What TOG For Summer?

We wrote a blog all about TOG: what it is, what you need to know and how to decide which is best for you. The TOG decision can be a tricky one if you live in a climate with wide-ranging temperatures (think deserts like Arizona and Nevada) or micro-climates like San Francisco where folks wear Down jackets in August! But for most of us, July and August are the hottest months of the year and that summer heat makes for an unsafe sleeping environment in the baby’s room. Thankfully, we’ve got a TOG for that.

0.5 TOG For Summer

Our summer TOG is 0.5. That’s about the warmth rating of half (Get it, 0.5?!) a blanket. Our 0.5 TOG sleep bag is the thinnest. It’s made of two layers of our soft 97% bamboo fabric — a lot like wrapping yourself in two swaddling blankets. It features our smooth and sturdy J-shaped double zipper for bottom-to-top and top-to-bottom opening and the “garage” to hide the zipper pull. Unlike our other sleep sacks, it does not have quilting on the inside. It is simply two thin layers of temperature-regulating bamboo, which is exactly what your baby needs on hot nights with the air conditioning blowing.

But what temperatures are ideal for the 0.5 TOG? 74–78 °F or 23–26 °C (See our sizing chart for more information). These numbers should reflect the temperature of the nursery and not the rest of the house. 

Gauge The Right Temp

TOG should be based on your nursery’s ambient temperature and not your home’s thermostat. The best way to know the temperature of the nursery is to get an indoor room thermometer like this one. It glows red when it’s too warm, blue when too cold and amber when it’s just right.

The nursery’s temperature will give you a more accurate reading versus the hallway thermostat. This is because your hallway thermostat reads the temp of its immediate surroundings. Is the thermostat located near a window where light shines directly on it? Is it near appliances like an oven or your living room TV which generates heat while running? Or is it in the darkest, draftiest part of your home? Varying conditions affect the temperature read on your thermostat and do not accurately represent the conditions in your baby’s room, or really any room in the rest of the house.

So by placing a thermometer in the baby’s room near the crib, you’ll get the best, most relevant temperature. Once you know your nursery’s actual temperature, you can easily decide which TOG sleep sack your baby needs to sleep safely through the night. The right TOG makes all the difference and gives you peace of mind knowing you made the best and safest choice. 

Maximize Your TOG

Get the most out of your 0.5 sleep bag with these pointers:

• Don’t overdress. This sleep sack is meant to keep baby from overheating, so don’t layer too much. Baby’s pajamas are layers that will add to the warmth rating of the sleep sack. For example, if you dress baby in a footie underneath the 0.5 TOG sleep bag, you have added a layer of warmth which raises the TOG level. To keep the sleep sack around 0.5 TOG, layer lightly. Try a bodysuit, a long-sleeve bodysuit or a sleeveless romper. These layettes insulate baby’s core and allow heat to escape through her arms, legs, hands and feet.
• Check the nursery’s temperature regularly to make sure the ambient temperature falls within the 0.5 TOG window: 74–78 °F or 23–26 °C. If its cooler, layer with more pajamas; if it's warmer, consider putting baby to bed in just a diaper and the sleep sack. Remember, we do not want to overheat baby! 

• Keep the nursery temperature consistent. Close the windows, draw the blinds, turn off the lights and even toggle the air vent to divert air from blowing directly on baby’s crib. These small measures will stabilize the temperature in baby’s room and help you better predict the nighttime feel. With this knowledge, you can dress baby accordingly. 
• Make sure baby goes to sleep with a dry diaper. A wet diaper dampens baby’s skin and, if there’s a draft in the room, it can cause a chill. A wet diaper reduces the effectiveness of the sleep bag by cooling baby too much. Try to make sure baby is dry.
• Program your home’s thermostat to stay at one temperature all night long. By controlling the home’s overall conditions, you can keep the nursery at the ideal temperature for the 0.5 TOG sleep bag.