Best Baby Mittens to Keep Tiny Hands Warm
Once the winter season gets going, you won’t want to leave the house without cold-weather accessories—especially if you’re accompanied by temperature-sensitive babies. Cozy hats and snowsuits are essential, but a great pair of baby mittens should also be high up on your winter checklist. Babies struggle to regulate their body temperature, and they lose a lot of warmth when their hands and feet are exposed to air. Unlike regular gloves, they allow four fingers to co-mingle and share body heat in the main compartment, making them a more appropriate choice to keep your snow bunnies warm and happy. (Plus, you don’t have to attempt to get each of your baby’s five fingers into their proper finger holes, which can be a serious struggle.)
When it comes to shopping for any baby garments, functionality and performance are the most important features to vet before adding to your cart—after all, there are bound to be tears when baby’s fingers are red, wet and tingling after a rigorous romp in the snow. Keep reading for some buying tips for your search, plus a roundup of some of the best baby mittens to shop now.
Here’s what to look for when looking for the best baby mittens:
- Easy on, easy off. To get baby gloves on and off easily, you’ll want to look for pairs that have extra-wide openings for their hands, aren’t too tight and don’t have too many zippers or bungee cords to undo. The best baby winter mittens have fastening systems like Velcro closures and adjustable straps to ensure they fit snugly on your child without feeling too tight.
- Water-repellent materials. If your winter warrior will be braving blustery or snowy conditions outside, they’ll need baby mittens that won’t get saturated after an hour or so of light play. That means you’ll need options that are waterproof or feature water-repellent fabrics and materials in some regard. Pay special attention to brand-engineered technology references—like Thermolite or Thinsulate—which can add even more thermal protection and insulation to your kiddos’ precious palms.
- Connected pairs. Babies are known for losing just about everything, including mittens, which makes an easy case for pairs that have a string that keeps them together or can be separated and then reattached via clips or snaps. Wrist elastics that let your child take their mittens off without losing them are also helpful.
From fleece-lined picks with no thumbs to magnetic mittens to prevent misplaced items, these are our recommendations for the best wintertime buys—they’ll surely be smitten with these mittens!
Overall best baby mittens
- Roomy for baby’s fingers to wiggle around
- Magnetic fasteners are inaccessible to infants or siblings
- Minky fleece can get matted fairly easily
When it comes to ranking the best baby mittens out there, ones with a never-lose failsafe built right into the name are an automatic “add to cart.” Convenience just can’t be overlooked in parenthood, so the magnetic closures on the back of each mitten (that securely attach when they’re brought together) are truly game-changing feats. You’ll always have both mittens within reach, whether your baby is newborn or nearing the toddler years.
That said, Magnetic Me rose to the top of our list for reasons well beyond that impressive feature. Crafted with a minky fleece shell, these mittens are incredibly soft and gentle against your baby's delicate skin. The lining is made from 100% organic cotton, which bodes well for a comfortable and breathable experience for your little one. And the combination of materials provides warmth, insulation and comfort, which is a triple threat, if you ask us. Now, if only we could find pair-completing socks like these…
Sizing: 0-6 months to 18-24 months | Material: Minky fleece (outer); 100% cotton (lining)
Best thumbless baby mittens
- Minimalist style
- Ribbed cuffs
- Easily giftable
- Best for younger babies
If you’re welcoming a baby in the wintertime, staying warm and toasty inside when the temperature gets low sounds pretty inviting, right? We’re right there with you! But when you’ve got errands to run and things to do with your little cub in tow, these MORI mittens are great to have on hand. These thumbless mittens are perfect for babies under a year old. They're made from an ultra-cozy blend of bamboo viscose and organic cotton, meaning they’re super soft and keep their paws warm without being too hot, stuffy or sweaty. We’re fans of with the simple striped print that comes in several pastel colorways.
Sizing: 0-6 months to 6-12 months | Material: 80% bamboo viscose/20% cotton
Best ultra-warm baby mittens
- Extra-wide over-arm coverage
- Machine-washable
- Made with non-toxic, vegan materials
- Pricey
- Conflicting opinions on sizing, according to customer reviews
- More colorway options on STONZ site
Billed as the “warmest mittens on the market,” you’ll definitely want to check these out if you live somewhere that’s extra frosty in the winter—they can handle temperatures as low as -4º Fahrenheit. The waterproof and wind-resistant nylon design of these baby mittens features adjustable toggles to ensure a snug fit on baby. They also have an inner fleece lining that provides a soft and comfortable feel on your love bug’s hands. If you need one perfect last layer to your little one’s look, these mitts are a must.
Sizing: 0-12 months to 12-24 months | Material: Nylon with C6 DWR coating (outer); polyester (lining and insulation); polyurethane (membra
Best fleece baby mittens
- Outer fleece is soft in case baby scratches their face
- Extra large thumb space
- Fleece isn’t waterproof
- May fall off without something to cinch or adjust the fit
Taking an infant out in freezing weather calls for something more substantial than your average baby mittens. Patagonia’s Baby Pita Mittens have a double-layer of fleece for warmth and a smooth lining that helps these gloves slide on and off. Plus, the long cuffs fit nicely underneath a jacket to keep them firmly in place.
