Baby Tees and Bodysuits: Bonds, Cotton On, Anko and Purebaby Compared
A baby can go through three tops before lunch: a milk spill, a nappy leak that travels up the back, a dribble bib that gave up. That is why baby tees are the wardrobe category worth getting right. You are not buying one cute outfit. You are buying a rotation of cheap, washable layers you can reach for without thinking.
This guide compares four Australian-sold brands: Bonds, Cotton On Baby, Anko and Purebaby. A quick clarification first, because the word “tee” covers two formats. A bodysuit has a crotch that fastens with poppers, so it stays tucked under the nappy. A separate tee is a plain top that hangs loose over pants or shorts. Bonds, Anko and Cotton On are compared here as bodysuits. Purebaby is the one separate tee, which is why it suits an older, more active baby. We compared them using manufacturer product pages and fabric labelling.
One note: these brands refresh prints and style names every season, so search the product name and expect the exact print to differ.
What to look for in baby tees
Cost per wear matters more than the price on the tag. A top that twists or goes baggy after a few washes is the expensive one. Read the product page and the garment label for these points:
- Fibre content: look for 100% cotton or a cotton-rich blend, with any elastane share stated. Cotton breathes and is usually the gentler choice for eczema-prone skin, while a high polyester content traps heat in an Australian summer.
- Envelope (lap) shoulders: the overlapping neckline stretches so a poo-covered top can be pulled down over the body instead of over the face. It is the most useful design feature on a bodysuit.
- Fabric weight: lightweight jersey suits summer, but thin fabric can go see-through and lose shape sooner. Heavier jersey usually holds up to repeat washing.
- Popper crotch (bodysuits): metal or reinforced poppers make nappy changes quick. Check there are at least three across the crotch so it sits flat.
- Tag-free or printed labels: scratchy labels are an easy fix that many brands have already made.
- Care label: follow it rather than guessing. Washing temperature and drying advice differ between plain, printed and organic pieces.
- Sleepwear labelling: children’s nightwear is covered by a mandatory safety standard, AS/NZS 1249, which deals with flammability and labelling and also reaches day garments that resemble nightwear. Check the label for whether the garment is sold as sleepwear and carries the required nightwear labelling. If it does not, treat it as daywear.
What to skip
- Tops with decorative buttons, sequins or glued-on appliqué near the neck, which are choking and scratch risks.
- Anything with drawstrings or cords at the neck or hood on a small baby.
- Very fitted necklines on newborns, which are fiddly at changes.
Three add-ons, briefly
- Baby doll dress: a gathered-yoke style that works over a bodysuit, so choose one with a roomy hem that will not ride up over the nappy once your baby is crawling.
- Baby socks: check the inside toe seam and look for loose threads that can wrap around tiny toes.
- Baby beanie: fine for cool mornings and the first weeks, but take it off indoors or in a warm car. Safe sleep guidance from Red Nose is that a baby’s head and face stay uncovered for sleep, so no beanie in the cot.
Sizing, and when not to buy a baby tee
Australian baby clothing sizes generally run 0000, 000, 00, 0 and 1. The age and weight range behind each number differs by brand, so a 000 from one label is not a 000 from another. Check each brand’s own size chart and go by your baby’s current weight and length, not the age printed on the size. Babies of the same age vary a lot.
- Choose by weight and length: if your baby sits between two sizes, the longer size is usually the more comfortable for a bodysuit, which can ride up and pull at the poppers when it is too short.
- Newborn sizes go fast: a baby can outgrow the smallest size in weeks, so buy a few and then adjust.
- Day tees are not sleepwear: unless the label says nightwear, keep them for daytime.
- Bodysuits and walking: once a baby is walking, a separate tee is often easier to change, particularly as toilet learning approaches.
The picks: Bonds, Anko, Purebaby and Cotton On Baby
1. Bonds Baby Short Sleeve Bodysuit
Bonds is an Australian brand that has long made babywear in cotton-based jersey, and it is the mid-priced benchmark here. Its short sleeve baby bodysuit is a bodysuit with a popper crotch, sold as singles and in multipacks, in a size range that starts at newborn and runs up into the toddler sizes. That makes it the easiest of the four to build a complete drawer from in one brand.
We have not printed a fibre percentage, because it can change between ranges and seasons. Before buying, read the product page for the cotton percentage and any elastane share, confirm the neckline style, and note how many pieces are in the pack. It sits in the mid price tier: more than the budget multipacks, less than the premium organic option.
- Strength: simple, plain colourways that mix and match with other brands.
- Strength: one brand covers newborn through toddler sizes, so the fit logic stays the same.
- Trade-off: costs more per piece than the budget packs.
- Trade-off: novelty prints are less of a focus than at Cotton On.
- Skip if: you only need a handful of newborn pieces for weeks. A budget pack does that job for less.
Bonds Baby Short Sleeve Bodysuit
2. Anko Baby Bodysuit 5 Pack
Anko is a retailer-owned house brand built around low prices, and its multipack bodysuits are the cheapest way to build a drawer of basics. As the name says, you get five bodysuits in the pack, which is the point when a newborn will outgrow a size in weeks and leaks mean frequent changes.
Pack contents and sizes change between releases, so check the label for fibre content, the size on the pack and whether the neckline is an envelope style before you stock up. It sits in the budget tier.
