Choosing baby blankets: wool, cotton or fleece?
The blanket is one of the first objects that the child comes into contact with. In fact, since ancestral times, newborns have been wrapped in warm fabrics that support and envelop them as if to recreate the protective environment of the mother’s womb. And it is still so today.
For this reason, when buying a baby blanket to put in the layette, the first things to pay attention to shouldn’t be so much the design, style or colors, but the comfort and quality of the fabrics.
In fact, the baby, with his skin so delicate, needs the utmost delicacy and care and being so small, he needs light, soft and breathable fabrics that guarantee him a peaceful sleep .
How to choose a good baby blanket
Blankets for newborns can be purchased in linen or specialized baby shops, but also in department stores and today also conveniently online. Those who have golden hands can also make blankets for babies at home in iron, crochet or machine-sewn.
Read more: 7 different ways to make handmade baby blankets
In all these cases, however, before making the purchase, it is always good to inquire about the characteristics of the fabric or yarn with which the cover is made or will be made. This is very important to ensure that the cover is:
- soft and adaptable to the positions in which the baby rests
- warm or cool depending on the season
- light, comfortable and not bulky
- breathable to prevent the little one from sweating
- hypoallergenic to prevent any type of allergic problem
- easy to wash and dry
- made with possibly natural fibers or at least safe for children
Baby blankets: cotton, wool, fleece…or?
Going to buy a cover for the pram, the cradle or the cot , you will realize that there is a wide range of products to choose from. As I said, there are many things to take into consideration (quality, shape, size, aesthetics), but it would also be good to have clear ideas on the fabric to ask for: cover in cotton, wool, fleece? Are there other fabrics suitable for children as well?
Given that nothing prevents you from being able to buy both cotton, wool and fleece blankets, I want to give you some information that will be useful for your choices.
The cotton covers
Cotton (if 100%) is a soft natural fabric that does not irritate children’s delicate skin. Since it is breathable , it allows for better air circulation and being absorbent it helps to remove and absorb body moisture keeping you cool and dry. For these reasons, it guarantees the child an ideal environment for peaceful and trouble-free sleep. It is also very practical , has a high tensile strength and can be sterilised , even withstanding high washing temperatures . And importantly, it is always suitable for any time of year.
Natural cotton covers marked with 100% cotton, covers in natural dyed pure cotton, covers in flannel, covers in muslin, covers in pure cotton chenille (not to be confused with synthetic ones) , all particularly suitable for the children.
On the market, however, there are also blankets made of mixed cotton , i.e. cotton with the addition of innovative synthetic materials. You can buy them in peace but only if you don’t have particular needs and you don’t have children with allergies.
Fibers such as polyester and acrylic present in many cotton blend covers have improved the comfort, strength and durability of the fabric which, with these synthetic components, wrinkles less and can be washed more (100% cotton in fact with the use is intended to wear out).
Wool blankets
Wool is one of the oldest natural fibers of animal origin. It is certainly soft and warm and thanks to its ability to retain a greater amount of air it is very insulating from both cold and heat. It also has a high hygroscopic power, i.e. it easily absorbs water and sweat more than cotton, without giving the impression of being damp. The wool covers also have a good resistance to wear, they crease very little and are quite elastic so they can be stretched and widened without breaking and then return to their original size.
There are also 100% wool blankets and those mixed with other fibers. The choice obviously depends on you even if the more natural they are, the better.
It must be said, however, that a wool cover needs more attention than a cotton one. In fact, washing must be done at low temperatures and with delicate detergents, on pain of felting . In addition, wool tends to turn yellow over time and, not least, it can cause irritation.
To learn more: how to wash children’s clothes in an eco-friendly way
For this reason, when you buy a wool blanket, make sure it is wool suitable for children and above all that it does not leave hair. The most suitable are those in merino wool, cashmere, alpaca but also in flannel , which also exists in wool and not just in cotton.
For those who don’t have particular needs, they can also choose a blanket in wool blend, much more convenient but not completely natural.
Fleece and microfibre covers
Fleece is a “fabric” particularly appreciated for its numerous qualities even if it is not natural at all but synthetic. Thanks to a particular processing of polyester fibers (PET), the fleece is very soft, velvety and pleasant to the touch. Furthermore, the fiber worked in this way contains a lot of air and this allows the fleece to be a good thermal insulator.
The advantages are certainly undeniable: warm, light, easy to wash, quick to dry, non-iron, non-shrink, crease-resistant, economical. In short, it is really difficult to resist buying a fleece cover , also because there are really all types on the market, in a thousand colors and with the most disparate prints.
The same things and qualities of fleece can also be said for covers in microfiber and for those in minky fabric which are particularly in vogue in recent years and in great demand by mothers. If you’ve heard of it and you like it, I suggest you look into it
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.