Pajama, Romper, Bodysuit, Onesie – What Is The Best?
Regular readers of this blog might know about this blog post where we explained the difference between cribs, cradles, bassinets, and bedside sleepers. These product categories are used for identifying products that differ from each other by just a unique attribute or two. They are, for the most part, very closely related in most of their basic construction and features. When you look for a cradle or bassinet on Amazon, you are greeted with a slew of offerings that could easily be categorized into any of the other aforementioned categories. We wrote that article to clearly demarcate the differences between those products. Our goal was to clarify the complexity and break it down so that first-time parents had an easier time navigating through the confusing jargon. Today we are going to do the same for an onesie, a bodysuit, a pajama, and a romper.
Making Sense Of An Onesie, A Bodysuit, A Pajama, and A Romper.
Today we are going to demystify another product category that has a lot of similar products that are needlessly named to confuse. The functions of all of them are essentially the same except for a few slight differences here and there. However, before we move on to the categories themselves, a few words on why this confusion exists. We were surprised to learn this tidbit ourselves and it cleared up a lot of our questions regarding the naming scheme.
Why are so many products named so incoherently?
Sellers on Amazon like to reach an audience as wide as possible. They rely on Amazon’s proprietary and secret search algorithms to get the most attention, i.e. eyes on their products. They know that when people search for this category of clothes, they are looking for a wide range of keywords. This leads them to pack keywords, a practice also known as “keyword stuffing”, in their product listing. That means that even if they are selling onesies, they make sure to include “bodysuit” in the title. This is because some people might use that word to look for onesies. The result is a word soup of many different words that have a similar meaning. We understand that it may not be in the best interest of the consumer but since it works for the vendors, we go along with it.
The Confusion Exists For A Reason
Our job at this blog is to cut through the noise. Our job is to shepherd our readers to the best products in each category. To play devil’s advocate here for a second, we understand why the sellers on the platform do this. They are reliant on Amazon’s algorithms to bring them customers and you have to really cater to everyone to get an edge in the cutthroat space. When you look at it from a customer’s perspective, it helps them as they can end up finding a product even though they might not exactly know what it is called. It is like playing charades with an all-knowing AI that gets smarter every time that you ask it a question. So even though, a customer’s query may not match exactly what they are after, eventually, the algorithm guides them to the kind of clothes that they are looking for.
With that lesson out of the way, let us now try to understand the differences between the products that we are going to highlight in the upcoming blog posts.
What Are Baby Bodysuits?
Baby bodysuits are a single piece of fabric that usually snaps shut around the crotch for easy access when it comes time to change the diaper. They generally only cover the baby’s torso. They are usually cut off near the waist while only providing covering and protection around the baby’s crotch area. The bodysuits are usually gender-neutral as they can be worn by both boys and girls. They are super comfortable for the baby to move around in. You can even put on separate pajamas to protect the baby’s knees when it starts crawling around. You can find bodysuits in variants with different sleeve sizes such as no-sleeved, short-sleeved, or long-sleeved ones. It is recommended to pick the correct sleeve size based on how hot the region of the country that you live in gets.
What Are Baby Onesies?
There are very close to bodysuits. Usually, it is just a matter of naming them that makes an onesie different from a bodysuit. They are essentially the same. A lot of products that you find online are going to be marked as both bodysuits and onesies. Fun Fact: The “onesie”, as a word, has been trademarked by Gerber. You won’t find many online retailers selling onesies because of this fact. However, some still manage to slip that into their listing.
What Are Baby Pajamas?
The word “Pajama” originated in the Indian subcontinent and co-opted by the British to describe soft, warm, and traditionally loose garments derived from Indian daywear. Baby pajamas can be either soft pants made for babies or they can be in the form of overalls that protect the entire body. One can even think of the second option, the overalls, as an onesie with full-sized pants attached to them. You can even pick between pajamas that cover the foot or those that cut off near the ankle. These are great if your baby has just started crawling and you need something to protect its knees when it tries to do that.
What Are Baby Rompers?
Baby rompers are a category that can be thought of as something in between a baby onesie and a pajama. The rompers usually cut off right below the waist or somewhere around the knees. They usually don’t go down to the ankles or they might be classified as a pajama.
So What Is the Gist Of It All?
If you are still confused, fear not. We’ll break it down for you when we tackle each of these categories. The important thing to focus on is – don’t get caught up in the names. You should learn to pick a product based on how much its features mean to you. You shouldn’t worry about what category a product fits in but instead should ask questions like – how is the general weather where I live? Has my baby started crawling? How many clothes do I expect to change in one day? Which option is the most affordable? Once you figure out the answers to these questions, making the choice becomes a lot easier. We will be with you along this journey.
