What baby bedding to buy
There are a lot of options when it comes to baby bedding which we will outline below but there are a few essential items of bedding that everyone will need. The essential baby bedding needed to keep your baby comfortable when sleeping is a minimum of three fitted cot sheets, three flat sheets and three cotton blankets.
Take a look at our safe sleeping guide for more information on how to ensure you baby is sleeping safely and our fabric guide so you know which fabric best for baby.
Cot sheets
Having a few cot fitted sheets is very useful as they can easily be put on a taken off when needed. They are also great for when baby gets older and starts moving around the cot more as they will not come off the mattress. If you are not sure what size cot fitted sheet you need have a look at our South African baby bedding and cot size guide.
Cot flat sheets are great for layering and can be used as top sheet in combination with a cellular cotton blanket.
Baby blankets
The types of blankets most commonly available are cellular cotton, acrylic cellular and fleece. We recommend cellular cotton blankets as the cellular structure of these 100% cotton blankets mean they're warm in winter and cool in summer. They're also lightweight, and are washable at higher temperatures than fleece or acrylic which keeps them clean and germ free.
Baby sleeping bags
If you decide to use a baby sleeping bag rather than sheets and blankets make sure it is 100% cotton, light weight and does not have a hood or sleeves. Also make sure the sleeping bag is not too big around the neck as this is a risk for baby slipping down into the sleeping bag.
Quilts, cot duvet covers and cot pillows
Quilts, cot duvet covers and cot pillows can be used for babies over one years old. We recommend that the fabric is 100% cotton and that the cot duvets inners are 100% cotton or 100% wool. Natural fabrics are breathable and therefore safer for babies.
Cot bumpers
Cot bumpers are designed to prevent babies from bumping their heads on the sides of the cot. Babes and Kids has designed a unique cordless cot bumper. Full details of our cordelss cot bumper can be read here.