Baby/toddler wet suits

[pigleychez]

Looking at getting a wetsuit for DD2. She's just turned 2 but is tiny and a skinny little thing (despite eating like a horse!) She's 9th centile for both height and weight.

Anyway, with no meat on her bones she gets cold very quickly in the pool and her little lips turn blue.

Can see two different types of suits around.. the wrap round suits with no arms of legs or the shortie style ones with short sleeves and legs.

Anyone any experience as to which would be best? Are the shortie suits a pain to get on?

My only experience is with a 9 month old, but the wrap round is much easier to get on and off and she seems warm enough. The shortie one was OK to get on, harder to get off.

The wrap around ones are best with a baby that you would dress laid down on a change table, but for a toddler I found the shortie ones much better.

I have shortie suits for DS (2) and DD (3) and they're fine to get on and off, a bit more tricky than a swimsuit but not a problem and they're much warmer.

DD 18mo wears a shortie suit 0.4 centile so in 6-12 months, really helps keep her warm and in the pool longer.

Easy to step into and allows more movement.

I would second the shortie vote. Once they are free standing they are ok to get on and off and they keep them lovely and toastie warm. My DS is an absolute tank but he still needs his shortie in our chilly leisure centre pool. I always feel a bit sad looking at the blue babies just wearing swim nappies.

Brilliant.. thanks everyone.
A shortie one it is then. :)

Would agree with all other posters, we now have a shortie one for DS, which is fab, the other sort was ok, but he was scared of the velcro noise, so would start each session crying..... no tears with the other kind! Happy swimming

Completely agree, we had a wrap around and it was restrictive and came up too small when DS was the recommended weight. He's o.k. in just a happy nappy at the pool, but for swimming in the sea he has a proper shortie wetsuit. He's 21 months and normally wears age 2-3 clothes, but we had to get age 3-4 in Portwest.