We have been keeping kids warm outside now going on ten years! We ride most days in winter, plus we also cross-country ski and walk the dog year round. All of this practice has helped us to perfect the art of keeping kids warm, even when they are sedentary, sitting in a trailer or box bike.

Keeping kids warm as passengers in winter

A note on longtails

I don’t have a lot of experience riding a longtail in winter and I know that it is a little more work to keep them warm, but it is possible if you choose to. And if you check out cargo biking Facebook groups, some folks have come up with useful solutions using moped covers, etc. to create warmer weather bubbles on the back of their longtails.

That said, my husband usually takes the kids to school on the back of our Haul-a-Day without any protection other than the kids wearing what’s suggested below, based on the day’s temperature. The ride is short (about 3-3.5 km) which helps.

What about kids who are riding themselves?

If you are searching for information on how to keep young riders warm, check out this article. Below you will find advice for how to keep passengers warm, including different temperature scenarios ranging from +5C (41F) to -30C (-22F).

Sedentary passengers

Kids sitting in a bakfiets or bike trailer are not generating the heat that you are while biking. But, if you have a cover — which I highly recommend, chances are they will benefit from the ‘greenhouse effect’ under the cover. I know that in sunny Calgary, our kids definitely heat up under the clear plastic covers, so much so that in some weather they begin to shed layers underneath the plastic!

You will have to experiment with trial-and-error for mastering the appropriate outfit for your climate, your kids, and the duration of your trip, but you do have a way to carry extra layers (or store the ones that are shed), so you’ll be okay! Cargo bikes and trailers are great for that.

With infants and small toddlers, it admittedly is quite challenging to keep them warm past -15C (5F) when they’re sitting for longer than 30-45 minutes, due to ahem compliance issues and just because they’re so tiny. (We always found cross-country skiing tricky past this temperature for that reason, but biking easier due to shorter trips.) But, it is possible. Hopefully your regular commutes are much shorter, in duration.

With all sedentary kids outside, no matter what the age, think back to how you were advised to dress a baby: with one more layer than what you’re wearing. It’s a solid rule of thumb and a great place to start. Add more (or blankets, etc.) if your trip (and their time sitting, not generating heat) is longer.

How do you get them to like it?

It being winter. Mostly through expectation, i.e. this is how we get to school (walking or biking), we have to walk the dog every day, and so on. And, when it seems like an uphill battle at times, I just remember that they are kids and some moments or days are just like that (and there is often a reason why… poor sleep, hunger, getting sick… it’s just not always easily spotted by me, at first). I also vividly remember not being able to get my youngest into her car seat at times, too, so it’s not a matter of them hating the cold or bike, per se, rather bad days can happen and that’s okay and taking the car isn’t necessarily going to fix it. It can be harder on the bike, some times, since it is not a sound proof box like a car, but you’ll probably never see those people witnessing your kid’s melt down ever again, so don’t sweat it. If they’re parents, too, they’ll totally get it.

Another way that I think has helped my kids to like being outside in winter is frequency (which comes with the expectations listed above) and having the right gear, with extra layers available. In other words, if they’re warm, they’re usually very happy. Practice makes better, right? Right.

Notes on gear

We don’t spend a lot of money on extracurricular, but I suppose we do spend money on gear because we are outside a lot! You don’t need to break the bank though. There is a fabulous used market out there. Friends are always looking to pass on their used items, too. Spring sales are great opportunities to snag stuff. We have always erred on the side of good quality so that the kids are warm and we can have it last two or more kids (eg. have our kids use it and pass it on to friends/family). Brands that have worked for us are MEC, Patagonia, Helly Hansen, Stonz, North Face, Wee Woolies, Smartwool, Kamik, Baffin…

Mittens

Mitten quality is a bit of a crap shoot, to be honest. A lot of people swear by Hestra but they are super expensive (we haven’t tried them). I generally buy what is on sale in the spring at our outdoor store.

My best tip for mitts is to have some thin fleece gloves, too. Great for if kids need to pull of their mitten to do something (like eat) with more dexterity; also good at just adding extra warmth. These gloves are hard to track down for the littlest hands, but it is getting easier.

Almost no mitten is actually waterproof if your kids are truly playing in the snow for extended periods of time (especially when it’s not super cold out).

