Why Nest Designs Uses TOG Ratings
We want to help our customers make the best product selections for their little ones. Providing as much product information as possible, including the TOG rating, helps customers find the perfect baby sleep sack or toddler sleep suit. As TOG is an industry measurement, it helps compare the usefulness of different products.
We’ve created a handy reference chart for TOG ratings at Nest Designs. It will help you narrow down which TOG is best for your little one.
How to Choose the Right TOG
There’s no ideal TOG that suits all conditions, which is why we offer a selection of TOG ratings. There are a variety of factors that help determine the right TOG for a Nest Designs sleep bag or sleep suit. Before purchasing a wearable blanket consider:
• The temperature of your child’s room. This temperature may vary through the seasons or may be influenced by air conditioning in the summer or cranking the heat through the winter.
• The clothing they wear at bedtime. Children may wear a diaper or PJs under their sleep suit. PJs add extra insulation at bedtime; make sure this added layer works with the TOG rating and doesn’t make them overheat through the night.
• Your little one’s overall temperature. Like adults, children run at different temperatures. While some little ones need extra insulation to keep them warm at night, others may need a little less.
Different Materials Have Different TOGS
To figure out the warmth of a sleep suit or sleep sack, look at the TOG rather than the thickness of the fabric. TOG always tells the true story of how warm a product is, where thickness may be misleading. Some fabrics may feel thicker but can come with a lower TOG rating than a thinner, but warmer, material.
For our warm-weather sleep sacks, we use bamboo and organic cotton which allows more heat to escape, keeping your baby cooler at night. Our wearable blankets for colder seasons use Sorona fill for insulation, which traps heat, increasing the TOG rating for these products. Keep in mind, TOG measures warmth, but not comfort—that’s why we only use premium materials for our sleep suits and sleep sacks.
TOG Ratings for Child’s Safety
TOG ratings started being used for baby and toddler wearable blankets to reduce sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Little ones shouldn’t be too cold or too hot. If a baby’s temperature is too cold, they become lethargic and less responsive. If they’re too hot, they become irritable, restless, and in severe cases, susceptible to fever or heat stroke. Overheating especially is dangerous for babies—the right TOG negates this problem by keeping them at a comfortable temperature through the night.
What Temperature Should Your Baby Be at Night?
Choosing the best TOG for your baby leaves them at a temperature that’s not too hot or too cold. Generally, the ideal room temperature for sleeping children is between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius (68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit). Not sure if your baby’s too hot or cold? Touch the nape of their neck to see if they’re sweaty or cold to the touch and adjust their sleep system accordingly.
TOG Testing
The TOG rating system was created in Britain in the 1940s. TOG testing facilities use technology and a TOG meter to determine the warmth rating of a fabric or fabric construction. To figure out a TOG rating, testers compare the temperature flow between a controlled insulation sample and the fabric product being tested. Sensors read temperature differences between the samples and testers calculate the product’s TOG using a math formula.