Footmuff advice please...

[DidThatJustHappen]

Need advice. Baby too big for lovely pramsuit we got given. Seems to me it is more economical to get a footmuff than more pramsuits of gradually increasing size (quite cool to nest them all up like Russian dolls though)... I have a bugaboo bee... Considering the bugaboo high performance thingie or a sheepskin one. Both are investment items so please give me some advice. And are they going to dwarf my tiny pram (and fairly petite baby?).

Also... If I buy a fancy footmuff does DC still need a coat? Trying to do the girl maths to work out how spending over £100 on a footmuff is actually saving money....

Does the word footmuff make other people giggle or is it just me??

Hi, we used a pramsuit and the footmuff on cold days. Or at least always a coat with the footmuff. They're cosy but won't keep the top half as cosy as the legs. We've got the bugaboo footmuff - it does the job! I don't know much about other brands and if they're better. I bought a lovely pramsuit on eBay if you're happy to buy secondhand bits x

Thank you!

Queazy do you have the bee or a chameleon? Wondering if the bugaboo footmuff will drown the bee...

fairylights agree about the layering concept - some of the big bulky things do look like my rather small baby will not be able to move his arms.... Not ideal...

I think they're universal sizing but I do have the chameleon. Definitely cold enough near me for me, but will be looking into cosytoes as my dd is my first and I've never heard of them! We were bought the footmuff with the pram as a gift. I agree it's expensive but when prams cost so much, at that point for dh's dad, I think it felt just a smallish added extra!!!

Would go for sheepskin. As they are natural, baby will be more comfortable with changing temperatures (going in out shops). It can be a good bit cheaper if you look on German websites or ebay.de as there sheepskin footmuffs are much more common. It you go for man-made materials they are much of a muchness. Had a bugaboo (2nd hand) last time that had a bugaboo footmuff and it was in no way better or warmer than cheap ones. Bugaboo can have an awkward shape for footmuffs. Dont know about the bee. Also the buggysnuggle ones are quite nice to look at. In terms of layering, you still need a coat as the top part of baby is only partially covered

My mum made one, using this as a guide but simplifying a bit. If you know anyone crafty, you would get to choose the fabric, thickness etc.

www.bossyoz.com/2011/08/tutorial-cosytoe-footmuff-bunting-bag.html

We had a sheepskin one. They usually come in 2 sizes, I think, 0-6 months and 6-36 months. They are (very) expensive, but I think they are worth it. Mine was made by Fellhof, I would really recommend the brand. Kaiser are also a good brand.

We had a big one and a pushchair similar to the bee - it did almost reach the floor, but not quite - I actually folded a bit of the top of it over the top of the seat, to make it a bit shorter, if that makes sense. Don't know if you would be able to do that with a bee or not.

When my baby was tiny, she didn't need a coat as she was lying flat and the top of the sheepskin went up to her neck, so she was just in a cardigan. Much better for freedom of movement.

Once she was sitting up, she needed a coat and gloves - I usually had her in a fleece jacket, and she was fine. Sheepskins are really warm, but they are also breatheable, so they don't get overly hot and sweaty.

She always slept really well in the sheepskin, and I just used to zip the top part off when we got inside and she would carry on sleeping.

I can recommend the jojo footmuff, to add to your choices! It's fleecy inside and waterproof outer (and very pretty) and although long, it's easy enough to fold over, and will do for a stroller as they grow. My baby is pretty warm so doesn't need more than a thick cardigan or coat when in the buggy. She does sleep well when cooking in the snowsuit in there though!

Fellhof are good, they are Austrian I think. Had a quick check and cheapest I could find for them was just under 100 euro at windeln.de. They deliver to uk.

My sister has the bugaboo footmuff and DN is toasty enough in it that he can be barefoot. If she's in and out of shops she doesn't put a coat on him just a cardigan or hoody type thing, if she's out on a long walk he wares a coat.

I use a cosyosko fleece footmuff, it zips right up to the neck on my 2 yo. It's brilliant, it also folds into a pillow and unzips to use it as a blanket, you can get matching hat and gloves too.

Can't believe I put wares

We had a sheepskin liner for car seat that dd absolutely loved I'd recommend sheepskin too

Thanks every great tips - especially to look at German websites... I had never thought of doing that! Eventually got a great deal on a kaiser sheepskin one from Amazon France... Hopefully it will do the job!

I've just done tons of research into this and ended up going for the High Performance Bugaboo one. The thing that did it for me is the lower section that you can wipe clean with a cloth - no way would I want to wash the mud off the fleece weekly (children are messy!). It is RIDICULOUSLY overpriced but it fits much better than non-Bugaboo ones (have tried probably 20 different ones...). I have a Bee and it's fine parent-facing, even though everyone says that it isn't - not sure whether they have installed it incorrectly as I certainly have no problems with mine! S