Updated on April 6, 2017
Mouse & Hatter Designs Car Seat Poncho Review
I received this item at no cost in order to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own.
I live here in the Great White North, also known as Canada! That means just one thing: it gets cold in the winter. The beauty of that is that I happen to love the calm and quiet that comes with a fresh snowfall, until I have to go out in it. Now it may come as a surprise to some of you that a born and raised Canadian would dislike schlepping around in the snow, but, to be fair, I’m from Vancouver! That means I’m used to a wet and rainy winter with minimal sub-zero temperatures. I traded in my umbrella for a hefty pair of serious winter boots now that I’m subjected to long, cold, snowy, and icy winters that seem to last for the better part of six months, at least. One of the biggest challenges of winter is carting the kids around when it’s super cold out. Why is that so difficult? First, I want them to be warm enough. Second, I want them to be buckled into their car seats correctly. The two may seem like no big deal, but keeping the kids warm and buckled up safely can be a challenge. Did you know that thick winter coats and snowsuits should never be worn in a car seat? A heavy coat or snowsuit prevents the harness from being tight enough to restrain the child in the event of a collision. If you didn’t know this, I have written about it before, but the short explanation is that the forces of a crash cause the coat or snowsuit to compress leaving enough space in the harness that a child may be partially or fully ejected from their car seat. Scary stuff. What’s a winter ready family to do? Opt for a car seat poncho! Mouse & Hatter Designs makes what just might be the perfect car seat poncho for cold winters. Never heard of a car seat poncho or not sure how it’s supposed to work? Allow me to explain.
Mouse & Hatter Designs is based out of Ottawa, Ontario and is owned and operated by Stefanie, a WAHM of three littles (soon to be four!). Stefanie is all about creating the best for your baby with comfort being a top priority. She makes everything from hybrid fitted cloth diapers and babywearing accessories to children’s clothing and vintage inspired bonnets, and even car seat ponchos! Every item she sells is hand made and she’s always up for custom orders!
What exactly is a car seat poncho? A car seat poncho is a wonderful way to keep your child warm and properly buckled into their car seat through the winter. The idea behind it is that your child can wear the poncho in place of a winter coat for those times when you’re taking them in and out of the car on cold winter days. Unlike a heavy coat, the car seat poncho does not need to be removed before buckling your child into their seat. Instead, the back of the poncho simply lifts up over the back of the car seat so it is not sitting behind your child’s back. That means there’s no added bulk to compress and potentially leave space between the harness and your child. The Mouse & Hatter Designs car seat poncho has everything I’m looking for in a car seat poncho, and some features I never knew I wanted!
Let’s start with the construction of the Mouse & Hatter Designs car seat poncho. As with any WAHM product that crosses my threshold, I check it over to see how well it’s constructed. Let me just say that Mouse & Hatter Designs quality is top notch. It is flawlessly constructed! The stitching is perfect, the snap placement is totally lined up, and the design of it is amazing. The car seat poncho is constructed of two layers of material. The outer layer is made of fleece and the inner layer is made out of your choice of fleece or minky. If you’re not familiar with minky, it’s this super soft material that feels like pure bliss to the touch. The poncho has a hood for keeping your little one’s head and ears warm. The front of the car seat poncho is equipped with a snap closure. There’s also a tab that snaps at the neck of the poncho to keep it on your child even when the front is unsnapped. On each side of the poncho there’s one set of snaps that can be closed to make “sleeves”. The Mouse & Hatter Designs car seat poncho is a sized poncho and is available in nine sizes: 6 months, 12 months, and size 2 through 8.
I have to admit that I had a really hard time choosing which fleece to go with for Petit Prince’s car seat poncho. I’m terrible at making decisions when there’s a lot of options, so it took me quite a while to decide what I wanted! I finally decided that a nice grey fleece with little orange foxes would be perfect. After all, the very first toy I bought for Petit Prince (before he was even born) was a corduroy stuffed fox, so this print seemed fitting. I wanted to go with a minky inner for the car seat poncho. I went this way because I know how incredibly soft minky is, but also because I was worried a double layer of fleece might be too warm once the car is warmed up. If you happen to live somewhere that’s even colder than Calgary (and there are many many places colder than here) then the double layer of fleece would be great!
There are so many great features of the Mouse & Hatter Designs car seat poncho that I don’t even know where to begin! I’ll start with the length. I cannot properly express how thrilled I was when I received Petit Prince’s car seat poncho and it wasn’t ridiculously long. He started walking just over a month ago, and is beginning to gain more confidence on his feet. I want him to be able to walk around outside in his car seat poncho without tripping on it. I know he’s going to want to walk from the car to the school when we pick The Heir up at preschool, so he needs to be able to walk in his car seat poncho. The whole point of a car seat poncho is that you don’t have to take it off, so his being able to walk with it on is crucial!
