to think merino baby clothes/wraps/stuff are total ripoff?

[Zara1984]

Am currently pg with DC#1, due in October. Am from NZ, but live here in Europe. My very lovely NZ-based MIL keeps harping on about merino baby stuff as being the best and trying to insist I buy it, how it's good for summer and winter. Now I have no problem nicely fobbing her off, but I wonder if she is right.

DH and I are well versed in how fantastic merino is (for both activewear and everyday wear) and wear lots of it year-round - but I just get the feeling it's a total rip-off for baby gear. The link to the website she sent me . She has met all these other mums/grannies in NZ who keep harping on about how ammaaaazing it is. Sure I can see from when the kid is a bit older but for babies? REALLY?

It's not that we can't afford this stuff it's just that I don't think it's good value for money. I mean - £35-40+ EACH for an all-in-one or wrap that will be outgrown pretty fast. Come on. You must be kidding!!

Am I right? Or is merino such a wonderfibre that it's worth paying the price for little darling, even though when nappy leaks and it gets shit all over it, you can still only wash it on delicate?!?

I understand there are maybe some grobags (from a company called Bambino Merino?) that last a whole two years, from birth basically... if anyone has any recommendations. I am still pretty cynical though and think it's all a PFB/yummy mummy swizz.

I wouldn't pay that much for baby clothes, but I do have a grobag www.merinokids.co.uk/shop/gogobag-baby.html , which was very generously bought for DS by DP's aunt, and it is fantastic. It should fit him untill he is 2yo. I have been very grateful for it especially in this warm weather we have had here recently.

DS is now 9 mo and I can't believe the amount of money we have wasted! Gro-bag's, swaddle wraps, tonnes of clothes, moses basket. Even now he's in a cheapo-foldy buggy instead of the £700 pram we bought. Nothing for kids under 1 is worth paying tonnes for! I've never heard of merino but i would never pay £55 for a sleeping bag! what the hell is wrong with blankets? Unless you're planning on having 10 kids, there is no way that it's worth it. You can swaddle with a blanket, just look on youtube!

Have to say the merino sleeping bags are great. Keep warm in winter, cool in summer. Have baby one 0-2 years for youngest and 2-4 year old for 2.5 year old. We now have two of each. ( one in use, one in wash)

No legs getting caught in bars, easy to wash, warm and big enough that we won't have to make a whole bed up, just bottom sheet and bag until they are 4+

Have a few clothing bits, the tank tops have been worn hundreds of times and the hoodies/ joggers we use for gym activities or as pjs on flights etc

Clothes from 6 months so missed the first changing every hour scenario

Bambino merino sleeping bags last until 3-4 years old if you want them too and are great. Really thin, wash well, loved mine and sold them to my SIL after my two successively grew out of them.

Re: merino wool for kids and babies. In Norway it is an absolute must, all children are dressed in merino wool (not itchy, washes well) long johns from August-September until April-May. It is mega comfortable, warm/cool as needed - truly wonderful. In Norway it also can go from plus 15 C to 0 C throughout a day. And in winter minus 20 C is not too unusual. And I loved watching my two come in from the cold, take off all the warm outer garments and run around our home in wool long johns - so comfy!

In the UK. It is a luxury but not needed, saying that I have used merino wool long johns as PJs and as under garments on cold days and was pleased I had them, but didn't buy them specially. If I had the money, I would buy them, but they are not super cheap (saying that Aldi did do them for the easter skiing season I noticed).

If I were you I would tell your MIL how wonderful her idea is, that you hear that NZ merino wool is world class, and thank you for her very generous offer to buy you all you need and post it over, as you really can't afford it, and it would be neglectful of her to make her grandchild miss out - and sit back and watch what happens.

Loved the sleeping bags for DD (I had two one in the wash and one on). No need to buy winter/summer ones, they washed beautifully and she used the 0-2 size until recently (she is 2 and 4 months). They are still in great condition and will use them again in November hopefully.

I love merino clothing for winter because it is warm without being bulky. Excellent for layering. Our daughter can actual move when she is rugged up in winter! And for some reason it doesn't get as dirty as other clothing so you wash it less. We just sponge wash any food that gets on it. So we spent £25-30 each for a couple of vest/long-sleeve tops for winter (in big sizes so they last more than one season) (from NatureBaby) rather than £15 for scratchy, bulky, polyester tops that aren't even that warm from Next etc.

We have the sleeping bag and DS does much better in it then the mothercare one and he's in it even with the temperatures at the minute, which you would normally have to use a different tog sleeping bag.