- Strength: lowest cost per piece, so you can keep a big rotation for spills and leaks.
- Strength: sensible for the newborn sizes you will use for a short window.
- Trade-off: pack contents and prints rotate often, so a matching set is not guaranteed next season.
- Trade-off: fibre content is not the same across every pack, so read the label.
- Skip if: you want a single standout piece rather than a bundle, or you plan to hand the pieces down through several children and want to know the fabric weight first.
Anko Baby Bodysuit 5 Pack
3. Purebaby Organic Cotton Tee
Purebaby is an Australian brand built around organic cotton and simple styling, and this one is a separate tee, not a bodysuit. That makes it a different format from the other three, and it suits an older baby who is crawling or walking and wearing pants or shorts, more than a newborn who needs a top that stays tucked under a nappy.
If your baby has sensitive skin or you want an organic fibre, this is the premium option worth considering. Check the product page for the certification wording and fibre content, and look for the neckline style, since a separate tee still needs a stretchy opening for a wriggling baby. It sits in the premium price tier.
- Strength: sold as organic cotton, which suits families who want that on the label.
- Strength: a separate tee is easy to pair with pants as your baby moves around.
- Trade-off: priced well above the budget packs, which is hard to justify for a newborn.
- Trade-off: fewer bright or character prints.
- Skip if: you have a newborn who will outgrow the size in weeks, or you want a bodysuit that stays tucked in.
Purebaby Organic Cotton Tee
4. Cotton On Baby Short Sleeve Bubbysuit
Cotton On Baby is the fashion-forward option: trend-led colours and prints in a bodysuit format. The short sleeve Bubbysuit is its core bodysuit style and sits between the budget and mid tiers. It is the pick when you want a top that looks good in photos as well as at nappy changes.
Fabric blends differ across its seasonal ranges, so check the label for cotton content before you buy a stack. For colour and print choice it is the strongest of the four. If you want plain, repeatable basics, the neutral ranges from Bonds are a simpler match.
- Strength: wide range of seasonal colours and prints.
- Strength: priced between the budget and mid tiers.
- Trade-off: the range turns over each season, so a favourite print can be gone.
- Trade-off: fabric content varies by range, so read each label.
- Skip if: you want identical plain basics you can re-order in the same colour next year.
Cotton On Baby Short Sleeve Bubbysuit
Side by side: how the four compare
| Product | Brand | Approx RRP | Key features | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonds Baby Short Sleeve Bodysuit #1 | Bonds | Mid tier | Bodysuit, popper crotch, singles and multipacks, newborn up | Everyday basics from newborn through toddler |
| Anko Baby Bodysuit 5 Pack Budget | Anko | Budget tier | Bodysuit, five-piece pack | Stocking a newborn drawer cheaply |
| Purebaby Organic Cotton Tee Premium | Purebaby | Premium tier | Separate tee (not a bodysuit), sold as organic cotton | Sensitive skin, crawlers and walkers |
| Cotton On Baby Short Sleeve Bubbysuit | Cotton On | Budget to mid tier | Bodysuit, trend-led colours and prints | Style on a modest budget |
We’ve reviewed 12 baby boy clothes in total — compare the full list before you decide.
Baby tee questions, answered
How many baby tees and bodysuits should I buy to start?
A common starting point is about a week’s worth of changes, so buy a few more than you think you need, then adjust once you see how often your baby leaks and spills. A multipack is an easy way to get there.
When should I switch from bodysuits to separate tees?
Bodysuits suit the early months because they stay put under a nappy. Many families move to separate tees once a baby is crawling or walking, since a loose top and pants are quicker to change and a bodysuit gets fiddlier as toilet learning approaches. There is no fixed age, so go by what is easier at changes.
What do I do if my baby is between sizes?
Check the brand’s size chart for weight and length, not age. For a bodysuit, the longer size is usually more comfortable, because a short one pulls at the poppers. For a separate tee, a slightly larger size can work, but avoid a neckline so wide it slips off a shoulder.
How should I wash baby tees for eczema-prone skin?
Wash new clothes before the first wear and follow the care label. Many families choose a fragrance-free detergent and an extra rinse to remove residue. If your baby’s eczema persists or flares, speak to your GP or child health nurse, as clothing is only one factor.
For most families, Bonds Baby Short Sleeve Bodysuit is the simplest all-round pick: plain colours, a popper crotch and a size range that runs from newborn into toddler sizes. If you are stocking a newborn drawer cheaply, the Anko Baby Bodysuit 5 Pack covers the first weeks for the least. If your baby is already crawling or walking, or you want an organic fibre, the Purebaby Organic Cotton Tee is the one to look at, though it is a separate tee, not a bodysuit. Cotton On Baby is the choice when you want prints and colour. Whichever you choose, read the fibre content and size chart on the product page first.
Where to buy these picks
✓ Verified prices are checked live at the retailer. Otherwise we show the approximate RRP (an indicative recommended price, not a live retailer price), or “price pending” where we don’t have one.
Bonds Baby Short Sleeve Bodysuit
★ Best everyday basic
Anko Baby Bodysuit 5 Pack
Best for stocking up
Purebaby Organic Cotton Tee
Best for crawlers and walkers
Cotton On Baby Short Sleeve Bubbysuit
Best budget style
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