Product Review: Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit

[Note: I was not paid for this product review monetarily or via product. I was put in contact with the creator, Maureen, by one of my dear friends (author of “The Leaking Boob”) after she learned how much I enjoyed the product. Maureen was thrilled (but not surprised) at my child’s success with her product, and agreed to do a giveaway to benefit my readers!]
((GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED))

A few weeks ago, a Fb friend, Natalie, sent me Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit out of the kindness of her heart when she heard that my little one was having some trouble sleeping. Benson (now 3 months old) was always great at going to sleep when I laid him down with a pacifier and in a swaddle. The trouble was keeping him asleep! The problem was that he only slept for about 30-minute periods at a time due to noise, or flinching, or wanting to roll-over, or who-knows what else. I felt bad that the little guy just wasn’t getting enough sleep! During the day, he would nap only for about a max of 30 minutes per nap. At night, he would sleep for about 5 hours and then wake up and eat. He would only go back to sleep from then on if he was next to me! Do you know how difficult it is to get a sound night’s sleep while trying not to roll over an infant?! I’m sure some of you do!

I wasn’t convinced that this fluffy suit could actually push my little spunky one into a deep slumber, but I decided to try it.

My Experience:

The first time I put Benson in the suit was for a nap when he was 2-months-old. He is a long baby, so he fit just fine. He does tend to sleep with his legs up in a ball and not always in the leg holes, but because his arms stay in the arm holes, the suit can’t go above his head. Please ensure that you child fits properly in the suit before leaving him or her alone in it. I didn’t use it as a transition from the swaddle, but rather, an alternative to the swaddle. He slept for a good 1-1/2 hours uninterrupted, which was a huge improvement from 30 minutes!

The second time was for another nap that same day. He slept for another 1-1/2 hours uninterrupted. SUCCESS!

The third and most AMAZING time was that night. He slept 8-1/2 hours uninterrupted, ate, and then went back down for another hour. SAY WHAT?!

Highlights ever since that first day:
-I feel so much better, because not only is Benson getting a great series of naps and a full-night’s sleep, which is so important for his growth, but we (the parents) are, too! We finally feel sane during the day!
-When I put him down, I don’t have to hold my breath in hopes that he won’t will cry any second!
-Sometimes, after he’s slept for a few hours, I will hear him make a little peep. Most of the time I go into his room to find him asleep again!
-It really is magic, because nothing I’ve tried has done anything like it — sleep sacks, swaddling, warm pajamas, etc.
-It relieved me of the guilt I had having him lay next to me at night, because he doesn’t need me right next to him when he has the Magic Sleepsuit on.
-At night, he sleeps a minimum of 8 hours, eats, and then goes back to sleep for another couple hours. Oh, the relief!
-We don’t have to sweat at night to keep him warm, because the temperature-regulating material does it for us! However, I do check his chest temperature whenever I wake up, because I’m paranoid. I learned at one point that a baby’s body temperature can’t accurately be assessed by feeling his or her hands or feet. That’s why I slip my hand down the top of the Sleepsuit to feel his chest.
-It is machine washable and dryer-friendly.
-I anticipated it being difficult to get him in and out of the suit, but it’s simple because of the two long zippers. You can view my video below.

The Downside?

I haven’t found much to complain about in regards to the Magic Sleepsuit, besides the price… then I looked at what was most closely comparable: swaddlers and sleep sacks (although, these two have significantly less fabric than the Magic Sleepsuit). Sleep sacks range from $13 (OneStepAhead) to $40 (Potterybarn Kids) and swaddlers range from about $16 (Summer Infant) to $44 (Woombie). Which would I rather at the $40 range? I’d opt for the Magic Sleepsuit, absolutely.

Who Is the Magic Sleepsuit For?

-Babies, ages 3 -9 months, who need assistance transitioning out of a swaddle, sleeping longer, or sleeping more soundly.
-Babies transitioning from a bassinet, cradle, or co-sleeper and into a crib.
-It is for twitchers, snugglers, or little ones who just can’t seem to get comfortable.
-If you have a great sleeper already, but want to ensure the baby stays warm while sleeping, or want to help prevent rolling over, this product is also for you.

Product Details:

It comes in two sizes: 3-6 months and 6-9 months.
It comes in blue, pink, or yellow.
You can purchase one at a time, or both sizes together.

Background & What Does It Do?

The creator of Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit, Maureen, created the product to extend the duration of her son’s sleep. She needed a way to transition him out of the ever-shrinking swaddle (due to the ever GROWING baby). However, transitioning from a straight-jacket swaddle to a free-willy baby proved difficult (can you relate?), so Maureen experimented with different ways of prolonging quality sleep for her little one.

Maureen developed the concept of a sleep suit that allows for free–yet contained–arms and legs, and the comfort that a swaddle provides. Maureen felt it was important to choose a safe design with a low, scooped neck line. She chose microfleece for the outside for a sense of coziness, jersey cloth on the inside for comfort, and polyfil between the layers for a cloud-like padding and to prevent the baby from waking up due to a twitch. After discovering how well her son, (and later, her daughter) was able to sleep in the suit, she decided to make a few prototypes for family and friends. How could she keep this a secret? After working with a seamstress for well over a year, Maureen put the product that she wholeheartedly believed in on the market for others to purchase. She wanted to offer the peaceful sleep that she and her children found to other parents and their little ones. And thus birthed The Baby Merlin Magic Sleepsuit and the Baby Merlin Company. For more detailed information regarding the creation of the Magic Suit, see the “Q&A with Maureen” at the bottom of this post, visit www.magicsleepsuit.com, and visit the Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit Facebook page. <– Hint: You can also find some great giveaways on the Fb page!

