Setting up your new baby’s closet can be fun! Many little items can easily fit into drawers and the more organized you are, the easier it will be to make changing times a breeze. One of the best ways to organize baby clothes is to invest in a few baby hangers. If you’re not entirely sold on the idea, you might wonder if you need baby hangers?
Are baby hangers necessary?
Baby hangers are ideal for hanging puffy dresses, jackets, or pram suits. It’s also a great way to keep clothes from creasing as they’re shoved into compact drawers. Many parents prefer to use baby hangers to avoid stretching clothes as you try to get them to fit regular hangers.
Reasons for using baby hangers
If this is your first time dealing with baby clothes, you might wonder why you even need baby hangers. As with adult clothes, there are a few reasons to consider.
Keep baby clothes wrinkle-free
With all that you’re going to be doing as you take care of the new baby, you most likely won’t have time to iron little outfits. Some baby clothes are made of delicate fabrics such as cotton and linen, which are all prone to wrinkling easily.
You can organize the clothes neatly
Some babies can make quite a fuss during changing times. Whether it’s just for a new diaper or a whole new outfit after bath time, changing should be easy and quick. The best way to get this done is to be organized.
Having hangers enables you to organize your baby’s clothes into sections (such as bedding, outing, playing) and to keep components together. You might even feel like you need a baby wardrobe for that. With organized clothes, you eliminate frustration by searching for the top that goes with the pants you want to dress your baby in!
Good to store bulky clothes
While you think you may have enough drawers in your compactum for all your little one’s outfits, it only takes a few new outfits from grandma to disrupt your whole storage system. As you add clothes, finding space can become a challenge.
Especially if there’s a bulky winter jacket or pram suit in the mix. As a dad to a little princess, let me tell you, as cute as those fluffy little dresses are, they don’t fit well into drawers!
Types of baby hangers
As with regular hangers, baby hangers come in three different types:
- Wooden: Since wood is quite sturdy, they last a very long time. They can easily hold the weight of heavier clothes such as pram suits and coats.
- Plastic: If you’re on a budget, plastic hangers are very wallet-friendly! While they serve their purpose, some clothes may slide off. To counter this problem, opt for the plastic hangers that have velvet hooks that keep clothes on the hanger.
- Velvet: Many parents prefer velvet hangers because the fabric creates enough friction to keep little clothes on without sliding off all the time.
Kids vs baby hangers – differences or are they the same?
Since kids and baby hangers are all smaller than regular hangers, it’s easy to assume they’re the same. However, baby hangers are smaller. Baby hangers are 10” – 12” (25 – 30 cm) in size, making it easy to accommodate smaller clothing items. Their smaller size enables the clothes to fit easily without stretching or slipping off.
Kid’s hangers are more versatile in that they’re 12” -14” (30-36cm) in size. The extra inches easily cover clothes that are bigger than baby clothes but smaller than big kid clothes.
When should you stop using baby hangers and switch to kid’s hangers?
The time you use the baby hangers depends on the size of your little one’s clothes. You can easily use baby hangers for certain types of toddler clothes and even longer for smaller clothes. Many parents opt to get bigger hangers after three years, but it is up to your unique situation.
How many baby hangers you’ll need
There isn’t a specific rule that dictates how many hangers you should get. It all depends on the amount of space you have in your baby closet and how many of the baby clothes you want to hang up. The advantage is that some baby hangers are available in packs of 4,6,10,12, 20, or even 60.
If you only want to hang a few summer dresses or heavier winter coats, then you might opt for a simple 10-pack. If you have the space to hang everything from vests to onesies, then a bigger pack will be a better option.
A word of advice from my personal experience – some baby clothes come with a little hanger when you buy them in the store. With this in mind, it’s a good idea to use these hangers too!
Alternatives to using a baby hanger
With so much other gear, gadgets and more necessary items, you might not want to spend additional money on hangers! Are there alternatives to using baby hangers? Consider a few of these alternatives:
- Regular hangers: A common alternative is to use regular hangers. Simply attach a few clothes pegs to hang the little clothes onto the hanger without stretching or damaging them.
- Drawers: Many parents opt to place all their little one’s clothes in compact drawers. Some cribs have bigger drawers or shelving underneath – these make great spaces for bulky little coats or puffy dresses. Some DaVinci or Delta cribs have drawers and cribs with changing table.
- Use shelf dividers: Depending on the space in your little one’s closet, you can use shelf dividers to create more shelving space. Doing this will give you extra space to place bulkier clothes.
If you’re living in an apartment, or have a small space for your baby clothes, this clip will give you a few tips on storing your little one’s clothes.
What to do with baby hangers you no longer need
At some point, baby clothes become too big for their hangers. You might not want to just throw them out since they’re still in very good condition. Here are a few ideas about what you can do with them.
- Donate: As with a lot of your baby gear and clothes, you can donate baby hangers to other family members or even a baby charity. A few donating options include the Salvation Army, women’s shelters, or even hospitals.
- Re-use: Many petite ladies’ clothes can easily fit on these hangers.
- Give them to daycare centers: Another great idea is to donate the hangers to a local clinic or baby care center in your area.
- Use them in craft projects: As your toddler grows, you can use the plastic or wooden hangers in various craft projects. Of course, this would involve cutting them up.
- Dry cleaners: You can also ask dry cleaners in the area if they’d be interested in taking them off your hands. They might use them for toddler pram suits or little winter coats that are sent in for dry cleaning.
- Recycle: You can use them elsewhere in your home – to hang scarves or ribbons.
Are baby hangers necessary after all?
While baby hangers aren’t a necessity, they make organizing your little one’s clothes a lot easier. They prevent clothes from getting wrinkled and can save a lot of space if you’re limited for storage. With the different options on hand, it’s easy to find the perfect type for your baby’s closet.
Final words
For putting your hangers to use, you might want to read about the differences between 2T and 3T sizes. Additionally, do you know how often you should change your baby’s clothes?
