What is the difference between a sleepsuit, babygrow, bodysuit etc?!

The world of baby clothes can be so confusing. Have a quick read of our guide to see what's what!

What is the difference between a babygrow and a sleepsuit?

They are actually exactly the same. A sleepsuit or babygrow is, as you might expect, used for sleeping so they have long arms and long legs with enclosed feet. The brands that we stock usually have foldover cuffs on the feet (so that you can choose whether to have them open or enclosed) from the 9-12 months size upwards because that's when babies start trying to walk/crawl and the feet can get in the way for them. They can have poppers, a zip, or even a double zip for ultimate nappy-changing ease!

Our favourite sleepsuits are our Baby Mori sleepsuits - they are super soft and have foldover mittens on the hands to keep hands warm and stop babies from scratching themselves accidentally. They come in all varieties of popper, zip and double zip.

So what's a baby onesie?

Actually, this can also be the same as a sleepsuit/babygrow, or they can also be called an all-in-one. Onesies or all-in-ones may have closed or open feet, as they are sometimes designed more as day outfits.

What's a baby romper?

A romper (or sometimes called a playsuit) is also a one-piece outfit, but they are generally for the daytime and can either have short or long arms, and short or long legs, so they come in both Winter and Summer varieties. They do not have enclosed feet.

Our favourite Winter rompers are Kite Kids knitted rompers - made of organic cotton and extra cosy!

For the summer, we love bubble rompers like this one also from Kite Kids, which can be worn on their own on really hot days or layered over a bodysuit (see below for an explanation of what this is!).

What is a bodysuit?

A bodysuit is the same as a vest, and it can have short or long sleeves or be sleeveless, but it always has poppers under the crotch for nappy-changing, and is generally worn under a sleepsuit at night or as part of an outfit during the day.

They can either go on over baby's head, or you can get kimono or wrap bodysuits which have poppers across the body so that you can lay them flat for dressing - perfect for when young babies hate clothes going over their heads!

Our favourites that we stock are from Pigeon Organics like the one above, for their fun prints and gorgeous colour palettes.

Just to note that there are some differences in the U.S, for example bodysuits are also called onesies there (as if it wasn't confusing enough!), so our guide is for all the UK parents out there.

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Belles and Babes is a UK-based rental business specialising in sustainable maternity, baby, and nursing clothes. Founded by Emma Gillespie in 2017, the company is driven by her corporate sustainability background and has a mission to provide a more sustainable alternative for parents seeking to move away from fast fashion and reduce clothing waste.

B&B offers maternity and nursing clothes to rent as part of its capsule wardrobe service for £5 per item each month, with the option to swap items and add on extras such as a maternity coat, and also has styles available to buy new or pre-loved. Baby capsule wardrobes start from £25 a month for a personalised bundle of 18 items of sustainable organic clothing which are replaced as your baby grows.

If you are a parent seeking a sustainable alternative to fast fashion, you can find out more about our rental options by clicking the links in the menu above.