The Ultimate Guide to Swaddles & Sleep Sacks
Psst- There is an awesome giveaway at the bottom of this post! We are big fans of swaddles and sleep sacks in the Williamses house! We have been using swaddles since day 1 with Rooney, and then switched to sleep sacks around 4.5 months when she did not want to be swaddled anymore.
We have tried multiple brands of swaddles and sleep sacks so I wanted to put together a list of the ones we tried and liked and also ones we didn't like so much. Because we always needed at least two of each size (for laundry purposes), we have quite a few of these in our arsenal, and I kept trying new brands until I found one we absolutely loved, so I've got lots to share.
Swaddles
- aden + anais swaddle blankets. These are super popular and on probably every single baby registry. We used these blankets a lot in the first few weeks. I love how soft they are, but in my opinion they do not work as well as swaddles that have velcro closures when the baby gets older and stronger. (I see that aden + anais now sells easy swaddles that have snaps. Would love to try these with our next baby because the fabric looks great!)
- Summer Infant SwaddleMe. These have velcro and are very quick and easy to put on the baby. These were our favorite for many months. It is really easy to get a snug fit that grows with the child. These come in two sizes (Small/Medium and Large) and we have multiples in both sizes.
- Miracle Blanket. I had heard amazing things about the Miracle Blanket, but we weren't the biggest fans. In their defense, we didn't try these until Rooney was breaking out of her Summer Infant swaddles (around 4 months) and Miracle Blanket suggests stopping swaddling at 14 weeks (3 months). I knew their swaddles would still fit Rooney though so we gave it a whirl. When we put her in it, we felt really bad for holding her arms down with no wiggle room (there was NO way she could get out). It just felt wrong to us, and I'm not sure we would have felt any differently if she was younger. I know swaddling is supposed to keep their arms down, but even in the Summer Infant ones she could move them a little bit so it didn't seem as restrictive. I also didn't like with the Miracle Blanket how you have to wrap the excess around and around the baby. It just wasn't a smooth process to put on the baby. Miracle Blanket offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee so we did get our money back. I think if you have a baby who breaks out of even the velcro swaddles but seems to need/want to be swaddled, these may work better for your baby. They claim to stop colic - guaranteed - so it's worth a shot if you are desperate!
- Woombies. I have a couple friends who use these and have heard great things. I would be open to trying these, but have no firsthand experience. The Mod Swad by the same company looks nice too and would be cute for photos.
Our pick: Summer Infant SwaddleMe
Weaning Rooney off the swaddle was no easy feat (it took two weeks of night waking almost every hour) so we loved the idea of sleep sacks to help us make the transition. I also have to have a blanket on me when I sleep so I thought Rooney would sleep better that way too.
Sleep Sacks
- HALO. When I first learned about sleep sacks, HALO was the brand I kept hearing over and over. So, they were the first brand we tried. We liked them just fine, but there wasn't anything special about them. These zip from the top down so you can change a diaper without having to take the baby out of the sack completely, which is handy.
- aden + anais sleeping bag. I ordered one of these just to try a different brand (plus I love their muslin fabrics), and the first time I washed it, the zipper fell off! I wasn't able to repair it because of the way the zipper is sewn into the bag. aden + anais assured me this was not normal and has since sent me a new sleep sack. We like the feel of it but I think it's best for a younger baby because it's easiest to put on if the baby is laying down. But, these zip from the bottom up so you also have to unzip the entire thing to change their diaper (which you do a lot with a baby). We only use this sleep sack if our favorite is in the wash.
- Baby Deedee sleep nest. These are awesome! They have snaps on the shoulders (as well as a center zipper) so they are easier to put on the baby (or toddler, in our case). We actually never use the zipper on the sack because we love the snaps so much. I suppose one con would be that because of the snaps they are also easier for the baby to take off once they get older (Rooney occasionally takes it off if she is protesting a nap, but she's not able to get the aden + anais bag off by herself). I love how these sacks feel. They are quilted duvet and so comfy! They also have a different shape than most other sleep sacks - it is more narrow and cocoon-like. It comes in three sizes and there is also a lite version if you live in warmer climates. Whenever I post a photo of Rooney in this sleep sack, I get a lot of questions about where it is from!
- Woolino. I love the look of the Woolino sacks, but at $109 each they are out of our price range!
Our pick: Baby Deedee sleep nest (see below for a giveaway!)
A note on sizing for sleep sacks: We usually order one size up (or the one that she fits in but is at the bottom of the size range). That way she can use it for a while and it feels cozy to her, but it's not so big that it's awkward and gets all tangled up.
I am not sure how long we will continue to use sleep sacks. I've heard that they can keep kids from climbing out of their cribs because it's a lot harder to do so when you can't separate your legs. For now they are a great comfort item for Rooney and part of our bedtime routine. Also, when we are trying to get Rooney to sleep in the car we will give her a pacifier and she will cuddle with her sleep sack, so we're pretty sure she loves it.
GIVEAWAY
Because we love Baby Deedee so much, we want to share their product with you! Thank you to Dominique for creating Baby Deedee and for generously offering one of our readers a sleep nest of their choice! Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter!
P.S. Baby Deedee also now makes toddler quilts! Because we have shared our love for their product with so many readers, they were so kind to send us one of their new quilts. What a perfect way to transition from our favorite sleep sack and keep the same look and feel!