One of the main concerns for parents camping with a baby or toddler is sleep. Whether you are wondering where your baby will sleep when camping or how you’ll ensure your baby is warm throughout the night, it’s all about ensuring your child gets a good sleep.
This Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Travel review is based on the real life experiences of two families – one who used the baby sleeping bag, and the other tried the toddler sleeping bag. These two Baby Deedee Sleep Nest reviews will answer all the questions parents will have about these baby sleeping sacks.
Going on a family camping trip with a baby can be a wonderful, rewarding experience, but a lot hinges on the quality of your child’s sleep. Nothing ruins a camping trip faster than spending a night dealing with a crying baby. Or trying to console your toddler through the night as the entire campground is lying awake secretly cursing you.
The great news for parents camping with a baby or toddler finally have a few high-quality options for sleeping bags for camping, including the Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Travel. With one of these quality baby sleeping bags, you can stop worrying about keeping your baby warm at night.
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Two Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Travel Reviews: Babies and Toddlers
Baby Deedee has a diverse line-up of baby sleeping bags & sacks for children. Each baby sleeping bag comes in three sizes:
- Small for infants 0-6 months
- Medium for babies 6-18 months, and
- Large for toddlers 18-36 months.
In this Baby Deedee Sleep Nest review, we review two of the sleeping bags: The first is a review of the Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Travel for toddlers (Large size for 18-36 months). The second is a review of the Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Travel for babies (small size for 0-6 months).
If your child is between 6-18 months old, I’m confident the experiences our camping families share below will help you determine whether the Baby DeeDee Sleep Nest Travel is right for you.
Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Travel Review #1 – Toddler (18-36 months)
Our first family that tested the Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Travel had the large size that fits toddlers 18-36 months old (25 – 35 lbs). Here’s what they had to say about using this toddler sleeping bag.
Our family of 5 does a fair bit of camping ranging from car camping in our Provincial and National Parks to backcountry camping where we either hike in or canoe in all our camping gear. Camping with three kids, including a toddler, means my husband and I carry all of our family camping gear.
Sleeping bags tend to make up a big portion of the size and weight of our camping gear, so we need to carefully evaluate our children’s sleeping bags to ensure we are keeping the size & weight down without compromising on quality and warmth.
The climate in the Rocky Mountains, where we camp in Alberta in the summer, adds an additional challenge. Summer days in the mountains can be extremely warm , followed by very cold evenings. Having a versatile toddler sleeping bag is essential camping gear for toddlers.
We had a chance to try out the Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Travel toddler sleeping bag (18-36 months) this summer while our child was 22-25 months old.
The Baby Deedee sleeping bag for toddlers is a synthetic indoor/outdoor sleeping bag with removable sleeves. Exactly the type of versatility we need in a toddler sleeping bag for camping in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
Warmth Review of the Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Travel for Toddlers
Sleeping bags for children are often rated by a TOG score. This means Thermal Overall Grade and it is used to determine the thermal insulation, and therefore how much warmth it can provide. The higher the TOG rating, the more warmth the toddler sleeping bag will provide. The Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Travel has a TOG rating of 3.5 or 50-65°F.
A TOG 3.5 rating for a baby camping sleeping bag is good for temperatures below 65°F. At 65°, you’ll still want to have your baby or toddler wearing pajamas underneath, as the temperature drops below 65°F, you’ll want to adjust further with warmer fleece pajamas and even a bodysuit.
These are just guidelines and it’s still important to check the temperature of your baby throughout the night. You don’t want your baby to be too warm and sweating, which can make him/her even more cold.
With a rating for 50-65°F (10-18°C) we found this to be a great mid-temperature toddler sleeping bag for camping, which we used on its own with a merino base layer.
For much cooler temperatures, we’d use this baby camping sleeping bag with additional layers (like fleece pajamas, mitts and a knit hat) and a decent R-value sleeping mat underneath.
In addition to the large size for 18-36 months, Baby Deedee also offers a sleeping bag with arms in small and medium sizes, with an available size for children aged 0-36 months.
5 Things We Loved About the Baby Deedee Toddler Sleeping Bag for Camping
As product testers for Baby Can Travel, we had the opportunity to test out two different brands of camping sleeping bags for children this summer (see our Morrison Outdoors Big Mo 20 Review for the other one).
After trying out and comparing both toddler sleeping bags, here’s what we loved about the Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Travel sleep sack for camping:
1. Removable Arms Plus Shoulder Snaps
The thing we loved most about the Sleep Nest Travel was the removable arms, shoulder snaps and dual full-length zipper. These features allowed for optimal temperature controls. We could start the night off with our toddler in a merino long underwear set on, zippers gathered at the centre and the sleeves off.
As it got later and the temperature dropped, it was very easy to zip the sleeping bag back up and easy enough to snap the arms back on without waking our toddler. Some light was needed to snap the buttons up.
Because of the shoulder snaps, you can even open the bag up completely and lay it down and gently place the sleeping baby on top and then do the sleep sack up completely without needing to move your child too much.
2. Good for Indoor and Outdoor Use
This toddler sleeping bag by Baby Deedee is great for use both indoors and outdoors!
During the winter months, this is a nice heavy (3.5 TOG) sleep sack that can be used with regular cotton PJs in the crib. We wouldn’t use the sleeves indoors.
