Whatever the birth season of your child, summer or winter, the baby sleeping bag remains an essential accessory. As its name suggests, it allows the child to move in a kind of small down adapted to his size. The point on this strange but very practical accessory.
What is the best baby sleeping bag?
Before buying you must know what to look for so that you can take home just what you need and what is best for the baby.
For example, it is useful to look at which model favours the child more according to age. Those of children under one year are like a warm wrap, while that of larger children adapt to the neck and shoulders and has openings in the feet.
You must also take into account the type of closure. Zippers up and down, Velcro or hooks will keep the child secure and secure.
You must not overlook the prices and the material with which they are made. Some are ideal for winter, others for you to place the child at any time of the year.
A comparison between the available products will surely help you decide. Anyway, this small guide of suggestions can also be very helpful.
Molis & Co baby sleeping bag
It’s a great sleeping bag to protect your baby on cold winter nights. It is made of pre-washed muslin, a very soft and gentle textile for your little one’s skin.
It has a thermo-regulating design. In addition, it is compatible with the washing machine and the dryer.
Baby sleeping bag – Lilly and Ben
An economical and functional alternative comes from the brand Lilly and Ben, they are two sleeping bags made of 100% natural cotton. They have a cocoon design that allows freedom of movement and the natural development of the hips.
They are provided with velcro fasteners that allow a secure fit and also simulate the tension of the uterus providing the children with a sense of serenity.
The gro Company
Perfect for your baby to sleep, dream and grow happy. It has a lovely design and you find it available for babies from 0 to 36 months.
The simple and very warm bag, especially for winter days. It has practical closing clasps in the shoulder area and front zippers of great durability, which allows to put it on and remove it easily.
Sleeping bag for baby Slumbersac
In the market, you will find a hundred alternatives but none as functional and adorable as the design of Slumbersac.
The best thing about this bag is that it grows with your baby since you find it available in 4 different sizes. Also, you can choose between 4 degrees of protection suitable for different temperature levels.
Baby sleeping bag Vital Innovations
A great alternative for summer days is offered by this sleeping bag, although it is not the cheapest model, it is a great product that deserves the investment. It has a
It has a nice design of penguins and brooches on the shoulders. Its design was awarded in 2018 for “Made For Mums Awards”
Baby sleeping bag Vizaro
If you want to buy a model that offers a good relationship between quality and price, Vizaro’s design will enchant you!
Provides ideal protection for temperatures from 17 to 21 ° C. It is made of organic and natural cotton. The design has a side zipper that allows you to put on and take off the bag easily.
Sleeping bag for babies Baby Bites
Suitable for babies up to 18 months, this bag is soft and resistant. It will keep your child warm and warm at bedtime.
It is filled with 100% polyester and woven on the outside with breathable material based on high purity cotton. Your baby will sleep beautifully.
Winter sleeping bag for baby Slumbersac
Equipped with side zip, this bag can be used with your baby throughout the year, is suitable for an ambient temperature between 15 and 21 ° C.
It is an economic model, adjustable, neutral colours and with a beautiful motif of animals, ideal for both boys and girls.
Sevira Kids evolutionary baby sleeping bag
The angel nest bag is the most recommended for newborns. They are warm, simple and very comfortable. Its Velcro closure makes them very safe.
Your baby will stay warm and at ease with the products of this brand. In addition, you can get them in different colours for boys and girls.
Pack of 2 Grobags sleeping bags
Made with clasp fasteners and adjustable underarms and shoulders, with this bag the boy will have a safe, warm sleep without any cold.
An important point is that this product is certified according to British safety standards, so you can use it with great confidence.
What is a baby sleeping bag?
The sleeping bag is a common accessory in the childcare market. We rather know it through other names such as the wearable blanket or the grobag or the swaddle wrap.
A baby sleeping bag is, therefore, an accessory that takes more or less the same shape as the classic sleeping bag as we know it, but which is also equipped with sleeves and suspenders to ensure that baby is securely installed.
It is an alternative to hedging because as you probably know, hedging has been categorized over and over again as being unsafe. With the baby sleeping bag, this is in principle a problem solved. Obviously, you will need to make sure you choose a sleeping bag that is perfect for babies, according to their needs and size.
