Winner Best Baby Sleeping Bag

Winning a Gold Award for the best baby sleeping bag amongst many Australian and New Zealand baby brands makes us really proud to know we're on the right track to helping your baby sleep better in an ethically made and sustainable sleep sack.  

Our Merino Toddler Sleeping Bag has been recognised as the top product in the baby sleeping bag category in the Clean and Conscious Awards 2022, and the feedback provided by the judges helps us better understand what matters most to you when you choose a sleeping bag for your baby. 

Clean + Conscious Awards Celebrate Best Products on the Market

The awards are independent and celebrate the very best clean and conscious products available to buy in Australia.  The way the process unfolded for us, was that earlier this year we sent sample toddler sleeping bags to a team of judges who inspected our products and tried them on their toddlers.  We answered a series of questions about the source of our fabrics, where and how our products are ethically made, and we described in detail how we embrace sustainability and how we act in a socially responsible way.  So all in all, a huge amount of work to submit our beautiful toddler bags into the mix, and by the Clean + Conscious Team to assess each product. 

“We are so excited our Merino Toddler Sleeping Bag has been awarded GOLD!  Made from a double lawyer of natural fibres, these bags are designed for baby to sleep in throughout all seasons or nursery temperatures,” says our founder Claire, who designed the bag which was launched in 2021.

The inner lining is a layer of 100% soft, superfine merino fabric, known for its ability to help keep baby warmer in winter and cooler in summer, and the outer layer is organic cotton.

What did the Judges say?

To demonstrate the independence of the Awards, the judges have published their comments about our Merino Toddler Sleeping Bags on the Clean + Conscious website which we want to share with you here.

“Made from the softest, ethically sourced natural fabrics, this beautiful sleeping bag is cosy enough for winter and cool enough for the transition seasons.  Due to its breathable natural fibres, you can be sure that your little one will be comfortable in a range of temperatures, which makes bedtime so much easier!” says Emily Fletcher founder and judge of the Clean + Conscious Awards.

Watch our short video with a summary of the judges' feedback.

Sleepy Animal print

Our signature sleepy animals are printed onto the toddler bag's outer layer.  A local illustrator drew a sheep and 3 Australian animals: a kangaroo, platypus and koala, for us.  Our brief was along the lines of animals needing to be sleepy.... to encourage babies go to go sleep, right?!  After several iterations, our sleepy animals were born, and later printed on the unbleached organic cotton.

The sleepy animals have been popular, with one of the judges Samantha Gilmore, making this comment - 

“This sleeping bag is by far my favourite design! I really LOVE the animal design! It is super comfortable and the softest sleeping bag I have felt! It also has a nice stretch to it.”

Reducing Nasties

We strive to avoid the use of chemicals in our textile supply chain, which is why we choose unbleached organic cotton.  Often when you touch and smell a cotton product, the use of chemicals is quite apparent, as the fabrics feel starchy and have an odour.  The organic cotton we use feels lovely and soft.

To further reduce the use of chemicals, we use a local screen printer to print our animals onto the fabric using non-toxic water based dyes.  The result is a soft and luxurious outer layer of fabric for our toddler bags, complementing the premium superfine merino wool inner lining.

Easy Wash and Dry

Having had a child who used only one sleeping bag, we wanted a product that could be washed and would dry quickly for continued use.  In having a side seam zipper plus press studs on the shoulders, it means the bag can be opened flat, allowing it to dry quicker.

Another reason for having press studs on the shoulders is to make it easier to put baby into and zip up. 

“I love how the bag opens up completely flat, making it so much easier to put my baby in. I also love the extra snaps on the arm holes to make them smaller & the zip at the bottom for easy nappy changes,” says Claire Karlson who judged the bag.

Sized to Grow with your Baby

In order to gain maximum longevity of use by a child, we designed the toddler bag with a press stud in each armhole.  When toddler is little, the press stud is closed to reduce the size of the armhole, and as baby grows, the press stud is opened to increase the armhole size. This means baby can use the product from the age of 6 months up to 2 years, something recognised by the judges as a good investment.

“Having a sleeping bag that can grow with your child is a huge plus as you can invest more in one quality product. I also love that there is room to grow over time so it’s not limited to one year of use,” says Samantha Gilmore.

“I love how the bags can be used for many years and aren’t seasonal or restricted to one size,” says Claire Karlson.

We're pleased our customers are recognising the value of a trans-seasonal sleeping bag, that can be used by baby from 6 months to 2 years of age, and still have more life to give to other babies to use.

Something to Help you Remove Marks from Wool 

Our double layer toddler bags are machine washable, but as everyone knows, it’s normal for baby’s nappy to leak.  To alleviate any worries about these leaks turning into permanent stains, we’ve developed a Wool Care Guide with the help of Woolmark for carers to refer to to remove baby excrement and the like. 

Made locally.  Made in Australia

We are proud to have our baby sleeping bags made locally in Australia and have been assessed by the Made in Australia Campaign and approved to carry the kangaroo logo.

“I love that they are supporting Aussie farmers and buying 100% Aussie Merino wool/supporting local, which is vitally important,” says Samantha Gilmore.  

“I love that it is made in Melbourne and that the founder is a wool farmer in Victoria who provides the wool direct to the mill where the fabric is purchased from,” says Emily Fletcher.

We say "No" to Fast Fashion

When we create our products, we use the very best fibres and fabrics to make a premium product that will hopefully be used by baby’s siblings and friends.  It’s wonderful to have one of the judges acknowledge our mission not to create fast fashion collections -

“I am all about ‘slow’ fashion and getting the most use out of everything before passing it on to siblings or friends so this product is perfect for me,” says Claire Karlson.

Thank you

A huge thank you to the Clean + Conscious team for hosting these awards to celebrate the very best products available to buy in Australia.  We are grateful for her thorough your process are, and the transparency of the judging.  We can now proudly say that our Merino Toddler Sleeping  Bags really are tried and tested as the best as the best available in the Australian marketplace!