Advice on Choosing Sleeping Bags for Children

Follow these tips on choosing a sleeping bag for your child and you will ensure a better night’s sleep all round.

Which size do I choose?
Sleeping bags don’t tend to come with a specific ‘age guidance’ on them other than loose definitions such as baby /toddler & junior so you will really need to look at the size of the sleeping bag and work it out for yourself.  Here’s how…

Clearly you don’t want your child to have cramped legs in a sleeping bag but also you don’t want to switch your baby / toddler to a more grown up sleeping bag until they are ready.  The main reason people are wary of doing this is incase a young child in a large sleeping bag wriggles down and finds it difficult to breathe while they are sleeping.

Generally from the age of about 2 and half to 3 your child will be ok in a larger size sleeping bag.  Measure your child or use the following average height chart so that you can compare their height with the length of the sleeping bag you are considering.

Which shape do I choose – mummy or traditional?

There are 2 main sleeping bag shapes – the rectangular sleeping bag and the mummy sleeping bag. The rectangular sleeping bag provides plenty of room for wriggling about but is not as close fitting and snug. It is also likely to be more bulky than a mummy shaped sleeping bag – the packed size of the sleeping bag might be an issue to consider if you are travelling with the kids in a car laden with luggage for a holiday, or carrying your own kit by hand.

Mummy sleeping bags are wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, like the shape of an Egyptian Mummy. This close fitting shape is ideal for keeping your child warm as it traps a layer of air next to their body which they then heat up. The sleeping bag acts as a barrier between this lovely warm air and the colder ground or outside air. Mummy bags are well regarded because there is simply less air space to heat so it means your child will warm up faster and stay warm.

Some people worry that their child will find a mummy shaped sleeping bag too restrictive but in my experience it’s like most new things you introduce your child to – it’s just a question of getting used to it. There is still room within to wriggle about a bit, and as your child sleeps and moves about in the night they will soon roll comfortably in the night and take the whole sleeping bag with them. Many mummy bags have double zips so can even be unzipped a bit down near the feet end to allow air to circulate a bit more freely if you find your child gets too hot.

Mummy bags tend to pack smaller and are lighter than the rectangular sleeping bags. They tend to come with a hooded area which can be adjusted for an even snugger warmer night’s sleep for your child – perfect for camping!

Which temperature rating do I choose?
Buying sleeping bags for babies seems to be so much easier in my view – they are given a tog value ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 and according to the temperature you place your baby in the appropriate tog rated sleeping bag. You are even give advice on what clothing to place your baby in, and the tog value is explained in the equivalent of sheets and blankets. I like this

There is a standard in Europe (EN 13537) which classifies the temperatures at which a sleeping bag can be used for adults and many manufacturers are now using this. A test, relying on a heated mannequin, provides four temperatures:

• the upper limit is the highest temperature at which a ‘standard’ adult man is able to have a comfortable night’s sleep without excess sweating.
• the comfort rating is based on a ‘standard’ adult woman having a comfortable night’s sleep.
• the lower limit is based on the lowest temperature at which a ‘standard’ adult man is deemed to be able to have a comfortable night’s sleep.
• the extreme rating is a survival only rating for a ‘standard’ adult man. This is an extreme survival rating only and it is not advisable to rely on this rating for general use.

The transition zone, in between the comfort and lower temperature, is usually considered as the best purchase guideline. You will notice that these tests are carried out on standard adults, not children.  This is because it is recognised that children’s metabolism speeds up and slows down as they grow making it extremely difficult to give accurate, generic temperature ratings for children.  The ratings given can still be used as general guidance for helping you choose the most appropriate sleeping bag.

Sleeping bags for older children and adults tend to get categorised by season taking into account the upper and lower temperature ratings.   In general a 1 – 2 season sleeping bag means they are suitable for outdoor sleep during the warmer months of Spring and Summer. A 3 – 4 season sleeping bag means your child can sleep comfortably outside during the chillier months of Autumn and Winter.

Other tips:

• Work out the lowest temperature your child is likely to have to sleep through.  Then choose a sleeping bag that will perform to this temperature (and ideally a little lower for extra peace of mind).
• Don’t forget insulation from the ground to help keep damp at bay and your child warm – foam mats and reflective cover are both great for this.

Other useful links:

Recommended sleeping bags for girls and boys
Children’s ready beds with a difference
10 Essential tips for camping with kids

Which shape sleeping bag do you prefer for your child?  Do you have any other useful tips to add for choosing a sleeping bag?   We’d love to hear!