Sunglasses and Hat Recommendations for Young Toddlers?

Hi, I don't know about the sunglasses, but when it comes to hats, my son wont keep them on. So, I use a bandana instead. It looks really cute, and keeps his head safe from the sun. And he leaves them on.

We used dark Speedo GOGGLES as sunglasses when kiddo was little (and still use the dark ones for swimming today). For use as sunglasses, we only tightened them enough to stay on, not stay sealed. http://www.speedousa.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=3131962 We just went to our local swim shop and tried on 5 or 6 pairs until we found the best ones to fit his face.

For hats... good luck. The only hat DS couldn't get off was DADDY's hat... and that wasn't a "couldn't" so much as a wouldn't. :) The rest he'd find a way out of in under 5 seconds, guaranteed.

Our son's opthamologist said to get the cheap ones after her baby flung a very expensive pair into some ivy that were never found. We got a bunch at the Carter's outlet.

My son always kept his hat on because if he didn't he couldn't go in the pool or water. I got a wide brimmed hat with a velcro straps that went under his chin. Then we moved onto a regular wide brimmed hat from the gap. If you do get sunglasses make sure they have really good UVA/UVB rating because cheap sunglasses can even be more damaging to their eyes because the kids no longer squint and the rays get in the eyes and damage them.

My daughter always kept her hat on. She started wearing one around 4 months and I had to be consistent for about a month in putting it back on - after that she just ignored it. She now 2 and loves wearing hats!
I agree, get a wide brimmed one with a chin strap, so the wind doesn't blow it off. We have bought cute and functional ones at Target, Old Navy and H&M in the past...
We have also just started to look for sunglasses - so I am curious to see the other answers...

I can't imagine a 13 mo old willing to keep sunglasses or a hat on!

We used Baby Banz since my son was 5 months old, they make hats and sun protected clothing. Now he just wears the ones he can take off and he has always wore a hat, I started early with that now he has a hat collection!

I'd check One Step Ahead, although I had no luck keeping sunglasses on my kids before they were ready to understand why they were wearing them. Good luck!

My personal experience is that no matter what brand or style hat, if the kid wants it off, it comes off. Mine have also never worn sunglasses until they were much older.

Good Luck with whatever you buy. Personally, I think it is a waste of money. Get a good, all natural sunscreen instead.

My grandchildren would not keep either a hat or sun glasses on. If you lather them with high SPF lotion that will protect them from the sun. Keeping them in the shade was easier than keeping a hat on them. The stroller had a shade and a blanket increased it's coverage.

I suspect that wearing a hat in the pool is not beneficial. Won't hurt either. The sun light bounces off the water from under the hat and onto the child's face.

I bought a pair of Sun Smarties sunglasses from One Step Ahead for my son when he was about 1 year old. He's about to turn 3 and still wears the same pair all the time. He loves them and actually asks for them. They're so far unbreakable and he gets a lot of comments on how cute he looks. We've gotten other pairs as gifts but I can't get him to keep any of them on. I think these are really comfortable and bendy which he likes.
They're on sale right now for $4.98
http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...
Good luck with the hat situation - I'm still searching for something he'll wear for more than 2 minutes. Following the responses here!!

When my oldest was about that age, she loved to play out in the back yard, so that's where we started working on the hat thing. . . .

I preferred the kind with the velcro or tie under the chin. If we'd be out back, and she would take it off, I'd give her one warning. If it came off again, we go inside. After following through a few times, she learned to keep it on. ;-)

I wasn't very consistent with the sunglasses, but I highly recommend sunscreen. They make ones for the face that look like mini deodorant sticks. LOVE THEM!!!! I'm also a huge fan of the aerosol and squirt bottle kinds, in that order. They tend to be a bit more expensive, but are SO much more convenient.

Best wishes!
M.

Hello there! Last summer I was also looking for shades for my elevn month old. I had a hard time searching for ones that would fit his face. I found a great deal at Academy. I am not sure if you have access to this store or not, but the shades fit great and he can still wear them! They are called "tots". They were very inexpensive and very durable! As far as a hat goes what about like a "fisher hat" with string? Hope this helps!