Zoe Rawlinson of Wānaka’s Alpine Baby wanted to create natural New Zealand wool baby sleep bags with the perfect balance of comfort, safety and sustainability and connected with New Zealand wool company John Marshall & Co to help in the manufacture of the Aspiring Sleep Sack.

“They introduced us to Halo Wool, an innovative new product made from New Zealand crossbred wool weaved onto a polyester mesh which has been treated with a product called CICLO, ensuring it breaks down with no micro plastic pollution at the end of the sleep sack’s life cycle which is essential. The mesh also stops the wool from separating and clumping as alternatives often do.”

“Our sleep bags are lined with organic cotton produced without chemical fertilisers or pesticides and we use Oketex certified dyes to ensure no harmful toxins are added. Even our zips are recycled,” says Zoe.

Launching her first design in December 2022 was a pivotal moment.

“We have two young daughters and couldn’t find sleep bags that suited our family.  Many were too narrow across the shoulders and didn’t keep the girls warm enough and others were too thin, so additional blankets were needed.”

“I decided to create a sleep sack that better suited our unique environment. My background is in health and safety, I have a business degree and am an avid home sewer, so the idea started from there nearly five years ago.”

Zoe says Alpine Baby has three core values – the sleep bags must be snuggly, sustainable and safe.

“The sleep bags are filled with snuggly wool, lined with soft organic cotton jersey and there is plenty of room for babies to stretch out. Our wide shoulder caps have been particularly well received as they keep little shoulders snug while allowing temperature regulation through the arms.”

Zoe says baby sleep bags are growing in popularity led by some paediatrician recommendations that infants should not sleep with loose blankets or other hazardous items.

“Well designed sleep bags remove the danger of loose blankets. As safety is a major focus for us our Aspiring Sleep Sack has been designed and tested to meet strict international safety standards.”

“It’s rare to find new mums these days who don’t use sleep sacks because it gives that peace of mind, especially if designed well,” she says. “We have had amazing feedback from Wānaka parents and the business support has been incredible. We currently ship the sacks across New Zealand with a goal to sell into Australia, Europe and the UK later in the year.”