Kyte Baby Sleep Sack Review
When I was pregnant and creating my registry, I was so excited for all the soft, cuddly, and warm baby blankets my son would get to snuggle in. I filled my registry with quite a few blankets for different temperatures. I wanted one for the stroller, one for the car, one for naps in the bassinet and one for the crib. What I didn’t know? Leaving baby in a blanket unattended can be dangerous. A baby covered in a blanket could squirm or toss their legs and arms in a way that tangles the blanket over their face or around their neck. Switching from a blanket to a sleep sack is a crucial step to keeping baby safe (and cozy, too)!
After seeing the way my son would squirm and kick his blanket all around, I began to get paranoid. I had seen sleep sacks before but thought it was just another style of blanket. Boy, was I wrong! Sleep sacks are designed to move with your baby as they squirm or roll throughout the night. They are typically zippered up with 2 holes for the arms and one for the head. Perfect for a little one who insists on kicking throughout the night, but also needs to be kept warm.
What is a TOG Rating?
Speaking of warm, one aspect of every sleep sack that you will notice is the TOG rating. TOG stands for “Thermal Overall Rating”; essentially telling you how warm the blanket will be. The higher the rating, the warmer the blanket. Why is this important? A baby kept in a blanket not warm enough will need to increase their oxygen intake to keep their body temperature in check. This can be an issue since babies’ bodies are not as developed as adults when it comes to temperature regulation.
As parents, we are responsible for keeping baby comfortable and stress free. Ensuring you are using a blanket with the proper TOG rating is a simple and important step when it comes to choosing the right blanket. TOG 0.5 is ideal for 74-78°F (23-26°C) environments, TOG 1.0 is best for 69-73°F (21-23°C), and TOG 2.5 is best for 61-68°F (16-20°C).
Kyte Baby Sleep Bags
Following hours of research and reading what felt like a million reviews, I settled on getting the Kyte Baby Sleep sack. To be clear, Kyte calls them “sleep bags”, but the internet likes to call them sleep sacks. My son was about 3 months old when I purchased my first sleep sack in the color sage in size medium. I chose a TOG 1.0 since we were entering the summer months and purchased it from Amazon because I wanted it as quick as possible. I knew it would be delivered within 2-3 days if I did it this way rather than purchasing directly from Kyte Baby.
The second sleep sack I purchased from them was directly from their website since I wanted the Alpine Village print. Amazon only carries the solid colors. This sleep sack was a TOG 2.5 since we were now entering the winter months. I purchased this one in a size large since my son was growing quickly! So now for the part you’re really here for. Does the Kyte Baby Sleep Sack live up to all the hype?
Fabric
As per usual, Kyte brings us their Original Bamboo Sleep Bag in their signature, unbelievably soft bamboo fabric. The exterior is 97% Bamboo Rayon and 3% Spandex with a polyester filling. It meets the 100 OEKO-TEX standard which means the fabric is tested for harmful substances (read more about the OEKO-TEX Standard here). Its breathable and fluffy like a cloud.. but also cozy and warm.
Design
OK, so here is why this sleep sack really stands out. The zipper is what they refer to as a “J” shape. It basically starts up at the neck but zippers down to go along the side of baby rather than the center line. I enjoy this feature because I can imagine some discomfort coming from a baby rolling over a zipper that’s right on their centerline. Not to mention, it makes the look of the sleep sack more clean.
The sleep sack also features a dual zipper. This allows for it to be zippered from the bottom up – completely necessary for night time diaper changes! Worried about pinches during zipping? No problem. There is a “zipper garage” which safely protects the top of the zipper from rubbing against babies skin.
Styles
There’s more than just the standard sleep bag:
Sleep Bag Swaddler: Sleeveless sleep bag with J shape dual zipper and a Velcro swaddler. Only available in TOG 1.0 and size extra small – $75.00
(Standard) Sleep Bag: Sleeveless sleep bag with J shape dual zipper. Available in TOG 0.5, 1.0 and 2.5. All sizes extra small through extra large available – $55
Sleep Bag Walkers: Sleeveless sleep bag with center dual zipper and ankle cuffs to allow for your little one (or you) to walk while wearing. Available in medium through extra large – $70
Slumber Suits: Long sleeve and long pant sleep bag with center dual zipper. Only available in TOG 1.0 in size small through extra large – $85
Slumber Bag: Sleeveless sleep bag with J shape dual zipper. Only available in 1.0 in size small through large – $75
Prices are slightly higher for higher TOG ratings
The below pictures are my TOG 1.0 in size medium, Sage, against my TOG 2.5 in size large, in print Alpine Village. The blankets are folded to show thickness.
Prints
Kyte Baby has their core, seasonal, and limited edition prints. The core prints are solid and muted tones which is right up my alley. Looking for something bright? You might have better luck going for their limited edition or seasonal prints. Their style tends to be somewhat minimalistic and cute with tiny elements that are generally pretty unisex in nature. I try to check out their blog once a month to see what new limited edition prints they will be releasing. They tend to sell out of the more common sizes quick, so be sure to get them while you can.
Quality
Overall, I am going to give the Kyte Baby Original Bamboo Sleep Bag a 9/10. After months of use and abuse, it held up without decreasing in quality until my son outgrew it. No threads popped, there was no pilling, and the zipper functioned beautifully. He never woke up sweaty, and he never woke up cold. The interior was fluffy and clean. I was even able to save it for my future child.
My only issue was with washing. It can only be washed zippered closed with other bamboo fabrics and needs to be air dried. Normally, I wouldn’t think this would be an issue until I did it myself. Do you know how long it takes for a sleep sack to air dry? More than a day.. so make sure to have an extra sleep sack for baby to use overnight. I also noticed that washing with laundry detergent did not get the more “colorful” stains out which caused the lighter colored areas to hold stains that I could not get out. I checked up on other reviews and saw this issue mentioned by a few other parents which leads me to believe it is the bamboo fabric.
Final Recommendation
After doing so many comparisons and testing other brands I’ve found in store, Kyte Baby’s Original Bamboo Sleep Bag will be the only sleep sack I purchase moving forward. I plan on gifting this to friends and family and maybe even buying one or two more in the future. They are pricey, but the quality speaks to that and is more than worth it in the long run as the fabric holds its quality (not to mention the insanely adorable prints). Two thumbs up!