Taking your little one to the pool or the beach is such an exciting time, especially if it’s your first family holiday. However, you’ll need to protect your baby’s skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Here are some of the best and most protective baby sun suits around, that also double as swimsuits or wetsuits.
What are baby sun protection suits?
These are swimsuits, rash vests or all-in-ones that use a special fabric that protects against up to 98 per cent of the sun’s rays. They may offer different levels of protection but look for Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) of 40 or above. This should protect your child from sunburn.
Why should I buy a baby protection swimsuit?
You should not use sun cream of babies under six months old – in fact, you should really keep them out of the sun as much as possible. But to protect babies and older children when they’re swimming or playing on the beach or poolside, a sun protection suit gives you peace of mind. It protects their skin from burning and also helps keep them warm in the water.
Make sure it is well-fitting, stretchy to allow good freedom of movement and that there is also room for a swim nappy underneath if your child has not potty trained yet.
Do I also need a SPF sun cream?
It’s still important to protect any exposed areas of your little one’s skin such as the hands and feet, face and neck. Pay special attention to the areas just next to the suit, such as around the neckline, as the cream can get rubbed off by the fabric. A good, organic and chemical-free child-friendly sun cream is ideal.
Care
Like your own swimsuit or wetsuit, chlorine and salt water can damage the fabric. Be sure to rinse it in fresh water before putting it away. Most of the options in our edit can be machine washed (check the instructions) but tumble drying and ironing can damage the fabric and its sun-shielding properties.
Best baby sun protection suits at a glance
- Best for eco credentials: Little Sun Safe Suit - £25 Frugi
- Best for easy nappy changes and potty training: Two-piece UPF 50 Sun Protection Suit - £25, John Lewis
- Best for includes swim nappy: Revolutionary Reusable Swim Set - £31.49, Amazon
- Best for good, plain colours if you’re not a baby print fan: Recycled Sun Suit - £24, Kidly
- Best for kids with eczema and dry skin: UV All In One Sunsuit - £22, Splash About
- Best for includes a float aid: Girls’ Pink and Blue Float Suit - £43, Soli Swim, Childrensalon
- Best for sun hat included: Dolphin Sun Safe Suit and Hat - £43, Baby MORI
- Best for goes right up to 12 years: Kids’ Colour Block Sunpro Swimsuit - £22, John Lewis
- Best for easy to put on and take off: Two-Piece Short Leg Swimsuit - £19, Marks & Spencer
- Best for easy to use popper fastenings: Baby Boys Giraffe Sunsuit - £45, Harrods
- Best for young babies up to 12 months: Baby and Toddler Sun Suit - £38.99, Stingray
See the best sun protection suits for your little ducklings below.
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Frugi Little Sun Safe Suit
Best for: eco credentials
Sizes: newborn to five years
Rating: UPF 40+
In bright colours with happy whales or a cheeky seagull, this suit has a high neckline to protect baby’s delicate skin plus three-quarter sleeves. Knees are covered from scratchy pebbles by the shorts and it has a very soft lining to make it super comfortable for your baby.
At the back, there’s a zip that helps you put this on and take it off quickly and easily and best of all, it has been made from recycled plastic bottles, meaning it helps save the planet.
There’s a matching Legionnaire hat too, for total head to knee coverage.
Buy now £25.00, Frugi
JoJo Maman Bébé 2-Piece Dinosaur Sun Protection Swimsuit, Blue/Orange
Best for: easy nappy changes and potty training
Sizes: six months to six years
Rating: UPF 50+
Sometimes a two-piece is handier than a single garment. This set makes it easier not just to dress your little one but for toddlers who are potty training too – who wants to be taking off a while suit when your child needs the loo NOW?
Made from lightweight fabric, it is quick to dry between swims, so you won’t have to try to squeeze your little one into a damp, cold suit. It is machine washable and made from recycled plastic, plus it has long sleeves and legs for extra coverage. The neck is snug and stretchy and the waist is also elasticated for easy dressing.
Buy now £24.00, John Lewis
Bambino Mio Revolutionary Reusable Swim Set
Best for: includes swim nappy
Sizes: newborn to four years
Rating: UPF 40+
If your little one loves to splash about in the water, this set offers a long-sleeved top plus a waterproof swim nappy, so any little accidents are contained and won’t float out into the pool or the sea, Kevin & Perry-style.
Lightweight and with spandex to make it stretchy, it’s comfortable to wear and is made from a durable material that protects not just from the sun but also from scratchy, itchy sand and pebbles. It is made from OEKO-TEX Standard 100 fabric, which means it’s organic and sustainable but amazingly, it’s also both machine-washable and tumble drier safe, which is a bit of a game changer for sun-safe suits.
It comes in three sweet prints, with puffins, sea creatures and tropical fruit adorning the mix-and-match pieces.
Buy now £31.49, Amazon
Kidly Recycled Sun Suit
Best for: good, plain colours if you’re not a baby print fan
Sizes: six months to six years
Rating: UPF 50+
If you’re not a fan of dressing your child in primary colours or with cute characters on every panel, this might just be the sun suit for you.
