Guides · Newborn kit · Sleeping bags
Supermarket own brand or Grobag sleeping bag in the UK?
What label check decides if own-brand is enough?
The Lullaby Trust does not crown Grobag, Snüz, MORI or a supermarket ticket. Dress your baby for sleep says buy to weight, fit well at the neck and shoulders, follow the maker's tog guide, and look for the sleeping-bag standard BS EN 16781:2018. What that standard covers sits on EN 16781 baby sleeping bags. This page is pounds and features.
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| Check | What you are reading | Fail if |
|---|---|---|
| Weight band | Kilograms or pounds on the label, not only 0–6 months | Baby is under the minimum (Grobag 0–6 month tables often start at 4kg / 8.8lb) |
| Shoulder and neck fit | Poppers or a close neck so the baby cannot slide down | Wide neck, no shoulder fastenings, or lots of spare fabric at the chest |
| Tog | Maker's room-temperature table | No tog printed, or you plan to put a blanket on top of the bag |
| BS EN 16781:2018 | Standard mark in the listing or on the sewn-in label | No standard named — especially on a marketplace listing |
| Spare for the wash | Second bag in the same weight band | One bag and an overnight wash you cannot finish |
A British Standard is not a SIDS-reduction mark. The Lullaby Trust says even a bag that meets the standard still needs the weight fit and safer-sleep practice. Meeting EN 16781 is a product test, not a brand crown.
What were the price bands on 10 September 2026?
Deal pages swing. Use a band, then re-check the till. Own-brand is often enough on the official checks above; Grobag money is mostly extras.
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| Ticket | Example on the day | Typical extras you pay for | Still required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tu Clothing (Sainsbury's) | Selected 0–6 month lines £4.80–£8 on sale; many RRP £16–£18 | Prints, licensed characters, mixed-tog two-packs when offered | Weight, tog, fit, EN mark, spare |
| George at Asda | 0.5 tog heart bag £7 (was £13.50) on the 0–6 month size | Two-packs appear on and off; treat the pack as two wash days | Same four label checks |
| Grobag branded | Specialist and sale listings often £16–£35 for 0–6 month 2.5 tog | Zip-click, chin guard, printed wear guide, thermometer in some boxes | Same four label checks — not a different official rule |
Which features cost extra, and which do not change the rule?
- Does not change official advice: cotton versus jersey, a named print, a free room thermometer in the box, or a zip garage. You can still buy a £3–£8 thermometer separately if the box is empty.
- Convenience you may want: a two-way zip, underarm poppers on the 0–6 size, or a sturdier zipper pull. Pay for those only after the weight and EN lines pass.
- Does not replace a spare: a £35 bag in the wash is the same problem as an £8 bag in the wash. The NHS what-to-buy line is two sleeping bags if that is your option.
Marketplace listings that undercut even Tu need a harder look: hoods, missing armholes and missing standard marks are a different problem — see what to check on a listing.
How many bags do I buy for the wash?
If you took the NHS sleeping-bag half of the either/or, the list already says two. That is a laundry number, not a style number.
- Match one tog to the room you actually have NHS figures: 2.5 tog for 16–20°C, 1.0 tog for 20–24°C, 0.5 tog for 24–27°C. Two bags in that tog cover tonight and the wash.
- Add a second tog only if the room swings A summer 0.5 tog pair is a separate decision from the 2.5 tog pair. Do not layer two bags.
- Size the spare to the same weight band A 6–18 month spare does not help a baby who is still in 0–6 month kilograms.
In shortRun the same weight, fit, tog and EN 16781 check on Tu, George or Grobag. The extra pounds are features and fabric. Two bags in the right band beat one expensive bag and a night with no spare.
Questions parents ask
- Is a Grobag automatically better than a supermarket bag?
- No official page ranks brands that way. The Lullaby Trust's checks are weight, fit, tog and the EN 16781 mark. Pay more for zips and fabric if you want those extras, not because the charity named Grobag.
- Which standard name should be on the label?
- BS EN 16781:2018 for baby sleeping bags. What the tests cover is on the EN 16781 guide. A missing mark is a reason to keep looking, especially online.
- Can I buy one expensive bag and use a blanket on wash night?
- The NHS list is two bags or sheets and a cellular blanket — not a bag plus a blanket on top of a bag. The Lullaby Trust says not to add blankets on top of a sleeping bag. A second bag in the same weight band is the spare.
- Do two-pack supermarket bags count as the NHS two?
- Yes if both pieces share the same weight band and tog you need. Check each bag's label; mixed-tog packs are two different room settings, not two wash-day copies.
Sources
Official pages first. If this page and the official page disagree, the official page wins.
- The Lullaby Trust — How to dress your baby for sleep — checked 10 September 2026
- NHS — What to buy for your newborn baby — checked 10 September 2026
- NHS — Baby safer sleep advice (tog ratings) — checked 10 September 2026
- Tu Clothing — 0–6 months sleeping bags — checked 10 September 2026
- George at Asda — Cream Heart Sleeping Bag 0.5 Tog — checked 10 September 2026
This is information, not a guarantee of any payment, and not medical, legal or product-safety advice for your home. Prices and rules change; figures carry the date they were checked. Recall status comes from official records only — a product we cannot find is not a safety all-clear. Tell us if we got a fact wrong.