Best swaddles

The Halo Sleepsack Swaddle makes it simple to wrap your baby up nice and snug, with Velcro-secured wings that help you get a perfect fit. There are lots of other helpful features, too. The zipper opens the swaddle from the bottom for easy diaper changes. There's plenty of room for your baby to stretch his hips and legs (the Sleepsack Swaddle is rated "hip healthy" by the Hip Dysplasia Institute). We especially love that parents can use this Sleepsack without the swaddle feature, too, meaning it will be useful for longer. And you can help your baby transition from swaddled to unswaddled sleeping by taking just one arm out at first, then both.

Heads up

The Sleepsack Swaddle comes in cotton, cotton muslin, and microfleece versions, so you'll need to choose the one that's best for your environment. Also, some parents say it's difficult to find the correct size for their baby.

Parents say

"This is the only swaddle my daughter sleeps well in. My girl will get good use out of this."

"I really love this swaddle; it's definitely worth the price. It's easy to use compared with other swaddling blankets I've tried, and I particularly like that the zipper lets you change a diaper without taking your baby out of the swaddle."

Specs

• Available in two sizes: newborn and small
• 100 percent cotton
• 1.5 TOG (thermal overall grade)

These swaddle blankets are unbelievably soft, lightweight, and breathable – you'll find yourself using them as a blanket in the stroller, a nursing cover, a ground cover when your baby wants to wiggle around outside, and more. They're also just the right size to swaddle a newborn.

Heads up

Some parents say that because these are so silky and slippery, it's harder to get a tight swaddle.

Parents say

"I'm obsessed. I love these silky soft swaddle blankets with bamboo. I have some cotton muslin blankets and they just do not compare."

"These blankets have so many uses. I like to tie two corners together and use it as a nursing cover-up."

Specs

• One size
• 100 percent viscose made from bamboo
• 47.02 inches by 47.02 inches

This swaddle bag is a cocoon-like sack made from breathable organic cotton. Unlike some swaddles, it doesn't keep your baby's arms firmly tucked at his side. Instead, you can keep your baby's arms inside the sack or take one or both out, which makes it easy to transition from arms-inside to arms-free sleeping when your baby is ready to roll. The bell shape and stretchy material gives your baby plenty of freedom to move his legs around. We love that these come in several different warmth ratings, so you can customize the bags to suit your baby's sleeping environment.

Heads up

Some parents say it's hard to zip their squirmy babies into this swaddle. And for some babies, a tighter, arms-down swaddle may be more effective.

Parents say

"The design of this sleep sack is perfect. It's super comfy and I love the option to let my baby's arms out. Also, the two-ended zipper feature is ideal for early-morning diaper changes."

"The ErgoPouch is a great alternative to swaddling your baby the old-fashioned way. They give just enough space for your baby to move around and be comfortable while keeping him warm and secure. I also love the feel, so plush and soft."

Specs

• Available in three sizes
• 95 percent organic cotton, 5 percent Elastane

• Available in 0.2, 1.0, or 2.5 TOG (thermal overall grade)

The Zen Sack has a lightly weighted area in the center that's intended to soothe babies with gentle pressure similar to the feel of a parent's hand. Some parents swear it helps babies sleep longer, too. Soft, breathable cotton makes this wearable blanket ideal for year-round use. We also like that the adjustable shoulder straps allow this blanket to grow with your baby.

Heads up

This is a wearable blanket, not a swaddle blanket. Also, some parents say this product runs small.

Parents say

"My son doesn't like to be swaddled anymore and the Nested Bean Zen Sack is the only thing that helps him sleep. He actually sleeps up to 10 hours with it on."

"I was so scared to move my son out of his swaddle, but I got this and pulled off the Band-Aid and boom – he slept really well! It's better than he had slept for weeks, actually."

"My daughter has twins who never slept well since coming home from the hospital. The first night she tried these, one baby slept seven hours and the other one slept eight hours!"

