Is Wool Safe For Babies?

When you’re learning to look after a tiny newborn you’ll find a hundred different things to worry about every day. You know you need to keep them warm, dry and happy, but what does that mean in terms of dressing them up for bed and clothing them for getting out and about. New parents often ask us, “Is wool safe for babies?” – the short answer is yes, but why not read on to find out more?

Will wool irritate my baby’s skin?

Possibly thanks to memories of cheap, scratchy wool jumpers from childhood, people often assume that wool will irritate their baby’s skin or make them itch. Not so with merino wool baby clothes. Merino wool fibers have a silky smooth outer layer that creates a fine, soft feel that is nothing but comfortable. These natural attributes make merino wool sensitive and skin friendly even when used for a child suffering from eczema or other skin conditions.

Will wool make my baby too hot?

Up to around 18 months, babies find it hard to regulate their own temperature. This is due to the size of the surface area of their skin compared to their body weight. Little ones, especially if they are sick or were born prematurely can lose body heat quickly if they are not kept wrapped up. In fact, they need to be kept a little warmer than your average adult.

Parents often worry that wool will make their babies hot and clammy, however merino wool children’s clothing can help baby stay at a comfortable temperature due to its thermo-regulating abilities. Wool fibers work to absorb moisture from perspiration and desorb it into the environment around.

This means the skin stays dry. In cooler weather, merino wool baby clothing will trap warm air next to the skin to create the perfect microclimate. In this way, dressed in merino wool, baby will stay cool when it’s warm and warm when it’s not.

Babies, particularly when newborn, lose a lot of heat through the tops of their heads. Choose a merino wool baby hat to trap that warm air and make sure they stay snug.

Is wool safe for babies to sleep in?

With its skin-friendliness and thermo-regulation properties, babies have been proven to sleep better on wool. Medical studies supported findings that sleeping on merino wool babies settled quicker and cried less, and possibly because of this fed better and gained weight faster. Swaddled in a merino wool blanket baby might even afford you a precious few extra hours’ sleep. Or if you prefer, wool baby sleeping bags are perfect for babies that are a little bit older, or don’t take to being wrapped up tight.

In a merino wool blanket, baby will be able to achieve a comfortable temperature to keep them settled for longer.

How many layers should baby sleep in?

How to dress your baby at nighttime can be a source of much confusion. According to the merino kids’ temperature guide, if your little one has a temperature of under about 18?C/64?F they will need two layers underneath a standard-weight baby sleeping bag. If their temperature is above 18?C/64?F, one layer is probably adequate, progressing from long-sleeved merino baby clothes through to short sleeved as the temperature increases. Above around 27?C/81°F your baby will only need a nappy inside the sleeping bag or blanket.

Always feel your baby behind the nape of the neck and on the stomach to determine whether they are too hot and remember that different children respond to the heat in different ways and may prefer feeling cooler or hotter accordingly.

What about when you’re out and about?

Getting the temperature right when you’re out exploring can be another challenge. Merino wool baby clothes can help keep your baby comfortable sitting in the pushchair or snuggled up against you in a sling, by helping them to regulate their temperature and not get too warm or too cold.

So, the answer to “Is wool safe for babies?” is a resounding “yes”. Consider merino wool for toddlers and babies the next time you’re looking for cozy bedding and comfortable day wear.