How do I read a baby sleeping bag label in the UK?

Which fields on the label actually matter?

A UK sleeping bag usually carries the same facts in three places: a sewn-in care label, a hangtag, and the carton. Shop titles (“0–6 months, 2.5 tog”) are marketing. The Lullaby Trust’s dress-for-sleep page tells you what those fields are for: follow the manufacturer’s guidance, size by weight not age, fit the neck and shoulders, use the maker’s tog guide for the measured room, and look for BS EN 16781:2018.

How do I walk through the label in order?

1. 1
   Turn the bag inside out and photograph the sewn-in label Copy tog, fibre content, wash line, any weight, and any “BS EN 16781:2018” or “EN 16781” string. Marketplace photos of the front print are not this label.
2. 2
   Read the hangtag and the carton This is where the room-temperature table and the clothing-underneath grid usually live. SGS notes that EN 16781 requires purchase information and advice on product use, including insulation choice.
3. 3
   Match weight before age Lullaby Trust: most sleeping bags are fitted by weight, not age. Tommy’s: make sure the baby meets the minimum height and weight for that size. Which? (3 October 2025) writes that bags should not be used until 4kg (8.8lb) — treat that as Which?’s figure; the number printed on your label is the one that applies to that bag.
4. 4
   Check neck and shoulder fit on the baby, not on the hanger Lullaby Trust and NHS: well fitted around the neck and shoulders so the head cannot slip down inside. A correct weight band still needs that check.
5. 5
   Open the maker’s tog table for the room you measured Measure the sleep room at cot height. NHS lists typical commercial bands (2.5 tog about 16–20°C, 1.0 tog 20–24°C, 0.5 tog 24–27°C). The Lullaby Trust will not issue one chart for every fabric — the hangtag wins.

What does the tog number mean — and what does it not mean?

The Lullaby Trust’s definition is short: tog is a measure of insulation (warmth). Higher number, warmer product. In warmer rooms you use a lower tog; in cooler rooms you might use a higher tog. SGS describes the same idea: the bag is meant to be worn without extra bedding, so its tog has to suit the environment.

What the number does not do: it does not add if you stack two bags (the Lullaby Trust says two 1.0 tog bags are not 2.0 tog). It does not replace the chest-or-neck check. It does not mean the product has been rated against SIDS. The Lullaby Trust states there is no safety standard related to SIDS — meeting a British Standard is about tests such as falling apart or burning, not a sudden-infant-death rating.

Why is weight printed instead of age?

Neck opening and shoulder fit are sized so a smaller baby cannot slip down inside. Age bands on shop sites assume an average baby; the label’s kilogram line is the manufacturer’s fit rule. Lullaby Trust and Tommy’s both send you back to that line. If the sewn-in label and the listing disagree, keep the label.

A second-hand bag with a faded tog can sometimes still be identified from the remaining print or the maker’s care team — that is a brand support question, not an official all-clear.

What if the standard line is missing?

A missing “BS EN 16781:2018” means the marking is not in front of you. It is not a recall lookup and it is not a MayTally pass or fail. The Lullaby Trust asks you to look for the British Standard, especially when buying online. Which? says the marking should be displayed on the bag. Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (Healthier Together) says a British Standard, if claimed, should appear on the product, packaging, instructions or website.

In shortRead tog, minimum weight, any height band, then BS EN 16781:2018 if it is printed, then the hangtag’s room table. Official pages size bags by weight and fit at the neck. A printed standard is not a SIDS rating; a missing line is not a recall search.