As a mom who searched for baby sleeping bags with sleeves many times, I can honestly tell you there aren’t a lot of options on the market.
That being said, over the course of the first two years of my son’s life, I did find a few wearable blankets with long sleeves that I really like.
There are also a few options available now that weren’t available back then that I’ll share with you as well.
Having the right wearable blanket is a key factor to a good night’s sleep!
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Keeping Baby Warm At Night
Odds are, if you are searching for a long sleeve sleep sack, you are probably worried about keeping your baby warm in a cooler climate.
If you live in an old house, you might also be worried about draftiness during the cold weather months.
Since you can’t use loose blankets in the crib with infants like you can with older children, a baby sleeping sack is a great option to keep them warm.
As a new parent, I used this temperature chart a lot to help me figure out what my baby should be wearing to stay warm at night.
Prevent Overheating In Sleeping Babies
It’s also important to make sure that your baby doesn’t overheat.
Overheating has been linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (or SIDs) according to The National Institute For Child Health And Human Development.
Check with your pediatrician for advice on how to monitor your baby’s body temperature at night.
The recommended room temperature for where your baby sleeps, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, is between 68 and 72 degrees.
When choosing a long sleeve sleep sack, check to make sure that it meets the criteria for safe sleep outlined by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Your wearable blanket should not have any loose fabric or be able to ride up over your baby’s face.
Pro Tip: If you don’t need a long sleeve baby sleep bag, you can check out my complete guide to sleepsacks, swaddles, and wearable blankets that will take you from newborn to toddler.
What Is TOG?
New to the TOG rating system? TOG stands for “thermal overall grade” and tells you how warm a garment will be.
This is one of my favorite TOG charts from Love To Dream:
You can decide on what pajamas to wear under your sleep sack depending on the TOG rating of the sleep sack and the room temperature where your baby sleeps.
10 Best Baby Sleeping Bags With Sleeves
Jump Ahead To:
1. Simple Joys by Carter’s Unisex Babies’ Microfleece Sleepbag
Sizes: Small (0-3 months), Medium (3-6 months), Large (6-9 months).
Fabric: Microfleece
My son lived in these for the first few months of his life while lounging around the house and sometimes for naps.
It’s a simple fleece sleep sack.
It has an inverted zipper for easy diaper changes–the saying “never wake a sleeping baby” is so true! So give yourself easier diaper changes by doing them when your little one is still sleeping.
My son quickly outgrew the sizes offered by 6 months. I also found they did shrink a bit in the wash (being that they are microfleece).
We also liked to swaddle for long naps and nighttime sleep, so we used a regular swaddle blanket for those times until it was time to transition from the swaddle.
Overall these were very cozy while they lasted, I just wish they had bigger sizes!
2. Love To Dream Swaddle Up Transition Suit
Sizes: Medium (13-19 lb) and Large (19-24 lb)
Fabric: Cotton and a little elastane (for a soft stretch)
The Love To Dream Swaddle Up Transition Suit seems to do it all!
There are two types of removable sleeves: there are swaddle transition detachable sleeves that keep baby’s hands tucked up by their heads to reduce the Moro Reflex (startle reflex) when they are transitioning from the swaddle, and there are detachable long sleeves.
I love that your baby can wear this from swaddle transition to a full range of motion throughout the whole year with warm weather (with short sleeves) and cool weather (with long sleeves).
It also features a two-way zipper making it easy to put on and good for nighttime diaper changes.
3. SwaddleDesigns Transitional Swaddle Sack
Sizes: Small (6-14lb) and Medium (14-21lb)
Fabric: Cotton
My son started to roll early so we needed to transition him from the swaddle before he was big enough for Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit.
We chose the Swaddle Designs Transitional Swaddle for the time in between and it worked great.
I liked that the sleeves had cuffs that could keep his arms tucked in (to help with the Moro Reflex and we could eventually allow one arm out at a time, but still had half sleeves for warmth.
4. Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit
Sizes: 3-6 Months and 6-9 Months
Fabric: Jersey and cotton, or jersey and microfleece
Once he was big enough for the Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit we ordered it right away.
I can’t say enough good things about the sleepsuit.
I wrote a whole review about the sleepsuit and how it changed my baby’s sleep for the much better.
