Footmuffs: 9 models tested

Elodie Details’ cosy footmuffs suit different types of prams and can be used both in carrycots and pushchairs. The brand has been very skilful at transforming them from one season to another, with new designs every autumn. The latest version of the footmuff was released in autumn 2019, and now the models can be divided into three variants – in addition to the down footmuff that Elodie Details also boast in their range:

• a footmuff version with a single colour outside and a smooth, cosy fleece lining

• a version updated in 2019 with a patterned outside and a new faux shearling lining.

• a version new in 2019 with a pattern and faux shearling lining, but with a zip on the front

The first two of Elodie Details’ classic footmuffs have a zip all the way around. This means you can remove the front completely from the back part of the footmuff, or fold it down as much as you like. The front can also be attached around the frame of the pushchair with press studs. On the third variant, the zip is in the centre of the front. This means the front is not detachable. Instead, you can open it up wholly or partially and fold both sides of the front to the side, where they can be fastened in place with press studs.

The footmuffs are well designed down to the smallest detail to make them practical in everyday use. The back section has slits for a five-point harness, and these are closed with Velcro. This means you can quickly and easily insert the footmuff into the seat unit, even when the pushchair’s harness isn’t easy to dismantle. Regardless of the design and front, Elodie Details’ footmuffs have the same heat retention properties, and are effective down to several degrees below zero.

On the back of an Elodie Details footmuff there’s a pocket that you can slip over the back support, provided the back support and hood of the pushchair are separate. With the footmuff suspended over the back of the pram, there’s no risk of the footmuff sliding downwards. A length of one metre means most children will fit in the footmuff up to 2-3 years of age. If you want pattern and colour to cheer you up in the winter gloom, there are few footmuffs that do a better job than those from Elodie Details. An attractive design combined with practical functions, reasonable price and a universal fit makes Elodie Details footmuffs a product almost everyone will be happy with.

Nordic Crown Stockholm is a footmuff that’s full of all the possible functions and with the ultimate in luxurious materials. In its short version, the Nordic Crown Stockholm is about a metre long, which is standard length for footmuffs. The footmuff is very soft and flexible, so you can use it with a carrycot, even if it may be a bit of a tight fit in the small carrycots you get with a sibling stroller.

Extendable footmuff that can be very long

But the Stockholm also includes an extension section that you can attach to the foot end of the footmuff. Getting it on isn’t difficult. First you open up the footmuff, and then you attach the extension section with a zip. Making the footmuff short again isn’t entirely logical, however, and you need to have been paying attention to the details when you added the extension.

In its long version, the Nordic Crown Stockholm becomes a full 135 cm long, which means that it fits children up to at least 4-5 years old. In terms of length, even older children can actually use it, but by that time the footmuff begins to feel a bit tight around their upper body. For most families, the Nordic Crown Stockholm is easily sufficient to cover the whole of the child’s stroller period.

Can be adapted in terms of warmth

Stockholm has removable down-filled inserts. This means the footmuff works in the autumn and spring as well as on very cold winter days. With the down inserts in the footmuff, the Stockholm feels very warm. If you have the extension fitted, there’s a little gap around the zips, but if you fold the edges right the cold air can’t get in.

If you want to use the Nordic Crown Stockholm in the seat unit of the stroller, it’s a big advantage that it has both Velcro openings for the harness and a suspension flap that can be fitted over the backrest. This prevents the footmuff from sliding down when you put the child in it. The Stockholm also has a zip around the opening, so you can tighten it around the child. The zip to open the footmuff runs up the middle, which makes it easier to access the child.

Neutral design on footmuff that can be used for a long time

The footmuff is available in neutral colours that work in all strollers, but the design is perhaps a bit less exciting. Where many footmuff designers go for colours and patterns that follow current trends, the Nordic Crown Stockholm is more practical and rational in its design.

