Best Sleep Sacks for Winter
Here in NYC, the temperature keeps dropping. I don’t know about you, but I am ALWAYS worrying about my baby/toddler being warm enough at night (but without overheating!). Warm winter sleep sacks to the rescue.
Especially for those of us that have older, drafty homes or apartments – ACK!
Below are a few of our favorite winter weight wearable blankets to take you from fall through the dead cold of winter and into early spring. [See also: “regular” wearable blankets, or sleep sacks.]
Note that these are designated with a “TOG factor,” which denotes the level of thermal insulation used in the textile trade. They range from 0.5 to 3, with 3 being the warmest.
Here are our fave winter sleep sacks to keep baby cozy and comfy all winter long (priced lowest to highest):
Carter’s Baby Fleece Sleep Bag ~$25 — ECONOMY PICK
This fleece sleep sack is super warm with long sleeves for extra warmth on the chilliest nights. The polyester fabric is toasty, soft and cozy, though not the most breathable of textiles (translation: you get what you pay for). This winter sleep sack is good for babies up to 9M. For older babies and toddlers, keep reading…
Halo Microfleece Sleepsack ~ $30
My babes have worn HALO since birth, so I’m a big fan. Out of all the HALO swaddles and sleepsacks I’ve purchased, their “winter weight” sack is my fave. Unfortunately that one is no longer available. The Microfleece is a nice alternative. It’s made of super soft fleece (doesn’t pill after washes) and allows for easy diaper changes. My only qualm is that I wish the sizing went through 24 months; we are bummed we’ve grown out of ours!
Related: Best Kid’s Snow Boots
Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Teddy ~ $32 – Top Pick
Full disclosure: I received the Sleep Nest Teddy as a gift from Baby Deedee, and thank goodness I did. At ABC Kids Expo a couple of years ago, I mentioned I was rounding up winter sleep sacks for our readers and they said I HAD to try the Teddy. They were so right!
I love the shoulder snap openings the sleep nest is known for and the over-sized, dual-entry zipper. The best part is that I have washed it countless times and the fleece is still lovely and plush. This is my current fave for my 1-year-old — he sleeps so well in this cozy sack (TOG Factor 2.5).
Gunamuna Bamboo Duvet Sack ~ starting at $60 – Most like an actual duvet!
This versatile sack has features we’ve all thought about during a middle of the night diaper change. It literally unzips across the entire bottom of the sack for complete open access. SO GOOD!
This sack is definitely made for cooler climates (2.6 TOG), but the breathable bamboo fibers are also temperature-regulating and moisture-wicking to help prevent overheating. You can also choose to leave the bottom zippers a bit open to allow extra airflow if you wish.
File this one under, “why can’t I get one in my own size?” Seriously, this sack is awesome and very highly rated. Best of all, it goes up to 36 months, which is a size that can be hard to find.
Kyte Baby ~ $60
The Kyte Baby sleeping bags are made of bamboo and are buttery soft. I’ve used my fair share of sleeping bags with my kids (my firstborn used them until he was 4 years old), and these are quite possibly the softest I have felt. The brand offers three different blanket weights to cater to different climates. The 1.0 and 2.5 TOG weights are both great for the colder months. Kyte sleeping bags go up to size L, which fits kids up to 40″.
I love that the bags feature a zipper flap at the top to avoid irritating baby’s skin and a double zipper on the bottom to make nighttime diapers changes easier. The brand also carries walker sleeping bags (~$69), which allow older children to stay warm while still being able to walk around. We have one of those as well, and we LOVE IT! Oh and they make sleeping bags/walkers for adults now… Here’s the link in case you want to match with your sleeping babe even at night.
Kip & Co. Sleep Bags ~ $55
New(ish) from Australia, we came across Kip & Co. at the ABC Kids Expo. I walked by their booth and stopped dead in my tracks: gorgeous!
I love the vibrant colors they use in their designs (they basically inspired me to re-decorate my home, but that’s another story!), and I LOVE this thick, winter weight sleep sack (TOG factor 2.5). The prints are beautiful and bright, and the sizing options can take you far. My personal fave feature: the arm openings have a snap to adjust for snugness as baby grows. Brilliant!
Hanna Andersson Wearable Blanket ~ $42 – $60 (on sale)
This gem from Hanna Andersson is available in a few solids and a cute, understated Winnie the Pooh print. Not only is this sack high-quality and gorgeous, but it’s amazing for climates where it gets freakin’ COLD. The outside is a quilted cotton and the zipper conveniently runs downward. Who wouldn’t want to sleep in a bundle of sherpa fleece?!