5. Zipadee-Zip Swaddle
Sizes: 3 months to 3T
Fabric: Soft fabric that is stretchy: a lightweight polyester and spandex blend
When transitioning my son from the swaddle my husband and I were between the Zipadee-Zip and Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit.
It just so happens that we ordered the Magic Sleepsuit first to try and it worked so well we stuck with Merlin’s!
I love that the Zipadee-Zip is great for babies who are ready for the free range of motion that a sleep sack has but still offers the snuggly enclosed feeling of a swaddle.
I also really like that it comes in such a huge range of sizes to fit your baby through 3 or 4 years of age.
Related Posts:
The Best Swaddles, Sleep Sacks, and Wearable Blankets of 2021
When To Stop Swaddling Your Baby: Signs And Tips To Transition From The Swaddle
Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit Review
What To Do When Your Sick Baby Won’t Sleep
6. Hudson Baby Cotton Long Sleeve Wearable Sleeping Bag Sack
Sizes: 0-3 Months and 3-9 Months
Fabric: Cotton
When it comes to long sleeve cotton sleep sacks, these are the gold standard. They even have foldable cuff mittens to keep your baby’s fingers warm and prevent scratching.
I love the cotton fabric because cotton breathes better than microfleece so your baby won’t overheat.
The big problem I ran into with these is that by the time my son was big enough to just sleep in a sleep sack (after transitioning from his swaddle AND after transitioning from the Merlin’s Sleep Suit) he was almost a year old and the sizes didn’t work for us.
If you really wanted to use these as a cotton base layer but also want to be able to swaddle your little one, you could use one of these swaddle bands with it to create that cozy cocoon environment.
Pro Tip: Swaddle bands can actually help you cut down on the cost of swaddle blankets because you can use any sleep sack (like these more affordable cotton 2-packs from Hudson’s, and only need 1 band.
7. Hudson Baby Quilted Long Sleeve Sleeping Bag
Sizes: 0-6 Months and 6-12 Months
Fabric: Cotton with polyester filling
The Hudson quilted and cotton long sleeve baby sleep sacks are really well made with a simple design.
I like that they use cotton instead of microfleece (which can sometimes be too hot).
The sizing also goes up to 12 months which is really nice because after 12 months you can start putting loose blankets in the crib to keep your baby warm instead of relying on the sleep sack.
The quilting weight is a little heavier than a traditional swaddle blanket which should help muffle the startle reflex more than a thin layer of fabric.
8. Love To Dream Sleep Suit 2.5 Tog
Sizes: 6-12 Months and 12-24 Months
Fabric: Cotton with polyester fill
If you are looking for a long sleeve wearable blanket that is extra-snuggly and warm, this is it! New to the Love To Dream family, the Love To Dream Sleep Suit is rated 2.5 TOG–which means it will keep your little one very warm!
Innovative 2-in-1 feet allow you to easily cover and uncover your baby’s feet for playtime and sleep time.
Had this been available for my son when I needed it, I would have definitely bought this.
9. CastleWare Long Sleeve Organic Cotton Rib Knit Sleeper Bag
Sizes: 6 months- 4T
Fabric: Organic Cotton
Also new to the market, but found while doing research for this article, are the long sleeve wearable blankets from CastleWare.
CastleWare is made in the USA and they have a very simple line of wearable sleeping bags, some without sleeves, but many with. Their designs range from 1.5-3 TOG.
I love that their sizing goes all the way up to 4T. Trust me, once your baby starts sleeping well in a wearable blanket, you dread the day that you have to find something else because they have outgrown the product line.
For older toddlers, I really like the option of having a traditional sleeping bag (no foot holes) or their walker line that has foot holes. It seems like a nice option to try both as your little one gets bigger and see which they prefer.
There’s a lot to love about this brand, and I will have it in the back of my mind as baby number two gets ready for a sleep sack of their own.
10. Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Travel Quilted Baby Sleeping Bag
Sizes: Small (0-6 Months), Medium (6-18 Months), Large (18-36 Months)
Fabric: Polyester
If you’re looking for an outdoor sleeping bag with long sleeves for your little one, this is a great option.
The Deedee Sleep Nest is a 3.5TOG sleeping bag with removable sleeves and shoulder snaps for a customized fit.
This sleeping bag will be too warm for most indoor environments, but perfect for an outdoor camping trip with your baby in colder weather.
