Can anyone recommend children's sleeping bags please?

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I need to buy two children's sleeping bags and I really don't know what the best option is. Do I also need to get bag liners? We are total novices and I'm worried about the children getting cold during the night so any advice would be gratefully received. Thanks.

Depends how old your children are but ime children's bags are not as warm as adult ones. The Gelert one Dd3 had was really thin, she is 8 now and we have put her in an adult size 3 season bag, she is no where near the end but it doesn't cause any problems.

If your kids are younger I know the vango kids bags are ok, we borrowed one when we first started camping.

I would put them in fleecey jarmas and give them a hot water bottle when they get into bed, once they are warm and asleep they should be fine, also put a spare blanket underneath them as the cold comes from the ground.

Good luck and have fun

Ours have had adult ones since they first camped aged 4 and 2.
Ds2 is very stubborn and wanted one like ds1.
They wear cotton and fleece PJs + socks.

I picked up two of http://www.argos.co.uk/m/static/Product/partNumber/9276282/c_1/1|category_root|Home+and+furniture|14417894/c_2/2|14417894|Bedding+and+electric+blankets|14417895/c_3/3|cat_14417895|Sleeping+bags|14417926.htm these at argos last week for £22 deal for my dd and I used the other. They were snug and warm. I also put down a spare diver below to help keep out the cold. Friends we were.camping with use electric blankets :)

these

and duvet not diver!

Thanks all. And thanks for clarifying there kiwi I was panicking about what the hell a spare diver was and where I could get one! Will have a look at that one, it's bloomin confusing looking at bags. The 'season rating' confused me!

My DS age 3 has this sleeping bag, by Gelert. It's 3 season and v warm, especially when he's in his fleecy all in one suit. What is underneath them affects how warm they are, just a sleeping bag on a chilly airbed is obviously a bit colder than if they are on a sheepskin/blanket/ roll mat on top of an air bed or self inflating mat. I have a very warm down bag, but if my mattress is crap, I still get cold.

That looks ideal singout. We already have airbeds so I don't really want to buy anything different if I can help it. I've been given some insulated foam mats and thought if I put them under the airbed it might do the trick what do you think? I've been told by some folk to go for a season 2 back and some say a season 3 bag, it's all a bit baffling!

*bag

In my experience, as with the number of persons in a tent, you can often drop a season from a bag when looking at how it is advertised.

That is, a 1-2 person tent really just does for 1 person, a 3 season bag is suited to spring and summer but realistically probably not autumn. If can always unzip the bag and use it as a duvet or wear less clothing at night if it proves too warm - if it's too cold you end up taking three times the weight and bulk of the sleeping bag in extra blankets, duvets, etc.

Last time I camped DS had an airbed with a foam rollmat underneath it, the kind with a silvery thermal backing which I think helped. He also had a sheepskin on top of the mat, but a thin fleecy blanket or similar would have done just as well. If you are camping soon, just the airbed and rollmat ought to do, as DS's get up was for camping in late May when it can still be very chilly at night.

Most childrens bags have cottonish inner fabric so do not need a liner for comfort. The liner is to protect the bag - especially a down bag that should not be washed frequently. ( Washing frequently reduces the life/ warmth of a manmade bag too but children outgrow a junior bag before this is a worry) Liners get in a tangle. PJs do much the same job.
If the bad is too long it can be tied up the bottom (if needed for warmth).- it is then a smaller bag for a little person to keep warm on a colder night.
I agree with Singout season ratings tend to be optomistic.

We also use air mattresses (I know, shoot me!) and these bags for the kids (2 and 4 yrs old) (I think they also do a less 'girly' version). They are plenty warm enough although we do have a couple of cheap fleecy blankets to throw over the top too.

My best advice is to chuck a lovely duvet (packed at the bottom of the car so it doesn't take up any advice) over the mattresses before sleeping on top of them - makes it all snuggly and cosy :)

Sorry to drag this up again but can anyone recommend season 3 bags for under £30? I want hooded square bottom ones like this www.amazon.co.uk/Gelert-SBG160-Childrens-Sleeping-Raspberry/dp/B001NPD026/ref=sr_1_5?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1312400611&sr=1-5 but a season 3 rating. Ta much.

I was in Marcruss's today and coveted the lovely flannelette liners they have. How cosy would that be?!

My kids have adult 3s, fleece pjs and bedsocks with an underblanket if it's cold. Oh and Pip wears a bed hat!

my three dc have Vango Nitestar Junior sleeping bags. DS1 is an average sized ten and a half year old, and still happily fits in his. They've had them since they were 2 and 3 yrs old, all our sleeping bags are a minimum of 3-4 years old, regular use, and still top class condition. All three warm as toast with these and a fleece blanket each when camping in early April (think ice on tent ) I've recommended them so many times I reckon Vango should be putting me on their payroll or something soon

we have the vango nitestar convertible (same as the nitestar but can zip anoither bit on to make it longer) and a Decathlon quechua one for ds1.
both are ridiculously warm... when we camped in half term both children got so hot they had to wear hardly anything and sleep half out of the bag!

ds3 has the nitestar baby

we didn't bother with liners because I chose bags that had cotton or polycotton inners so it wasn't all shiny

I have always taken a duvet and no sleeping bag, but for space saving am thinking of getting sleeping bags. DD is 3, how do you stop them from slipping down the sleeping bag?

I love my duvet, but you have to have something that goes all the way round and much as i wrestle, mr will insist on having a bit of quilt.

I am surprised at how much additional warmth a bog standard liner gives. Must be that air trapping business.

You can tie the bottom of an adult bag with string or a put a big elastic band around to stop children wriggling down into it. My 2 kids have always just slept in adult bags as I think they tend to be warmer.

Fluffy hot water bottles are great to go in the bag. Just fill it with hot water from the taps where you wash up. Nice and warm and snuggly.

We have the same ones as MrsShrek and they are great. Boys certainly weren't cold (they tend to be really hot and sweaty at night anyway at home even if the duvet is off them!) but I had acouple of ceap £1 fleece blankets from Ikea - one for underneath and one for on top in case they were cold. They didn't need them (this was early August but when it was cold and wet).

When I was seeking advice about this a few months back and I was concerned I couldn't find a decent 3 season chidlrens bag, someone explained to me that children often don't need as high a season rating as adults. In much the same way as the tog of grobags is ridiculously low compared to what adults use. Can't remember her explanation anymore but it made sense at the time!