Summer and Winter Sleeping Bags for Baby

A baby sleeping bag has many benefits over standard blankets. A correctly sized sleeping bag will allow your baby the freedom to move without wriggling free and then waking because they are cold.

We used baby sleeping bags for both our little ones as it meant they could move around without losing their coverings. It also meant we didn't have to take them out of their bedding to feed or cuddle them at night which resulted in less night time disturbance and we liked the message we were getting about safe sleep.

Baby sleeping bags are not like the sleeping bags used for older children and adults. They are more like a wearable blanket but your baby's head and arms are uncovered.

Babies lose heat through their heads so they need to be uncovered to help your new baby regulate their temperature. The NHS states that 'Lightweight, well-fitting baby sleeping bags are a good choice' when comparing them to traditional baby blankets.

Over 95% of parents in the UK now use baby sleep bags - gro.co.uk

Are baby sleeping bags safe?

Sleeping bags designed for use by babies are safe from Newborn onwards, in fact Gro the inventors of the baby Grobag claim that 95% of UK parents use baby sleeping bags. The NHS states that 'Sheets and layers of blankets tucked in firmly below your baby's shoulder level or a baby sleeping bag are safe for your baby to sleep in.'.

Best baby sleeping bags

Since they started their mission back in 2000 to improve the safety of babies' sleep, the Gro company came up with the GroBag. The GroBag is the only baby sleeping bag recommended by the Lullaby Trust.

The Grobag has numerous additional safety features to help ensure parents know how to use their sleeping bags for their little infants. They have some of the highest rated customer reviews and are one of the most popular brands amongst parents and the best selling sleeping bag on Amazon.

It is important to make sure that you get the right size when choosing a sleeping bag for your baby and using the correct TOG rating for the room temperature. Sizing is based on age from 0 to 6 months, 6 to 18 months and the largest size 18 to 36 months.

TOG ratings or Thermal Overall Grade refers to the effectiveness of the insulative properties of the bag. The higher the rating the more effectively it will hold the heat, so in summer you want a low TOG rating (usually 0.5 or 1) and in the winter a higher rating of 1 or 2.5. However the main temperature consideration should be the temperature of the room the baby is sleeping in, GroBags come with a handy thermometer card to help guide you.

Summer baby sleeping bags

Sleep bags for babies can be used in the summer with the appropriate sleep suits. The TOG ratings that all sleep bag manufacturers suggest are guidelines but TOG 0.5 and TOG 1 are considered summer baby sleeping bags. You should always check the nape of your baby's neck to feel if they are too warm. According to the Lullaby Trust overheating is a SIDS risk factor so the common advice is to err on the side of too cool rather than too warm.

For room temperatures between 20C to 24C the Gro Company recommends a 1.0 TOG rated sleep bag and for temperatures over 24C a bag with a 0.5 TOG rating is recommended. Take a look at these 0.5 tog baby sleeping bags or the slightly higher tog rated 1 tog baby sleeping bags.

The 0-6 months sleeping bags from GroBag have some additional safety features such as the pop studs over the shoulders and at the side covering the top of the zip. These features help ensure your baby doesn't slip down into the bag.

There is a great range of cute unisex designs and some patterned and coloured sleepers for both boys and girls. Some very popular designs include the Happy Hill and Sea Horsey GroBags. As with all their designs they are oversized to accommodate upto 5% shrinkage when you wash and tumble dry which should ensure it never becomes too small.

Babies tend to move much more as they grow and all that leg kicking will often knock traditional blankets off them making them cold and waking them up at night. Sleep bags designed for baby to give them plenty of legroom to kick and play without the risk of them losing their coverings and getting cold.

Winter baby sleeping bags

In winter bedroom temperatures can drop at night and getting out from under your duvet seems like a less than favourable option. The same is true for your little one which is why they wake up when they get cold and cry to let you know they need tucking up again.

With a nice warm and snug sleeping bag for your baby there is no chance of them getting tangled up or kicking off their blankets. It means a nice settled sleep for them and by extension a less interrupted sleep for you.

The 2.5 TOG baby sleeping bags will keep your infant warm without them getting too hot as their arms and head are uncovered which is how they lose heat.

There is a great range of winter sleeping bags for babies with styles and sizes from birth up to 36 months. The Gro company have thought of every detail to keep your little one safe and warm all night long including stitch guards and secret seams to prevent rubbing and chaffing.

Underarm poppers on baby sleeping bags for newborns to prevent them coming into contact with the side zipper and prevent it accidentally being unzipped. The double shoulder poppers prevent them from pushing their way out of their sleep bag especially as they get older and more mobile.