Safe use

The Bear Wrap is outerwear. It is for babies who are awake, with an adult watching: in your arms, in the pram, on a walk.

• Not for sleep. It isn’t a sleeping bag, a sleep sack or a swaddle. Don’t put your baby down to sleep in it, in a crib, a bassinet or anywhere you aren’t watching.
• If they nod off. Take the hood off their head, open the front, and move them to their own flat sleep space without it.
• Not under car-seat straps. Buckle your baby in first, in thin layers, then lay a blanket over the top of the harness.
• Watch the heat. A sweaty neck, flushed cheeks or damp hair mean it’s time to open it or take it off. Take it off indoors.
• Keep the face clear. The hood sits behind the face. Nothing covers the nose or mouth.
• When it’s snug, it’s done. Go up a size, or retire it.

Why we say this so plainly

Babies shed a lot of heat through their heads, so a hood during sleep can make them too hot. Product-safety regulators in the UK and Ireland have warned about hooded plush baby sleep bags for that reason, and the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against head coverings and overheating during sleep. So we sell this as something to wear out, not something to sleep in.

More from the American Academy of Pediatrics: Swaddling: is it safe? and Winter car seat safety tips.