A swaddler is a swaddler is a swaddler, right? Apparently not. Not all swaddlers are the same. And often times, you don’t know if one is going to work for you or not until you’re ready to put it to use. If you’ve ever put a tired baby down for a nap or bedtime, you know this is no time to mess around.
For the purpose of this article, I’ll compare for different swaddling blankets that are available for purchase at large retail chains. I’ll compare the Swaddler, the Swaddle-Me, the Boppy brand swaddling blanket and the generic form and give details from my own personal experience with each.
The First Years Swaddler
The First Years Company has created the Swaddler. As this was received as a gift, it was the first swaddling blanket I tried when our new baby arrived. It features a large pocket for the legs to slide into easily. The Velcro grippers are strong enough to keep the flaps in place but not so strong that it is difficult to remove later. The fabric is a breathable cotton but best of all, it’s stretchy.
While there are padded areas for attaching the Velcro, I found that it was easier to simply attach it wherever it fit best. Because of the stretchiness, I was able to make this swaddler as snug and needed but still be able to attach the Velcro anywhere. When using the padded areas, it simply wasn’t tight enough.
These come in a variety of color choices for both boy, girl and neutral themes. Sizes vary as well, but may prove difficult to find in stores. Various sizes can easily be found online.
Kiddopotamus Fleece Swaddle-Me
When our baby grew out of her The First Years Swaddler, we thought we’d try the Kiddopotamus Fleece Swaddle-Me. As with the Swaddler, various sizes are available but are difficult to find in stock in local stores. So, we chose the largest one we could find. There are lots of different colors and patterns to choose from and the blanket has many of the same features as the Swaddler.
The Swaddle-Me does have a larger pocket for containing the legs but the flaps for wrapping up baby are not as forgiving. The fleece material is not nearly stretchy enough to accommodate a moving, or growing baby. The Velcro is very easily attached to any location on the fleece, but without the stretchiness, it’s difficult to make this blanket fit just right.
Boppy Swaddle Happy
The Boppy Swaddle Happy has many of the same features as the other swaddlers. Because Boppy makes so many other great products, I wanted to give their Swaddle Happy a try. It has a large pocket for the feet and large arm flaps with sticky Velcro.
The Boppy Swaddle Happy does come in various sizes and colors with the most available options being found online. This swaddling blanket does work okay if it is the exact size needed. The fabric itself is stretchy enough but because it is lined and trimmed in a satin like material, stretching is difficult; which makes it hard to make it fit snugly.
Generic Swaddling Blanket
The generic swaddling blanket that was used is the one that can be found at Wal-Mart. It comes in various color choices but is typically solid with a Disney character or Looney Toons character embroidered on the front. It just so happens that this is one of the best swaddling blankets we could find.
The foot pocket is large enough for baby to stretch out her legs but not so roomy that it takes away from the swaddling benefit, as with many sleep sacs. The arm flaps are large with super sticky Velcro. Best of all, the fabric is breathable and extra stretchy! It’s large enough to fit our nine-month old but stretchy enough to wrap as snugly as possible to help ensure a good night’s sleep.
There are many swaddling blankets available from a number of different manufacturers. You can only really know what works best for you through trial and error. Out of the four that we tried, we found that the best were the generic brand and The First Years Swaddler. All are about the same price ranging from $10 – $15 each and if they are stretchy enough, can last as your baby continues to grow.
