The Best Swaddles for Newborns, Tested on Our Own Bundles of Joy

Soothe your baby with minimal fuss and maximum safety.

Source: The Best Swaddles for Newborns Tested on Our Own Bundles of Joy (parents.com)

Image: Parents / Tamara Staples

After nine months of gestation and preparation, when a baby finally emerges into the world there are many more months of monumental changes for newborn and parents alike. Providing comfort during this fourth trimester is essential to ease the transition from womb to world, create bonds between baby and parents, and ensure everyone gets enough (or at least as much as possible) rest. By re-creating a womb-like environment, swaddling a baby can help soothe them to sleep more soundly for longer. We tested dozens of swaddle blankets and sacks on our own babies to help you find the version that will work best for your family.

While loose blankets are a no-go, wrapping newborns up like a burrito is an age-old method of getting them to sleep, keeping them warm, and preventing them from waking themselves up with flailing arms, but you do need to do it safely. In 2022, the American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) updated its safe sleep recommendations, advising that swaddling is safe, provided babies are always placed on their backs.1 They also note that you should never use weighted blankets or clothing. And that you should cease swaddling at the first signs of rolling, which can happen as early as 4 weeks old. 

A simple cotton or muslin swaddle is great, if you’re confident that you can fold it right—while tired, in the dark. But start shopping around, and you’ll find a mind-boggling array of swaddle styles, fabrics, and techniques to choose from: receiving blankets, sleep sacks, cocoons, cotton, bamboo, micro-fleece, muslin, Velcro straps, optional armholes, snaps, double zippers... You get the picture.

To cut through the noise and marketing babble, we spoke to experts and tested dozens of well-known brands and styles (ranging from $19 to $59) on our own babies at home. Day and night, clear-headed and bleary-eyed, through settling and diaper changes, we measured comfort, durability, value for money, and ease of use—which is more important than many realize. Finally, we sorted through the results to bring you the very best swaddles for you to choose from.

Our Testing Process 

To determine the best swaddles for newborns, along with the best sleep sacks and baby blankets, our staffers tested 52 products at home with their own babies. We measured their performance based on ease of use/effectiveness, comfort, durability, and value for money. We also spoke with some experts, including:

• Tomomi Hayashi, M.D., a pediatrician at Silicon Valley Pediatricians 
• Elizabeth Murray, D.O., a pediatrician at the Golisano Children's Hospital at the University of Rochester, and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics
• Hindi Zeidman, CEO and founder of The Ollie World.

We consulted Dr. Hayashi to inform our test methodology. Our editors (and their babies) then subjected each swaddle to a week-long testing regime. This began with lessons in safe, effective swaddle techniques. We then referred to manufacturer instructions and timed ourselves swaddling and unswaddling our babies. We noted the process of unswaddling and reswaddling during diaper changes, too. We made notes around ease of wrapping and settling, level of comfort and restraint, overall fit, and temperature control. Other considerations included fabric durability through washing, the temperament of each baby while swaddled, and any changes in our babies’ sleep patterns.