TOG ratings and temperature, what do I have to look for?

Are you worried about your baby being too cold? Or does your baby sleep poorly because it is too hot? And what exactly is TOG? We would be happy to explain it all to you.

Heat build-up

Heat build-up is a risk that should be avoided in babies and young children. With heat build-up, there is no balance between body and ambient temperature. The temperature of your baby's body rises because it cannot lose excess heat to the environment. In addition to the risk of heat build-up, an elevated temperature also causes your child to sleep restlessly.

Heat is therefore an important point of attention when it comes to safe and good sleep. Parents often tend to dress their child warmer than necessary in bed. The TOG (Thermal Overall Grade) value helps to gain a better insight. In addition, it is of course always important to continue to observe and feel your child well.

What is TOG and how does it work?

The TOG rating exists to promote safe sleeping. This gives you as a parent a guideline. TOG stands for Thermal Overall Grade and is an indication of the thermal resistance of textiles. A higher TOG value means that the material has a high warmth and insulation value. The higher the TOG value of, for example, a sleeping bag, the less heat loss. Fabrics with a low TOG value are less warm and insulating. On all Puckababy products the TOG rating is stated on the labels.

How do you use TOG ratings specifically? Measure the temperature of the baby's room and determine the corresponding TOG rating. Colder winter nights might call for a higher tog baby sleeping bag, while warm summer temperatures call for sleeping bags with low tog rating. Add up the TOG ratings of the bed linen, the tog sleeping bag and your child's clothing and see whether this is in line with the TOG advice that suits the temperature of the room. If it deviates, put on your child one more or less layer, take a thinner or thicker sleeping bag, put your child in pajamas with long sleeves or let him or her sleep in just the romper.

Please note: It is important to realize that TOG is a guideline, not a law. It helps you dress your child correctly, but your common sense always remains the most important.

Why is TOG important?

TOG value gives you something to hold on to. It helps you estimate how well a garment insulates, because you often cannot determine this by feel alone. TOG rating also helps your child sleep safely and comfortably. It ensures that your baby does not become hypothermic or overheated and is therefore certainly important for very young babies.

What TOG should my baby wear?

So much for the theory, but how does tog rating work in practice? It is important that you first determine the maximum TOG ratings linked with the room temperatures using the table below.

Temperature & maximum TOG values

< 16 degrees : 3.5 TOG

16 – 18 degrees : 2.5 TOG

18 - 20 degrees : 2.0 TOG

20 – 22 degrees : 1.5 TOG

22 – 24 degrees : 1.0 TOG

24 - 27 degrees : 0.5 TOG

> 24 - 27 degrees : 0.25 TOG

Example: you determine that the bedroom temperature is 23 degrees. This means: a maximum TOG value of 1.0. Then you sum the TOG values of all pieces of textile that your baby is wearing. Baby sleeping bags, bodysuits, pyjamas… Add those values up. The sum is meant to be 1. Do you arrive at a higher number? Then leave out a layer of clothing or choose another item with a lower TOG value for a good night's sleep.

Important: TOG is only a guideline. It is good practice to keep a close eye on your baby's body temperature and adjust clothing if necessary. Also know that every piece of clothing your child wears counts towards the total TOG. If it is very hot in summer (warmer than 27 degrees), only a diaper will suffice when you baby sleeps.

How do I know if my baby is dressed too warmly?

Always check!
Your baby may be a little feverish, he may be dressed a little more heavily than during the previous nap, and the room temperature may be quite different during the day and night year round or in different seasons. It is therefore very important to always observe and monitor your child carefully.

Useful tip: by feeling the back of your child's neck or torso, you can tell whether your baby is too hot or too cold. If it feels pleasant and dry, your baby is warm enough. If your baby's skin feels damp, clammy or cold (for example during winter months), adjust the (sleeping) clothes or bedding. Do you have the feeling that your baby is too hot? Then you can immediately take off some clothes or reduce the tog value by removing layers of bedding. Check regularly, for example when you go to sleep and every time your baby wakes up.

Does your child have cold feet or are your baby's hands cold? That doesn't necessarily mean that you have to dress your baby warmer. The feet and hands often feel a bit colder because the blood circulation in young babies is not yet optimal.

The ideal temperature

In general, the TOG values for a baby sleeping bag range from 1 to a maximum of 3.5 TOG. As a rough guide, you can maintain 2 TOG for warm and safe baby sleep comfort. This corresponds to a normal body temperature between 36.5 to 37.5 °C and a consistent temperature of 18 to 20 °C. At Puckababy, we take it a step further. Temperatures fluctuate and personal preference plays a role as well, but safety must always be ensured. On our website, you can find the correct TOG values of our products for each design. This way, you easily know which design is most suitable for which temperature. Choose the right bedding throughout the entire year. Easy, convenient, comfortable, and safe.

What clothes can my child wear in the (swaddle) sleeping bag?

The TOG overviews can help you know what your child should wear at what temperature. They provide guidance on how to best dress your child at each room temperature and for each variant of the (swaddle) sleeping bag.

Tip: Tencel sleepsuits are the safest underwear for any sleeping bag at any temperature. Tencel regulates heat and absorbs moisture. This fabric adapts to the warmth of your little one and fits around your child like a second skin. Silky soft and never too hot or too cold.