Stockholm has all the functions you could want, and does a great job of keeping the child warm and dry even when it’s snowy out. It also fits different types of stroller really well. If you’re looking for a very practical and functional footmuff, the Nordic Crown Stockholm may be exactly what you’re looking for.

The more expensive of Bugaboo’s footmuffs is now available in an updated version called High Performance Footmuff+. Just like with Bugaboo’s other products in this range, the idea of the footmuff is for it to be both high performance and multifunctional. The difference between the High Performance Footmuff+ and the previous model is that the earlier one had two separate fronts. The Bugaboo High Performance Footmuff+ has only one front, which consists of two separate parts. The thinner part can be opened from the inside with a zip. When the temperature begins to fall towards zero, you insert a thicker, down-filled insert into the thin front. The insert is attached at the corners with press studs. The thin front is also down-filled, and with both fronts inserted the footmuff is really warm and will easily keep your child warm even in temperatures double figures below zero. The front can also be completely removed from the back section.

The outer fabric is both wind and water-resistant, and on the inside, the foot end is covered in more resistant material, so it can cope with wet or dirty shoes. The fit is designed for an ergonomic pushchair and the footmuff has a flap at the back to fit it over the back support. Of course, the High Performance Footmuff+ works best with Bugaboo’s own pushchairs, where it fits perfectly and doesn’t slip. On the Donkey, Buffalo and Cameleon, you can also attach the footmuff under the seat to make it extra stable. The main disadvantage is that the front could have been a bit higher, so that you didn’t also have to use a blanket or coat on the upper body of taller children. Otherwise, the High Performance Footmuff+ is without a doubt the best choice for all Bugaboo owners who can afford a footmuff in this price class.

The BOZZ Ergo Footmuff is one of very few universal footmuffs designed for ergonomic pushchairs. This means that in this kind of pushchair, the footmuff does a better job of creating a seat unit for the child. The BOZZ Ergo is a modern footmuff with updated functions in all respects. Other than the back section being shaped to go in towards the back and fit into the ergonomic seat, the Ergo also has an elasticated flap to attach it to the pushchair. This flap has a hole that works perfectly if you have a seat unit that folds down with a control on the top of the back support. If you slip the flap over the back support, it prevents the footmuff from sliding down when you place the child in it. The BOZZ Ergo has Velcro holes for a five-point harness. This means you don’t need to take the harness apart to put the footmuff on, which is useful if you're in a hurry.

The Ergo is available in several different colours. The inside is clad with soft fleece, and the footmuff is thick enough for a normal winter. One minor and unique detail is that the footmuff can be opened in two ways. It has a zip around the front, which means this can be removed completely. The back section of the footmuff can then be used in the pushchair as a cushion. But the BOZZ Ergo also has a zip in the centre of the front. The edge of the front can be folded down and held in place using press studs. However, in really bad weather, it would have been ideal to have a longer front to provide better protection for the child. In an ergonomic pushchair, the BOZZ Ergo is a good choice in terms of fit and attachment to the pushchair, and it's clear that the footmuff is designed for a particular purpose.

The Cybex Snøgga Mini is a lightweight and neat little footmuff, designed for your child’s first year. In terms of shape and length, the Snøgga Mini is ideal for use both in the carrycot on a pram and in a baby car seat. The bag is made of Thinsulate, and comes in a storage bag. The footmuff rolls up like a sleeping bag and is easy to pack into the stroller’s basket when it isn’t needed.

Small footmuff that’s really warm

It is easy to imagine that a thin footmuff has a dubious heat-holding capability. But that’s not the case with the Snøgga Mini. Your baby can wear normal clothes in this footmuff right down to five degrees below zero. If the weather is colder than that, there’s enough space in the Snøgga Mini to put an intermediate layer on the child in the form of a thinner wool or fleece overall.

With the addition of a sheepskin in the carrycot, as insulation from below, the Snøgga Mini keeps your baby at just the right temperature even at less than -10 degrees. Depending on where you live, this means the footmuff may therefore be warm enough to work right through the winter.

