The Best Baby Swaddle in Australia for 2022 - Cosier
Or how to maximise the amount of sleep (you and) baby gets.
The phrase ‘sleeping like a baby’, to imply that you slept well and peacefully, is a huge lie. There is nothing peaceful about a sleeping baby. They snort, snore, snuffle and startle, among other things. But at least with a swaddle they can be comfortable doing it. The best swaddle is easy to use and care for. It also keeps baby snug all night long without compromising their hips. If you’re looking for the best baby swaddle for a newborn, you’ll find lots of options - all our picks are suitable for use from newborn.* So grab a cuppa and discover the top swaddle in Australia, chosen from hours of reviewing consumer feedback and online window shopping.
*Note: Red Nose, Australia’s leading authority on safe sleep, says wrapping can “be used from birth or as soon as the baby is medically well and able to tolerate wrapping, in the case of premature or sick infants.”
How we picked
Our picks for Australia’s best swaddle came from trawling Aussie parents’ brains on ProductReview.com.au. We combed through hundreds of reviews to find the swaddles that most delight parents and babies. Armed with our list, we did some virtual window shopping to understand prices, features and types of swaddles.
From there, we created a shortlist, including our picks for the best swaddle for winter and summer. We aimed to include a wide variety of styles (from zip up swaddles to wraps) and price ranges to suit most Aussie families. This gave us our 7 top picks.
The baby swaddle most loved by Aussies
Swaddling doesn’t have to be hard - the Love to Dream Swaddle Up Original proves it. When you’re on your third wake up of the night, you’re going to appreciate being able to quickly and easily zip baby out of and into this thing.
It’s currently the top rated swaddle on ProductReview.com.au where it gets almost 4.5 stars from over 130 reviews. As the name suggests, the Swaddle Up Original lets your baby sleep in the arms up position. Which is proven to be the most adorable baby sleeping position ever (says us). Love to Dream reckons arms up is great for baby because it allows them to safely bring their hands to their mouth for self-soothing. The Swaddle Up Original has ‘wings’ that cover baby’s hands, which protects against accidental face scratching. It does mean however that these wings can get pretty grotty quickly as baby sucks on them as they sleep (speaking from experience).
Thankfully, it’s machine washable and tumble dryable to make caring for it simple. The Swaddle Up Original is made of 93% cotton and 7% elastane which gives it some stretch and allows baby to move freely. It’s been acknowledged by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute as hip friendly.
I, Cosier co-founder and editor Sarah (howdy!), used these with my son and we both absolutely loved them. I found them super easy to use and clean, which was a blessing in my sleep-deprived state. My son slept really well in them and honestly, there’s nothing cuter than a baby snug in one of these.
The Swaddle Up Original comes in a great range of colours, designs and togs and prices start from RRP $39.95. Did we mention it’s multi award-winning too?
The best swaddle for winter
Not only is the ergoPouch Cocoon Swaddle Bag the best baby swaddle for winter, it also grows with your baby. That’s thanks to arm poppers which convert it from an arms-in swaddle to an arms-out sleeping bag. As an arms-in swaddle, baby won’t be able to bring their hands to their face or mouth.
It’s made from and filled with 95% organic cotton and 5% elastane to give it a little stretch. Its roominess has been acknowledged by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute - it’s hip friendly. It’s got a 2-way covered zipper for ease and baby comfort. Plus, it’s machine washable and tumble dryable.
We reckon the 2.5 tog Cocoon Swaddle Bag is your best bet for a winter swaddle. Quilted, it’s filled with 100% organic cotton to keep baby comfortable on cool nights. (We also reckon the ergoPouch Sheeting Sleeping Bag is the best baby sleeping bag for winter - take a look.)
It comes in a beautiful range of modern colours and designs and with a free room thermometer and what to wear guide. It’s well-rated on ProductReview.com.au with almost 4 stars from over 100 reviews.
The 2.5 tog starts from RRP $59.95.
