E's first Grobag - Review

I see Grobags everywhere. Out shopping, online ads and my friends and fellow bloggers posting about them. I didn't quite get the hype and didn't think I needed to buy E one. We were recently given the opportunity to try a Grobag and boy, was I wrong!

If you don't know what a Grobag is, it is a baby sleeping bag. The Gro Company have a wonderful range to choose from and you can select sizes from 0-6 months right up to 6-10 years! They are available in different tog ratings too so you can choose the right one depending on the season they wear them in or how warm/cold the room that they sleep in is. The Gro Company even have a handy chart to help you find the right tog for you and what your child should wear underneath.

After much deliberation, I opted for the Bunny & Brolly grobag, size 18-24 months in 2.5 tog. E has only just turned 12 months but wears 12-18 month clothing. I thought she wouldn't get the wear out for the smaller size (6-18 month) which is why I also went for a heavier tog - she can sleep in it through the winter. I was really excited for it to arrive and when I shared a picture of it over social media, I got many comments from fellow mums telling me how much they love their Grobags. This made me eager to get it on E and see what it was like for myself.

The design on this bag is absolutely beautiful. The baby pink with floral print match perfect and the "Without rain there would be no rainbow" appliqué motif is exquisite. It's perfect for a little girl.

Fit-wise, it is a little big but that was to be expected as I went for a bigger size. Putting E in it is easy. All you need to do is unzip and undo the poppers, lie her down in it and fold the front over the top of her and fasten. Simple! The zip starts in the middle of the bag under her feet and it pulls right up under her armpit. I love that they've thought to put a little zip cover and popper so nothing can get caught on it. When we first tried it, she was a little baffled and kept trying to kick her legs but she soon got used to it.

E has always been one for kicking off her blankets and I'd find that she would be quite cold in the morning but I don't have to worry about that now. All I have to do is focus on making sure she's dressed appropriately underneath and I know she'll be safe and sleep soundly. After using for a few days, I found that my mind was put at ease. I'd usually be worrying about where her blanket is positioned in case she's managed to wriggle her way under it or if she's kicked it off in true E fashion but the Grobag has worked wonders! She's sleeping soundly and happily throughout the night and so is mummy!

This particular Grobag retails at £34.99 but prices do vary depending on style, size and tog. 

You can find out more about the entire range at The Gro Company website and you can also keep up to date on Facebook and Twitter.

(Disclaimer: I received this product for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

aden + anais Sleeping Bag

aden + anais were founded in 2006 after Australian born Raegan moved to the USA and was unable to find muslin wraps for her baby, something that was popular with Australian mothers. Taking matters into her own hands, she invented by way of necessity and now, her creations can found in thousands of stores across 63 countries. 

I was recently contacted to see if I would like to try out one of the aden + anais cozy sleeping bags. I love the concept of their items all incorporating muslin. I had never used muslin squares with C and when I was gifted some shortly after E's birth, I couldn't believe I hadn't used them before. 

I opted for the jungle jam design which has a beautiful yellow giraffe print on a white background which makes it perfect for baby boys and girls. 

The bag itself is made from four layers of 100% cotton muslin. I thought that this would mean that the bag would be quite thin but I was wrong, it is 1.7tog so it keeps E at a comfortable temperature during the night.

On first feel, you may think it is a little strange as it's not like any other sleeping bag I've ever come but that's the beauty of it. The muslin makes it totally breathable and comfortable for your child to wear. 

I am a huge fan of sleeping bags as I'm so afraid that my children will pull their blankets over their heads during the night. The neck size is perfect and I don't have to worry that E will wriggle down through it. 

I did have a little problem with the zipper. I put E in it when it arrived and found that the zip had split. I emailed over my concerns and was told that aden + anais had a problem with one of their batches (faulty zips) and I had unfortunately received one of those. I was sent a replacement sleeping bag and it worked perfectly. The zip felt much more secure than the previous one. 

aden + anais were so horrified that someone had had a bad experience with one of their products that they sent E one of their dream blankets too. I was absolutely blown away by this. I always judge companies by how they deal with customer service issues and this has made me rate them so much higher.  (I will post a review of the dream blanket tomorrow so keep an eye out for that!)

After giving the sleeping bag a wash and putting it through the tumble dryer on a low heat, it didn't affect the material at all. We have been using the bag every night since we received it a few weeks ago and it is still in perfect condition. 

The aden + anais cozy sleeping bag in jungle jam pattern is available in sizes small (up to 6 months), medium (6-12 months), large (12-18 months) and extra large (18-24 months). We received the medium as E is seven months old and there is still plenty of growing room. 

They retail at £42.00 and you can find out more and browse the range of sleeping bags at the aden + anais website.  

(Disclaimer: We received this item for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own).

By Carla Raspberry Bloom Sleeping Bag

When C was born we only ever wrapped him up in baby blankets when he was sleeping, which I think was partially down to the fact that that's how he slept in the Special Care Baby Unit and also simply because of his small he actually was. I'd never used a baby sleeping bag with him.

This time round, with E, I was determined to use them. C always, and still does even now, would kick the blanket off him and when I get him in the morning he's cold. 

Kit for Kids sent E a gorgeous By Carla Long-sleeved baby sleeping bag in Raspberry Bloom design (they are also available in Lazy Days, Little Birdie and Little Stars designs).

The bag comes in sizes 0-6 months and 6-18 months. Although E is 4 months old, we opted for the bigger size as she is quite a long baby plus she would get more use out of the larger one. When I first opened it out I did think "wow, this IS big" but then remembered that an 18 month old has to be able to fit too! When she has it on though, she isn't lost in it. It is a great fit and you can see that she still has plenty of room to grow.

I've never seen a long-sleeved baby sleeping bag (maybe I'm just not looking hard enough) but I was really excited about it as I've found that E's hands and arms are freezing in the morning. Due to the size the arms were a little long but they are easily folded up. There are also popper buttons around the shoulder so you can completely remove the arms if you wish so it can be used all year round. The 0-6mth version also has built in scratch mitts. The bag is 2.5tog so it is relatively heavy and perfect for keeping your baby warm. 

Fastening it is easy and the design is comfortable for your child. Next to the neck are popper buttons and there is a zip starting from the bottom centre of the bag right up to under the armpit. The start of the zip has a covering too so you have no need to worry about your child getting hurt on it. 

It has a beautiful girly design on it too which I absolutely adore. It's made from 100% cotton and is machine washable. 

You can purchase your own sleeping bag for £27.99 at Mothercare.

(Disclaimer: We received this item free of charge in exchange for an open and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)