How do we make sure we get the right sleeping bag for our baby?

If you’re currently in the midst of kitting out your new baby’s nursery, you’re probably spending a lot of time walking through department stores or gazing at online catalogues. If this is the case, you’ve no doubt seen a few baby sleeping bags, and may be wondering how to choose your baby’s bedding.

Baby sleeping bags are measured by age, and it is important not to place a baby in an oversized sleeping bag. If the sleeping bag is too big, the baby may be able to wriggle further into the bag and end up trapped inside. You can buy baby sleeping bags for newborn babies, although most parents choose to wait until their baby is a few weeks old before moving on from blankets. Younger babies like to feel secure and tucked in, so many prefer blankets. By the time your baby is around six weeks old, he should be ready to try a sleeping bag.

Next, some tips on what to look out for when choosing a sleeping bag.

• Checking the neck opening is the right size for the age of the child
• Making sure the fasteners (studs and zips) are all strong enough to stop a baby from escaping
• Looking for any loose threads and labels that could trap a baby’s fingers or toes
• Checking to see if there are strangulation hazards – such as a draw cord – built in to the sleeping bag
• Making sure loose labels aren’t too long and loop labels are in the upper inside back part of the sleeping bag
• Carrying out a small parts check, where we subject buttons to a force of 70 Newtons to make sure they don’t detach and create a choking hazard
• Making sure the bags don’t get too hot, which could cause a baby to dangerously overheat
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