My daughter, to this day, will toss and turn during her sleep. When we first brought her home, she enjoyed being swaddled with a blanket, but pretty quickly we were being awakened by a crying baby who had somehow wiggled out of her 100% perfectly done swaddling blanket. (Okay, maybe it wasn’t perfect, but c’mon, there is a learning curve). At this point, we decided to try one of the sleep sacks that we received as a gift at the baby shower. What a difference. The baby sleep sack gave her the comfort of being swaddled, but also kept her from being able to Houdini her way out of her blanket. It was and still is an excellent solution.
With so many choices to make as a new dad (parent), I will answer some questions and give an overview of the best baby sleep sacks out there.
Here are some quick links to different parts of the guide. Skip to what interests you, or read the whole guide through to become an expert at choosing a sleep sack for your baby.
- Baby Sleep Sack FAQ
- What to look for when buying a baby sleep sack
- Best Sleep Sacks on the market
- Alternatives to baby sleep sacks
Always up to date Baby Sleep Sack FAQ
What is a baby sleep sack?
A baby sleep sack is cross between a traditional baby blanket and a sleeping bag. It uses the soft fabric type of a baby blanket both inside and out and combines the construction of a sleeping bag. This creates a warm cocoon that will help your baby stay asleep.
How does a sleep sack work?
A sleep sack works very similarly to a sleeping bag. You put your baby into the sleep sack and either zip or Velcro it closed (depending on the style of sleep sack). They often have the option to open at the bottom to facilitate quick and easy diaper changes; different styles have different options.
When should I introduce a sleep sack to my baby
Introducing a sleep sack should wait until your baby is 8-12 weeks old. This is in line with when babies start to roll and kick blankets off (unintentionally, I’m sure).
Why would I want to use a sleep sack instead of a baby blanket?
Sleep Sacks provide an excellent mix of comfort, convenience and safety for parent and child. While your baby is in a sleep sack they will stay warm and comfortable – and hopefully asleep for the long haul. No matter how active a sleeper your baby is (and mine was very active) they’ll stay covered. Your baby won’t get tangled up in the blankets while in a sleep sack. Most importantly, the ease of access to diaper changing makes the sleep sack an invaluable tool for quick night time changes
Why doesn’t the sleep sack have sleeves?
The sleep sack isn’t meant to replace pajamas, it’s meant to replace the blankets. Put your baby in seasonal appropriate sleep wear (onesie, etc) and put the sleep sack on when you’re actually putting your baby to bed.
What size baby sleep sack should I get?
See our Sizing Chart. Please note there may be exceptions, these are only guidelines.
How many baby sleep sacks to I need?
Having an extra sleep sack on hand just in case of diaper leakage or other soiling disaster is a good idea. Even an extra 2 sleep sacks might be worthwhile as your baby gets older.
When should I stop putting my baby into a sleep sack?
There are sleep sacks that are large enough to fit a child wearing 3T clothing. Sleep sacks can be safely used as long as they fit – and that can be well into toddlerhood.
Best Sleep Sacks on the market
As with everything for babies, there are many different types of sleep sacks. These are the different styles available on the market right now.
Simple Cotton baby sleep sack
Color Option: Cream, Sage, Soft Pink, Zebra print and many many more.
Brand: Halo
This sleep sack is the most basic type. It is sleeveless and the zipper zips up from the bottom making late night diaper changes simple and quick to get done and also preventing little fingers from unzipping the sleep sack. The weight of this sleep sack would make it ideal for summer time.
Micro Fleece Baby Sleep Sack
Color Option: Blue, Green, Pink and more.
Brand: Halo
This sleep sack is similar in construction to the cotton one. It is sleeveless and the zipper zips up from the bottom; however this one uses micro fleece instead of cotton. This makes it ideal for fall /winter depending on how cold it is in your area.
Swaddle Sleep Sack – Cotton
Color Option: sage, green, cream, blue and many more.
Brand: Halo
This sleep sack is excellent for kids who love to be swaddled. It has the same construction with the zipper zipping up the front, but it adds the option of swaddling your baby within the sleep sack. This option ages well with your baby as you can opt to leave your baby’s arms in (swaddled) or out (regular sleep sack) depending on their mood. When we first started my daughter in her sleep sack she loved being swaddled, but she quickly outgrew that – but her sleep sack was still usable!
Polyester Sleep Sack
Color option: Blue, Pink, Chocolate, Cream
Brand: Halo
This is just like the cotton sleep sack with the same sleeveless construction, however it is made from 100% polyester and many people report that it is slightly warmer and much softer to the tough than it’s cotton counterpart. Perfect for spring or fall sleeping.
Big Kids Sleep Sack
Color Option: Blue and Pink
Brand: Halo
Toddlers are just as bad as babies when it comes to keeping blankets on them, but with toddlers you have the added benefit of having them try to climb out of the crib. This sleep sack helps with both of those issues. Sized for kids wearing 2-3T this sleep sack is perfect for when your child gets older.
Alternative to using a baby sleep sack
Some babies are very fussy and don’t adapt well to change. It took my daughter a few nights to get use to her sleep sack when we first tried it out. If your little one is the fussy type and really puts up a fight when the sleep sack is attempted you could try this alternative.
Layer a few sets of Pj’s and socks
During very cold nights my wife will often add a pair of socks to our daughters sleep wear. If you’re trying to replicate a sleep sack, try adding the socks and putting a smaller onesie underneath some larger panamas’. This isn’t ideal as diaper changes would take longer, but it solves the problem of your little one kicking off all the blankets and getting cold.
Overview
Baby sleep sacks do a great job of solving the problem of your baby kicking off the blankets at night and waking up. They have also been credited as reducing the risk of SIDS and are easy to use, easy to wash and easy to love. I have only linked to the HALO brand from this page, although they are not the only makers of baby sleep sacks, they just happen to be the most popular and are very widely used. I hope this guide helps you choose the style of sleep sack that will work the best for your family!