Coat and bibs or one-piece snowsuit?

[raqi]

Trying to figure this out as (eek!) it's almost November.  Last year DD was a baby and didn't spend much time outside during the winter, so we just had a fleece one-piece for the car and a super-bunting for the stroller.  We'll get another one fleece for the car this year, but we'll need play-outside gear now, too.  I'm not sure if it's more practical to have a one-piece snowsuit for ease of use or two pieces so that the coat can be worn separately.  Advice?

[Anna Phor]

How old is your child & where do you live?

My son has a November birthday and was a new walker last winter. We got him a 2 piece snowsuit with overalls and a jacket. He wore the jacket through early spring and will wear it again for the early part of this winter. The overall piece he wore maybe 5 or 6 times, and he hated the snowpants. He couldn't walk in them. 

This year we'll do snow boots, a bigger jacket and probably thick pants with sweatpants underneath for playing in the snow, but he'll be 2 already.

[raqi]

She's 20 months now, so she'll turn 2 while it's still winter time.   She was walking last winter, but not confidenly enough for the snow.  I think she could handle walking in snowpants now, though.  We're in MA. 

[chel]

My dd will be 2 in Jan. She can still wear her bunting from last winter, so I haven't gotten anything else yet. But will be keeping an eye out for snow bibs in feb.
Guess it depends how much snow play you want to do. I don't plan on much. For me, it is usually very windy on the days with the best snow. I also don't see dd doing much besides running around. She won't be playing in snow forts or climbing sledding hills (I'll have to carry her up)

[ThreeTwoFive]

I'd say it partly depends on your child's weight to height ratio.

My 2-yr old has a 3T inseam and 18 mo waist, so the overall part of the snow bib is needed to hold it up, and the jacket that came with last year's pants still fits just fine.  He will play in the snow every day at daycare, so I got really good pants.

[lifeguard]

I most definitely prefer a one piece suit. We don't use the snowsuit in the car at all & don't have much use for just the jacket. The pants/jacket combo tend to be bulkier, more buttons/zippers/snaps to fiddle with & can be prone to letting cold air & worse, snow in between the layers.

Last year when ds was 2 we had a 2-piece suit that was amazing quality someone gave to us so we used it but this year I'm buying a good quality one piece suit & will continue to do so in the future as long as I can find one in his size.

[Super~Single~Mama]

I hate one piece suits, lol.  I would do bibs, and jacket.  I always buy the jacket a size up (my ds has a huge torso, and short itty bitty legs) so that it will last all winter, and then do waterproof pants with fleece sweats under them.  If we were going to be skiing, or playing tons in the snow all the time I would get bibs - thats what i wore skiing as a kid and I remember always being warm.

[Imakcerka]

Snow suits... because they're funny!  If they fall down they usually can't get back up and they get this resigned look in their face.  Then you grab them by the feet and whirl them around on the floor and they get the gigglefitz.... I should probably grow up. 

[Perdita_in_Ontario]

We're a fan of 1-pieces here too.. but I have the luxury of having an extra winter coat handed down from DD that still fits DS - so we have a fleece car suit, a 1-piece Land's End snowsuit, and a winter coat.

DS can walk in his one-piece - he's 20 months. We will be doing a lot of outdoor time as we have to walk his sister up our laneway to the bus stop. I find one-pieces more streamlined and quicker to get on/off. But if I didn't also have a winter coat... hmm... I think I'd probably get a 2-piece.

FWIW, DD is 6 and still prefers her 1-piece for the winter for school. She finds it easier to get on and off.