Twelve of the sweetest swaddles and sleep sacks for your babe
Swaddling is a technique that helps your baby feel secure, similar to how they felt in the womb for nine months (give or take). They get to feel snug and tucked in again, which can be helpful for sleep after adjusting to life outside the womb. Your newborn has just felt air and seen light for the first time, and for many, this can be overwhelming. Aside from comfort and creating a sense of familiarity and closeness with mom or dad before sleep, being tucked in properly helps your little from startling themselves awake.
When your baby is in the first two months of their life, they have little control over the Moro Reflex. This natural instinct causes them to flail their arms or legs when they hear a loud noise, or are startled by something else like sudden movement. During naptime or overnight, this could cause them to startle and hit the sides of their crib, or just have a strong movement that wakes them up. Because babies rely on parents to co-regulate in this stage this might take a toll on both you and your baby.
Around 10-12 weeks, or as soon as your baby starts rolling over, it is recommended that you stop swaddling and instead use a sleep sack. Sleep sacks are a great way to keep your little warm and free of crib dangers. Blankets, pillows, bumpers, and lovies can all pose a suffocation or choking hazard, especially as your baby becomes more active in their sleep.
But how do you know what swaddle or sleep sack to invest in with so many options(the market has certainly grown up a lot from the days of thin maternity ward blankets. Well, Mama, we’ve got you!
We’ve been lucky enough to test many brands on our own children and the thousands of babies we have worked with, and we want to share some of our favorites with you!
The Original Woombie is light, breathable, and one of the easiest swaddles on the market! One-step swaddling is quickly accomplished using Woombie’s patented design with a multi-dimensional stretch and zipper to prevent unraveling throughout naps and nighttime. Plus–this swaddle has a two-way zipper that allows for easy diaper changes–one of our favorite features! Use code MYSWEETSLEEPER10 for a discount!
For any kiddos between 2 months and 2 years who love sleep sacks, Woolino’s 4 Season Ultimate Baby Sleep Bag keeps your baby at a perfect temperature throughout the night, year-round. This breathable merino wool is temperature regulated so you’ll never have to worry about buying for different seasons ever again! Use code MYSWEETSLEEPER10
Kyte Baby is one of our favorite options because of the versatility and innovative nature of their products. They have your standard sleep sacks, but also offer a swaddle sack and a walking sack. We love products that are versatile and can be used at different stages of your baby’s life! What is a swaddle sack? It’s the perfect combination of a swaddle and sleep sack. You put your baby in the sack, zip them up, and then wrap their arms with the velcro flaps to secure them. When your baby shows signs of rolling over in their sleep, remove the arm bands and voila… Sleep sack! We also recommend checking out Kyte Baby’s origin story to see even more reasons to love these soft, breathable, eczema approved garments.
Baby Deedee has a great variety of sleepsacks. They offer lightweight, midweight, sleep bags with feet, and camping and winter weight sleepsacks. They have many great options to use with your baby in the winter, guaranteed to keep your little one age 0-36 months warm, and they come in a great variety of colors with decorative accent binding. Baby Deedee uses shoulder snaps to help with busy arms, and has a unique cocoon design to keep your little snug but have freedom to move.
Bundle Baby swaddles are made from soft bamboo muslin and feature a variety of gender-neutral prints. Each swaddle is pre-washed so they can be used immediately, help with thermal regulating to keep your baby warm in the winter and cool in the summer, are hypoallergenic, antibacterial, and a very versatile size at 47in x 47in. In the swaddle sets, the much loved swaddle blankets come with a matching hat that can be embroidered with your baby’s name. If you find a swaddle you love, you can create a bundle pack of three blankets.
Woombie Grow with Me
The woombie grow with me sack that you can use from birth to 18 months! With the option of having arms in or out, this sack converts from a swaddle to a sleep sack with a partial zip. For 10% off any woombie, use the code MYSWEETSLEEPER10
Little Sleepies are truly some of the softest sleep bags you will ever use due to the fabric made from bamboo viscose. They come in all different sizes, from 0-36 months, and three different options: winter, seasonless, and lightweight. If you love these sacks as much as we do, act quick! They tend to sell out very quickly. Use code MYSWEETSLEEPER15 for 15% off!
Mookabee is another extremely unique option that we highly recommend. This innovative company has created swaddles using their patented scent absorbing Soothe-Swatch. The fabric absorbs your scent, which you then safely snap onto the swaddle base. Clinical research has shown smell is one of the first senses babies develop, and the smell of their parent helps to lower the stress hormone, cortisol. Additionally, your scent reduces their anxiety, which helps them fall asleep faster and ease periods of separation based anxiety. As your child ages, the Soothe-Swatch can snap onto their lovies to continue growing with your child.
The love to dream swaddle up is a perfect solution for babies who prefer not to be swaddled with arms in. This is also a great option for babies who tend to break out of the swaddle. With options from newborn to six months, this is definitely worth trying if your baby seems to reject a traditional swaddle
Snuggy Buddy is another great family owned brand. Founder Susan Bortone knew her littles used lovies and blankets to soothe, but she also knew leaving a loose toy in the crib was not safe until a certain age. After struggling to find a way to support their self-regulating habits, she created the Snuggy Buddy, which features a safe, wearable lovey securely attached to the sleep sack. Even better than their innovative design, they donate a portion from each sale to Project Linus, an organization making blankets for babies and children in need.
The award winning Swaddles Sleeves is a convertible swaddle helping babies transition from full swaddle to arms free. Each swaddle has detachable, lightly weighted sleeves to calm the Moro reflex, but also allow your baby to get used to their own movements. Their Swaddle Sleeves Pod works for babies 0-3 months, at which point babies can transition to the Swaddle Sleeves Sack until they’re 24 months of age. The founder of Swaddle Sleeves, Umma Shekhani, created these to help her baby sleep better when she transitioned from swaddle to crib. As some of you have experienced, this isn’t always easy, especially when baby loves to be swaddled!
What makes Swado unique? Their patented GoodCatch™ fasteners make changing or adjusting the swaddle silent, avoid closures, and most importantly, loose fabric. If you’ve ever had to unbundle a baby for a diaper change you know how important this award winning feature is! Best of all, their swaddles come in three machine washable fabric choices: organic cotton, jersey, or bamboo. And finally, Swado is certified by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute.
Do you have a favorite swaddle that isn’t on our list? Send us a message and let us know!
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*Some of the items listed here are our affiliate partners and we may receive commission from the purchase of these products. We are committed to only recommending products that we truly believe in, have tested, and partner with regularly.