The Best Baby Jammies For Lovely Sleepyheads!

Finding the best baby jammies for your baby isn't just about choosing the most adorable design you can find. It’s also about finding clothing for your little one that ticks a number of important boxes such as the need for garments to be functional as well as suitable for different temperatures. 

For parents trying to figure out what’s really best for their children as they transition away from the swaddle, here’s our guide to buying the best pajamas! 

Why Babies Need Pajamas

One of the key reasons baby jammies are so important is that they ensure your child is sleeping in something that is suitable for sleep. While many of their day clothes might also be soft and cozy, it’s essential that whatever they wear at night gives them the best chance of sleeping really well.

This means that there are no awkward zips, bows, folds, or other accessories that can cause discomfort or even harm your baby when they are left alone to sleep. 

Another reason is that they help to transition children from their daytime routine to their evening routine, which is an essential part of sleep training. If your baby feels satisfied with a fresh pair of jammies, they may be more likely to embrace the evening schedule of bathtime, book and lullaby than if they were simply left in their day clothes.

Finally, baby jammies are an essential next step from the swaddle. They should help your child sleep while removing any of the health risks that come with swaddling your infant past the age of 2 months, which is when the CDC recommends swaddling should stop. 

It’s essential that whatever they wear at night gives them the best chance of sleeping really well.

How to Choose the Best Baby Jammies!

Below are some of the most important things to consider when shopping for baby jammies.

Age Appropriateness

Some parents use ‘pajamas’ or ‘jammies’ to loosely refer to all clothing items for young children. However, most brands will only use these terms to describe clothes that are made for toddlers and infants that are slightly older. 

When choosing clothes for your child to sleep in, the important thing is to look at the way the clothes are designed. For children who have only just stopped being swaddled, they may still benefit from a swaddle-like design that encases their hands and feet. 

For instance, our Zipadee-Zips are created to give babies the same kind of restrictive comfort as the swaddle while also allowing the baby's limbs to develop healthily. 

Children older than one will often wear clothes that allow their hands and feet to be free. They may still wear a kind of all-in-one pajama suit, like our Flying Squirrel, but it’s important that they may start to crave the kind of mobility that an enclosed item doesn't offer. Similarly, other children still prefer something that gives them more restrictive comfort. 

Fit

The best baby jammies fit really well. And when we say well, we mean snug. Some things in your child’s wardrobe can be loose, but when it comes to clothes for sleep, snug is cozier and safer. 

According to the National Sleep Foundation, baby jammies must be snug and not loose-fitting to avoid health risks such as suffocation. And we touch on fire safety later, but snug clothes are also less likely to catch fire.

As such, make sure that there isn't too much slack in any part of the garment and avoid things like hoods, capes or unnecessary areas of fabric that can block your child’s mouth when they’re sleeping. 

The best baby jammies fit really well. And when we say well, we mean snug.

Warmth

Things like blankets can pose a danger to children when they’re too young. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the risk of soft bedding reduces significantly when a child is above 12 months.

With this in mind, the best baby jammies must be warm! This means that they should be sufficient in keeping your child’s body temperature at a good level even in cold winter months, without the need for a blanket. 

For more tips about keeping your baby warm, check out our blog post: Warm Bodysuit for Baby: No More Chilly Nights!

Baby Pajama Materials

Baby jammies need to be soft, breathable, and appropriate to the climate and season. While many of our readers might live in countries that can be pretty nippy in the winter, others might be fortunate enough to live somewhere more tropical. This needs to be taken into account when choosing materials.

Suitable materials for baby clothes include: 

• Cotton
• Cotton blends
• Cashmere
• Linen
• Hemp
• Fleece

For more guidance on baby clothing materials, check out our blog: What Should My Baby Wear to Sleep? — The Right Products for the Right Time

Ease of Diaper Changing

When considering any set of baby jammies, think about how you’ll access your little one’s during the night when they need changing. Pajamas come in many styles, including one-pieces with snaps/buttons, zippers or magnets, two-piece separates and gowns with openings at the feet. 

Before you commit, make sure you’ve figured out exactly how easy (or hard) a particular time is going to make it when you need to perform this duty.

Flame Resistant

It might not be the first thing that comes to mind when looking for the best baby jammies for your child, but it's important to do a quick check to make sure you buy clothes that are adequately fire-resistant. You would think that most clothes for babies will naturally meet fire safety standards, but you can never be certain. 

Fire safety requirements may also differ in other countries, so if clothes are bought abroad or they’re imported, they may not be as fire-safe as you’d expected. 

A Word About Safety

Studies have shown us that there are several things that individual families can do to reduce the chances of SIDS and other sleep-related issues from occurring. Below are some of the biggest risk factors when it comes to safety.

• Babies who are placed on their fronts to sleep
• Babies who are swaddled for too long (past the age of 2-3 months) which can prevent their ability to move freely when they need to
• Babies that are left unchecked for too long
• Babies who are exposed to smoke during pregnancy and after birth (Around 60% of sudden infant deaths could be avoided if no baby was exposed to smoke during pregnancy or around the home).
• Babies who are allowed to sleep in places other than the crib (sofas, soft chairs, parent’s beds)
• Babies who sleep next to their parents at night

Whatever pajamas you choose for your kid, make sure you always follow the ABC’s of safe baby sleep too.

Baby Jammy Styles

Baby jammies can take several different forms and come with a variety of accessories, folds and openings. 

Snaps and Zippers

Some parents hate snaps, while others find them faster and easier. Often, those in the former group will encounter snaps that don’t work well, making it almost impossible for them to snap things into place after a quick change.

This is usually an “either-or” situation, but some garments do come with zips for some parts of the garments and snaps/clips for others. 

Footed vs. Non-Footed Pajamas

A “footed” jammie, where your baby’s feet (and maybe their hands too) are cover are great for keeping warmth in. It also means you don’t need to make your baby wear socks, which can easily slip off. However, for older children, a pajama that is footed can be frustrating as it prevents them from being fully mobile.

You will ultimately have to use your own judgement about what’s best and consider the age and development stage of your child when choosing between these options. 

At Sleeping Baby, we offer enclosed sleeping garments called the Zipadee-Zip for children between 2-24 months, as well as a non-footed pajama called the Flying Squirrel for children above 12 months. Taking a look at the different styles might help you figure out what is right for your little one. 

Explore Our Full Range of Flying Squirrel Jammies

All-in-One vs. Separates

Personal preference also plays a part in this aspect of choosing the best baby jammies for your child. Some parents will enjoy having tops and bottoms that can be separated, allowing them to mix up different sets of pajamas.

Others will prefer to have an all-in-one situation so they know their child’s sleeping outfit is complete and ready to go — a sometimes impeller approach to dressing your child for sleep each night. 

Baby jammies can take several different forms and come with a variety of accessories, folds and openings. 

How to Evaluate Baby Jammies

Below is an example evaluation of some baby jammies based on one of our bestselling Zipadee-Zips. Hopefully it gives you an idea about how you can review different styles and options you encounter. 

If you’d like to learn more about this particular baby jammie, take a look at our guide: How the Zipadee-Zip Works

Final Considerations​

As infants get older, the time of the swaddle is over and just focus your efforts on finding the best baby jammies for your lovely sleepy head. This will help them sleep better, keep them warm, and ensure your child is also safe and healthy when they’re resting. 

Obviously, there are so many options and styles on the market today and right pajamas will vary from child to child depending on sleep habits, skin sensitivity, development level and general preferences. However, we hope we’ve explained the basics of choosing a good set of pajamas, whatever your idea of a “good set of PJs is”!