Safety Concerns

What testing has been done? The Magic Sleepsuit was put through and passed extensive safety lab testing by the Bureau Veritas Group, an independent safety testing agency. It is also CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act) compliant.

Is it safe for babies who can roll? My experience is that, although Benson can roll outside of the suit (he discovered how to roll at 2-months-old!), he is unable to roll with the suit on, because of the extra padding. The Baby Merlin Company constructed the suit to be used while the baby sleeps on his or her back in order to reduce the risk of SIDS. If your child can roll with the Sleepsuit on, the Baby Merlin Company recommends you transition your child out of the suit and into new sleeping attire.

Since it is padded, should I be concerned with suffocation? You can see in my pictures that Benson’s onesie actually has a higher collar than the Magic Sleepsuit, and he isn’t even tall enough for his legs to stick out of it, yet. If your baby is the correct size for the suit, you should not be concerned with the material going over the baby’s face. However, it is important to ensure that your baby fits into the suit properly before leaving him or her alone to sleep.

Will my baby overheat? I read that some people were concerned with the heat the Magic Sleepsuit radiates, especially in the summer. It’s been quite hot here in Colorado, and I’ve had no problem with it. We open our windows at night, because it does get hot in our home without them open (and I’m too cheap to keep the A/C on at night). We put the A/C on during the day as needed to stay at 69 degrees, but we would do this whether or not he had the Magic Sleepsuit on. The Baby Merlin Company constructed the suit such that the material and the open feet and sleeve design is actually meant to help regulate the baby’s body temperature. If you are concerned, touch your baby’s chest while he or she is sleeping to get a sense of their body temperature. If he or she is cold, put socks or booties on. If he or she is warm, take a layer off. If there are no layers, of course, take the Sleepsuit off.

Reviews from other customers I contacted:

“My baby loved being swaddled from day 1 and always slept better when he was tightly wrapped. Around 4 months the swaddle blankets would often loosen in the night, causing him to wake and causing me to worry about the danger of loose blankets in the crib. We did some research and it sounded like the Magic Sleepsuit was the next best step for us. And it was! No possibility of unwrapping which has meant full night’s sleep and peace of mind for everyone. He’s 10.5 months now and it’s still a staple in our nap time and bedtime routines.”
-Kate, New York

“I’ve had it just over 3 weeks. Tate has slept great ever since. 8-11 hours a night! It’s HEAVEN!!!”
-Becky, Utah

“Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit is my #1 most essential baby product and I have converted many other mamas! I had a good (swaddled) sleeper to begin with, but the Magic Sleepsuit helped her sleep better, longer, and more comfortably. Plus, I didn’t have straight-jacket guilt. I was worried about the day we’d have to wean her from it, but it happened totally naturally. Once she was able to sit/stand up in her crib and seemed frustrated by the somewhat-limited mobility of the sleep suit, we switched to a Halo Sleepsack for about a week (just to keep bedtime ritual feeling similar) and then to just pajamas. No sweat!
Magic Sleepsuit, I love you so much.”
-Angie, New York

How easy is it to put on and take off? I made this video so you can see —

Where Can I Get One?

Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit Website

Amazon

New Mother New Baby

Q&A with Maureen, the creator of Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit:

1) How did you decide on the materials for the suit? I went through many different kinds of fabrics when designing the Magic Sleepsuit. I was looking to create a cozy feeling for the baby and wanted something very soft and comfortable. The microfleece outer layer provides just enough coziness while the jersey cotton inner layer is a soft, comfy fabric against the baby’s skin. The layer of polyfil in between and overall fabric thickness provides babies with a cozy, secure feeling and helps muffle their reflexive startles to aid in their sleep.

2) How did you decide on the specific design for the suit? As you may have read on my website, I created the Magic Sleepsuit with my first baby to provide a cozy, secure feeling and help muffle his reflexive startles. He napped very well in the car seat or stroller, but as soon as I’d put him in the crib, he would wake up in 30 minutes. My goal was to design something that would simulate these cozy, contained environments, but for use in the crib. I worked with a seamstress for well over a year tweaking the design. I wanted the scooped neckline to keep fabric away from the baby’s face, and double zippers for easy in and out. We initially had zipper covers, but issues came up with sharp edges on snaps in our initial safety design evaluation, and the covers made the neckline too bulky, so we decided to end the zippers just short of the neckline so that if the zipper pull flips up, it shouldn’t be near baby’s face. We initially had snap on booties, but found after our first round of trials that it was better to leave the feet uncovered and allow parents to either keep babies’ feet covered or uncovered for added ventilation. Through the design process, I learned that simple is better for both safety and function. As you can see the design evolved over time with much thought and consideration.

3) Did you already own the Baby Merlin Company before you created the Magic Sleepsuit? No, Baby Merlin Company was created in conjunction with the developement of the Magic Sleepsuit. I originally had no intentions of creating a product to sell or starting a company, I was just trying to create something to help my babies sleep better. The Magic Sleepsuit evolved on its own and Baby Merlin Company was formed in response.

4) Did you go from discovering the success of your product with your son straight to retail, or did you ask friends and family to try it out? The concept of the Magic Sleepsuit started with my oldest son, and, as I mentioned, it very much evolved over time. It was with my second child, my daughter that friends and family began asking me what I was using to help my babies sleep so well and asked if they could try it. I made some early prototypes and friends and family tried them with great success! That is when I realized that I had created something that really met a need for babies (and parents), so that is when we started the patent process, incorporating the business, working on prototypes, etc. It takes a long time to bring a product to market the right way, so it was years in the making before the Magic Sleepsuit actually hit the general market.

Resources:

Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit Website

Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit Facebook Page