Another feature I love is that the Mouse & Hatter Designs car seat poncho opens up in the front. When I put Petit Prince in his car seat, I can just unsnap the front of the poncho and actually see what I’m doing with the harness. I don’t need to fold up the front or flip it over his face to get to the harness. I often just leave the front unsnapped after buckling him into his seat. That way he’s covered up and warm, but when the car’s warmed up he can easily push the poncho open if he’s feeling too hot.
The snap together sleeves on the Mouse & Hatter Designs car seat poncho is another great feature. Right now, Petit Prince has no interest in having his hands out of the poncho, but for older toddlers and children it’s really handy. With a quick snap, you can create a cuff/sleeve for your child’s hands to come through. This keep the poncho in place and keeps the child’s hands out. That means it’s easier for them to pick up some snow, hold their lunch kit, or even hold their parent’s hand! It just adds a little touch to make the poncho feel a bit more like a jacket when that’s needed.
The snap and tab closure at the neck is great for keeping the poncho on when the hood is down and the front is unsnapped. Sometimes it’s too warm to have the hood up and the poncho closed. With this closure, the poncho won’t slip off the child’s shoulders, but still adds just the right amount of warmth. I will admit I usually prefer to have the option of a detachable hood, but with the Mouse & Hatter Designs poncho, I don’t mind one bit that the hood doesn’t detach. I don’t find that the hood gets in the way in the car at all, and I can appreciate not having to keep track of two separate pieces when it comes time to put the poncho into storage over the summer. Plus, with the hood attached, I don’t have to worry about it falling out of the car and being left behind somewhere.
Stefanie of Mouse & Hatter Designs has obviously put a lot of thought and care into designing this car seat poncho. It has all the features I have wanted in a car seat poncho, and it’s available in a wide variety of fleece colours and prints. The possibilities are almost endless! You can be sure your child will be warm enough for those super cold weather house to car and car to destination transfers, and the convenience of never having to remove a coat at the car is awesome. It doesn’t interfere with the car seat harness at all, so you can feel confident that your child is warm and safe in their car seat this winter!
Mouse & Hatter Designs car seat ponchos start at $70 CAD, and are available to purchase right from the Mouse & Hatter Designs Facebook page!
How would you like the chance to WIN a car seat poncho for your little one this winter? One lucky reader has the chance to WIN one Mouse & Hatter Designs Car Seat Poncho in their choice of size and fabric! That’s a value of up to $100! Just scroll down to the giveaway and get your entries in for a chance to win. This giveaway is open to US & Canadian residents, 18+, and closes on November 21st, 2016. Sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment. Don’t forget to follow the Gobbling Up The Giveaways “hop” and enter the other awesome giveaways linked up below!
It’s that time of year again! Fall is officially in full swing and the holidays are right around the corner. That means that it’s time for the second annual Gobbling Up the Giveaways giveaway hop hosted by The Anti-June Cleaver and Our Piece of Earth!
We have teamed up with an amazing group of bloggers to bring you a lot of fantastic of prizes to kick off the holiday season. After you have entered my giveaway, be sure to visit the linky below for more great prizes.
DISCLOSURE: The Anti-June Cleaver, Our Piece of Earth, and the rest of the bloggers participating in the Gobbling Up the Giveaways giveaway hop are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations. Open to US & Canadian residents, 18 years of age and older. Confirmed winner(s) will be contacted via email and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be drawn. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. Prize fulfillment is the responsibility of the sponsor(s). For questions or to see your product featured on The Monarch Mommy blog contact Stefanie at https://themonarchmommy.com/work-with-me/.
I love the style of this, and its just cute.
@tisonlyme143
I love the Foxes! and of course the safety aspects of the car seat poncho.
My favourite feature is the snap at the front. Make it easier to put on and off. But I love everything about it!
with the snap front the child can open it if they become too warm and buckles are easily reached.
This looks perfect for my son this winter! Looks so cozy and not too girly!
I love the hood! My son hates hats but will tolerate hoods..lol
I love that it can be worn safely in a car seat without having to be taken on or off!
I love all the different patterns and the snaps in the front.
I love the hood and that it snaps up the front for easy access to the car seat straps.
I love that it so easy to put on, my granddaughter hate us to put her arm in a anything. The hood is an added bonus.
Love this! So easy!
Love how cute they are and how they can button around the arms for the older ones so they can easily pick things up. Always worried about jackets with the car seat in calgarys winter so this would solve them problem.
I especially like that the Poncho does not interfere with the carseat harness.
I love that this would work perfectly for Canadian winters and carting around LO while heading to 8yo soccer practices and games!
The versatility is great! I love baby items that do double duty, since they grow out of things (physically and developmentally) so quickly.
I love the design. The kid can wear it when they’re not in the car seat, and when they are, it easily goes over the back and can be unsnapped across the front. Genius!!
I love that I don’t have to take my daughter’s coat off to put her into her car seat, then put it back on when we get to our destination. This would be especially beneficial if the weather is bad!
