It's that time of year when parents are faced with the decision of whether to wrap or not wrap their infant children for bedtime and outdoor outings. Although we've been lucky with cooler nights dropping into the 60s, most people - at least in my household - still choose to decrease humidity by running the air conditioner while sleeping. But little ones can't always stand the cold as much as adults.
I, for one, like to wrap up in a blanket to sleep, but with children, sometimes 15 minutes into sleeping, the blankets usually are kicked off.
Several companies recognize this concern and have designed a way to keep children covered all night, indoors or out. The Cuddlebabe, dubbed the "wearable blanket," is great for campouts, while the Merino Baby Sleeping Bag or the grobag each provide a safer way to cover sleeping babies. Read on to discover the many benefits of wearable blankets.
grobag baby
sleeping bags
by Oyaco
What it is: The grobag baby sleeping bag ensures that children sleep through the night without loose covers and blankets. This wearable blanket keeps babies at a comfortable temperature all night long.
Each grobag comes with a free room thermometer to help parents select which grobag baby sleeping bag to use. The sleeping bags come in a range of warmth ratings for each season or room temperature and are big enough to allow air to circulate so that baby doesn't overheat, yet small enough to ensure that baby does not slip down inside.
grobag has been working closely with the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths since its inception in 2000 to spread the word about how to help parents create a safer sleeping environment for babies.
What I thought: As I've mentioned, I like it to be cold when I sleep. If it's too stuffy, I wake up with a headache and I'm miserable all day. But, with two kids, there's others to think about that are more important than myself. My pediatrician once told me that it's better to be a little bit cooler than warmer for children to sleep, but I still worry about them "catching a chill," as my grandmother would say.
The grobag is perfect for summer nights when the air conditioning is blasting. I was even more excited to try it while camping! We each had our own snuggly sleeping bag, including my 1 1/2-year-old. He felt like one of the big kids!
The best part about grobag is the option of selecting which bag you choose on the temperature of your room. There's a grobag for every season.
FYI: grobag donates a substantial proportion of income each year to safe sleep research.
grobag recently launched a new range of organic baby sleeping bags aimed at consumers who are looking for a more environmentally responsible product or for babies who may be particularly susceptible to skin sensitivity.
Recommended age: Birth to 36 months.
Recommended price: $42 to $90.
Where to get it: www.oyaco.com.
Baby Sleep Bags
by Merino Kids
What it is: Babies have the freedom to move naturally in their Merino Kids sleep sack, but unlike sheets and blankets, they cannot get entangled or wriggle out and they do not wake uncovered and cold. The contoured knitted bodice fits snugly around your baby's chest and neckline ensuring the fabric stays clear of their face and, as an extra precaution, press studs under the arms prevent newborn babies from slipping down.
Merino wool is the ideal natural fabric for a sleeping baby in any season and is fast-becoming the preferred sleepwear fabric choice of discerning parents around the world.
According to Merino Kids, babies can take as long as a year to develop the full capability to regulate their own body temperature. Just a few degrees of variation in room temperature can cause them to overheat or wake up cold.
Scientists are unable to replicate this wool fiber that comes from the merino sheep. The fabric has the ability to regulate a baby's body temperature to keep them warm and sleeping through the night without overheating. First Candle identifies overheating as a leading risk factor for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The soft-as-silk material responds to changes in a baby's body temperature to trap air to keep them warm in cool air and release heat and moisture when the room temperature rises.
What I thought: The way this sleep bag regulates heat is amazing to me. I just love the material and the story behind the merino sheep. It's like the Cadillac of sleep sacks - the coveted Holy Grail of the sheep society.
I often worry about my son kicking his blankets off, which happens in a matter of minutes - and then it twisting around and around until he can't get loose. (I'm one of those people who thinks the oven's always on, even after I've checked it 50 times.) But with his own sleep sack, he's covered and comfy and sleeping sound.
FYI: Merino is naturally fire resistant and even when it is burned, self-extinguishes when the source of flame is removed.
Recommended age: Merino Kids Sleep Bags are available in baby and toddler sizes. Baby sleep sacks are suitable from birth to 2 years old, while the toddler sleep sacks may be used until the child is 4.
Recommended price: $119 to $129.
Where to get it: www.babysleepbags.com.
My Vintage Blankie
What it is: My Vintage Blankie baby items were designed with yesteryear in mind. The collection of vintage-inspired baby blankets and coordinating accessories are made to look old but are improved, with concentration on detail and quality. Most baby blankets today are made of synthetics - polyester and fleece - and are not natural. My Vintage Blankie collections are made of soft heavyweight cotton flannel, fluffy cotton chenille and silky satin.
Items - bibs, baby bottle cozies, blankets, pillows and booties - are embroidered with a vintage motif like kittens, chicks, puppies and doll babies.
What I thought: My Vintage Blankie had a vision and that vision led them to a great discovery. Things just aren't made like they used to be. Anyone who's ever been to a baby shower has seen the products - washclothes, blankets, clothing - they all sort of look the same: purples and pinks, flowers and bunnies. But My Vintage Blankie has baby written all over it. When you look at their pillow and matching blanket, you actually picture one of those old-fashioned photos of a chubby little darling with rosy red cheeks.
The quality of their products is unbeatable. My son has been carrying around his pillow and blanket for months and they've yet to wear. And unlike many receiving or fleece blankets, the material doesn't get bunched up because it's made of thick flannel.
FYI: All My Vintage Blankie products come in natural colors and are machine washable.
Recommended age: Any age.
Recommended price: Prices range from $8 for a bottle cozie to $89 (for a set that includes a baby quilt, pillow, bib, baby bottle cozie and a knotted blankie.
Where to get it: www.myvintageblankie. com.
Cuddlebabe
by KMH Creations
What it is: The Cuddlebabe is a wearable blanket that fits all restraint systems, including swings. Flaps give babies freedom to move and the attached hood keeps baby's head warm when outdoors.
Cuddlebabe provides leg holes for the baby so little toes aren't poking out of a drafty blanket and the large flaps that close around the baby keep the child warm, especially when outdoors, and can easily be flipped open to prevent overheating.
A coordinating "silent" button gives parents more control over keeping the flaps closed when needed and opens quietly when transferring a sleeping baby from the car seat to the crib. The opening in the back also allows any restraint system to pass through, adding to the safety of the infant by removing bulky layers that can compromise a secure fit in a car seat.
Made of polyester fleece, the Cuddlebabe is soft and warm and simplifies preparing infants for outings.
What I thought: I've always hated the bulky winter-time coats when dealing with restraint systems.
When my son was still in the portable car seat, I couldn't have lived without my Cuddlebabe. Never having to take it out of the car seat was, in itself, a blessing, but the warmth provided by the Cuddlebabe is unlike any coat.
We used the Cuddlebabe once at an outdoor picnic-party that was held during a cool, damp evening. It kept my son warm enough to fall asleep comfortably in his stroller and later transfer him right to bed. Who could ask for anything more?
Recommended age: Birth to 22 pounds.
Recommended price: $33.95 for the Cuddlebabe; $43.95 for the Cuddlebabe and a matching blankee, trimmed and backed in silky satin.
Where to get it: www.cuddlebabe.com.