The best swaddle for summer
The Ergobaby Swaddler is the only swaddle we’ve found that gives you the option to leave baby’s legs uncovered. That’s why we think it’s the best baby swaddle for summer.
Breathable, it’s made of 100% cotton and is rated 0.6 tog. Ergobaby reckons they’ve also got a lightweight swaddler which is 33% lighter than this one. However, it’s pretty tricky to track down.
The Ergobaby Swaddler features ‘escape proof’ arm pockets which helps keep baby’s arms down in a hands to heart sleeping position. This means baby isn’t able to bring their hands to their face or mouth. It also has a leg positioner to ensure baby sleeps in a healthy hip position. This is more than marketing spin - it’s recognised by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute as hip friendly. It’s machine washable for easy care too.
It’s the optional pouch for warmer nights which we rate for summer use. It also allows for quick and easy nappy changes - you don't have to take baby out the swaddle, just remove the pouch.
It gets over 3 stars from around 30 reviews on ProductReview.com.au and it comes in a range of sweet designs. Oh and we’ve reviewed Ergobaby’s carrier too, which we reckon is Australia’s best baby carrier, so we’re happy to recommend this brand.
Prices start from RRP $42.95.
The best swaddle for transitioning to arms out
Once baby begins to roll, it’s time to stop swaddling and transition them to arms out sleeping. The Sleepy Bub Swaddle makes this easy with its zippable arms that let you gradually transition baby to arms free. (The arms don’t come off, you unzip the arms so that baby’s arms are no longer gently held down towards their body, bending at the elbow.)
With the Sleepy Bub Swaddle, you’ve got 2 choices - hands to heart sleeping position or arms down sleeping position. The cuff foldover mittens help prevent accidental face scratches. It’s made out of 100% certified organic cotton and has a 0.35 tog rating. This means it’s suitable for year-round use.
The Sleepy Bub Swaddle gets 5 stars on ProductReview.com.au, from around 25 reviews. Prices start from RRP $59.99.
The best swaddle for moving with baby
Fact: babies never stop moving. Which is why it’s important a swaddle flexes and moves with them. We reckon the Woombie Swaddle Original has the most flex of all swaddles we reviewed.
Peanut shaped, Woombie reckons this is a ‘more natural approach to swaddling’ that ‘eases the transition from Womb to World’. Basically, this means it mimics the womb by wrapping baby in a gentle cocoon. The stretchy fabric (95% cotton, 5% spandex) gives a snug, cuddly feel. The design is also recognised as hip friendly by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute.
Baby’s arms are zipped into the Woombie Swaddle Original so they can sleep hands over heart. It comes in a great range of colours and designs and the Original has a 1 tog rating which Woombie reckons is suitable for rooms between 20 - 26°C.
It gets around 4 stars from about 50 reviews on ProductReview.com.au. The biggest complaints are around bad customer service with some Aussies going as far as to say ‘terrible’ and ‘awful’. Prices start from RRP $42.95.
The best non-zip/ no fastening swaddle
If you don’t fancy swaddling with just wrap but you’re also not sold on a swaddle with zips or other fastenings, the Miracle Blanket could be what you’re looking for. There are no knots, buttons, straps, velco, snaps or zippers. Instead, there’s a series of pockets you put baby and then their arms into before gently wrapping it around them.
As you’d expect, there’s a bit more of a learning curve with the Miracle Blanket compared to a zip-them-in swaddle. I tried one of these with our baby and failed miserably to ever get it to work. He’d wriggle his way out quicker than I could say ‘baby Houdini’. I didn’t particularly enjoy fighting with it at 3am. Aussie parents have had a lot more success than me saying their babies haven’t managed to escape it. The Miracle Blanket gets around 4 stars from around 30 reviews on ProductReview.com.au.
Made out of 100% cotton, the Miracle Blanket gently hugs baby’s arms down by their side. It’s one size fits all and will last you up to 14-16 weeks, which is when baby might start rolling and it’s time to stop swaddling.
