Which baby sleeping bag to choose for each season

A sleeping bag replaces loose blankets: your baby stays warm, doesn’t kick the covers off when they move and nothing can cover their face. That’s why it’s the way paediatricians recommend keeping babies warm for sleep. What changes with the season is how warm the sleeping bag is and what your baby wears underneath.

First things first: the size

Choose the sleeping bag according to where your baby will sleep. Our carrycot and crib sleeping bag measures 70 × 45 cm and is designed for the pram carrycot and the crib; for a full-size cot, your baby will need a sleeping bag in their size later on. The sleeping bag should fit snugly at the neck and armholes, so your baby can’t slip down inside it.

In winter

• A sleeping bag with thick padding, like ours, with long-sleeved pyjamas underneath.
• Outdoors, the pram sleeping bag means you don’t need to add blankets. When you go indoors at home or into a heated shop, open it up: the two side zips let you open it fully or partly without waking your baby.
• Don’t put a hat on them to sleep indoors: babies regulate their temperature through their head.

In between seasons (spring and autumn)

• This is the trickiest time of year, with cold mornings and mild middays. Go for layers: a bodysuit under their pyjamas that you can take off, and the sleeping bag open or closed depending on the time of day.
• Carry a muslin or a light swaddle in your bag for when you’re holding them.

In summer

• When it’s hot, a bodysuit or light pyjamas are enough, and often the thick sleeping bag isn’t needed at all. A cotton muslin gives shade or just enough warmth when the air conditioning is on.
• Avoid covering the carrycot completely with fabrics that don’t let the air through.

How to tell if they’re cold or hot

Don’t go by their hands or feet, which are usually cold. Feel the back of their neck or their chest: if it’s hot and sweaty, they’re wrapped up too warmly; if it’s cold, they need more. Keep the room at 20–22 °C if you can.

And, as always with babies and sleep, if you have any doubts, ask your paediatrician or midwife.