Best baby sleeping bags, according to real parents

As a precaution against SIDS, experts recommend that you keep your crib free from blankets, pillows and toys until your child’s first birthday. As such, baby sleeping bags make an ingenious alternative to help keep your baby cosy and safe while they sleep. What’s more, the best baby sleeping bags have a zip or popper closing, so you don’t need to worry about your child wriggling out of their bedding and waking up chilly during the night - especially when many of us are watching the thermostat more carefully this winter.

At Mumsnet, we know how important it is that everyone gets a good night’s sleep. That’s why we spend hours researching and testing the products recommended by the millions of parents who visit our forums - from the best cot bed or mattress protector to the best swaddle blankets, we’ve got you covered for the essentials. We’ve scrutinised the forums for tried and tested recommendations from parents, before investigating wider consumer feedback and expert opinions to bring you the definitive list of the best baby sleeping bags you can buy today. 

With a variety of styles, functions and price points now available, which sleeping bags fulfil their promise of a peaceful night's sleep?

What is a baby sleeping bag?

Designed to be halfway between a traditional sleeping bag and ordinary nightwear, a baby sleeping bag is, essentially, a fabric vest (with or without sleeves, depending on the brand) that ends in a wide, cosy bag for the legs.

The bag can be opened with a zip and poppers to get a baby in and out easily.

Each sleeping bag is given a tog rating, like a duvet, which designates how thick the wadding is, so which season it’s appropriate for – very important as babies can’t self-regulate their temperature very well and are prone to overheating.

Do I need a baby sleeping bag?

According to GroBag, the company credited with popularising the bag in the UK, around 95% of parents now use one.

It’s easy to see why – using a baby sleeping bag means you don’t have to worry about how much bedding to use, it keeps the baby contained and warm all night (no matter how much they wriggle), and is much easier to carry around out of the house than a pile of blankets.

They’re also safer. Kate Holmes, from safe sleep charity The Lullaby Trust, says “A baby sleep sack is a good option as it reduces the risk of blankets and sheets being kicked off, or covering the baby’s head. It’s a safer option than using loose bedding.”

Are baby sleeping bags safe?

A baby sleeping bag is much less of a suffocation risk than a blanket, but still needs to be used carefully to promote a safe sleeping environment.

First, you should make sure that the product you’re considering complies with the relevant British Safety Standard, BS 8510:2009 –while it’s actually voluntary, this safety standard ensures the neck opening is correctly sized to prevent your baby slipping down inside the bag, that the zips and poppers are robust, that there are no loose threads to create tourniquets, and that the materials are correctly fire-retardant.

Almost all brands will state whether they comply with the safety standard in the accompanying instructions. If it’s not mentioned, we recommend you follow up with their Customer Service department.

Before you leave your baby to sleep, check that there are no loose threads, that your baby’s head can’t slip through the shoulder straps and inside the bag, and that your baby has plenty of room to kick around in the bottom.

Your baby mustn’t overheat at night, so read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully about the tog rating to ensure it’s appropriate for the temperature of your nursery or bedroom. 

Kate Holmes says, “Use the correct tog rating for the time of year. It isn’t necessary to use additional bedding when using a sleeping bag.”

Some brands, like ErgoPouch, include charts on their website to advise what to wear underneath the sleeping bag in each season. The Lullaby Trust also has a great deal of helpful information about baby sleeping product and safer sleep for babies.

Are baby sleeping bags suitable for newborns?

There are plenty of baby sleeping bags specifically designed for newborns – the ErgoPouch Cocoon Swaddle Bag, for example, which won our Best for Newborns award.

Read the instructions or check the brand’s website for the minimum weight a baby should be before using the product safely – it’s usually about 4kg (8lb 13oz), but may vary a littlr between brands and designs.

If you buy a sleeping bag suitable for newborns, it’s still important to check that it fits them well around the shoulders and that they can’t wriggle down inside.

What features should I look for in a sleeping bag?

1. Tog ratings

Bigger tog ratings (2.5 and up) mean thicker sleeping bags designed for colder temperatures. Smaller tog ratings (0.5 and 1) are given to lighter materials intended for summer months.

