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The best baby sleeping bags to keep them safe and snug
They're great for easy nappy changes too

Baby sleeping bags are designed to help your little one sleep safe and sound. We know how important getting that nighttime routine nailed is for new parents (for both you and your baby), and it all starts with the right environment – from your bedside crib and mattress to their sleepwear.
With a sleeping bag, they’ll be able to wriggle and kick their arms and legs without being restricted, while staying at a comfortable temperature. They also offer a safe sleeping environment as they remove the need for additional covers. According to baby sleep charity, The Lullaby Trust, sleeping bags are a good option for little ones as they prevent your baby’s head from being covered by wriggling under any loose blankets.
Plus, popping your little one down in a sleeping bag can benefit their hip development and act as a sleep cue for both daytime naps and bedtime.
The Good Housekeeping Institute recruited a panel of parents and babies to test out the market-leading sleeping bags and swaddle bags, as well as analysing them in the lab. These are our experts’ top picks at a glance – keep scrolling to read our detailed reviews and everything you need to consider before you buy.
Best baby sleeping bags 2025
How to choose a baby sleeping bag
Before shopping, there are a few things to consider, including the tog rating, nursery temperature, size and style of sleeping bag you want.
Tog rating
In a similar way to adult duvets, baby sleeping bags come in a range of fabrics and tog ratings to keep your baby warm and cosy throughout the changing seasons. Tog ratings range from 0.5 togs (best for the summer) up to 2.5 togs (better for chilly nights).
Our testing expert, Sally Hall, recommends buying at least two of each tog rating so you can have one in the wash and one for your baby to sleep in. “You need a couple of winter bags of around 2.5 togs and a couple of summer bags too,” she recommends. “Adjust the tog rating your baby needs depending on how warm or cold your house gets.”
The NHS also recommends taking both your baby’s clothing and room temperature into consideration when choosing the right tog.
Sizes
Baby sleeping bags typically come in three different sizes: 0-6 months, 6-12 or 6-18 months; and 12-24 or 18-36 months. Some are adjustable too, with arm holes that can be widened.
Sally recommends opting for a size that’s snug around the chest but still loose on the lower half, giving them plenty of space to wriggle and kick their legs.
Design
We've tested both swaddle bags and sleeping bags, and some designs that can do both. Swaddle bags mimic the snugness of the womb and can be comforting for newborns. Having their arms inside the sleeping bag also calms the Moro reflex (aka the startle reflex), a normal, involuntary movement where your baby suddenly throws their head back, cries and extends their arms and legs when they're surprised by a sound or movement.
The Moro reflex usually disappears after two or three months and once your baby shows signs of rolling, it’s recommended you switch to a regular baby sleeping bag. Some sleeping bags are adjustable with poppers on the side so you can switch between using it as a swaddle bag or having their arms out.
Care instructions
You want a sleeping bag that's easily to clean, so check the care instructions before buying. You don’t want to be tackling a midnight poo-nami only to realise you can’t pop it in the washing machine. Luckily, all the ones in this list are machine washable but only a few can be tumble dried, which may be a deal breaker for some.
How we test baby sleeping bags
We first ensure that all items conform to British safety standards. Note that some sleeping bags in this list are made by brands based in Australia. These products all comply with fire hazard regulations under AZ 1249.
Then, to find the best baby sleeping bags, our expert first assesses the quality of the construction, the tog rating and the overall design. They make sure there aren’t any poppers or zips that could irritate your baby’s skin, as well as looking at how easy it would be to dress and undress your baby, and how straightforward a nappy change would be. They also put them through the wash to check for any shrinkage or colour fading.
Most importantly, we send each sleeping bag out to our panel of babies and their parents, to see how they fare in real-world conditions. Our (grown-up) testers provide extensive feedback on what they like about the design and what doesn’t quite hit the mark. They also tell us whether they’d recommend the product others and if they’d consider purchasing it again.
All this feedback is collated and the products are given a final score. These are the baby sleeping bags we rated top.
Megan is the Good Housekeeping Institute’s senior homes and lifestyle writer. She loves diving into the latest product releases to find the very best buys on the market and has written hundreds of product reviews on everything from the best vacuum cleaners and coffee machines to the best ice cream makers and robot window cleaners.
When she’s not writing about the newest gadgets and gizmos for your home and garden, you’ll find her running every distance from 5km to 100km or relaxing at home with her cat – there really is no in between.
Megan has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously written for Stylist, Glamour, Women's Health, TimeOut, SquareMeal, and YOU magazine. You can find Megan on Instagram @meganlouisegeall.
Sally J. Hall is a parenting tester for the GHI, reviewing everything from bedside cribs and pushchairs to nappies. She has written extensively on pregnancy, birth and the health and development of both pregnant mums and their babies. She has in-depth knowledge of the parenting world, has tested thousands of products and is passionate about finding those that make parents’ lives easier.
Sally has worked on many major UK parenting titles and was previously editor of both Emma’s Diary and Bounty. With extensive contacts across the parenting industry, she published B Baby Magazine for eight years, which covered the private maternity market across the UK and is the author of books Plant Based Baby and Eco Baby.


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