Besides being ideal for camping with children, this toddler sleep sack can also be used in the stroller. There is an opening on the back for stroller straps. Pair it with a warm midlayer, mittens and a hat and you are ready for outdoor activities for a baby on a chilly day.
3. It’s Easy to Wash
Easy washing instructions make washing it a breeze. Let’s be honest, this is a big win given all of that baby and toddler laundry. Simply wash the toddler sleeping bag in cold water with your regular detergent, inside out and tumble dry low.
4. A Safe for your Toddler
The Baby Deedee baby sleep sack for camping has no hood. Many families use bunting type snowsuits for keeping baby warm while camping, but this isn’t the safest route. We love that the Sleep Nest Travel has no hood, which improves the sleep safety for your child.
5. Compact Size
While this toddler camping sleeping bag might not compress as well as a down sleeping bag, it still packs down quite small into a small stuff sack (about the size of a water bottle).
Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Travel Sleeping Bag – Cons
It’s rare to find baby camping gear or baby travel gear that’s perfect. Based on our experiences, here’s what we didn’t love about the Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Travel Sleep Sack:
1. Given the Sleep Nest Travel is a really warm sleep sack, you’ll need to watch your child’s temperature. Paired with merino long johns (our go-to PJs while camping) it was still warm even within the suggested temperature ratings.
We had our son sleeping in the KidCo PeaPod Plus, which creates a warmer environment on its own. Recognizing this about the PeaPod Plus (which really is an ideal toddler camping bed), we found our son was sweating inside the Peapod with the Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Travel sleep sack on so we did have to take it off to keep him cool enough.
Everyone’s camping experience will be different, due to ambient temperatures, children’s pajamas, etc., so keep an eye on your child to ensure they are not overheating.
2. We like to go backcountry camping in addition to the frontcountry. This toddler sleeping bag isn’t as lightweight as some of its competitors and does not compress down as nicely – though, to be fair, it is still only weighs about 1 pound.
This is especially important when we have to carry all our baby or toddler camping gear to the backcountry, but it’s less important when we go car camping.
3. On cold nights, you’ll need to add additional clothing underneath the Baby Deedee Travel Sleep Sack (think wool base layer and fleece mid layer) plus a hat and mittens (since there isn’t anything built in to cover your child’s hands with).
4. My child is around the 50th percentile for height and weight. We first used the 18-36 month sleeping bag at 22 months of age. With a child around the 50th percentile for height and weight, we found the sleeves fit him perfectly. By the time he’s 36 months, the sleeves will likely be too short. On the flip-side, there is ample room to grow into the sleeping bag length-wise.
Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Travel Review #2 – Infant (0-6 Months)
Our second family that tested the Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Travel had the small size that fits infants 0-6 months old (10 – 18 lbs). Here’s the feedback they gave us about using this baby sleeping bag for camping:
We weren’t surprised when they came back with the same positive feedback for their camping trip with this infant sleeping bag as our other friends who used it with a toddler. Here’s what they especially loved about this baby sleeping bag for camping:
6 Things We Loved About the Baby Deedee Infant Sleeping Bag for Camping
1. Two-way Zipper
The zipper made it easy to get the Baby Deedee sleeping bag on and off our baby. We especially liked how the two-way zipper made diaper changes easy.
2. Detachable Arms
As the day warmed up, we loved that we could detach the arms to regulate our baby’s temperature and keep them comfortable.
3. Multi-Use Sleeping Bag for Babies
This baby camping sleeping bag is so versatile. It can be used as a sleep sack for camping with a baby, but we also used it in the chariot for her walk to keep her cozy.
4. Easy to Wash
Every parent appreciates a product that’s easy to wash and has simple care instructions.
5. Our Baby Loved This Baby Sleeping Bag
Our baby seemed to genuinely enjoy sleeping in the Sleep Nest Travel. We loved how cozy she appeared in her sleeping bag.
6. Extra Protection from Bugs
The mosquitoes and other bugs were a nuisance when we camped. This baby sleeping bag was just thick enough that the bugs couldn’t bite her.
Sleep Nest Travel for Infants – Cons
The only issue we found with the Travel Sleep Nest was that she felt slippery in it, especially as I had to climb out of the roof top tent with her.
Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Travel Review – Final Thoughts
While parents might still struggle with the changing overnight temperatures and managing your baby or toddler’s temperature, the Baby Deedee Sleep Nest Travel is an ideal sleeping bag for camping in temperatures from 50-65°F. This sleeping bag is a great indoor/outdoor versatile sleep solution for at home, on the go and for camping!
Our parent product testers loved the removable sleeves, the two-way zipper, the opening for strapping into a stroller for chilly walks, the shoulder snaps for getting babies in and out of it and the competitive price point.
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Celine Brewer is the owner of Baby Can Travel. Not only does she have years of experience traveling with babies & toddlers, but she’s helped millions of new parents travel with their babies and toddlers for over a decade. In addition to writing on her baby travel blog, she has shared her expertise on traveling with a baby or toddler by contributing to articles about traveling with a baby with the Washington Post, USA Today, the Lonely Planet magazine and Pregnancy & Newborn magazine.
Celine also writes about family travel on the site FamilyCanTravel.com, which she co-owns with her husband. Being from the Canadian Rockies, she shares her passion about her home and travel to Banff National Park and area on their site TravelBanffCanada.com.
