Canadian Baby Ponchos – Review

Canadian Baby Ponchos - Review

I received this item at no cost to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own. 

There’s snow on the ground and the temperatures are dipping well below freezing here. You know what that means? Winter has arrived. The Heir loves winter. Every day when he wakes up he asks me if it’s still winter, takes a look out the window, and asks to go play in the snow. I don’t mind winter myself, but as a mom, it comes with a whole set of new challenges. I’m always looking for ways to keep the kids warm that are easy to get them in and out of when it comes time to get them buckled into their car seats. In case you didn’t know, winter coats, snow suits, and bunting bags should NOT be used in car seats. Want to know why? Check this out. One of the easiest ways to keep warm in the car seat without compromising on safety is with a car seat poncho. Now that I’ve had the chance to try a car seat poncho from Canadian Baby Ponchos, I can’t believe I haven’t had one before now! It’s such a great idea and so convenient. 

Canadian Baby Ponchos - Review

What exactly is a car seat poncho? It’s a poncho that is specifically designed to be worn over a child in a car seat so that they can stay warm and cozy without adding bulk between the child and their seat. Any bulk between the child and the car seat or the harness of the car seat is dangerous and can result in full or partial ejection in the event of an accident. The thick layers of a coat or snow suit compress with the force of a crash leaving a large gap between your child and their harness. Living in Canada, we still have to take winter and sub zero temperatures into account. No one wants their child to be buckled in unsafely, but no one wants their child to be sitting in a cold car when it’s -40 either. Canadian Baby Ponchos has a solution to that very problem.

Canadian Baby Ponchos - Review

The Canadian Baby Poncho is made of two thick layers of fleece. The bottom layer is “baby lamb fleece” and the  top layer is a patterned polar fleece. There’s a opening for the child’s head/neck sewn right in the middle with two sturdy snaps at the neck opening to trap in warmth. And trap in warmth is exactly what this does. It is warm. Warm enough for a Canadian winter without a doubt! Of course I couldn’t resist putting The Heir into it as soon as it arrived so he could check it out.

Canadian Baby Ponchos - Review

The very next morning we were greeted with a good dump of snow and some freezing temperatures, so I grabbed the poncho and off to preschool we went! The poncho was perfect for The Heir’s convertible car seat. The back of the poncho just flips up and over the back of the car seat so it doesn’t interfere with the harness straps at all. You can see that he is safely buckled in without any additional bulk between him and the harness. How great is that?

Canadian Baby Ponchos - Review

Canadian Baby Ponchos - Review
No bulk under the harness or between The Heir and the car seat!

Best of all, when we arrive at our destination, there’s no need to put The Heir into his winter coat. He can just hop right out of the car in his poncho and away we go. Now that’s convenience! I thought I would want the poncho to have a hood, but I actually like that it doesn’t. It’s super warm as it is, so I appreciate that The Heir can wear a toque (that’s a winter hat for you non-Canadians) and just take it off if he’s getting a bit warm in the car. The Canadian Baby Poncho isn’t just for using in the car either! It would work great in the stroller, in a sleigh or toboggan, as a shopping cart cover, even King Dad borrowed it to keep warm at his computer in the basement. The Canadian Baby Poncho can be worn from 6 months and up.

Canadian Baby Ponchos - Review

My favourite things:

  • Does not interfere with the harness of the car seat.
  • Super thick and warm for harsh Canadian winter conditions.
  • No need to take it off and switch to a winter coat, just unbuckle and go!
  • Multipurpose: use it wherever you need an extra layer of warmth.
  • Made in Canada!

What I’d change:

  • I’d like it to have snaps or a zipper in the front to make doing up the car seat harness a bit easier.

Final thoughts:

I wish I’d had a Canadian Baby Poncho when The Heir was younger! It really beats piling on blankets on super cold days in the car. As an added bonus, it makes it easy for grandparents or care givers who may not drive your child around all that often to make sure the child is warm and still safely buckled into their car seat.

Check out Canadian Baby Ponchos on Facebook and give them a Like!

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15 Comments on “Canadian Baby Ponchos – Review

  1. I’m brand new to freezing winters and didn’t know about the winter jacket and car seat until I read your post! Since then, I’ve been hearing the car and bringing a blanket. These ponchos look amazing and it’s especially awesome that they’re made here!

  2. I made one like this for my daughter’s first winter and a couple as gifts. They work so fantastic! On my Doll’s poncho, I made the headhole a bit big but it came in handy as I could use the poncho as a nursing cover (albeit a very warm one!). We use it in the car, in the stroller, and in the wagon. Mine do have hoods and I also added arm holes, since Doll doesn’t like having her hands trapped under a blanket. I’ll be adding actual sleeves this year so that she stays warm while she’s waving her arms about 🙂

    I love that they are being made by a Canadian company! We are certainly the North American experts on what works in winter. I’m sure the Russians have ideas of their own 😉

  3. Seriously so awesome!! We have super chilly winters in wisconsin too and car seat safety can be ignored by so many when it comes to fluffy jackets!! I love that instead of taking the poncho off after the ride that it’s long enough for he/she to just wear it into wherever you are going!! Genius!

  4. This poncho is really cute and I can see how it makes getting ready much easier and it’s so creative. I especially love the skulls !

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