5 Things To Look For When Buying Children's Sleepwear
It's no secret we're big advocates of tight fitting pajamas for children. Tight sleepwear does not require the use of dangerous flame retardant chemicals because they’re made to fit closely against a child’s body (if you’re like 🤔, stop by Snug Fit Pajamas and the Children’s Sleepwear Standards first).
Because sleepwear for infants under the age of 9 months can be either tight fitting of loose fitting, we're super into baby sleep gowns for little ones under 6 months (here’s 5 reasons you’ll love them, too!). In fact, sleep gowns are the only thing my son wore for the first 6 months of his life! But we’ve reinvented it with a unique cinch-close system that makes middle of the night changes a breeze and keeps baby’s legs warm, all while abiding by the infant sleepwear regulations.
Regardless of your fave style and where you buy your children’s PJs, you should be on the lookout for a few things when determining if the sleepwear is safe. To ensure you're buying sleepwear from a reliable brand that has followed the safety standards, always look for the following 5 safe sleepwear indicators.
Article Contents:
5 Safe Sleepwear Indicators
1. Product Promotion
It's important to determine whether the garment is actually "sleepwear". Take note of how the garment is being promoted. Are they called "pajamas" or "PJs"? Are they in the sleepwear section of the store?
Always look for words like pajamas, pjs, sleep gown, sleep set, sleeper. Many companies will promote products that resemble pajamas, but will use a disclaimer like "not intended for sleeping". Those products have not undergone the requisite safety testing outlined by the CPSC. Always buy sleepwear that is labeled appropriately and don't put kids to bed in garments that aren't clearly marketed as sleepwear.
2. Labeling & Hang Tags
Tight fitting sleepwear is required to bear a large yellow hang tag that states “For child’s safety, garment should fit snugly. This garment is not flame resistant. Loose fitting garment is more likely to catch fire.” There are even size requirements for the hang tag as well as specifications for the font type and size (Arial/Helvetica, 18 point black font, in case you were wondering).
This yellow hang tag is simply there to make sure that you realize that the PJs are NOT treated with flame retardants and therefore, the PJs should be worn close to the body. Not sexy. But important. The garment must also have a permanently affixed neck label that states WEAR SNUG FITTING. NOT FLAME RESISTANT that’s set apart from other text by a lined border. For loose fitting pajamas intended for wear by children under 9 months of age, like our baby sleeper gown, these labels are not necessary.
3. Size
Children’s sleepwear should be permanently labeled with the size for which the garment is intended. Remember, it’s important that tight fitting PJs are snug and fit close to your little one's body.
4. Length
Sleepwear designed for children under 9 months is not required to meet the same rigorous requirements as those intended for older children since infants wearing these sizes are insufficiently mobile and unable to expose themselves to an open flame. However, there are strict length requirements set by the CPSC: if it's a one-piece garment, maximum length is 25 3/4". If it’s a two-piece set, neither piece can be longer than 15 3/4".
Yup, that means many of those long knotted baby gowns you see on the market don't actually comply with the regulations because they're quite a bit longer than 25 3/4". We’ve created a better, safer infant gown that does adhere to the guidelines!
5. Trim
The CPSC requires that tight pajamas have no fabric ornamentation or trim (like lace, ribbon, and logo tags) which extends more than 1/4” from the point at which it's attached to the garment. Having any ornamentation longer than that may pose a burn risk to kids.
Children’s Product Certificates
Children's sleepwear brands must maintain (and present, when asked) third party issued children’s product certificates (CPCs) stating compliance with all children’s sleepwear standards. If you're ever unsure if you’re buying safe sleepwear, just request the CPCs. If the company's compliant, they'll hand them over, no problem!
Summary
Unfortunately there are lots of companies that do not abide by the children’s sleepwear regulations. When buying PJs for your little one, make sure that you are searching for indicators of compliance like how it’s being promoted and the proper labeling and hang tags. Double check the size for intended wearer and if the garment is for an infant, ensure it meets the length requirements set by the CPSC. Beware of fabric ornamentation like ribbons and logo tags; they should not extend more than1/4” from the point at which it's attached to the garment. Finally, if you’re ever unsure of the safety of the sleepwear, just contact the company and ask to see the Children’s Product Certificates. We have ours. If you’d like to see them, just visit our CPC request form!
Sources:
https://www.westynbaby.com/blogs/westyn-baby/snug-fit-pajamas-guide-to-flame-retardants-and-childrens-sleepwear-regulations
https://www.westynbaby.com/blogs/westyn-baby/infant-sleepwear-and-the-childrens-sleepwear-regulations
https://www.westynbaby.com/blogs/westyn-baby/5-benefits-of-tight-fitting-pajamas
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About The Author
Tara Saltzburg founded Westyn Baby when her son was an infant battling severe eczema. She was always on the lookout for products that would minimize the irritation and ease his discomfort, but safe, non-irritating pajamas proved difficult to find. Tara started Westyn Baby in 2016 with a mission to create better, safer sleepwear for kids - sleepwear that's exceptionally soft, flame-retardant free, sensitivity-friendly, and durable. Read more about WB sleepwear.
Tara was born and raised at the NJ shore and attended Penn State University, where she played soccer and discovered her love of mountain life. She is a mom of one boy and hopes to eventually have enough kids to form some sort of athletic team. She and her family currently reside in Central Pennsylvania and spend the summers in Stone Harbor, NJ.