It comes in a few cute designs and starts from RRP $29.95.
The best traditional swaddle
Hardcore and reckon you can swaddle with a wrap? First, I applaud you. Second, meet the L’il Fraser Collection Baby Wrap. Featuring beautiful, modern designs, this wrap is a generous 120cm x 120cm to fit all baby shapes and sizes.
Made of 100% cotton jersey, it’s soft, breathable and stretchy. It’s also machine washable for easy care. Because it’s a square, it supports a hip-healthy swaddle.
We really love that it’s multi-use. Once baby doesn’t need it, you can use it as a feeding shawl, security blanket, rug, sun shade for the pram and more. So, your investment will last which ticks our buy better box. We also love that L’il Fraser is an Australian family run-company which ticks our shop local box.
It gets almost 5 stars from over 10 reviews on ProductReview.com.au and is RRP $34.95.
Common questions
Is it safe to swaddle a baby?
The idea of swaddling your baby can conjure up images of Victorian parents tightly strapping their babies to wooden boards. Baby, we’ve come a long way.
Swaddling reduces the need for blankets in baby’s cot, which can get loose while they’re sleeping and can cover their face or head, which is a suffocation risk.
It’s safe to swaddle a baby as long as you follow the principles of safe wrapping as outlined by Red Nose, Australia’s leading authority on safe sleep. These principles include ensuring that:
- Baby is always put to sleep on their back with their feet at the bottom of their cot.
- Baby’s face is uncovered (so no doonas, pillows, cot bumpers, lambs’ wool or soft toys in their cot).
- You only use lightweight wraps like cotton or muslin.
- Baby isn’t overdressed under their swaddle.
You can read more about these principles on the Red Nose website.
Note that Red Nose states that “there is limited evidence that infant wrapping has a protective effect against sudden unexpected death in infancy.” Instead, they say that swaddling is a useful strategy to help your baby settle and sleep on their back.
Do newborns have to be swaddled?
No, not all newborns like to be swaddled and you don’t have to swaddle your baby if you don’t want to (or they don’t like it!). An alternative to a swaddle is a sleeping bag that lets baby sleep with their arms free.
Swaddling can help with your baby’s mono reflex. This is also called the startle reflex. It causes babies to throw their arms up and out which can disturb their sleep. Swaddling helps calm this reflex. The startle reflex fades naturally around 4-6 months, regardless of whether you swaddle or not.
Red Nose has pulled together some good info about why swaddling is good for baby. It can calm your baby and promote the use of the back sleeping position. It can reduce crying time and improve baby sleep by reducing the number of times their startle reflex wakes them up. You can read the full article on their website.
When should you stop swaddling?
You should stop swaddling once baby begins to show signs that they can roll over. Once baby can roll, being swaddled might stop them returning to their back during sleep, which is the recommended safe sleeping position. Babies usually show signs of rolling around 4-6 months but it can be earlier. After swaddling, you can switch to a sleeping bag.
Is swaddling bad for hips?
When we were researching this guide, we came across the term ‘hip-friendly’ so many times. A lot of swaddles claim their design is ‘hip-friendly’ - what does this mean and why is it important?
Incorrect swaddling can affect your baby’s natural hip development. When swaddled, baby’s hips should be bent and their knees should be apart, like a frog. There should be room for baby to move their hips.
If baby’s legs are wrapped tight, straight down, pressed together or in a swaddle that’s too snug around their thighs, their hip joint can be loosened. This can increase the risk of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). DDH is a condition where the hip joint doesn't fit in the ‘normal’ position which can cause ‘clicky’ hips, uneven balance and limping.
Find out more about safe swaddling guidelines for hips on Healthy Hips Australia.
Sources
- ‘Best Baby Wraps’, ProductReview.com.au
- ‘Wrapping or swaddling babies,’ Red Nose
- ‘Safe Swaddling Guidelines,’ Healthy Hips Australia