By now, my kids each have two pairs of thin fleece gloves and two pairs of mittens. We often cart around the extras because cold hands suck and sometimes you play so hard you need a dry pair to get home warm and safe.

I am still working on teaching my youngest to clip together her mittens/gloves as soon as they come off! I hope you have better luck.

Battle with mittens!

Got a kid who hates putting on mitts? My youngest is (was?) like that; she’s six as I edit this post and may finally be over it. Instead of fighting to wear mitts, I pack the mitts, zipping them up underneath my jacket to keep them warm, and go. When she says her hands are getting cold I ask her what she’d like to do about that, she says ‘put on my mittens’. Done, no struggle. Annoying if that happens within less than 5 minutes of rolling, but still faster than a threenager meltdown resulting in a half hour delay in departure!

Losing layers

If the kids shed a layer, the deal is they are responsible for putting it in the Chariot or box bike.

We repeatedly talk about the decision-making process of adding/shedding layers, too. It goes something like this:
“Mom, I want to…”
“Okay, is it easier to cool off or warm up when it’s cold out?”
“Cool off.”
“So, if you start getting chilly what do you do?”
“Zip up/put x back on/etc.”
“Awesome, that’s right. Do you wait until you get cold to do it?”
“Nope.”
This lesson is repeated over and over. They know the drill now.

Base layers

You’ll be surprised to read that my kids are often just dressed in street clothes as their base layer, even for extreme cold. My eldest attended a forest school-style nature kindergarten and lived in Merino, poly, and fleece base layers. Unfortunately, those are highly impractical for traditional school settings as the kids overheat. So, when we are scooting around town on bike or by foot, regular clothes with the following layers works fine. That said, we still opt for real base layers of merino, poly, or micro fleece when possible, like for extended outside play, cross-country skiing, etc.

We can usually get away with street clothes as base layers in the city because the commute time is relatively short (20-45 minutes depending on mode and conditions).

Socks

Cotton socks do not work past -3C or so for my eldest; that said, she rarely wears thick wool socks and often prefers thin ones so that her feet don’t sweat all day when inside at school.

Boots

Bog-style boots (usually rated to -30C) work fine for shoulder season for us or on warmer days (see below), but for true cold we haven’t had good luck with them for the kids. Personally, I have a newer pair of Bogs rated to -50C and they’ve been good into the -20Cs (I’ve also had the -30C rated ones and agree with my kids in that they don’t seem to actually keep me warm much past -10/15C unless I’m really moving to keep warm).

For cold weather, we’ve had better luck with Stonz Bootz. However, they are no longer being made. More recently, the girls have used Kamik rubber style boots with felt liners and the Baffin version. My youngest wore through her Kamik felt liner quickly last winter (it got replaced for free on warranty), but they were otherwise warm and did the trick for her.

Both kids are in rubber outer-felt liner inner Baffin boots for 2020 as I got them on sale for less than $30CAD, but I don’t expect them to last more than a season (my eldest had the same pair last winter and wore a hole through the heel of one boot by spring… we are outside a lot, I suppose.) It’s nice having a boot that does it all; I was worried it would be too hot in the warmer weather or not warm enough for the colder, but it seems to be quite the Goldilocks boot for them.

What to Wear

These are the combinations that seem to work for us. Our kids are now past the itty-bitty stage and are much hardier, they can also communicate their wants and needs — something especially helpful with our preschooler.

Different winter scenarios

If I could group my kids’ outfits into three different temperature ranges, these would be they. This is how we keep the kids warm on the bike in winter:

+5C to -3C
(41F to 26F)

• BOGS type or STONZ Bootz style boots
• shell overpants (eg. MEC Surplus pants)
• thin fleece jacket
• thinsulate or down sweater style jacket
• wool socks
• thin gloves or fleece mittens
• regular clothes underneath (or merino/poly base layers)
• Optional: rain/mud suit (on more humid or windy days)

-4C to -12C
(25F to 10F)

• STONZ Bootz style boots
• shell overpants (eg. MEC Surplus pants)
• Optional: thin fleece jacket
• puffy down jacket
• wool socks
• fleece mittens or waterproof mittens
• regular clothes underneath (but preferably merino/poly base layers)

-13C to -30C
(9F to -22F)

• STONZ Bootz style boots
• (thin fleece or) thicker fleece for colder temps
• snow suit (eg. MEC Toaster suit)
• wool socks (thick ones for colder than -15C or so)
• balaclava (thin fleece)
• fleece mittens or waterproof mittens
• regular clothes underneath (but preferably merino/poly/fleece base layers)

Buffs

In the last year or so, we have all become big fans of buffs, too. You can use a buff as a giant headband underneath a helmet to help make it warmer (and cover ears). You can use another buff to cover the back of the head plus most of the face. It can act as a neck warmer. My eldest knows how to twist it into a toque! The list goes on… I use two all winter; my kids each have one.

