positive and negative feedback to help us consider the quality, safety, value for money and any extra features to ensure the products perform well across the board.
Celebrated best products
Finally, we also make sure to look out for any products that have received awards. We then cross-reference all of our research to help us recommend a variety of maternity coats that will keep you warm, cosy and dry during your pregnancy and, maybe even, beyond.
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