Advantages of using baby sleeping bag?
The first advantage that I advance to you is the security side. We use a baby sleeping bag first to secure and prevent baby from curling up on his stomach while sleeping. If ever, indeed, baby finds himself on the belly, it will not be very good for his breathing and the risks of choking are really great. According to some research, the sleeping bag is safer compared to the blanket. There are many cases of sudden death caused by babies slipping under the blanket to their heads, suffocating them.
The second advantage I suggest to you is comfort. Did you know that the baby sleeping bag helps it to regulate its body temperature? Well, it is. A sleeping bag first helps to provide warmth for babies. It thus protects it from the cold. But be careful, it is true that you must keep baby warm, but not too hot either. Her body will have trouble with high heat. This is where the light baby sleeping bag with armholes comes in.
The third benefit I want to share with you is the building of the baby habit. By using a sleeping bag, you will greatly help the baby to make the link between the bag and bedtime. He will fall asleep more easily since he could already have set his own clock.
And finally, we must not forget the practicality of the sleeping bag. A sleeping bag keeps baby warm and at the same time safe. I reiterate a little, if you use a sleeping bag from the birth of the baby, it will be even better.
What age to use a sleeping bag from?
You have on the market sleeping bags classified as birth, sleeping bags for babies and sleeping bags for infants. I used a sleeping bag from the birth of each of my babies. It is also ideal, according to many professionals and paediatricians. Obviously, you must adjust the size of the model to that of your baby.
Do not worry, you have all kinds on the market, for all ages from 0 to 24 months. In addition, it is not very serious to take a sleeping bag of a larger size than your child.
Personally, I put my baby just born in a sleeping bag for a child of 24 months, I had no worries. On the other hand, it is necessary to install the baby well, so that it does not slip under and inside the baby sleeping bag. I did this for economic reasons, but if you are not sure, I do not advise you.
By the way, you may also wonder, up to what age can you use the baby sleeping bag. I told you earlier that the average offered by childcare brands is 24 months. But you can also find models on the market that can accommodate children up to three years old.
Different types of baby sleeping bags
If I had known, I certainly would not have bought half a dozen sleeping bags before the baby was born, without knowing that I would find some models very practical and others much less. It is better to buy one, test it, and buy others after the birth of baby depending on whether one is convinced by the model or not.
Here’s a quick summary of the main differences you’ll need to consider:
Zipper: the first sleeping bags I bought had a zipper on the front, which I didn’t really like when the baby was still a newborn baby. The tie of the zipper at the top “bothered” him or he began to suckle, which did not delight me. Now that baby is older, it’s no longer a worry.
Fasteners on the shoulders: I found this kind of model super practical, especially when you put the baby in bed already asleep. There is no risk of waking him up by trying to put his arms through his sleeves. We just put the baby in the open sleeping bag, then close at shoulder level. Very nice.
With or without sleeves: well, it’s certainly a matter of preference, but I only have sleeping bags that are sleeveless or from which I removed the sleeves. Our little Noah does not like to be too “restricted” in his movements and it is very complicated to put him in his sleeping bag without waking him when you have to put his hands in sleeves. It is certainly because he falls asleep in our arms after his last bottle (baby reflux that must be held straight for 45 minutes after digestion) that we do not find it practical and we do not put on his sleeping bag before because it was too hot then curled up against us. In addition, even if it is cool at home, it is not freezing either. It depends on the situation and the babies, but consider this point before buying your sleeping bags.
Round or V-neck: again here, it depends on your little one’s preferences. Some babies like to feel cocooned up close to sleep. In this case, the round necklines will certainly give him a more pronounced sense of security because it is closer to the body. The V-necks are great for babies who don’t like being “tight” or for those (like ours) who have a rather generous double chin.
How to choose a baby sleeping bag?
A sleeping bag should be chosen according to the size of the baby, the season in which the baby is going to wear it or the material that composes it and which will have different thermoregulatory effects.