Slippery inside makes the baby slide around

The footmuff is better in a baby car seat than in a carrycot. The Cybex Snøgga Mini’s rear section has an opening for the car seat harness. This makes it easy to keep your baby warm if you use the baby car seat on the stroller chassis in winter. However, it would have been nice if it was possible to open up the foot end of the footmuff completely so it didn’t get too warm when the child is travelling in a heated car.

There’s no anti-slip surface on the back of the footmuff, in case you want to use it in a seat unit for a child up to a year old. The inside of the Snøgga Mini also feels slippery and shiny, with the result that the child slides around in the footmuff when it’s in the stroller. Apart from this, the Cybex Snøgga Mini is a thin but warm footmuff for your baby’s first winter.

The Cybex Snøgga is a footmuff that strongly resembles functional sleeping bags and modern sleeping pads. The footmuff weighs as little as 400 g and comes with a pouch for storage. Rolled and packed, the footmuff bag measures only 23 x 14 cm. And unlike many sleeping bags, the Snøgga is actually easy to roll up and put in its pouch, to carry under the stroller or to store in a cupboard over the summer.

Of course, the Snøgga fits in Cybex’s own prams. But it also works very well in strollers from other brands. The back of the footmuff has a velcro opening for the seat harness, which makes it compatible with most models.

Small and light footmuff that fits both a carrycot and a seat unit

The Cybex Snøgga is more spacious than the Snøgga Mini (for baby car seat and carrycot) but still shorter than standard at 89 cm. It works up to about two years old, but then the footmuff will start to feel a bit narrow. The Snøgga can also be adapted for the carrycot because it is so soft and thin.

But this thinness doesn’t mean that the footmuff is cold. According to Cybex, the Snøgga is adapted to withstand the weather between -10 and +10 degrees. And after a winter’s use, you can’t doubt this. Even though the footmuff looks thin, it is very good at keeping the heat in. No extra layers of clothing are required for your baby to stay a good temperature at zero degrees. The Cybex Snøgga also has a rather small opening, which can be tightened around the face, and this provides a little extra insulation.

Ergonomically shaped footmuff with no way to attach it

One disadvantage of the Snøgga is that the footmuff is slippery and that there’s no real way to fix it in place. You can fold the upper edge over a backrest, but it doesn’t feel particularly satisfactory. The drawstring around the opening feels more like if was to create a snug fit around the child rather than to keep the footmuff from sliding in the seat unit. Even if the footmuff is hung over the backrest (if the seat unit of the stroller isn’t a single piece with the hood), it sometimes feels like it’s slipping down because the back isn’t anti-slip.

The footmuff is sewn in an ergonomic shape, making it ideal for ergonomic seat units, but it can also be used with a normal seat unit. The Cybex Snøgga is colourful and functional, and is ideal if you want to be able to use the same footmuff for your baby’s first winter as a newborn in a carrycot and during the following winter as a one-year-old in the seat unit.

The Cybex Platinum Footmuff is made to both fit perfectly in and attractively match the brand’s two premium pram models – the Cybex Priam and the Cybex Mios. The Cybex Platinum Footmuff is available in the same colours as the strollers.

The design of the footmuff is restrained. The exterior is made of a water-repellent material, which means it is also easy to wipe away dirt and mud splashes from the outside. On the inside, the footmuff is covered in soft fleece, except in the foot end, which is clad in a more durable and practical material.

Washable footmuff bag with removable front:

The Cybex Platinum Footmuff is made for the Priam and Mios but can be used in other prams, including those from other manufacturers. The back cover has a Velcro opening for the stroller harness, making it easy to attach and remove the footmuff from the seat unit. If you happen to spill something on the stroller, the Cybex Platinum can be washed at 30 degrees in a washing machine.

Along the sides of the footmuff there is a zip which allows the front to be completely removed. The zip worked very well in the winter and didn’t get stuck despite the cold weather. You can’t open the footmuff only at the foot end, which could have been useful for bigger children wearing shoes. At the same time, this means there are no holes or gaps at the foot end that can allow cold air to enter.

