When Swaddling is Over, It's Time for a Sleep Sack for Your Baby

We updated this article in March 2023 and added six new picks. Per the latest guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics we removed a weighted sleep sack; see more at the end of this article in "Do sleep sacks help prevent SIDS?"

You want your baby to be comfortable while they snooze, but first and foremost, your baby's sleeping environment needs to be safe. The American Academy of Pediatrics says to keep cribs bare of any loose bedding, plush animals or pillows. What the safety experts do allow are a fitted crib sheet on the crib mattress and a wearable blanket on your baby — a.k.a. a sleep sack.

Many parents start with their newborn in a swaddle and then graduate them to a sleep sack at around 3 months so baby's hands are free. This way, they can push themselves up if they accidentally roll over. A wearable blanket usually zips over pajamas to give your baby the warm and cozy feeling of a regular blanket without the worry of accidental suffocation. Many parents keep their toddler in a sleep sack, too, so their 1- or 2-year-old can't kick off their blanket at night. Most of the choices on our list come in sizes for infants through 24-month-olds, though a few are just for young babies.

At the Good Housekeeping Institute, we've tested and reviewed tons of baby and parenting products from the best cribs and bassinets to baby monitors and baby food subscriptions. We've made our selections of the best sleep sacks based on testing we’ve performed, feedback we’ve received from our consumer tester panel, our industry knowledge of trusted brands and in-house reviews of specifications and features.

Our top picks:

After our list, read more about how we test wearable blankets as well as our shopping tips for picking the best sleep sack for your baby.