Heat Alert: How to Dress Your Baby on Hot Days and Keep Them Cool
Temperatures above 30 °C? Here's how to protect your baby from overheating and sunburn, with the right clothing, shaded spots, and clever tips for hot days.
Written by Wetterbaby Editorial Team on July 14, 2025
High temperatures are a real risk for babies. They can't yet regulate their body temperature and overheat faster than adults. On hot days, two things matter: little, light clothing and consistent protection from the sun.
Dressing Right in the Heat
The lighter and airier the fabric, the better. Natural materials like cotton, linen, or muslin let the skin breathe and absorb sweat. A short-sleeve cotton bodysuit (onesie) is enough on most hot days. Outdoors, a light sun hat with a wide brim and neck flap protects the spot on the neck that otherwise burns. Thick socks or a hat are out of place in the heat, because babies release excess heat mainly through the head.
Protection From Sun and UV Rays
In the first year, your baby generally doesn't belong in direct sunlight. Seek shaded spots, use a stroller sunshade, and shift walks to the early morning or the evening rather than the midday heat. From a UV index of 3, protection is needed, and on hot summer days it's almost always above that. Sunscreen comes into play only from 6 months, and even then only in addition to shade and clothing: SPF 50+, mineral and fragrance-free. UV protective clothing with UPF 50+ is useful wherever the skin should be covered anyway, such as at the beach or playing in the park.
Spotting Overheating
Warning signs are reddened skin, restlessness, and glazed eyes, or conversely noticeable lethargy. Ventilate the stroller regularly and skip thick mattresses and comfort blankets (loveys) in summer. The surface underneath matters too: dark blankets on sunlit grass or asphalt heat up sharply.
To cool down, keep it simple. A lukewarm washcloth on the forehead and neck, or a bath in lukewarm water, deliberately not cold, since a baby's circulation doesn't take shocks well.
Fluids
Breastfed babies usually don't need extra fluids in the heat; just nurse them more often. Bottle-fed babies can be offered a small amount of water after checking with a midwife or pediatrician.
On hot days, the Wetterbaby app gives you matching recommendations, with a clothing tip, sun protection notes, and a warning when heat stress becomes critical.
Source:
American Academy of Pediatrics, Extreme Heat: Tips to Keep Kids Safe When Temperatures Soar
NHS, Keeping your baby safe in the sun
