We make baby bodysuits with long sleeves and short sleeves because both have a place, and the balance is going to look a little different from one drawer to the next. If you're trying to decide which to buy, think about the rest of the outfit first. The pullover you already have, the pants you like, what comes off once you're indoors. That tends to make the sleeve question a bit easier.
A short-sleeve bodysuit under a daytime layer gives you one way to change the outfit as the day changes. A long-sleeve bodysuit can be the top on its own with a pair of pants. Neither needs a whole new wardrobe built around it.
What will go over it?
Lay out the clothes you'd actually put together. With short sleeves, the pullover supplies the arm coverage. With long sleeves underneath, you have two sleeves to guide through, so it's worth thinking about how roomy that outer layer is and how easily the pieces go on together.
The Washed Black Short-Sleeve Bodysuit and Natural White Short-Sleeve Bodysuit are two ways to start that layered outfit. The colors can be the fun part once you've found the sleeve length you'll reach for.
For long sleeves, there's Natural White, along with Red, Blue and Green. A solid color gives you plenty to work with alongside a print, or you can keep the whole outfit simple and let that one bright piece be enough.
The torso matters as much as the sleeve
Our bodysuits have an expandable collar and a three-snap bottom. When you're looking at fit, pay attention to the length through the body and the space around the diaper. The snaps should meet without having to pull the whole garment down to reach them.
A sleeve that's a little long doesn't necessarily mean the body is roomy enough. And going up a size changes more than the sleeve, which is why a well-fitting bodysuit you already own can be such a useful reference alongside the size chart. If you're buying those very first sizes, we've put more detail into our newborn and 0–3 month sizing guide. The names can sound close without meaning the same thing.
You can work out the mix as you go
There isn't a number of long sleeves and short sleeves we'd prescribe for every baby. After a few rounds of laundry, the clothes left folded in the drawer start to tell you something. If the short sleeves work with the layers you own, you may only want a few long-sleeve pieces. If a long-sleeve bodysuit and pants makes dressing straightforward, you might want more of those.
For a bag kept ready by the door, put the spare outfit together before you need it. A bodysuit still needs its other half. The Washed Black Jogger is one option to compare with the bottoms already in the drawer.
Both sleeve lengths use organic cotton baby rib. Wash them gently in cold water with similar colors, then line dry or tumble dry low; skip bleach and use a low iron if needed. Those are small details, but a piece that fits into your laundry routine is easier to keep in rotation.
If you're starting from scratch, our baby capsule wardrobe guide brings the sleeve choices, spare outfits and laundry rhythm together. You can start with what seems useful now and leave a little room to find out what you reach for.
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