Baby joggers keep slipping down: causes and fixes

Why joggers slide down on babies

• They were bought a size up. The length is useful, but the waistband is sized for a bigger tummy.
• Your baby is long and slim. Babies who grow in length first often need the larger size for their legs but the smaller one for their waist.
• The nappy is a low-rise or small-fitting one, so there is nothing for the waistband to sit on at the back.
• Crawling and bottom-shuffling push the waistband down with every movement.
• A heavy top, such as a thick knit, is tucked over the waistband and drags it down.
• Your baby is lifted under the arms often, which pulls the top up and lets the joggers drop.

Fixes that don’t involve tightening

• Put a bodysuit underneath and tuck it into the joggers. The fabric of the bodysuit gives the waistband something to grip.
• Pull the joggers higher at the back, so the waistband sits above the nappy rather than on it.
• Tuck the top in, or let it hang over rather than bunching at the waistband.
• Fold the cuffs back if the legs are long. Extra fabric at the ankle adds weight that pulls the joggers down.
• Lift your baby with one hand under the bottom where you can, which supports the joggers instead of letting them slide.

Using a drawstring sensibly

Some joggers, such as those in our Navy Moon & Stars Henley & Jogger Set and Oatmeal Teddy Ribbed Top & Jogger Set, have a drawstring at the waist. Where the drawstring can be tightened, draw it in just enough to stop the slipping, tie it in a bow, and tuck the ends inside the waistband so nothing hangs down. Safety bodies such as the US CPSC warn that cords and drawstrings on children’s clothing can catch, so keep the ends short and out of reach, and take the drawstring out altogether for sleep or if you prefer not to use it. Our post on what makes a good jogger set has more.

Taking in the waistband

If the joggers otherwise fit, a small adjustment can help for the months until your baby grows into them. With a needle and thread, pinch a small fold of the waistband at the centre back and stitch it flat on the inside, which takes in a centimetre or two without changing the look from the front. Undo the stitches when your baby needs the room. For elastic waistbands, you can also shorten the elastic.

When it really is the size

If the joggers are loose at the waist, long in the leg and baggy at the seat, they are simply too big. Check your baby’s length, weight and waist against our size guide. If the set is new and unused, exchanges are possible within 7 days in original condition with the original bill. If your baby is long but slim and always between sizes, ask us about a set made to their measurements through our custom request page.

Crawlers and new walkers

Crawlers bend at the hips all day, and new walkers squat to pick things up many times an hour, so a waistband that is fine when your baby is lying down may not keep up. A deeper back rise helps most, because it sits over the nappy instead of below it. Dungarees are the other classic answer for this stage, since the straps hold everything in place.

Check the joggers are on the right way round, too. On plain joggers it is an easy mistake, and backwards joggers dip at the back and slide much more than usual.

Sources

Advice on cords and drawstrings on children’s clothing: US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); RoSPA.

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