Ensure your little one gets a safe and peaceful night''re more likely to get some well-deserved rest too
- Amy Burns
-
Thursday 17 May 2018 16:30 - {{total}} comments {{/moreThanTen}}
Spare a thought for the Duchess of Cambridge this evening as she battles to get a schoolboy, a toddler and a newborn baby to bed. All the hired help in the world won''s sleep.
And for the more average parent â for whom night nurses, babysitters or even helpful family members can prove elusive â just getting one toddler down for the night can feel like an impossible task. But as with all chores, choosing the right tools for the job can help reduce the stress â and that''re too cold.
And sleeping bags can also be a really good way of cementing an evening routine as they can be used as a signal bedtime is approaching. Encouraging your youngster to go and find their sleeping bag ahead of a bedtime story will help them realise it''ll want to have a couple of bags for each season as toddlers have a habit of attracting mess, so one will always be in the wash â although a 2.5 tog bag for 1 last update 2020/05/29 is suitable pretty much year round in the UK, a light one-tog bag is better for those, occasional, hot summer nights.And sleeping bags can also be a really good way of cementing an evening routine as they can be used as a signal bedtime is approaching. Encouraging your youngster to go and find their sleeping bag ahead of a bedtime story will help them realise it''ll want to have a couple of bags for each season as toddlers have a habit of attracting mess, so one will always be in the wash â although a 2.5 tog bag is suitable pretty much year round in the UK, a light one-tog bag is better for those, occasional, hot summer nights.
You can trust our independent reviews. We may the 1 last update 2020/05/29 earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent. You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.
ergoPouch Sleep Suit Bag (1.0 tog) â Spring Leaves: ÂŁ49.99, John Lewis
Cunningly, ergoPouch have come up with a sleeping bag and sleep suit in one. These bright, light, beautifully made bags can be used as a traditional sleeping sack or, thanks to a clever four-way zip system, be quickly and easily transformed into a full suit with legs and feet pads â making the transition to pram or car seat an easy one. For older kids and little walkers, it also provides the freedom to pad around in their sleep wear either before bed or first thing in the morning.
ErgoPouch''s ready for a good wash, itâs washing machine and tumble drier safe.
SnĂŒzPouch Sleeping Bag: ÂŁ36.95-ÂŁ41.95, Snuz
In a heavily saturated market, it can be hard to make your product stand out but SnĂŒzPouch have found a way. Not only are their designs eye catching, unique and modern, they also feature a clever nappy change zip alongside the conventional side zip fastening. This means you can access the nappy without having to remove baby from the bag or without having to hold half a sleeping bag over their face as you change them â simply unzip the front zip and open it like a trapdoor.
While this is invaluable for younger children â bags are available from newborns to six months â who still need changing during the night, it is, hopefully, less of an issue for older babies and toddlers. However the amount of times a wily toddler will tell you their nappy needs changing in a bid to push bedtime back by yet another five minutes is impossible to calculate â this provides an easy way of checking. Sizes up to 18 months. Available in one-tog or 2.5 tog.
The Little Green Sheep Wild Cotton Organic Sleeping Bag: ÂŁ38.95-ÂŁ44.95, The Little Green Sheep
These beautiful, super soft organic cotton sleeping bags make great gifts as the designs and colours are neutral and the product feels incredibly luxurious. The side zip fastening makes nappy changes straightforward and thereâs lots of room for wriggly legs to kick around. They also feature under arm poppers for correct sizing â one of the key features The Lullaby Trust suggests parents look for in a sleeping bag is the right fit around the arms and shoulders because it can be dangerous if a childâs head can slip down into the bag at night. The certified organic cotton is soft to touch and our tester found the length quite generous and the bag didnât crinkle or scrunch, even when she tossed and turned and changed position a lot â which she frequently did! Available in one or 2.5 tog and fits up to age 18 months.
The Gro Company Ollie the Owl Grobag: ÂŁ34.99-ÂŁ39.99, Gro
The Gro company has established itself as the go-to destination for baby sleeping bags, and itâs not hard to see why. The huge range of products available at their UK store ensures a size, style and design to suit every requirement and taste. This style is one of the newest in the collection and is based around their best-selling Ollie the Owl soother, a battery-powered sleep aid. Itâs cute and fun so will appeal to most toddlers, encouraging them to embrace rather than actively fight against the bedtime routine. The smallest size â for newborns to six months â comes with under-arm poppers for safe sleep for the youngest babies and all sizes â they fit up to 36 months â feature side zips. The 18-36 month bags are particularly roomy, to accommodate growing little people, and the bag is available in one tog or 2.5 tog, and includes quick-dry polyester wadding on the 2.5 tog model.
index âhow to index for Buy now
Baby MORI clever little sleeping bag: ÂŁ59.50-ÂŁ69.50, Baby Mori
index âhow to index for With its double direction zipper and side shoulder opening, youâll be able to wrestle your toddler into this luxurious sleeping bag no matter what contortionist moves they pull at the mere mention of B-E-D. However its 70 per cent bamboo and 30 per cent organic cotton mix means you might not have to, as itâs so soft and comfy theyâll probably dive straight in before you can say âonce upon a timeâ. Our tester couldnât keep her little hands off it.