Brilliant!!
An amazing product, and I always love reading your reviews- so thorough!
I have a fleecy car seat cover, BUT my little one hates having his feet covered with it, and it’s sort of elasticy, so he probably doesn’t like feeling restricted. These are perfect!!! I hope hope hope I’m lucky and win it! Thanks for the opportunity! And introducing me to this WAHM!
i love not having to take off my kids coats, its a hassle!
What i like about the Mouse & Hatter Designs car seat poncho i love the multi use,in the seat or out,it looks great and cozy!
love that you don’t have to fit the straps over it! It’s adorable, and love the front opening and closure by hood!
I love that this eliminates the hassle of putting on & taking off a winter jacket. Also love that the hood is attached – one less piece to drop/lose/misplace.
I really need to get my girlie one of these!
I love the snap closures for ease and versatility! They are adorable too!
I love that this can fit over the carseat without endangering the child or the seat 🙂
I really like that it is car seat safe!
I love that it’s Canadian and local (to me):) I like that my child can wear it outside of the car so it has multiple uses. The fabric designs are adorable.
Thanks for introducing us to a great new designer.
Besos Sarah
Journeys of The Zoo
I love everything about the poncho it’s the cures thing ever
I really like the cute fox design. My favorite feature I think is just the way that it can be worn as a poncho outside, and used as a car seat cover with a hood to keep the little one nice and cozy warm on a chilly day.
I love that it can be worn out of the carseat
I like how it fits over the car seats. We need that here for that Ohio weather! So cold!
I love the different designs and the snap.
I love how easily it snaps open and closed
I love the snap together sleeves! 🙂
I love the apparent quality of the poncho! I have been doing research on a winter solution for this year and I see this brand reccomended again and again!
WOW! this is such an amazing idea! so clever and useful. I love that this replaces a blanket since children shouldn’t be wearing their coats. It saves time because you can have this poncho on your child and take them from the house to the car no problem instead of having them leave the house in a jacket and having to take it off in the vehicle before buckling them up
I would probably say that I like how the hood doesn’t detach! Less things to lose! 🙂
I like that the kids will stay warm from the house to the car since it is like a blanket.
I love that it can be worn outside of the carseat as well. No more dressing and undressing!
I love that the front easily snaps and unsnaps for easy strap access!!
I like the snap front and non-detachable hood!
I love that you don’t have to fit the straps over it!
I love the snaps – makes it so easy to use. The fabrics/prints are fantastic as well.
I love how the child can still wear the poncho even when they’re in the car seat. It’s such a hassle getting jackets on and off little ones and this makes things a whole lot easier
My fave feature is the snap at the front which makes it easier to get baby in and out without having to fuss.
They are so comfy looking! I have definitely been eyeing these for my kids!
I love that the kids can wear it from house to vehicle or vehicle into store. So much versatility.
I like the bright colors and how easy it is to use.
I love this idea. It would amazing in Canmore.
I like that you can make sleeves
I like that it’s so quick to put on and off. My son is squirmy.
so many things to like about these adorable ponchos
can make sleeves, cozy, safety, breathable fabric
so much to love about this poncho, I especially like the snap and tab closure at the neck!
I love everything about it! It looks so warm and cozy!
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I love this idea! Such a great idea for a way to keep the little munchkins safe and warm in the car! Thanks for coming up with this!
Honestly it’s the hood. I was looking at another Poncho and decided on this one because their head can be covered even without a hat!
I love that it is a totally functional and wearable poncho BESIDES being suitable for the car seat.
I need one of these for my wee man. At the moment I wrap him in his blanket but as he wants to walk to the car now it doesn’t work so well.
i love that it goes OVER everything. i was reminded again the other day how dangerous it is to buckle a child in with their coat on. this is such a smart – and warm, and good looking! – solution!
I love that it is safe to be worn in the car as opposed to trying to put them in seat with a coat on and it keeps them warm!
This is so perfect for my Grandson. I think it’s such a great idea. Is so much safer than wearing a coat and trying to buckle him in.
I love that the snaps go all the way down the front of the poncho. The current poncho that I use for my son only has a short zipper. Being able to unsnap the whole front would make life so much easier!
I love the snap closure because my kiddo can take the thing off without help if needed (sometimes mama’s hands are full/busy!!)
Such a good idea, I really need these for my baby and toddler for winter.
If I don’t will I need to mod one of my blankets to make my own, there are so many great features in her though!
I love that the poncho doesn’t cause any interference with the harness & buckles in the car seat! Plus, it looks adorable worn even outside of the car seat 🙂
I love the roomy hood. My LO hates anything tight around his head/face, including his toque and the hood on his sweaters or jacket.
Love that it goes around the child. I love that there is no need for a coat. I hate that i have to adjust the harness just for coats.
My favorite feature is the front snap.
I love the design of the fabric but also that this is so much more comfortable for the kids