Buffs are super versatile and lightweight, so easy to stuff in a pocket in case a need arrives for it later.

Winter Helmet

You’ll notice that I only included something to put on your kid’s head in the coldest of the categories. We choose to wear helmets, plus it is the law where we live for kids to do so. This year we moved to winter helmets rated for biking and it’s been awesome. We’ve used the Bern Nina‘s and snap in the winter liner for the colder months. Now the girls have grown into the next size and are in ski helmets (that are also safety rated for cycling). The only downfall is that it makes chatting a bit trickier because your ears are pleasantly smothered in half an inch of minky fleece!

In really cold temps, a thin fleece balaclava works really well. My kids both hate it when the balaclava gets wet with condensation from their breathing (and — let’s face it — snot). Thankfully, their awesome snow suits have good collars that they can tuck into if they eschew a damp balaclava.

Ski helmets for winter riding

Not all ski helmets are also rated for cycling use. In North America, you will want to find a ski helmet that has one of the following ratings for cycling:

• EN 1078
• EN 1080
• CPSC
• SNELL B-95

These ratings are always found on a label on the inside of the helmet.

Be aware that all of this testing only goes down to temps as cold as -20C from what I’ve read. And, every bit of fine print that I’ve ever read says to not wear another layer underneath a helmet, eg. a balaclava or buff. This is why I like helmets designed for wintertime because they already have the extra warmth built in (and, I assume, are tested as such).

Here is my full post on winter bike helmets (including for adults) where I maintain up-to-date styles/links available.

Other Tools

It is important to dress well, especially if you end up stranded somewhere; be prepared, just like you should be when you get in a car in the winter.

We often do a few extra things to keep the kids cozy, though. We have:

• added some foam to the box of our bakfiets (old foam tiles),
• we use blankets, and
• we have a down stroller bag that we still use, too.

Occasionally, we add a hot water bottle (filled with hot water from the tap, not boiling water). And, I usually have a chemical heat pack hand warmer somewhere, just in case (but, I honestly never use them).

If we are somewhere long enough that we need snacks and it is really cold, I always try to pack warm food: tea, hot chocolate, soup, etc.

If anyone doesn’t want to wear mitts, myself included, the unused mitts go under my jacket so that they’re warm and easily accessed when needed.

Keeping Kids Warm

I hope that these tips help you to embrace winter more and help your kids enjoy it, too! Active transportation keeps the season alive for us and regularly being outside has taught the kids to love their warmwear, even my 3 year old understands how effective her snow suit is at cold temps now (finally).

Wishing you much luck and happy trails!

Any other tips you’d add to help keeping little passengers warm? Please comment below.

Winter Biking Series:

• A beginner’s handbook to winter riding
• Winter bike helmet options
• Keeping Kids Warm While They Ride
• Biking Gear for Cold Weather
• Canadian Winter
• Winter Bike Tires
• Winter Riding Techniques

Disclaimer: This Mom Bikes is a review and opinions site helping families get outside year round, on bikes. When taking children outside in extreme temperatures, use your best judgement and be prepared for the weather to change, including getting even colder. You do you. I have suggested what has worked for us, but you know your kids best, check in with them often. Practice makes better!

• About
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Lindsay Bliek

My name is Lindsay Bliek, B.Sc., B.Ed., I am a mom who uses a cargo bike to get around. I have been riding bikes for over 30 years, the last 9 of which I have been either pregnant or riding with a young kid or two. I am the recipient of the 2019 Commuter of the Year award from Bike Calgary. I seek out protected infrastructure, like pathways and cycle tracks, and I am confident enough to ride on some (but not all) roads (with my kids). I am here to answer your questions and help mobilize your family on bikes! Read more about my background and why I write, as well as my recent work outside of this blog.

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