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The best sleep sacks, tried by babies and parents
Soft, wearable blankets that will help your little one sleep through the night.
Published: March 13, 2024
Source: The best sleep sacks of 2024, according to experts (nbcnews.com)
Image: Putting your baby or toddler in a sleep sack can keep them warm and encourage a better night’s sleep.NBC; Amazon
Any parent with an infant can tell you that getting a baby to sleep can sometimes feel harder than solving the Pythagorean theorem. There are wake windows to consider, feeding times and so much more. On top of all that, you can’t just throw a baby into a cozy bed with a bunch of blankets to create a warm atmosphere. Blankets are a big no-no when it comes to sleeping infants, according to safe sleep guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). A baby can get tangled up in a blanket, making it unsafe.
Instead, experts recommend sleep sacks to keep babies warm while they snooze. “A sleep sack is simply a zip-up ‘bag’ that your baby or toddler can wear as an alternative to a blanket — it’s essentially a “wearable blanket,” says Cara Dumaplin, a baby sleep expert and founder of Taking Cara Babies, which offers online sleep classes. To help you figure out the best sleep sack for your baby’s needs, we spoke with 3 experts and asked them to identify what to look for when you shop — plus, got their recommendations on top sleep sacks currently available.
How we picked the best sleep sacks for babies
Some sleep sacks have arms, others are sleeveless, some are lightweight and some are heavy wool — in other words, figuring out what you need can be tricky due to the sheer velocity of options. It’s also worth noting some of it will simply come down to your baby’s preferences. But, to help you narrow it down, we asked experts for the key things to pay attention to while on the hunt for a sleep sack. Here’s what they said:
- Style: Generally, two different styles of sleep sacks are on the market. A swaddle sleep sack keeps a baby close to the body and is intended for infants who have not learned to roll over yet. “This allows the baby to feel the coziness like the womb but also helps suppress the Moro reflex, a primitive reflex that young infants have, and it sends the baby’s hands and legs flying into the air,” explains Ensley Nesbitt, founder and CEO of Sleep Baby Consulting. Once a baby has started to roll over, they should be moved to a sleep sack that allows their arms to move freely.
- Material: “Sleep sacks are made from many fabrics including cotton, bamboo, rayon, spandex and more,” says Dumaplin. “Find one that feels good to the touch and that your baby’s skin tolerates well.”
- Warmth level: The main job of a sleep sack is to keep your baby warm. To that end, sleep sacks have a thermal overall grade (TOG) rating indicating how warm the material is. “I like to think of it in terms of a sheet (.5), a blanket (1.0), and a heavy comforter (2.5),” says Dumaplin. “Most company websites even give temperature range recommendations to go with their TOG ratings. When shopping, see what you think would be best for your house, your climate and your baby.” To cover all climates, we included a wide range of TOGs on our list.
The best sleep sacks of 2024
We used the above expert guidance to narrow down a list of the best sleep sacks for babies and toddlers. We included swaddles and regular sleep sacks to meet most needs. The list below is made up of expert and NBC staff favorites, as well as highly rated options that meet the expert guidelines above.
The best swaddle sleep sacks
The Ollie Swaddle
Another recommendation from Nesbitt, this swaddle is made from polyester and stretchy Spandex, allowing you to get a snug fit. According to the brand, the material is also moisture-wicking to reduce the risk of overheating. The top part can be velcroed together to create the swaddle, and the bottom ties together to close but can be untied so you don’t have to unswaddle your baby to do a diaper change. With your purchase, you also get a delicates laundry bag to wash your swaddle in.