Average Cost:$22-$28
Official URL: http://www.kiddopotamus.com
Size: 0-6 months from 10-18lbs.
Rating:

Bedding is one of the most fun and most confusing aspects of having a new baby. Moms-to-be dream of nurseries bedecked with thick comfy pint-sized quilts and comforters, bumper pads, and decorative pillows. Yet, a newborn shouldn’t have any of those items in their cribs due to suffocation risks. So how do you go about keeping a newborn warm if not with quilts and blankets? Apparently with layers and cute little caps.

One of the safest ways to keep a little one warm is the wearable blanket or “sleep sack” which is basically a warm and comfortable sleeping bag that zips or snaps closed and that can have anything from “tank” style arms to long sleeves.

The “Dreamsie” sleep sack by Kiddopotamus is a long-sleeved organic unbleached cotton sleep sack that features a full length front zipper and that comes with an adorable knot-top hat.

QUALITY/CONSTRUCTION

The design of this sleep sack will be familiar to anyone that has used sleep sacks before, but you’ll immediately notice some nice extras and refinements.

Material: The sleepsack is made of a soft organic unbleached fabric that is a very soft shade of off-white. It is medium weight and has an almost flannel-like softness to it. The thread used is a silky off-white that is slightly lighter than the fabric, and which creates very soft seams. The organic cotton is thick enough to be warm in colder months but thin and breathable which make it great for the spring or for keeping your little one warm in air conditioned homes.

Shape: The slope of the sleeves curves gently inwards so the top of the sleeve is slightly longer than the bottom. This covers more of the child’s arm while making sure that the palms are exposed, which allows your baby to touch things in his or her environment.

Size/Roominess: The sleep sack is broad enough for a chubbier baby during warmer months or for a few extra layers on a more slender baby during colder months. At the lower end of the weight limit you can easily fit a pair of fleece footed pj’s and a thin sweater on under the sleep sack. The bottom flares out nicely to give your little one some room to kick around comfortably.

Seams: Kiddopotamus has left the fabric edges of the inside seam slightly longer rather than trimming them closely, this creates a soft flexible seam that won’t irritate your baby’s skin. The care and other informational tags are made of a soft satiny fabric and are located on the inside of the sleep sack, so you may want to remove them for additional comfort.

Zipper: The zipper area is my favorite feature of the sleepsack, because obvious thought and care has gone into its design. The zipper is a thin metal zipper that appears well-made and does not feel like it will have problems with splitting or with the zipper pull falling off with frequent use. It does not catch on the inside fabric when you zip or unzip the sleepsack, and the stitching around the zipper is well done and does not feel like it will eventually rip out and release the zipper. The bottom of the zipper does not separate and require re-threading, which means you won’t have to leave it slightly zipped or fumble to reconnect the zipper each time you dress your baby.

The zipper offers more than simple “quality of construction and materials”, however. The edges of the fabric near the zipper are sewn so that the outside of the zipper is covered by two thin lips of fabric when zipped, this gives it a nice “finished” look and keeps the zipper from coming in contact with the baby’s hands. On the inside a flap of fabric of about 1″ wide covers the zipper for the whole inner length assuring that your baby’s skin won’t be caught in the zipper or irritated by the metal.

The zipper unzips all the way down to about 2″ from the bottom of the sleep sack. This is great for changing your baby’s diaper, and for hygienically extracting your child from the sleep sack if they have a blow-out.

The Cap:  The cap is well-made with soft inner seams and a double layer of fabric that keeps the inside of the embroidered design from coming in contact with your child’s forehead. The knot in the cap is easy to untie and re-tie for washing, which will avoid issues of gunk building up in the seams of the knot, a problem common with other caps where the knot is sewn into place. The gentle stretch of the cotton fabric allows the cap to accommodate smaller and larger heads, a nice change from many hats that come with pj’s or outfits, where the hat is either too small or too large to ever be able to wear with the outfit itself.

EMBELLISHMENTS

The cap has an embroidered crescent moon embellishment on the front, and the top of the sleep sack has a star that is about the size of a toddler’s palm with embroidered edges. It is attached on a short fabric strap and affixes with velcro to the other side which covers up the zipper and prevents it from accidentally coming undone. The top edge of the star pokes slightly over the neckline when it’s closed and may irritate a baby with chubbier neck rolls. My child didn’t have any problems with the star, and it kept the zipper out of his reach.

PACKAGING

The Dreamsie arrived packaged in a durable cream colored see-through organza pouch with reusable velcro closures. A removable printed cardboard insert covers the details and care instructions of the product. The Dreamsie is folded around a second plain cardboard insert which keeps it wrinkle-free, and the cap is attached to the dreamsie with a thin thread that should be cut to separate the two. (I simply pulled it off without any tearing or issues) If you are purchasing this item as a gift you can easily remove the printed insert, add a gift card, and the organza makes the whole thing into a lovely package.

EASE OF USE/CARE

The care instructions are easy to follow and don’t require any unusual precautions. Securing the Velcro tab before laundering keeps the velcro lint-free and protects it from wear and tear. Machine wash warm and tumble dry low to prevent shrinking, and do not use bleach which can discolor and damage the organic fabric as well as irritating your child’s skin. The knit cap has knot at the top that easily unties for washing, but that does not accidentally come undone.

SAFETY

This product was designed to be safe to use by eliminating loose bedding and blankets from your child’s crib. In addition to its obvious safety benefits, this product also offers safety from zipper pinching, and exposure to chemicals.

WHY ORGANIC?

Organic bedding is becoming more and more popular which leaves one wondering what this particular trend is all about. Organic cotton is more earth friendly because it is raised without pesticides, has no chemical byproducts and is not bleached with harsh chemicals that end up back in the environment.

There are also health benefits, as cotton is extremely breathable and the lack of chemicals and synthetic fibers make organic bedding a godsend to those that suffer from allergies, skin sensitivity or eczema.

BOTTOM LINE

This sleep sack is about middle-range for price as far as sleep sacks go, and it offers some of the nice features as more expensive sleep sacks. These features combined with the beautiful soft organic fabric make it a great purchase for your own use or for a gift.