The Woolino ~$109
Merino wool is a natural fiber, so it’s super breathable, absorbs moisture, and is naturally fire resistant. And soft! OMG — it’s so soft. The Woolino is made from premium hypoallergenic Australian merino wool, and this one-size product fits babes 2 months – 2 years… so yes, it’s pricey, but it will last you a while (even a lifetime — it’s meant to be handed down from child to child, including new generations).
It has shoulder snaps, an inverted side zipper for quick changing, and seat belt slots for easy transfer from crib to car.
That’s all for now. Enjoy those winter snuggles!
See also: Full Winter Series, which includes:
See also Wearable Blanket Smackdown
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I love all your recommendations but my husband was dead set on getting a down filled sleep sack (he’s Canadian so anything to do with cold is automatically fixed with large amounts of down). So we searched high and low and found a wonderful down sleep sack from milk and honey co. I promise I am in no way affiliated with them, I just really like their product. The shell is cotton, the fill is plush and lovely, the snaps and zippers are cleverly situated to grow with baby and keep the down away from her face even on her twistiest nights. Last but not least, it keeps her warm! We have an old house so the insulation needs updating and it can get very very cold at night, even with space heaters. I do not worry about her getting cold with this also sack and she sleeps comfortably all night (she is 6 mos). Anyway, I think it would make a great addition to the winter also sack lineup you have here. https://themilkandhoneyco.com/
Hi Alexa! Thank you so much for this recommendation. We’ll be sure to check it out!
Hi Melissa,
I’d like to second Alexa. The Milk and Honey sleep sacks are awesome!!!! By far, the best on the market. They are all natural, filled with down so they BREATHE meaning that little ones do not overheat. I am not affiliated with the company at all either and am posting a comment because it took me SO LONG to find a good, non polyester filled sleep sack, As far as I know, this is the only one out there. Warm. My daughter has worn it from when she was 10 lbs to now (3 years). The other great thing is that it “contains” little ones when they start to get out of bed ie it’s hard for them to figure out how to get out of their sleep sack on their own. PLEASE please do a feature on Milk and Honey sacks. The woman who makes them has 9 children and made them when her youngest got tangled in a blanket. He was fine but she decided to start the line. They’re especially great for people who heat with wood stoves or who have drafty homes. They’re also washable+dryable. I’m trying to spread the word to help other Mom’s especially “natural”-minded ones. And to support Milk and Honey who make such a great product that doesn’t seem to get the attention it deserves…hard to find on google etc…They’re pricey ($165) but when you consider that we’ve had it for 3 years, it’s not at all…Thanks a lot! Carrie
Thank you for this comment/recommendation!! I’m going to be in a house that’s too cold for a 2.5 tog and a down sleep sack seems a good alternative! The Hanna Anderson one above seems like it could be good too, but I can’t find a tog rating for it anywhere
Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any info on TOG ratings from HA either. Best of luck to you in your search!
We have two Milk & Honey sleeping sacks (got them in used condition really not knowing much about them). And they are sooooooo nice! I can’t stress enough how fluffy and cozy they are. I like that they adjust and will last a while. We also have a Woolino sack (also bought used) and we like that one as well. Preced well and it is really a sack that can be used year round (unless you live in a super hot state).
Do you know the TOG rating for the Hanna Andersson?
Hi Angie! The Wearable Blanket is about a 2.2 on the TOG scale.
The Gunapod fill is polyester. I was very disappointed to discover this the first time i put it in the wash. Only the shell is bamboo, and it’s a bamboo/rayon mix.
Hi Jordan! I’m sorry you had a disappointing experience 🙁 I also have a gunapod and wash it in the machine and dryer too, I haven’t had any issues. I reached out to the company for further explanation. They informed me that the outside fabric is bamboo viscose/spandex. The bamboo breathes, wicks moisture and is thermal regulating. The fill is premium hi-loft hypoallergenic polyester, which is loosely woven to not interfere with the bamboo benefits. P.s. our recommendations are never sponsored, they are completely our own, or reader recos.
Any with sleeves? I’m always worried his little arms will be cold
Hi Kathleen! Most wearable blankets don’t come with sleeves to prevent overheating. We just put our babies in a warm long sleeve pajama underneath. That said, you can definitely find brands that make a sack with arms. We haven’t reviewed those here but this one seems to have good reviews: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MDJ9WML/?tag=lucslis-20 and I’ve seen some at Carters.
