The Best Toddler Hat & Mitten Set

Buying Guide

If you live in an area of the country where winters are cold, you already know the value of a good pair of gloves. For parents, though, it isn’t just about keeping your own hands warm. You have to worry about the other members of your household, including your littlest family members, as well as their little ears.

Although adults typically choose gloves for everyday use, mittens actually keep your hands warmer. Your fingers generate heat inside the mittens, promoting warmth. If you’re skiing or participating in outdoor sports, mittens will often be a better option, but as you’re going from home to work and back, you probably need your fingers to be flexible enough to easily grab on to things like your keys and your car door handle.

For toddlers, though, that flexibility isn’t nearly as important. That’s why you’ll more often see mittens on kids rather than gloves. But the same challenges can apply, especially if your little ones are heading outside to play in the snow. Fortunately, you can find many toddler hat and mitten sets on the market today that include features like finger and palm grips.

In addition to being able to grab onto things, though, you should consider how well the mittens will insulate hands against the cold. Insulation that provides warmth without adding bulk is ideal, but also pay attention to whether the mitten is waterproof. Otherwise, you could find your child’s hands get wet while playing in snow.

• You’ll notice as you start looking at toddler hat and mitten sets that there are two major options for sizing. As with clothing, you can choose between small, medium and large sizes, but that limits your choices. Mittens that provide specific sizing will let you measure your child’s hand, match it to the online size chart and find a more comfortable fit.
• Getting winterwear on and off can be a huge hassle for parents. Many toddler hat and mitten sets today are built in a way that makes it easy to get them on and off, even if your child isn’t making it easy.
• Mittens can easily slip off once they’re on. Many mittens come with elastic or a strap that holds them snugly in place, even on smaller wrists and arms.
• Pay attention to whether the mitten will slide snugly under the arm of your child’s coat. While playing outdoors in the winter, it can be easy for snow to slide underneath the sleeve of the coat.
• Keeping up with two mittens can be challenging. Some mittens are attached with an anti-lost string to ensure they stay together.
• Reflector strips on your mittens can ensure that you can find them even if you’re searching for them at night or in foggy conditions.