It’s entirely possible, therefore, that you might buy more than one bag for different weather conditions – or you might decide to buy a lightweight model and put your baby in warmer nightwear underneath during the winter or choose a multi-season sleeping bag, such as the JoJo Maman Bebe Sleep Snuggler or the Merino Kids.

Every brand should give guidance on their website about suitable room temperatures for each of their tog-rated products. Many of them include a free room thermometer for clarity.

2. Age range

Sleeping bags come in sizes with recommended age ranges. If the range is only a few months (a 0-6 month size, for example), think about what season it will be in a few months’ time – will your tog rating match that season and will you get enough wear out of it in that time?

Some sleeping bags are intended for use from birth through to around two years, with the size being adjusted with under-arm poppers. Products like this will have a minimum suitable weight given on the label and the manufacturer’s website, so ensure your baby is big enough to use it safely before buying one.

3. Zips and poppers

Remember how frustrated babies don’t like being dressed and undressed? That goes for their sleeping bag too. On the whole, side zips are easier than central zips for getting the bag on and off a wriggly baby.

Shoulder poppers are another helpful feature for dressing and undressing. Almost all sleeping bags should have under-arm poppers to ensure a good, secure fit for a smaller baby. Some, such as the SnüzPouch, might have an extra zip at the front for changing a nappy without having to remove the bag.

4. Washing instructions

Babies being babies, their sleeping bags will probably need washing regularly. A product that is machine washable is a must, and it’s also helpful if it can be tumble-dried and ironed.

5. Travel features

Many sleeping bags include a vent in the front and back to allow for a five-point harness. This means the bag can be used in a pushchair or a car seat.

Bear in mind that current car seat safety advice is to avoid strapping babies and children into their car seats while wearing padded coats or suits, which might apply to the bulkier sleeping bags too.

How do I keep a sleeping bag clean?

Little spillages can be sponged off, but it’s likely that your baby’s sleeping bag will need machine washing regularly. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions about washing temperatures and tumble drying.

Of course, it goes without saying that the washed sleeping bag should be completely dry and cool before it’s used again for bedtime – damp fabrics can make a baby cold, and metal poppers and zips can burn straight from the tumble dryer.

How much do baby sleeping bags cost?

The very cheapest start between £10 and £15. A sleeping bag from a well-known brand will set you back between £25 and £40. Premium brand products can be anywhere from £50 to £90.

Usually the thicker the tog rating, the more expensive the sleeping bag – and unusually luxe materials, like the merino lining of the Superlove Merino, will increase the price further still.

What’s the best sleeping bag for babies?

The results are in, and The Original Grobag is the best baby sleeping bag for 2023. It’s cosy, cleverly designed and washes really well - plus it’s got the Lullaby Trust stamp of approval. The original and still the best, we think the Grobag is the best baby sleeping bag to buy.

How we chose our recommendations

Before we began researching the best baby sleeping bags, we first scrutinised the latest safe sleep advice from trusted organisations such as The Lullaby Trust, the NCT and the NHS so we could be confident that all the cots we were recommending were safe.

We also consulted renowned consumer organisations such as Which? to gather information on how to choose the best quality products and also those that would offer the most value for money.

Finally, we scoured the Mumsnet forums, where real parents offer honest and impartial advice about the products that have worked for them, as well as analysing reviews from customers and consumer experts on various other websites.

We took all the baby sleeping bags that came most highly recommended by consumers and parents to draw up a shortlist of 20 products and then narrowed it down to the nine you see here, which we think offer enough choice for every family.

About the author

Lucy Cotterill is a Mum and Content Writer at Mumsnet, specialising in baby/child and lifestyle product reviews and round-ups. Having written product reviews on her own blog Real Mum Reviews since 2012, Lucy loves to research and explore the pros and cons of products, scrutinising reviews and consumer feedback to help people make confident purchases. 

Originally from a HR background with a degree in Business Studies, Lucy developed a real passion for blogging and writing when her children were young, going on to write for several online publications including US parenting site Pregistry and the Evening Standard. When she’s not manically tapping the keys of her laptop, Lucy loves nothing more than to cosy up with her Kindle and enjoy the latest thriller, or compete in Nintendo Switch rallies with her daughters aged six and 10.

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