Selk Bag Review for Kids

Selk Bag Review: Wearable Sleeping Bag for Kids

Have you ever woken up on a cold morning camping and wished you could take your warm and cozy sleeping bag outside with you while you made breakfast? I know I have. The Selk Bag Kids helps children do just that.

Freezing football games and backyard bonfires will never be the same. Why wear just a coat when your whole body can be toasty? Best of all, there aren’t any accessories to loose!

Given the clear brilliance of the design, we jumped at the opportunity to review the new and improved kids Selk’ sleeping bag. Selk’s unique design creates a giant onesie freeing the arms and legs for all our side and belly sleepers out there.

Some of us enjoy extended swaddling in mummy bags that zip up to our eyes. I’m personally a fan of such bags for winter camping. Every inch matters.

On the other end of the spectrum lie my eldest and my husband. They loath being tapped in such suffocation devices as mummy bags or even wide traditional bags.

kid smiling in sleeping bag

Fun and Stylish Prints for Selk’Bag Sleeping Bags

For the kids out there can’t be trapped in, we love the Selk’ sleeping bag in two fun prints, Deep Sea and Flamingo.

Kid jumping in sleeping bag

We initially picked Flamingo because pink is life in our girly-girl house, but when Deep Sea arrived my eldest was delighted. The colors are bright and fun, and I find the whale print calming.

Keep Them Toasty and On the Move

Hollow-Fiber insulation and a soft shell polyester shell keep little bodies toasty with tiny circular clusters of synthetic insulation that mimic the properties of down clusters.

I would liken the synthetic down to that of a light puffy. Layered properly with either thin base layers or thick fleece, you can adjust the warmth accordingly. I would even layer a mid weight down coat under the bag and it would still be comfortable due to the loose fitting nature of the bag.

Check out guide to Layering up for Cold Weather.

Kid in tent in sleeping bag

My girls wear their down jackets in their sleeping bags no problem, I imagine wearing it under the Selk’ bag would be more comfortable.

What We Like about Selk’Bags

Crazy sleepers unite! If your kid always wakes up cold outside their bag, the Selk’ sleeping bag may be for you. My daughter is all over the place when she sleeps which is why she hates traditional bags.

Kid running in sleeping bag

With her down quilt she still has to carefully wrap herself in order to stay warm enough. With the Selk’ bag she rolled around happily through the night.

She no longer wakes up to find a lost blanket or to pull her blanket out from under one of us. She loves her bag for the freedom it provides her while sleeping. She can relax and not worry about the cold.

Light Weight and Easily Packable

The new Selk sleeping bag is not only very comfortable, it’s incredibly lightweight and easy to pack. The bag comes in an easy to carry backpack with matching print.

The bag packs up small and would be a great addition to a summer backpacking trip. I imagine it could pack up significantly smaller in a proper compression sack if you really wanted to minimize space perhaps for a bike-packing trip.

It’s tiny size and light weight mean warmth is compromised. The size large is only 2lbs with a rating of 48 degrees. The size medium is only 1.5lbs. That said, with such a warm rating, I can’t recommend the bag for most North American shoulder season locations.

It’s truly a summer bag but layered properly my girl was comfortable in 30 degrees walking around and reading a book as we watched a storm roll in.

Kid drinking from mug in sleeping bag
A warm drink, mid layers and a knit hat kept my girl toasty

If you are looking for a slightly warmer lightweight sleeping bag great for backpacking, check out our suggestions here.

Built in Lounge Pad

Lounging by a campfire or on the floor of a besties bedroom is where this sleeping bag outshines it’s competition. Up for any adventure, littles don’t have to decide whether to stay up or go to sleep.

They can stay warm while listening to a story and enjoying the last few flames of the campfire. I like to run our house a little chilly to keep bills and energy use down. My girls have been known to watch a movie in their Selk’bags on the coach. The lounging possibilities are endless.

Speaking of lounging, this bag was made for aprèsski. Here’s a reminder on How to Use your Car as a Base Lodge for Skiing.

The bag preformed great for a cold windy day for a story and some outside play. My girl was too sick to hike but needed some fresh air. The bag kept her warm and cozy. Check out Amelia’s post on Why it’s Important to get Sick Kids Outside.

Selk Bags are Made from Recycled Bottles

What we love most about Selk’bags is that they are made up of roughly 90 recycled plastic bottles. Not only are they warm and fashionable but they are utilizing an important solution to our global plastic problem.

Kid enjoying a log bench and stuffed animal in sleeping bag

Sustainable production requires fewer resources and generates less waste including CO2 emissions. Reduce, reuse and recycle. Even better, we believe Selk’ bags make great hand me down gifts due to their high quality and durability.

Even better they are members of the 1% for the Planet Organization. Membership includes a commitment to reinvesting 1% of sales to local and national environmental non-profit organizations.

Adjustable Hood, Hand Enclosures and Removable Booties

We cannot stress how much we love the new removable booties. Removing a flap is much easier that unzipping a bootie. Flaps are easy for kids to adjust both on feet and hands.

An adjustable hood is a great addition for chilly nights. An insulated hood with the ability to cinch tight for a snug fit is supper helpful if your child gets cold easily or won’t keep a hat on while sleeping.

About Selk Bags

What We Didn’t Like

I noticed two immediate concerns with the bag, first was that the zipper easily catches on the inside material. The problem is easy to fix but I was unimpressed with the quality of the zipper.

The second problem was that the arms were huge and the legs were short. My daughter is 137cm and her feet didn’t fit into the size Large which should fit up to 150cm.

I’d also like to see some waterproofing as kids tend to get wet while exploring. A onesie ski suit would be more practical staying warm and dry exploring if there’s any inclement weather.

One Bag, Many Occasions

Overall, we love the new kids Selk’ sleeping bag. It’s warm, lightweight and comfortable. The bag packs up nice and small and can be layered easily for colder weather.

This is a great addition to any tailgating party or summer camping trip. I’ve thought to even store the bag in the car in case of an emergency during the winter.

Selk’s ingenious design is long overdue. Sleeping bags are not a one size fits all piece of gear. We are sleep a little different.

For littles who need to sleep wild and free the Selk’ sleeping bag is perfect. Selk’ sleeping bags give kids the freedom to be play while staying warm and dry.

Mom reading kid book outside in sleeping bag

Where to purchase a Selk’Bag

Selk’bags are available at REI and directly from Selk’Bag.

Related Articles:

Selk Bag for Kids Sleeping Bag Review

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Author

  • Jen Gardner, a Colorado native is passionate about exploring and preserving nature. When not hiking, biking or skiing the Colorado Rockies with her family (and alone!), Jen enjoys traveling the world with her husband and kids. Diagnosed in 2006 with 3 cranial cavernomas (weak blood vessels in the brain that hemorrhage creating benign tumors), Jen has made it her mission to live life to the fullest. She writes about her journey getting her kids outside despite sickness on a blog called Gone With Groms. The better the gear, the longer and easier it is to stay outside, so Jen has made it her mission to find the best gear for outdoor families.

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