Specs

• Available in three sizes
• 100 percent cotton
• 0.5 TOG (thermal overall grade)

This innovative swaddle blanket stands out because it doesn't force your baby's arms down. The wings allow babies access to their hands, albeit fabric-covered, for self-soothing. This swaddle also gives babies the freedom to sleep with their arms up by their heads, as some babies like to do. The Love to Dream soothes babies with evenly distributed, gentle pressure, and the hip-healthy design allows babies to move their legs easily.

Heads up

Since babies can suck on their hands in this swaddle, you may want to get more than one so your baby can use one while you're washing the other. Also, not all babies like to have their arms up; some prefer a classic, arms-down swaddle.

Parents say

"My sister-in-law recommended this swaddle when she saw that our baby was pulling her hands out of the hospital swaddles to bring them up to her face. The zipper is more convenient than Velcro fasteners, and the second zipper from the bottom is great for changing a diaper."

"My baby loves having her hands up and sucking on them through this swaddle. If your baby is the kind who constantly fights to get her hands out and up, I can't recommend this swaddle highly enough."

"I can't swaddle to save my life. This is incredible! I was going crazy with not being able to get my newborn down for bed. Now we can put him down, pick him up, and put him down again without him fussing or waking up."

Specs

• Available in three sizes
• 97 percent cotton, 7 percent Elastane

These simple swaddles come in convenient packs of three for babies from 0 to 3 months who love to have their arms held snugly by their sides. The Summer SwaddleMe has a pouch design with soft, adjustable wings that fasten securely with Velcro. We love that this swaddle has an opening in the back for harness straps so your baby can wear it in a bouncer or a swing. 

Heads up

The Velcro is very strong – and using it is loud, parents say.

Parents say

"These are great, they're so much easier than swaddling a baby with a regular blanket. And unlike a traditional swaddle, these actually keep my baby's arms down. The leg pouch opens for easy diaper changes. "

"This is a great product overall. I love how easy it is to wrap my baby's arms, and that her legs are free to prevent hip damage."

Specs

• Available in one size
• 100 percent cotton
• 0.5 TOG (thermal overall grade)

This transition bag is good for babies who are about to graduate from the swaddling stage. The wings zip off, so your baby has the option of having one or both arms free while still feeling secure and snug in a sleep sack. Unlike many swaddle blankets, Swaddle Up uses an arms-up approach, allowing babies to access their hands for self-soothing. Bonus: Babies look like little gingerbread men in these.

Heads up

Some babies don't like having their arms up by their heads and prefer a traditional arms-down swaddle.

Parents say

"Love to Dream makes the best swaddles! This is the perfect transitional swaddle – just take one arm out when your baby shows signs of rolling, and both arms out once your baby is rolling."

"I absolutely love this! We had both wings on, then off went one and then the other. Now my baby uses it as a sleep sack."

Specs

• Available in three sizes
• 97 percent cotton, 7 percent Elastane

The Zippy is super easy to use, and has two layers of wrapping to keep your baby super snug and comfortable. Waist straps go over your baby's middle, then arm wings wrap around your baby and are secured with Velcro. There's plenty of fabric at the bottom, so your baby's legs have freedom to move. We love the zipper at the bottom for easy-access diaper changes. Also, the fabric designs are bright and fun.

Heads up

These swaddle blankets are 100-percent cotton, and intended for baby's rooms that are between 74 and 76 degrees – they aren't ideal for cooler environments.

Parents say

"I love this swaddle. It doesn't stretch out like others do. The zippered bottom is great for diaper changes, too."

"I used the Zippy last night for the first time and it's great! It's a lot better than the other Velcro swaddles. I used to struggle to swaddle my baby after night feedings, and this made it so much easier."

"A cute and easy-to-use swaddle. Did I mention that it's super cute?"

Specs

• Available in two sizes
• 100 percent cotton