The MORI bag also has one of my favourite features â a clever little opening for a pushchair or car seat fastening. The utility of such a feature cannot be underestimated as the majority of parents who have any sort of long-distance travelling to do will try their best to the 1 last update 2020/05/29 do it once their child is asleep. This little flap allows you to pass a strap through your pre-bagged child so the journey can be made in a car seat or pushchair without any problems, and safe in the knowledge your child is adequately dressed. The fitted neck and armholes ensure there is no danger of slipping, while maintaining complete freedom to move. Available in 0.5 tog for summer nights and daytime naps, or a more year round suitable 2.5, the bags are available up to two years.The MORI bag also has one of my favourite features â a clever little opening for a pushchair or car seat fastening. The utility of such a feature cannot be underestimated as the majority of parents who have any sort of long-distance travelling to do will try their best to do it once their child is asleep. This little flap allows you to pass a strap through your pre-bagged child so the journey can be made in a car seat or pushchair without any problems, and safe in the knowledge your child is adequately dressed. The fitted neck and armholes ensure there is no danger of slipping, while maintaining complete freedom to move. Available in 0.5 tog for summer nights and daytime naps, or a more year round suitable 2.5, the bags are available up to two years.
JoJo Maman Bebe Toddler Travel Sleeping Bag: ÂŁ32, JoJo Maman Bebe
Much like the MORI sleeping bag, this travel product from JoJo Maman Bebe is all set up for straps to pass through it as and when required. But on top of this, it also combines the clever feature of the Vertbaudet bag, in that the sleeves are detachable using poppers. This makes the bag a real multi-functional product that can be used in a variety of temperatures and at home or on the go. As any parent will tell you, the fewer products you can buy, the better â not just because it saves money but also space. However somewhat confusingly, the company says this sleeping bag is not suitable for use with a car seat. The top to bottom front zip fastening is a little fussier than the more traditional side/all round option but the bag does also feature poppers to secure it at different lengths, depending on how tall your child is. One size also fits from 18 months up to four years, so youâre getting a really long shelf life and incredible value for money.
JoJo Maman Bebe Farm Appliqué Baby Sleeping Bag: £32, JoJo Maman Bebe
This is a real classic toddler sleeping bag design with no sleeves, and poppers under the arms, making it adjustable as your child grows. Like the Travel Bag, the bigger size fits from 18 months to four years and the bottom can be rolled up and poppered in place at the start of the sleeping bagâs life, then rolled back down as your child gets taller. Again the top to bottom zip is a little bit fussy but it does mean the zipper is a) not digging into your childâs chin all night and b) is virtually impossible for them to undo. This comes in particularly handy for younger children who are still sleeping in a cot with sides, as they are much less likely to be able to successfully climb up and over if their legs are in a bag â nothing is ever guaranteed, mind...
Available in 2.5 tog, the Farm Appliqué Baby Sleeping Bag is ideal all year round, except for high summer.
Slumbersac summer sleeping bag owls: ÂŁ19.99-ÂŁ31.99, Slumbersac
Sleeping expert Slumbersac has such a wide selection of products on its UK site you could easily spend a day choosing the right design. With everything from bold prints to the much coveted bags with feet â and weights available from as light as 0.5 tog up to a whopping 3.5 tog â the makers have every aspect of toddler sleep covered. This popular owl design is eye catching and friendly and will appeal to your little oneâs imagination and sense of fun. But itâs also practical, as it features both a front zip â with scratch-preventing chin guard in the largest size and bottom fastening in the smaller size, to thwart escapees â and a base zip for easier changes, or for older children who prefer their feet to be free. The filling is made of soft polyester fleece, which prevents allergies and limits movement of the material inside the bag, to stop it getting bumpy and uneven as your child thrashes around.
Sizes available up to six years, with very generous length and a back velcro fastening if a shorter length is required.
Sainsbury''s Have a Happy Day sleeping bag: ÂŁ14-ÂŁ15, Sainsbury''t slide down inside the bag, won''t be able to easily clamber out of the cot, all without sacrificing freedom of movement. Available in sizes from newborn up to three years.
The Verdict: Sleeping bags for babies and toddlers
When it comes to toddler products, most parents will pick practicality over appearance every time. The ergoPouch Sleep Suit Bag covers all bases, with the added bonus of looking pretty too. Thanks to the unique function of being able to easily transform from a bag to a suit with just the twist of a few zips, it is useful for travel as well as sleep, and means little walkers can move around freely before bedtime and first thing in the morning. It comes in a range of attractive, neutral, understated designs and the material is light and soft and feels incredibly luxurious. If you''t show me this message again