FashBlog.com

By Christina VanGinkel

When choosing a winter jacket for a toddler or preschooler, there are certain features that should be considered before color or style. The exterior fabric should be waterproof, especially if the child is going to be out playing in the fun white stuff! The fit of the jacket needs to be roomy enough to allow wear over a sweater or sweatshirt, or even layers. The sleeves should optimally have an inner sleeve that snug a bit around the child's wrist, to keep out wind and snow, with the exterior part of the sleeve long enough that it lands a bit over the base of the hand. While some jackets just have an elastic band for the wrist, I would not recommend this, as they have a tendency to ride up the arm, and snow and cold can be a problem when this occurs. It is also difficult to keep mittens on when a sleeve such as this is pushing against the mitten. A sleeve with an interior band and longer exterior will wear with gloves and mittens much easier.

Under the arm, in the armpit area, some jackets come with a vent, and an extra fold of fabric. While these features may be hard to find, if you have a choice between a jacket with them and one without, I would defiantly consider the one with these features if the rest of the jackets features were what you are looking for.

The overall length of the jacket is also important. The warmest fabric will not keep a child snug if it is too short and rides up the child's back with the slightest movement. Again, some jackets will have an interior section that fits a bit snugger than the longer exterior part of the jacket. This is a nice feature for those cold days where the wind just blows and blows. On the front of the jacket, a double zipper, or an inner zipper with Velcro or snaps over the zipper is another plus when considering the best features to keep your child warm.

A jacket with a hood is necessary. Look for one that has a wide front that will work as a face warmer, that snaps or uses Velcro to close. As with any toddler or preschool jacket, avoid those with string ties that could become entangled in playground equipment. A hood that is a bit deeper than the child's head will also work as a buffer on the windiest days, keeping the child's face out of direct contact with a bitter wind.

Be sure to check what the lining is made of too. One that has all of the above features, but is so thin that the wind blows right through it, will not be an asset to keeping your child warm long enough for them to be outside for any length of time.

After all of these recommendations are taken into consideration, choose a style and color that will entice your child to want to head outdoors to play. After all, what fun is winter if your little one is not the cutest snowman, um, kid, on the block!