Baby Sleeping Bag Tog Guide

Room temperature

°C

Sleeping bag tog you have

—

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A guide, not medical advice. Use a room thermometer, never add loose blankets over a sleeping bag, and follow safe-sleep guidance (baby on their back, no hat indoors, feet to the foot of the cot). Check your bag's own label for its tog and minimum weight. Babies vary — feel baby's chest or back of the neck to check they're comfortable. For trusted advice see The Lullaby Trust.

Sleeping bag tog & temperature chart

Match the tog to the room, then dress baby in the layers below. Most families own a 2.5 tog bag plus a lighter one for summer.

Tog	Room temp	What to dress baby in
0.5 tog	24°C +	Nappy, or a short-sleeved bodysuit
1.0 tog	20–23°C	Short-sleeved bodysuit, or a light sleepsuit
2.5 tog	16–19°C	Sleepsuit (add a bodysuit if cooler)
3.5 tog	Under 16°C	Sleepsuit + bodysuit

Tog

Room temp

What to dress baby in

0.5 tog

24°C +

Nappy, or a short-sleeved bodysuit

1.0 tog

20–23°C

Short-sleeved bodysuit, or a light sleepsuit

2.5 tog

16–19°C

Sleepsuit (add a bodysuit if cooler)

3.5 tog

Under 16°C

Sleepsuit + bodysuit

Sleeping bag tog questions

The things parents ask most before buying.

What tog sleeping bag should my baby use?

A 2.5 tog bag is the most common all-rounder for a 16–20°C room. Use 1.0 tog for warmer rooms (20–24°C), 0.5 tog above 24°C, and 3.5 tog for cold rooms under 16°C. Always check the room with a thermometer.

Can a baby wear a sleeping bag in summer?

Yes — choose a low tog (0.5 or 1.0) and dress baby in just a short-sleeved bodysuit, or a nappy only above about 27°C. Never add blankets on top of a sleeping bag.

What should a newborn wear in a sleeping bag?

In a 2.5 tog bag at 16–20°C, a short-sleeved bodysuit plus a sleepsuit is typical. Check baby isn't too hot by feeling the chest or back of the neck. Many bags have a minimum weight (often around 4 kg / 8.8 lb) — check the label before use.

How do I know if my baby is too hot?

Feel the chest, tummy or back of the neck — it should feel warm, not sweaty or clammy. Hands and feet are normally cooler and aren't a reliable guide. If baby is hot, remove a layer.

Do you need more than one tog?

Most families end up with two bags: a 2.5 tog for spring, autumn and winter, and a 1.0 or 0.5 tog for summer. With central heating, a nursery rarely drops below 16°C, so a single 2.5 tog bag actually covers most of the UK year — you adjust the warmth with what baby wears underneath, not by swapping the bag.

It's only worth a 3.5 tog if your nursery genuinely runs cold, like an unheated room in an older house. And when you're between choices, a lower tog plus an extra layer of clothing is safer than a thick bag in a warm room.

What tog sleeping bag for a newborn?

For a newborn in a typical 16–20°C room, a 2.5 tog bag with a short-sleeved bodysuit and a sleepsuit is the usual starting point. Check the bag's minimum weight first — many don't start until around 4 kg (8.8 lb), and a bag that's too big is a slip-down risk.

Newborns can't regulate their temperature well, so a room thermometer and a quick chest-or-neck check matter more here than at any other age. If in doubt, a lower tog plus a light layer is safer than a thick bag.

Sleeping bag or blankets?

A well-fitted sleeping bag is generally the easier option for safe sleep: it can't ride up over the face the way a loose blanket can, and there's nothing to kick off and get cold. The key words are "well-fitted" — the right size for baby's weight, with a neck that doesn't gape.

If you do use blankets, official safe-sleep advice is to keep baby's feet at the foot of the cot and tuck the blankets no higher than the shoulders. When you're unsure, your health visitor is the best person to ask.

Sleeping bag tog & temperature chart

Sleeping bag tog questions

Do you need more than one tog?

What tog sleeping bag for a newborn?

Sleeping bag or blankets?

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