Natural Fleece Baby Pajamas

When I stopped swaddling my son, I needed to find very warm natural fleece baby pajamas for him very quickly.  The first time I did not swaddle him, I put cotton pajamas and a cotton sleep sack on him instead.  To this day I remember vividly how icy cold his little hands were when I got up in the middle of the night to nurse him.  I was not going to make that mistake again and looked frantically for very warm natural fleece baby pajamas.

To my dismay, I quickly learned that in this modern world, “fleece” equals “polyester.”  I did not want to buy polyester fleece baby pajamas for multiple reasons.

Why I did not want polyester fleece baby pajamas

First of all, polyester pajamas for winter do not do a great job of regulating body temperature, and so they may overheat your baby.

Secondly, pajamas that are not natural fleece baby pajamas are not breathable.

Moreover, polyester fabric is likely to contain flame retardant chemicals; more on this below.  Also, it may contain other undisclosed toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde.

On top of that, most polyester is made from petroleum, which is an unsustainable resource.

Finally, polyester fleece baby pajamas shed microfibers during each wash.  These microfibers travel to your local wastewater treatment plant where up to 40% of them enter rivers, lakes, and oceans.  The microfibers are particularly dangerous because they have the potential to poison the food chain.  In one study, human-made debris recovered from fish in the US consisted primarily of microfibers. (source)

Flame retardants in children pajamas

Let’s briefly talk about flame retardant chemicals and why they are in baby pajamas.  

In the 1970s, the Federal Government adopted a flammability standard.  It required pajamas for kids between 9 months and 14 years old to withstand a 3-second open flame test without igniting.  Many baby pajamas manufacturers added brominated tris flame retardant – up to 10% of the fabric’s weight – to make sure that their products passed the flammability test.  

Two Green Science Policy Institute scientists, Arlene Blum and Bruce Ames, published the results of their research into brominated tris.  They discovered scientific evidence that this flame-retardant chemical was a DNA mutagen and carcinogen.  As a result of their research, brominated tris was banned from children pajamas in 1978.

Chlorinated tris replaced brominated tris, but it was eventually phased out, too.  Thus, chlorinated tris and PBDE are not used anymore due to health concerns.  However, other supposedly less toxic flame retardants are currently in use.

Sadly, there is no requirement in any state (even in California) to disclose flame retardant chemicals used to treat baby pajamas.

What options are there for natural fleece baby pajamas?

While I was searching for natural fleece baby pajamas, I came across a wool sleep sack on Amazon.  The sleep sack is no longer available but it looked similar to this one.

I did not like it that much – it was not soft enough.  I do not recommend it now because babies can have allergies to wool if it touches their skin.

At some point, I bought Cosilana organic wool pajamas, but they were also not soft enough.  Plus, the legs were short, and when washed with warm water, the pajamas shrank.

After a very long and frustrating search, I found natural fleece baby pajamas that I liked a lot.  They were so soft and fuzzy inside.  However, they were discontinued soon afterwards.  You can’t buy them now, but I have a picture of them.  

I also tried organic pajamas by Snug Organics.  They were very warm and well-made.  But they were a little too snug fitted, had no feet, and shrank when I put them in the dryer.

Fortunately, I was able to find the perfect thing; keep reading.

The warmest organic sleep sack

Before we get to the perfect thing I promised, I want to talk about sleep sacks.  Even with warm natural fleece baby pajamas, I needed a warm sleep sack.  After trying a few different sacks, I found the warmest cotton sleep sack by Ergo Pouch.

Made like a quilted blanket with organic cotton filling, it was very warm.  The product description said that it was designed to keep a baby warm at temperatures as low as 57F.  I didn’t think that my son would still be warm at that temperature; maybe if he would have had a hat and gloves on.

Ergo Pouch is an Australian company, and if you buy from them directly, shipping is very expensive.  However, from time to time they sell on Amazon.  That was where I bought their sleep sack.  It was a lifesaver.  It was a nice addition to our natural fleece baby pajamas.

This organic sleep sack comes in two sizes: 2 months-12 months, and 12 months -3 years.  It means that you will only need to buy it twice. 

Organic sleepwear by Castleware

OK, now we can talk about the perfect product I mentioned above.

When my son was about 2 years old, one of my blog readers asked me if I could recommend a sleep sack with foot holes.  In my search for one, I stumbled upon Castleware organic sleepwear.  Read my reviews of their wearable blanket, their best organic cotton pajamas, and their fleece footed pajamas.  You can also check out the Castleware baby sleepwear options in my shop. 

Since then, Castleware has become my favorite brand.  It is a true brand of luxury – every item is impeccable.  They now make organic pajamas and wearable blankets in three fabrics: rib-knit, fleece, and velour.

Castleware fabrics and manufacturing process

All Castleware products, including fleece baby pajamas, are made of 100% organic cotton yarn.  And the dyes meet the requirements of  OEKO Tex 100 standard.  It limits or bans 100 harmful substances.

Castleware is an all-American business.  The organic cotton comes from Texas.  Spinning and knitting are done in South Carolina and the sewing is done in California.

Castleware cotton pajamas cut and sizing

The natural fleece baby pajamas by Castleware remind me of a lot of the first fleece baby pajamas that I found which were discontinued later.  The fabric is the same, but the cut is better.  The legs are longer and sized more generously.  This is such a big plus!  My son was quite a tall baby, and I had a problem finding cotton pajamas for boys his height.

In fact, my blog followers loved Castleware products so much that it motivated Maureen, the owner of the business, to introduce changes.  She started making natural fleece baby pajamas in sizes 5T and 6T as well as enlarged her assortment of colors and fabrics.  It feels so great to be able to contribute to expanding a small business with all the stages of production in the US.

What people say about Castleware cotton pajamas

Here is what my blog followers said about Castleware products.

Conclusion about organic fleece baby pajamas

In sum, your baby will sleep in luxurious and flame retardant-free organic sleepwear.  In addition, your purchases won’t be polluting the environment and coming back to haunt us at our dinner tables.  You will sleep better, too! 

Where to buy

Castleware website

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