Togs: a bedtime story since 2000…
by Ouvrielle Lindfield Roberts
Co-Founder of Folk & Thread
You will probably have heard of the term "TOG" when buying a new quilt for your bed. The term "TOG" stands for Thermal Overall Grade and describes the warmth or "Thermal Resistance" of a product. It's widely used in the UK to explain the warmth level of duvets and outdoor clothing. The higher the tog, the warmer the product will be. In 2000, our co-founder, Ouvrielle, first proposed using togs for baby sleep bags when she introduced them to the UK market 24 years ago. Here, she shares her story about why togs became an important safety term when describing baby sleep bags and what you need to consider when choosing the right tog today.
Let's go back to the very beginning...
Back in the 1990s, there was a lot of publicity around the rate of cot death in the UK. Well-known figures such as ITV Breakfast TV personality Anne Diamond were campaigning to raise awareness of the risks, having so sadly lost her own baby, Sebastian, to SIDS in 1991. In Europe, parents had been using baby sleep bags for years, and they were commonplace. At this time, baby sleep bags were just making their way into the UK market, mostly through continental European parents who saw the opportunity to sell into the UK.
As parents, my husband and I had been using baby sleeping bags for our two children, having been introduced to them by my Austrian sister-in-law. It was absolutely life-changing. Back in 1997, my 9-month-old firstborn was kicking off their covers so many times a night that we were all absolutely exhausted. And then I tried a baby sleep bag. Wow! We all slept through the night for the first time in weeks.
The little big idea...
Like so many parents, I was ready to try something new after our second child came along. I have always wanted to make a difference in the world. I KNEW the difference a baby sleeping bag could make and wanted to share that experience. I also knew that initial research studies in countries like Holland demonstrated that baby sleep bags were potentially a safer option than traditional baby bedding. However, as I also looked at the small amount of baby sleeping bags that were making their way into the UK, I was worried. I realised that there was literally no regulation, no safety standard, no information for parents about safe use.
So, whilst my husband and business partner, Rob, concentrated on the development of our new brand, I got the bit between my teeth and our product. I was determined to bring a product to market that was not only inherently safe but also came with advice about how to use it safely and correctly. I contacted The Lullaby Trust, and they and the Baby Products Association put me in touch with scientists and textile and industry experts to help me in my quest.
As I developed the product, I looked at various options for construction for the different seasons. And then I thought "How am I going to make it as simple as possible to explain this new product, and its safe use, to UK parents?"
The tog moment...
Using togs to describe the warmth of baby sleeping bags was just a no-brainer! In the UK we had already used togs for years to describe the warmth rating of adult duvets.
I set about learning everything I could about togs and tog testing. I met a wonderful textile technologist, Michelle Bradford, at Intertek Testing in Leicester, who showed me the whole process and undertook many tog tests for us. Our Dutch manufacturer thought we were mad to be this pedantic! But I knew it was what we had to do. Our first baby sleep bags came in 3 different tog ratings that are still broadly used today. As a team, we also wrote a "Code of Practice" for the safety of our baby sleep bags. This, of course, included togs and was used as the basis for the existing European Safety Standard BS/EN 16781:2018. Today, fabrics available to manufacturers have, of course, evolved, and many brands offer different constructions and components in their baby sleep bag designs. However, all products that comply with the safety standard use the tog metric, which I am proud to have brought into the category.
Togs today
At Folk & Thread, we offer three different togs to keep baby cosy or cool all year round. You can see our full tog guide, plus more safe sleeping advice at our Sleep Hub in partnership with the Lullaby Trust.
But here's an at-a-glance guide:
For room temperatures up to 20°C, we have a 2.5 tog - a cosy padded bag.
For room temperatures of between 18-24°C, our 1.0 tog is perfect. This lightweight blanket-style bag can be used as the room temperature starts to warm up.
For very warm room temperatures of 24°C and above, our super light, woven cool cotton 0.5 tog provides a light covering. Its enclosed seams and zippers have been designed to be worn with just a nappy for those really hot nights.
Finally, to make it as easy as possible, we also provide a What to Wear Guide so that parents and carers know what to dress their baby in depending on the tog of the baby sleep bag and the room temperature.
By Ouvrielle Lindfield Roberts
Co-Founder of Folk & Thread
Ouvrielle previously co-founded The Gro Company ‘Grobag’ with her former husband Rob Holmes in 2000.
The couple sold the business in 2013.