How to Keep a Baby Cool in a Pram or Buggy in a Heatwave (UK)
The single most important thing is also the most counter-intuitive: don’t drape anything over the pram. A muslin or blanket over the hood feels like it’s keeping the sun off, but it traps hot air inside and can make things much hotter for your baby. The Lullaby Trust recommends a clip-on sunshade to keep your baby out of direct sunlight while letting air move freely. Beyond that, keep outings to the cooler parts of the day where you can, stick to shade, dress your baby in fewer layers, and check for overheating by feeling their chest or the back of their neck. If it feels clammy, they’re getting too hot. When you get home, a cool room matters just as much. The Lullaby Trust puts the ideal temperature for a baby’s room at 16–20°C.
Taking a baby out in hot weather raises questions that nursery advice doesn’t answer. What do you do about the sun when you’re out on a walk, and is that muslin over the hood helping or hurting? Here’s what the UK’s safer-sleep charity actually recommends.
Why a covered pram gets so hot
A pram or buggy is a small, partly enclosed space. With the hood up and a blanket or muslin draped over the front, the gap for air to move through shrinks to almost nothing. Sunlight still warms the fabric on the outside, and your baby’s own body heat stays trapped inside. The result can feel shaded but become much warmer than the air outside. The Lullaby Trust links this overheating to a higher chance of SIDS, which is why it asks parents not to cover prams at all in hot weather. A thin, pale muslin doesn’t change the underlying problem, because it still restricts how freely air can circulate.
What to use instead: a clip-on sunshade
The Lullaby Trust’s recommended alternative is a clip-on sunshade, which blocks direct sunlight without closing off the pram. Look for one that attaches securely to the frame and can be angled as the sun moves, so it shades your baby without sitting over the opening.
A clip-on pram sunshade or parasol
The shade option the Lullaby Trust recommends
Adjustable angle as the sun moves
Clips to most frames
A clip-on sunshade does the one job you’re usually trying to do with a muslin, keeping direct sun off your baby, without restricting airflow. Check that the clamp fits your specific pram or buggy frame before buying, as fittings vary, and that the shade can be angled and adjusted without leaning into the opening.
Good for: shading your baby on walks while keeping air moving; adjusting as the sun moves; fitting most standard frames.
Less good for: very windy days, when a parasol-style shade can catch the wind. It also only blocks direct sun. It won’t cool the air on a very hot afternoon, so shade and timing still matter.
What about clip-on pram fans?
Small battery fans that clip onto a pram are widely sold, and some parents find them useful for keeping air moving. The Lullaby Trust’s heatwave advice doesn’t specifically recommend them. It advises that any fan in a baby’s bedroom is kept out of reach and not pointed directly at your baby, and the same common-sense rules apply to a pram fan. If you use one, make sure it’s securely attached, that little fingers can’t reach the blades, and that it isn’t blowing straight into your baby’s face. It isn’t a substitute for shade, sensible timing and a pram that’s open to the air.
Plan outings around the heat
- Go out earlier or later in the day, when temperatures are lower, and avoid the hottest part of the afternoon where you can.
- Stick to shade on your route, such as tree-lined paths or the shady side of the street, rather than relying on the sunshade alone.
- Reduce layers. The Lullaby Trust notes that in hot weather, just a nappy with no bedding is fine for sleep. On outings, light, loose clothing is usually plenty.
- Check them regularly by feeling the chest or the back of the neck. Clamminess is the Lullaby Trust’s sign that a baby is getting too hot.
- Never leave a baby in a parked car, even briefly. A car heats up very quickly in the sun, as our hot car guide explains.
Coming home to a cool room
A walk in the heat is often followed by a nap, and the room your baby sleeps in matters just as much as the pram. The Lullaby Trust gives the ideal temperature for a baby’s room as 16–20°C, which can be hard to reach in a UK heatwave. Closing curtains on the sunny side during the day and ventilating at the right times both help. Our nursery safe set-up guide covers how to cool a baby’s room safely, including where to put a fan or portable air conditioner and why a room thermometer is worth buying first.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to put a muslin over my baby’s pram in the sun?
The Lullaby Trust advises against it. Prams should not be covered with blankets, cloths or any cover that stops air circulating, as this could lead to overheating, which increases the chance of SIDS. Use a clip-on sunshade instead.
How do I know if my baby is too hot in the pram?
The Lullaby Trust suggests feeling your baby’s chest or the back of their neck. If it feels clammy, they’re getting too hot. Move somewhere cooler and remove a layer. If you’re worried, call NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency.
What temperature should my baby’s room be in a heatwave?
The Lullaby Trust gives the ideal range as 16–20°C. That can be difficult to reach in a heatwave, which is where shading, ventilation and, if needed, safely positioned cooling come in.
Sources
- The Lullaby Trust — Keeping babies cool during a heatwave
- NHS — How to dress a newborn baby
Related reading: our nursery safe set-up guide and heat-health alerts explained.
Compare current clip-on pram sunshades at Amazon UK.
