For some reason, trying to figure out the difference between 24 months vs 2T clothes was an infuriating point for me as a mom.
24 months is literally the same age as 2 years old – how could that mean a different size of clothes? Don’t even get me started that the ages are just guesstimates. It’s not uncommon to find an 18 month old wearing 2T or 24M.
Turns out there are TONS of differences between 24 months vs 2T children clothes. Let’s explore and finally answer the question: how do baby clothes size work and which one should you buy for your child?
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In This Guide:
Different Departments
The biggest clue when deciphering the difference between 24 months vs 2T baby clothes is what section of the store you’ll find the items.
24 months clothes are still in the baby section, while 2T is in the toddler area. So when deciding on which size to purchase, try to imagine if your child is closer developmentally to an early-walking baby or a potty-trained toddler? Problem is most children are somewhere in the middle, so keep reading for more info on this.
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Baby vs Toddler Movement
Babies crawl, roll around, and cruise. They also tend to be a little softer and pudgier. Since 24 months clothes are designed for babies, they need to accommodate for these differences.
Clothes that are labeled 24 months tend to be rounder and have snaps under the crotch so it won’t move when children are crawling.
2T items, on the other hand, tend to be cut more fitted and longer.
Diapers vs Potty
Babies still wear diapers while toddlers are beginning the potty training process. Because of this, 24 months items leave extra room around the tush for diapers. They also come with snaps at the crotch (like this!) for easy diaper access.
READ 7 Common Potty Training Problems (And How to Solve Them!)
Baby vs Toddler Style
24 month clothes tend to by more babyish in style. Think bright colors and cute animals
If you want your child to look like a mini-you, you’ll find more adult-like styles in the 2T section.
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24 months vs 2T Size Charts
Whew, now we’ve gone through all the general “trends” of 24 months vs 2T clothes. But that’s the easy part… the tricky thing is that every brand fits a little bit differently. Let’s look at some 2T size charts by brand:
Carters 24 month vs 2T
24M – Height 32-34″, Weight 28-30 lbs
2T – Height 35-36.5″, Weight 29-31 lbs
Geber Size Chart for 24 mo/2T
Both 24M and 2T – Height 32-34″, Weight 28-32 Ibs
Baby Gap Sizing Guide
24M – Height 31-33″, Weight 27-30 lbs
2 yrs – Height 33-36″, Weight 30-33 lbs
The good news is that many of these brands are similar. Heights tend to be in the mid to low 30s inch range while weight is around 30 lbs +/- 3 lbs.
The bad news is that there is also a significant amount of inconsistency. Baby Gap sees 24M vs. 2 years completely different sizes, Carters 24 month vs 2T have some overlap, and Geber treats them as the exact same size.
My advice is to follow the general guidelines we mentioned above (age of child, motor ability, etc) to help make your choice between 24 month vs 2T. If you know specifically what brand you are purchasing, look it up beforehand to make an even more educated choice.
Happy shopping!
Your explanation totally makes sense. But I was just comparing 2 exact same pairs of pants from Carters, both bought at the same time- one is 2t, one is 24m, as well as 2 pairs of fleece onesies, also from Carter’s, also one is 2t, and one is 24 m. In both cases, the 2t is noticeably SMALLER than the 24 m! Otherwise they are exactly the same… when I bought them, I figured 2t and 24 m were the same thing. Super annoying since they were all on the same rack.
That IS annoying! And it directly goes against what Carters has published regarding their sizing! Are the 2T items skinnier? Or shorter? Both?
I’ve noticed the exact same thing. I have a couple of pairs of 2T pants from carters that disappointing are too small for my 12 month old… she’s bit for her age, so she typically wears 18-24 month. I figured 2T would be the same OR bigger, but I was very wrong. They are very slim fit, which I guess makes sense as toddlers tend to be longer/thinner than babies, but they are also too short. I went to Carter’s store and compared the exact same items from the toddler rack to the infant rack (2T vs 24 month) and found the 2T was often smaller. These inconsistencies make online shopping especially frustrating.
24 Month clothes are for children 18-24 months. These clothes are NOT THE SAME SIZE. Check the size charts, they’re for different sized/aged kids. After 24 months, the next size up is 2T, but some kids skip 18-24 or 2T altogether.
I have an 8 month boy, yes 8! And he wears 24 month and it barely fits him, he has a 2T set thay doesnt look very different from his 24m clothes. I’m trying to figure out what to get him next! Any suggestions?
Yes unfortunately 24m and 2T are pretty much the same size with different cuts. When he outgrows those I’d jump up to 3T. What a big guy you have! Congrats 🙂