TOG ratings & your What to Wear Guide
What should your baby wear to bed?
We’re glad you asked! Whether you’re still waiting for bub to be born, or your baby has already arrived, a lot of new parents are unsure how to keep a newborn baby warm during sleep.
You may have heard of swaddling, or you may have been gifted a blanket but are unsure what to do with it. So how do you keep your baby warm during sleep without blankets? With TOG-rated swaddle and sleeping bags. Newborn babies typically wear a swaddle for sleep to help settle the startle reflex, with layers underneath for warmth.
Use the What to Wear Guide below as a starting point for choosing the right TOG-rated pouch for your baby or toddler, based on the temperature of their sleeping environment. And if you didn’t realise, all ergoPouch Pouches* have a FREE Room Thermometer and What to Wear Guide in every pouch under 2 years!
*Included with all Swaddles, Sleeping Bags, Sleep Suit Bags and Sleep Onesies up to size 8-24 months only. Not included with Layers and Pyjamas.
Sleep Dressing Quiz
What is a TOG?
ergoPouch's range of pouches and pyjamas are TOG-rated for warmth.
TOG stands for 'Thermal Overall Grade' and is a unit of measurement for insulation and warmth of sleepwear and bedding.
Put simply, the lower the TOG rating, the lighter the fabric; the higher the rating, the more padded and insulated it is. You would choose a TOG suitable for the room temperature of your child's sleep environment.
How to use your What to Wear Guide for Pouches
1. Determine the temperature of the room your baby sleeps in using the thermometer strip (this can change over the course of the day and night).
2. Use the table to match your room temperature with the appropriate TOG rated pouch.
3. Choose the right corresponding TOG-rated product in a 0.2/0.3 TOG, 1.0 TOG, 2.5 TOG or 3.5 TOG Swaddle, Sleeping Bag, Sleep Suit Bag or Sleep Onesie, depending on your child's age, size and developmental milestone stage.
4. Follow the guide to layer the right undergarments (Layers/Bodywear) underneath.
*Note: Designed for use with ergoPouch products only. Keep a What to Wear guide wherever your baby sleeps. The dressing guide is intended as a guide only - please consider other factors such as illness, air-conditioning/heating and whether your baby tends to run hot or cold in general.
No matter whether you have our old or new What To Wear Guide on hand, both are safe to use and you will quickly learn what works best for your child. Download a mobile copy of our What to Wear Guide for easy access.
What is a TOG?
ergoPouch's range of pouches and pyjamas are TOG-rated for warmth. TOG stands for 'Thermal Overall Grade' and is a unit of measurement for insulation and warmth of sleepwear and bedding.
Put simply, the lower the TOG rating, the lighter the fabric; the higher the rating, the more padded and insulated it is. You would choose a TOG suitable for the room temperature of your child's sleep environment.
TOG-Rated Pouch suited to your Room Temperature
Cool Pouch
22°C +
Mild Pouch
20–24°C
Warm Pouch
15–21°C
Warmest Pouch
12–19°C
What’s the difference between our old and new thermometers?
After 15 years in the market, extensive research and seeking feedback from over 500 Australian parents, we understood that there were ways we could improve the design to help new parents get the most out of their What To Wear Guide. We have not made these changes lightly. In our aim for constant improvement, we felt this was an important area to maximise for new parents.
With the addition of 2.0 TOG Layers and 2.5 TOG HugMe Blankets, both our Pouch and HugMe Blanket What To Wear Guides have been updated to showcase even more layering options.
For our Pouch What To Wear Guide, the biggest change is that it is now included on back of pack, rather than as a separate insert. Simply cut the thermometer off and keep it as you would the insert. There are now layering recommendations for each degree increment, rather than the 2 degree ranges in previous guides. This makes it easier than ever to dress your little one.
Of course, if you have worked out what works well for your child, please continue to follow your instincts — our What To Wear Guide is intended as a guide only to take the guesswork out of bedtime.
As we transition between old and new stock, you may get a mix of old and new guides in your order. You can also find these guides online if you're at all unsure which to follow.
Room Temperature
TOG Guides: What is the difference?
Most ergoPouch parents are familiar with our green What To Wear Guide, which comes with all of our pouches sized under 2 years. It provides guidance on how to match our bodywear and layers with our pouches for the right sleepwear outfit based on the temperature.
Our tan-coloured What To Wear Guide comes with our HugMe Blanket (formerly Baby Tuck Sheet). This is because the HugMe Blanket adds an additional layer of warmth to your baby’s sleeping environment. Like all of our sleepwear, it is TOG-rated so that it easily slots into our recommended sleepwear combinations.
How to use the TOG Guide for HugMe Blanket
1. Determine the temperature of the room your baby sleeps in using the thermometer strip (this can change over the course of the day and night).
2. Use the table to match your room temperature with the appropriate TOG in the left column.
3. Choose the right corresponding TOG-rated product in a swaddle, sleeping bag, sleep suit bag, or sleep onesie, depending on your child's age, size and developmental milestone stage.
4. Follow the guide to choose whether you use the 0.2/1.0 TOG or 1.0/2.5 TOG HugMe Blanket, and which undergarments (Layers/Bodywear) underneath.
*Note: Designed for use with ergoPouch products only. Keep a dressing guide wherever your baby sleeps. The dressing guide is intended as a guide only - please consider other factors such as illness, air-conditioning/heating and whether your baby tends to run hot or cold in general.
HugMe Blanket
The HugMe Blanket is a TOG-rated, safer alternative to loose bedding in the bassinet or cot.