No way to attach the footmuff to the seat unit

The Cybex Platinum has no way to attach it to the seat unit, not even a normal pocket. This isn’t surprising given the fact that the Cybex Priam’s seat unit and hood form a single piece. So the footmuff can’t be threaded over the backrest. But in this case, the baby carriage brand’s own footmuffs have another solution so they don’t slip in the seat. Buttons or loops, for instance. However, the Cybex Platinum is only held in place by the seat unit’s harness.

Although this is a winter footmuff, it’s of the slimmer type. If the temperature is below zero, the Cybex Platinum doesn’t feel warm enough, and your child will need some other type of outer clothing. At the same time, this means the footmuff can also be used in late autumn and some of the spring without it becoming too sweaty. If you live where the winter climate is mild and want to be able to match your Cybex buggy perfectly, the Cybex Platinum Footmuff is recommended.

The Bugaboo Footmuff is the simpler model of footmuff in the brand’s range. The footmuff is a standard length at 100 cm, and has a detachable front with long Velcro openings for the harness. The back section can be left in the pushchair and used as a cushion. Because Bugaboo’s pushchairs often have ergonomic seat units, this footmuff is tailor-made for these, with the area around the child’s bottom being slightly dished. But it works well in standard seat units too, such as the one for the Bugaboo Bee.

If you have a Bugaboo pushchair, there are good reasons to use their footmuffs. The footmuff can be easily folded to fit into a carrycot, particularly this model which is soft and flexible. Bugaboo has adapted the attachment system so that the footmuff doesn’t slip down. On the back of the footmuff is a flap that can be slipped over the back support. If you’re using the footmuff in a Bee, there are two eyes that you can attach round the buttons for the hood, on the back of the back support and at the top.

In Bugaboo’s ergonomic pushchairs where you can lift up the seat plate (Cameleon, Buffalo and Donkey), you can also attach the footmuff at an additional point. The broad fabric strap on the back of the footmuff is then threaded beneath the seat plate. This keeps the footmuff nicely stable so that it never slips down when you put the child into it.

The Bugaboo Footmuff offers the usual amount of space widthways and the front is a good height – it goes up to the chin on a two-year-old. So the footmuff provides good protection against wind and weather. The filling is ample but not as thick as in Bugaboo’s High Performance Footmuff. This could lead you to think it’s not warm enough to work throughout the winter. But you’d be wrong. The footmuff stays warm down to temperatures below zero, although obviously this depends on how the child is dressed as well.

Appearance doesn’t always play a big role when buying a functional product. But it does feel like a major advantage that the Bugaboo Footmuff is available in a wide range of colours and patterns, which means you can easily match it to your pushchair or stroller. If you want a footmuff that can cope with really cold weather, you should look at the Bugaboo High Performance Footmuff. But if you live in an area that’s never really cold and have a Bugaboo pushchair, you’ll be very happy with a standard Bugaboo footmuff.

The Britax Shiny Cosytoes builds on the older Brio Shiny model, but has been updated significantly. Costing a little less than £100, the number of functions it provides makes it really good value for money. Despite the fact that Britax makes their own pushchairs, the Shiny Cosytoes can be seen as a universal footmuff because it works in almost all pushchairs. It has two ways of attaching it – both a flap that can be slipped over the back support and buttons (which are used to attach it to Brio and Britax pushchairs). The harness opening is long and is sealed with Velcro. In other words, you don’t need to dismantle the harness.

The Shiny Cosytoes is a standard warmth footmuff and works well during mild winters, or in autumn and spring. The inside is lined with soft fleece. The front opens up around the footmuff and can be removed completely if you want to air the footmuff or to use the back section as a separate cushion. It’s a standard size and works for most children up to two years of age. Because it isn’t a thick model and has flexible material, it works well in a carrycot too.