Baby Blankets

Baby blankets are a great source of comfort for babies. In fact, even many adults never completely grow out of the sense of relaxation and ease they get when having a nice, cozy blanket wrapped around them.

Aside from keep the baby warm - baby blankets have many other uses. A baby blanket is one of the handiest pieces of apparel to carry with you when you are taking care of a baby. It can be used as a transportation vehicle to carry your baby from place to place. It can be used as a handy changing cloth in bathroom changing stations.

Personalized baby blankets are one of the more popular gifts to give to new parents. A personalized baby blanket adds a touch of intimacy to a gift.

Health-wise, a baby blanket is important for maintaining a baby's body temperature. A baby doesn't have the fat reserves to keep him warm that we as adults have. As a result, a baby will lose body heat much faster than you or I. So, in effect, the blanket acts as a layer of "fat" to help protect him. So you want a baby blanket that will retain heat. And for those concerned about "natural" products, organic baby blankets are becoming more popular every year.

The second thing that you want to look for in a baby blanket is to make sure that it's breathable. Breathability is very important. A blanket that is non-breathable will trap moisture inside it bringing discomfort to the child. A blanket made of fabric that breathes will allow the moisture to escape, leaving the portion of the material next to the baby's skin nice and dry.

Breathability in fabrics is a relatively recent measurement. It measures the rate at which moisture passes through the material (in grams per square meter of fabric). The higher this number, the more breathable it is considered. Not all baby blankets will carry this measurement. But if it does, look for one with at least 10,000 grams per square meter, and preferably 20,000 or better.

If your child has allergies, you will have to take those allergies into consideration when buying a blanket. Luckily blankets are made of a variety of different materials. Stores today carry many different styles of hypo-allergenic baby blankets. Whichever style you get, do your investigation to ensure that it is of enough quality to withstand numerous washings.

Throughout the years, wool was a common material used for blankets. It's natural, warm, and highly breathable. However, unless blended with another softer material, wool alone may irritate the skin. That's why today, you'll find more and more blankets made of synthetic fibers. With the burgeoning interest in recyclables and organic materials, however, it may not be long before all natural blankets make a comeback.

However, if ordinary wool is too harsh on the skin, not to be forgotten is cashmere. Cashmere is wool, but it's fine wool. It's not only strong, but it's soft and light, making it perfect for use in baby blankets. Cashmere comes from the Cashmere goat - hence the name. Workers remove the down from the goats by hand during the spring when the goats begin to moult. But baby's aren't the only ones who will adore the feel of this fabric. Adults love it as well.

Another popular fabric choice for blankets is Chenille. One of the reasons it is so popular is that it feels so good next to the skin. It's a very soft fabric - softer than fleece and flannel. It's also easily washable - in fact, some say that it gets softer with each washing. Another advantage is that it doesn't lose it's shape, even after many washings. Chenille's main drawback is that it doesn't retain heat as well as some other materials.

One of the most popular alternatives to natural materials is a synthetic fabric called micro-fleece. Micro-fleece is a soft, thin, and lightweight fabric. Micro-fleece is also water repellent, can handle many machine washes, and dries very quickly. It's also easy to wrap and has a high breathability factor. Micro-fleece is made by a variety of different companies and new brands are always coming onto the market. It's a very good product, but be sure to read and compare the specifications of a number of different micro-fleece blankets before purchasing one. You will undoubtedly find vast difference in quality.

There are many other baby blanket materials as well. And companies are bringing new synthetics onto the market year after year. The important thing is that whatever blanket you choose, your child is comfortable and happy in it.