Materials
100% cotton
Cotton is the ideal textile material in contact with a baby’s skin. Natural, it lets the skin breathe and allows a healthy evacuation of perspiration. It is perfect in summer, existing in different thicknesses, but will not be enough to maintain a sufficient temperature during the coolest months of the year. For summer, however, it is the ideal material for your sleeping bag. Cotton is softer to the touch than linen, another possible natural material for a 100% natural coating.
Polyester
Polyester fibre is not natural. It is produced chemically by polymerization. A polyester sleeping bag will be light and resistant, but also messier, this material is less easy to clean than cotton. A compromise is, however, possible between these two materials, by combining an inner cotton fabric for the side in contact with the skin and an outer polyester surface to combine the advantages of these two materials. Cotton and polyester are often mixed together, also offering a good combination to combine the two.
Velvet
If you are looking for an all-season and soft sleeping bag, velvet is the material for you. At the same time soft and breathable, warm and light, the velvet will be the preferred material of a versatile sleeping bag. The one you can take everywhere and wash easily. Often made from cotton jersey, velvet combines naturalness and softness and will be warmer than fine cotton. Tip: return your velvet fabrics to the wash to keep them soft longer.
Fleece sleeping bag
It now remains to choose the one that can accompany the coldest days. Fleece, also synthetic fibre, is used in all outdoor sportswear and it’s not for nothing. Light and warm, it lets the skin breathe. It washes easily, dries quickly, which is appreciated for the inevitable small accidents that your sleeping bags will suffer. Be careful to choose a good quality fleece to avoid the formation of pilling as you wash.
TOG
The sleeping bag is, despite its funny sounding name, a concentrate of know-how and a technical object and choosing it is an art. You will have to determine which TOG to choose so that your child sleeps in the sleeping bag best suited to the season, the temperature of his room, the pyjamas he wears under.
The TOG is simply the index of the degree of insulation provided by a garment or by a duvet. This index is used by the textile industry to help you choose the clothing insulation you need based on the context. Knowing the TOG of a sleeping bag will allow you to choose if you need to put on your model with straps, the one with long sleeves, or if it is time to take out your sleeping bag in fleece.
For adults as well as babies, it is not advisable to sleep in a room at too high a temperature. The ideal would be around 18 ° C. But the seasons being what they are, the temperature of the room cannot be controlled at this point.
When the child’s bedroom temperature is above 22 ° C, choose a TOG of 0.5. It corresponds to a light model, in cotton or polyester for example. Between 19 ° C and 22 ° C, prefer a mid-season option that corresponds to a TOG 2, in velvet or cotton lined with fleece for example. And below 19 ° C, a TOG 3 is recommended. Long sleeves, hoods, materials like fleece, they even exist with mittens.
The TOG is a very precise and useful indicator to guide you in your choices. Also think that your baby may wear pyjamas under his sleeping bag, at least in winter. On some very hot summer days, you may be able to just leave it in a bodysuit. The choice of pyjamas must be taken into account in addition to the choice of the TOG of your sleeping bag.
Size
Like all clothing, the sleeping bag is to be adjusted perfectly to the size of the child, and at this age, the sizes vary very quickly, you will have to be vigilant and very often check that your child is wearing the correct sleeping bag. The first model will accompany the baby from birth. It will very often be part of the maternity kit. 0-3 months or 0-6 months, to be chosen carefully depending on the season even if it will not be used very long. It is very important that at any age it is exactly the right size.
For a newborn, its height will be less than 70 cm. There are also 50 cm for babies born prematurely. The two main criteria to check to be sure you have a sleeping bag at the right size are the neckline, which should especially not tighten the neck but in which the baby’s head should also not be able to pass (and the currents d air either), and the dimension of the passage of the arms which must be adjusted, without compressing the arms or the shoulders. There are certain evolutionary models that adjust with pressures allowing optimal use as the child grows.
Each brand offers different models of cuts and fabrics, from the widest to those close to the body. You can also take into account the character of your child when choosing your sleeping bag. Some babies move more than others or support a certain material better. There are sleeping bags for older children, up to 2 to 4 years, some parents choose to adopt this comfortable sleeping solution longer than the average. Above all, listen to your baby, you will easily find when to go to the next size up.