It comes in lots of plain colours including pale blue, lemon and this brown (in case you’re a fan of the Instagram account Official Sad Beige), plus a stripe and a muted print. There’s a zip down the front, which makes it easy to dress your child and there is a tab at the top to prevent the zip’s top edge irritating your child. Snug cuffs at the wrists and ankles give a good fit and overall coverage, too.
Made from recycled fabric, it has two-way stretch, is breathable and can be washed at 40 degrees, though it must not be tumble dried. Fabric. Think about sizing up, as it runs a little small.
Buy now £24.00, Kidly
Splash About UV All In One Sunsuit
Best for: kids with eczema and dry skin
Sizes: newborn to three years
Rating: UPF 50+
Perfect for protecting your little one from the sun’s rays all day long, this suit is made from very protective UPF 50+ fabric and can be used on the beach and in pools. It has long legs and sleeves and it also offers neck protection with a high, soft collar.
It is ideal suggested for kids who have eczema, as you can slap on some skin cream and then put this over the top. There are no scratchy seams and it’s easy to put on and take off again thanks to the back zip.
There’s plenty of room underneath for even quite a bulky nappy, so it’s great for either swim nappies or a fabric one. There are six colours and designs, mostly in blues and pinks.
Buy now £22.00, Amazon
Soli Swim Girls’ Pink and Blue Float Suit
Best for: includes a float aid
Sizes: six months to five years
Rating: UPF 50+
What’s better than a suit that protects from the sun’s harmful rays? One with a built-in float aid! Though, of course, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t supervise your child in any water.
In gentle pinks and blues, this suit is made from a very soft and silky fabric, so your little one won’t feel restricted or uncomfortable and it’s stretchy too, so they can get up to all sorts of mischief.
The piece is made from recycled fabrics from a company called REPREVE, which takes plastic bottles and turns them into performance fibre, helping to close the wasteful fashion cycle. It opens from a back zip and the floats can be removed when you wash it – but bear in mind as it’s hand wash only, this might be a bit fiddly.
Buy now £43.00, Childrensalon
Baby MORI Dolphin Sun Safe Suit and Hat
Best for: sun hat included
Sizes: three to 24 months
Rating: UPF 50+
A lovely unisex set, the pale blue body suit has long legs and sleeves and is festooned with yellow dolphins, a contrast shade also picked out around the neck and the long front zip, which has a zip guard to prevent rubbing at the neck. The matching hat has a generous front peak and a long flap at the back which protects both neck and face. Both are made from recycled and breathable fabric with a high protection factor.
Buy now £43.00, Baby MORI
John Lewis Kids’ Colour Block Sunpro Swimsuit
Best for: goes right up to 12 years
Sizes: two to 12 years
Rating: UPF 40
If you want to continue protecting your child’s skin once they have passed the six years (the age most makers seem to make suits up to), then it’s John Lewis to the rescue.
The high street department store makes this sun suit for kids right up to the age of 12 with a wetsuit-inspired aesthetic, so they won’t feel as if they look childish. It fits generously, so will last well. The suit is made from recycled polyester, has plenty of stretch and is durable.
It’s very popular so naturally the sizes offered are in and out of stock. That said, it’s well worth setting up alert for; when it’s back in stock, pounce.
Buy now £22.00, John Lewis
Marks and Spencer Two-Piece Short Leg Swimsuit
Best for: easy to put on and take off
Sizes: newborn to three years
Rating: UPF 50+
Also available in a blue print, this all-in-one with matching hat has a front zip for easy dressing plus poppers under the bottom for lightning fast nappy changing. With long sleeves and short legs, it is very stretchy to allow freedom of movement. Meanwhile, the matching hat which comes as part of the set has both a peak at the front and a flap to protect the neck area. The fabric has been endorsed by the British Skin Foundation and is chlorine-resistant, so it should stay looking good for longer than most.
Buy now £19.00, Marks and Spencer
Sunuva Baby Boys Giraffe Sunsuit
Best for: easy to use popper fastenings
Sizes: three to 24 months
Rating: UPF 50+
A super cute stripey number with a sweet giraffe motif, this suit also comes in other designs such as a navy and white stripe with green trim, or pink and white stripe with cherries on the front.
It’s short sleeved and short legged, which makes it easy to move about in and is fashioned from recycled yarn. It has easy to use popper fastenings and a chest pocket to collect beachside treasures. It can be machine washed (no tumble drying or ironing) and should be rinsed after use in clean water to prolong its life. You can sometimes get a special offer of 50 per cent off a matching hat – check the website to see if the offer is there.
Buy now £45.00, Harrods
Stingray Baby and Toddle Sun Suit
Best for: young babies up to 12 months
Sizes: newborn to one year
Rating: UPF 50+
This is from a website that caters specifically for UPF protective clothing for all – 50+ business blouse, anyone? The set is very plain and simple and really only suitable for very young babies from birth (when it will swamp them) to about a year old.
Admittedly, they do look a bit like PJs but the protective fabric that goes to wrist, neck and ankle gives great coverage and it’s comfortable too. It’s lightweight and can easily be rolled up to pack for holidays.
Buy now £38.99, Stingray
