Nursery Blankets & Throws

Nursery Blankets and Throws

Babies and toddlers get cold easily but adult doonas and blankets are much too heavy for them. Special nursery blankets are a great way to keep your baby warm and comfortable.

How Much Bedding Does a Baby Need?

  • The right number of blankets depends on how warm the room gets. Babies feel the cold, but they can also overheat quite easily. The safest temperature for babies is between 16 and 20 degrees centigrade.
  • Using multiple lightweight blankets makes it easier to add or remove them as needed. In warm weather, just a sheet may be enough.
  • Experts recommend that a baby in a 20 degree room should have a single blanket as well as a sheet, while two blankets is enough for a 16 degree room. One folded blanket counts as two.
  • Make sure you have enough spare blankets. Babies are unpredictable and you never know when you'll need to change a blanket quickly.

Which Material Should I Choose?

  • Lightweight natural fibres like cotton are a great option. Cotton is breathable, soft, easy to clean and gentle on sensitive skin. Many parents prefer organic cotton nursery blankets as the cotton has been grown without harsh pesticides. Some blankets are made from more exotic natural fibres like linen or bamboo-based viscose.
  • Synthetic fabrics like polyester and acrylic are durable and can also be as light as cotton, but may not be as breathable. Polyester fleece blankets are often used to keep babies warm in cold weather and are also very soft, but their warmth and limited breathability means that they should be avoided in warm conditions.
  • Wool baby blankets are breathable like cotton and may be slightly warmer. Some wool varieties like merino are also very soft, making them a great alternative natural fibre option. Wool is trickier to wash than cotton, though.

Which Kinds of Blanket Do I Need?

  • Receiving blankets are small and light enough to pack into a bag along with other baby products. They are all-purpose blankets, used for everything from keeping baby warm at night to providing a soft surface for play.
  • Crib blankets are bigger blankets that usually stay in the baby's crib. They are there to keep the baby warm while it is asleep.
  • Swaddling blankets are designed to be wrapped tightly around a baby. The compression can help the baby sleep, and it also stops it from wriggling or rolling over at night. Swaddling blankets should not be too heavy as the tighter fit will cause overheating more easily.

Categories