Taller by Fall

Kids' pajama sizes and the snug-fit rule

Kids' cotton pajamas feel a size too small. That is on purpose. US safety rules say children's sleepwear has to be either flame resistant or tight-fitting, and that changes how you should size them.

The rule

It covers sleepwear in sizes above 9 months up to size 14.
Pajamas in those sizes have to pass flammability tests, or be tight-fitting to set measurements.
Tight-fitting pajamas are not flame resistant. They carry a hang tag saying so and telling you to wear them snug. A snug garment has less air around it and is less likely to catch fire.
Baby sleepwear in sizes 9 months and under is exempt, as long as it is short enough to meet the rule's length limits.

Cotton pajamas are almost always the snug kind. Looser pajamas are usually polyester or fleece made to pass the flame tests. The tags tell you which is which.

What size to buy

Snug cotton pajamas: buy the size that fits snugly when they will be worn. Do not buy a size up to grow into. Loose, they are exactly what the rule is meant to prevent.
If your kid is close to the top of a size, go up. The next size will still be snug.
Flame-resistant pajamas: these can be roomy, so sizing up is fine. Wash them as the care label says, because some treatments wear off with the wrong wash.
Never put a kid to bed in an adult's loose T-shirt or a loose cotton nightgown that is not labeled as sleepwear.

Pajama sizes by height

Size	Height
2T	35 to 36.5 in
3T	36.5 to 39 in
4T	39 to 41.5 in
5T	41.5 to 44 in
4	40 to 42.5 in
5	42.5 to 45 in
6	45 to 48 in
7	48 to 51.5 in
8	51.5 to 53.5 in
10	53.5 to 56 in
12	56 to 58 in
14	58 to 59.5 in

From Carter's pajama size chart. Other brands are within about an inch.

Buying pajamas ahead

Holiday pajamas are one of the best clearance buys of the year, but a year ahead is a long time for a snug-fit garment. Buy the size your kid will be at the time they are worn, not the size after. The calculator works out that size from height, the same way it does for coats.

More on timing: when holiday pajamas go on clearance.

Get next December's size

Where to look

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One short email when each season's markdowns begin: coats in January, swimsuits in July, costumes on November 1. Nothing else.

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