Sizing: 3 to 24 months | Material: Polyester
Best wool baby mittens
- Gender-neutral and minimalistic colorways
- Breathable and moisture-wicking
- Modern aesthetic
- Pricey
Luxury baby clothes don’t just stop at onesies and stylish separates, upscale accessories are great wardrobe staples, too. Enter: wool baby mittens, an excellent choice for well-dressed tinies and a much-loved option for parents on the hunt for comfort, function and fashion. HutteliHut’s Poofhy (adorable name too, right?) The wool material, which naturally regulates baby’s body temperature, boasts hypoallergenic properties, making it suitable for delicate, sensitive baby skin, and the ribbed edge adds both an aesthetic touch and snug and secure fit around their little wrists. It’s also well worth noting that the chic Denmark accessories brand is celebrated for its commitment to pure materials, smart design and unique fit. So, not only are these wool mittens a trend-forward choice for your babe, they’re also a solid sustainable option.
Sizing: 1-3 months to 12-18 months | Material: 80% wool/20% polyester (outer); 80% cotton/20% polyester (lining and rib)
Best insulated baby mittens
- Ultra-soft premium insulation
- Boho-centric neutral colorways
- Inner palm grip
- Bit bulkier in design
- More suitable for older babies
It’s a blessing when baby winter mittens are easy to slip on—and a real pain when they easily slip off. But that won’t be a problem with this pair from 7AM Enfant. They feature elastic around the wrists for easy-on wear, a hook-and-loop wrist strap for a secure fit and side snaps to attach the mitts together when baby’s not wearing them. The best part? A water-repellent outer shell and an insulated lining keeps those fingers warm and dry in temps as low as -4º Fahrenheit.
Sizing: 6-12 months to 2-4 years | Material: 50% polyester/41% cotton/9% nylon
Best winter mittens for newborns
- Lined with organic cotton interlock
- Machine-washable and dryer-safe
- Limited-time wear
- No adjustability
You probably already know the name Zutano if you’ve shopped for baby booties before, but the baby mittens also live up to the company’s hype. Zutano’s fleece baby mittens have no thumb opening, making them easy to slide on little—and we mean just-born, uncoordinated baby hands. Plus, there’s a string to keep them together, because nothing’s worse than realizing halfway through your winter walk that baby’s missing a glove. Plus, these parent-favorite pairs come in 15 different color options, so you’re bound to find something to match your little one’s outerwear.
Sizing: One size | Material: 70% cotton/30% polyester (outer); 100% cotton (cuff and lining)
Best adjustable baby mittens
- Stunning warm-neutral colorway
- High-contrast black and white pattern on reverse
- Affordable
- Mittens can be prone to pilling
Once you’ve entered the my-baby-can-pull-off-their-socks-in-record-time era of infant dressing, accessories like mittens almost don’t even stand a chance. But that’s why goumi’s Knit Baby Mitts, with their two-part closure system and a customizable fit as baby grows, are so genius. The mittens are thoughtfully designed with an elasticized wristband to stay in place on your baby's hands, keeping them warm and protected throughout the day. Say goodbye to constant slipping and sliding, because these adorable mitts stay put. The mittens are made with a high-quality knit fabric that feels soft and cozy and promotes hypoallergenicity and breathability. And on warmer winter days, when you don’t want to bundle baby up too much, these mittens are the perfect thing to layer their look safely and stylishly.
Sizing: 3 to 6 months | Material: 100% cotton with leather labels
Best hard-to-lose baby mittens
- Naturally water-repellent thanks to alpaca wool
- Offered in tons of bright colors
- Pricey
- One-size only
Keep baby’s hands and wrists warm with these gorgeous alpaca wool mittens from Cabbages & Kings. The thumb-free design works well for small infants, and they’re connected by a string to keep the right and left hand together (forever). Best of all, not only are the bright colors sure to cheer baby up on dark, cold days—they’ll stand out in any nursery closet, armoire or accessories bin (car glove compartments, seat pockets and diaper bags, too). So, whenever you’re on the lookout for their mittens, just keep your eyes peeled for the happy hues!
Sizing: One size | Material: 100% alpaca
With winter on the horizon, shopping for the perfect mittens for your baby ahead of seasonal sell-out can be stressful and overwhelming. Layer that with the fact that babies grow fast, they need to stay warm and cozy, but have sensitive and delicate skin that needs to be catered to and the options that check the boxes for practicality, fashion-forwardness and sustainability, altogether, are few and far between—and you might just decide to hibernate with babe all winter long.
To make sure your searches get “warmer,” we researched and considered important factors such as sizing, material, ease to put on and take off, level of insulation and, of course, style. We also read user reviews, thoroughly analyzed each protective pair to find out how they worked for real-life snow bunny babies and didn’t consider anything with less than an average four-star rating.
Interested in learning more about our editorial process? Read about how our team develops and reviews all articles here.
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