I want to second showing a warmer option with sleeves for families living in very cold climates. We used carters with a fleece onesie underneath but it’s been well below 0 for several months running and carters or a sleep sack without sleeves just isn’t enough. So far we are very happy with ergopouch and we alternate it with the carters/fleece option depending on weather
So torn between the Baby Deedee Sleep Nest and the Teddy…they seem really similar in many ways (snaps at the top, big zipper, tog 2.5), except for the quilted vs fleecy outer material.
So, which do you think is better?
Hi Sarah! Both are pretty similar as you mentioned. I personally love the Teddy as Baby Deedee’s fleece is a really nice quality. It washes really nicely and stays super plush. – Kristen
Would these be considered to be warmer than merino wool sleep sacks? Trying to decide if I need to upgrade for winter!
Hi Kate! Great question, all merino wool products have a different TOG, you’ll have to reference the manufacturer when you’ve decided on a product. For reference, the sleep sacks mentioned in this article are around a 2.5 rating. Unless your baby’s room drops below 15 degrees F, you shouldn’t need to go above a 2.5.
We needed something warmer (little guy was always chilly, and we keep our house cooler), and this 3.5 tog Ergo Pouch sleepsack is fantastic! Double zipper, stretchy sides, and organic cotton (no polyester, which is plastic, which is bad for breathability and the environment).
I want to second this recommendation. We also love our ergoPouch 3.5 tog! It has thick knit organic cotton sleeves, so something to cover the arms, but not as thick as the rest of the sleep sack. The pouch part converts into pants for babies that are standing/walking or for use in a stroller. They come in a range of sizes up to 6 years! We got one last winter season after extensive online research and got the next size up this year. They also come in lighter weights: 1.0 tog and 2.5 tog. We also have the Hanna Andersson sleep sack mentioned in this review. It’s great too, but we use it for the more temperate spring and fall months.
Thanks for the article! What about older toddlers? They all say up to 24 months but my almost 3 year old boy won’t keep a blanket on and I’m always concerned his regular Halo cotton sacks aren’t warm enough.
Hi Erika! I have this same problem. However, I find that the Halo fleece sleep sacks are just fine (they are TOG 1) along with warmer pajamas underneath. For sizing, make sure to go off of weight, not months. That said, Halo also makes a “Big Kids” size (up to 5T). And depending on how cold your house is, remember that kids sleep much better when it’s cooler (65ish).
We have two Milk & Honey sleeping sacks (got them in used condition really not knowing much about them). And they are sooooooo nice! I can’t stress enough how fluffy and cozy they are. I like that they adjust and will last a while. We also have a Woolino sack (also bought used) and we like that one as well. Priced well and it is really a sack that can be used year round (unless you live in a super hot state).
For the older baby girls, a reversible Print Jacket in a gorgeous pink colour is offered by Zutano, to keep them toasty warm. It doubles as a coat for different occasions with a pink floral print, or if you turn on its reverse side you get a print in seersucker stripes, and is made up of 100% cotton. Sizes are from 24 months to 5 Year Olds, and Zutano price this at $48.95.
I am looking for some winter sacks for my baby and after some internet searches I discovered about CuteRascals and planning to purchase this sack from there but actually, as of now after landing up at Lucie’s list I am getting confused whether to buy it from here or CuteRascals since they both almost have the same price. Can anyone help me in deciding which product has the best quality?
At Lucie’s List, we review products and provide links to purchase the products. We are not a retailer. We are unbiased – so you know that you are getting our honest opinion from personal experience and other reader recommendations. Where you buy is up to you, however, we appreciate the small commission we make from a sale through clicking on one of our links 🙂
Hi, would you please write a review of summer sleep sacks? Thanks!
Hi, Rich! We’ll look into it! Thanks for the suggestion.
I was always wondering if my babies were too hot (a SIDS issue as we all know) or too cold… Till I found merino wool baby sleep sacks: no more stressing about the room temperature, about what TOG to get, about how they would feel (hot/cold)… A life changer! We got the MookieMerino sleep sacks because they are only made of merino wool (no layer of another fabric) so 100% natural. Not looking back! Sleeping better now (us and baby!)
I wish this review list includes any walkable sleep-sacks. These are for babies only, not toddlers.