Grobag Sleeping Bag > Reviews (32)

When I had my daughter 12 years ago she was always swaddled in the traditional way with cellular blankets. She was always a good sleeper from day one. When I had my son 20 months ago I was feeling new to parenting a newborn. He has always been an active baby since day one, he was swaddled in blankets for the first few months of his life, after a few months he would start wriggling about in his blankets and I was always wrapping him back up. Once he reached 6 months of age he would pull the blankets up to his face and would roll about in his cot.; I didn't like this as I was worried that he may pull the covers over him in the night and I didn't want him getting cold either.

When I was in Boots one day they had a clearance sale and I picked up a Grobag that was only £2! I only bought it because it was a bargain and I didn't actually think I would use it. I had never heard of them or seen them before. After I had washed it I stored it away, it didn't get used until one day when my son's blankets were being washed I put him into the Grobag and it fitted him snugly and he looked comfortable in it. He slept in it happily and was warm enough when he got up so I decided to continue using it on a permanent basis.

They have been invaluable as they have had so much use and I don't know how I would have got by without them. Whenever my son's Grobags have not been clean on the odd occasion it has been a tiring task trying to get him to stay under a blanket as he gets excited and throws the blanket around and scrunches it up. I would be forever laying him back down and putting the blanket back on him and even when he would go to sleep he would usually wriggle out of the blanket in his sleep and would sometimes wake up in the night crying if he was cold.

Grobags are available in different sizes ranging from:

0-6 months
6-18 months
18-36 months
3-6 years

They are available in different togs:

0.5 tog (for hot weather or very warm rooms 24C-27C)
1.0 tog (for warm weather or warm rooms 20C-24C)
2.5 tog (for standard temperature rooms 16C-20C)

Each Grobag comes with a room thermometer which also has an indicator alongside it telling you which would be the most suitable tog bag to use at certain temperatures.

We generally use a 2.5 tog for most of the year and just change the amount of clothing that my son is wearing underneath, and only when it is very hot we then use the 1.0 tog version. It is a good idea to have two Grobags as when one is being washed you have another for baby to wear.

What is a Grobag?

Grobags are like a sleeping bag but the difference is that there is either a zip which goes up the front or a zip that goes around the side which is covered over to stop baby from opening or chewing on the zip. It covers the chest and has arm holes and is fastened over the shoulders with press studs. It is wider at the bottom of the bag allowing baby to move their legs about freely. You should always makes sure you use the correct size for safety reasons it is important that your baby cannot pass through the neck hole and wriggle down into the bag.

There is no need to use any extra bedding with these as they keep baby warm enough and it is important not to overheat baby and it is better if they are a little cooler. In the summer months when it is hot I will put my son in his nappy and into the Grobag and he has never been too hot and during the colder months I put him in a long sleeved top and bottoms. Now that I have been using a Grobag for my son for some time now, I would not consider changing back to using standard blankets and sheets.

They come in a range of colours and styles with different patterns or pictures on. They are very easy to keep clean as they are machine washable. They are fully lined which not only provides warmth for your baby, but also means the interior of the bag is soft against your babies skin.

Some babies sleep better in a Grobag although they may not suit all. Personally I have also found it to be easier to change a nappy in the night without disturbing my son much as you can just unzip the bag from the side and once finished zip them back up. My son is able to stand up in his cot in his Grobag but the good thing is he cannot climb out I'm sure he would try if he didn't have his bag on.

Advantages of using a Grobag

• Baby will sleep better as they won't be kicking the blankets off
• They maintain their temperature as the air circulates in the Grobag
• An active toddler won't be able to climb out of their cot
• They feel secure and snug
• May help your baby to sleep through the night

Availability

Quite a few shops and online retailers sell Grobags and they usually cost anywhere around £20 - £30.

You can find out more about them and where they are stocked by visiting their website:

www.gro-group.com

I am so pleased that I discovered Grobags as I can relax at night knowing that my son is safe and warm.