I wouldn't buy clothes, but someone bought dd a merino blanket when she was born and it has has so much use, she still loves it now and she is 4.

I've got a merino swaddle that cost £30 - it's fab, and they only way LO can sleep for more than 2 hours at a time. Been using it since day one, and will continue to use it for as long as he fits it!

I had Merino swaddles too and in the colder months, it was great as it is so lightweight and doesn't swamp the babies but keeps them nice and cosy. They were a gift. I wouldn't have thought to have spent that much. Now I know how good they are, I would.

I love merino, but I understand it's expensive, and I can rarely afford it. I have some gorgeous yarn.

The only thing I tend to use it for is craft as it's GREAT for felting. I make dreads out of it _

Agree with the exorbitant prices, but I love wearing merino and so I've been stocking up where I can (mostly secondhand) for DD who is due in August.

I live in NZ, and I saw that the Warehouse has just started stocking merino baby clothes. The quality of their other merino clothes is reasonable but they are quite a bit cheaper. It could be worth asking your MIL to get some from there.

I also bought some merino fabric quite cheaply which I'm planning to make into a growbag and a couple of wraps. I'm not much of a sewer, but those should be simple enough even for me (I hope!).

It's very expensive but my son has slept in the sleeping bags since he was tiny and had two of the 0-2 ones and two of the 2-4 ones. He has also had the hoodies and pyjames which are fantastic and wash very well, always on a wool wash. We are outside a lot with the dog and he just gets too bloody cold unless he has on woolies and also Puddleducks (love this raingear, am sure there is a UK website too).

I found the Bambino Merino sleeping bag too heavy for anything other than the coldest nights so not a good spend as not versatile.

Perhaps if your MIL wants to send you some, let her! If not I will gladly send you my details and she can post to me!!! She might also be able to go to where they are made and get seconds a bit cheaper?

Any clothes for newborns need to be easily washable because they WILL get stained - even if it only happens rarely it is always the nicest outfit or sleepsuit you have!

I love the idea of merino but haven't felt my children or any that I know have suffered from being merino-free so it's a luxury rather than a necessity. Up to you if the money is available for it though. It is lovely to feel you are treating your baby. We're expecting #3 and I am getting all those spendy feelings so we might end up with a merino treat for him/her.

We have family and friends in New Zealand and were sent loads of merino stuff. I love it - it washes well, it's light, non-itchy (because the fibres are long, apparently), cool in summer and warm in winter.

I loved everything I was sent and used it all but the only things I got my money's worth from were the Merino kids sleeping bag, which DD will be using until she's 2ish, and a nightie, which was 3-6 months but had long arms and no legs so we eked it out for a few more months.

I would dress her in merino head to toe if I could afford it!

I bought the merino kids swaddle but didn't realise it was hand wash only

I'm crap at washing and haven't used it yet, I also bought a Gigi bag but not used
It yet as dd is only 2 weeks old and feel its a bit big for her.

Can I put it in the washing machine then ?

I was given a load of unused Marino baby clothes from my brother. It came with all the other clothes that my niece had worn. He said that they hadn't used them as they were totally impractical. He has a fancy washing machine that has a delicate cycle that works better than the average washing machine on this setting so I was a bit puzzled. Also, they were gifts from people so I was a bit puzzled by them not being touched. Needless to say I loved the all in one suits and they were perfect for when DD arrived in March last year- really soft and flexible for a newborn.

Cambridge Baby do great merino sleeping bags that are really good value, my daughter slept in hers until she was 6. The vests stretch and last a couple of years as long as you look after them. Merino vests are the one thing none of us would be without. The basic engel ones from cambridge Baby are the best value I've found. lasted my daughter 2 years (wearing most days) and then my son 2 years. Tip sleeveless ones last even longer.

Zombie thread? And possibly spammy...

I live in NZ, but am from the UK and i can honestly say the Merino stuff here is amazing. I got quite a few bits for my DD when she was born, including cute merino vests to keep her snug.
I also really rate the bamboo cotton - it is lovely and soft for a baby.
Our washing machine washed everything perfectly, includinng the merino goo bags. I am a big fan :)

We had a sleeping bag and as said above it was fab. So so cuddley. Washed well with baby sick etc. My son was a winter baby so spent most of his days in it but I wouldn't go to that expense for either a summer baby or an older one that sits up or crawls. Once we reached that stage we bought grobags which can be found a lot cheaper in txmaxx.

Shit I got bit by the zombie