Best Swaddle For A High Needs Baby – Even When They Hate Swaddles

Updated July 23rd, 2018

There are two basic types of swaddles: A blanket that you wrap around the baby yourself or a pre-made swaddle that does the same thing as a DIY swaddle but take a lot less time to get baby wrapped up

If you’re not sure whether a swaddle is right for your tiny demon take a look at How To Swaddle a Fussy Baby for tutorials you can use to try some basic swaddle wraps. We recommend finding a wrap style that works for your baby before you spend your money on a pre-made wrap.

Affiliate links: Some of our links earn us a commission (it costs you nothing). We only recommend products that worked for our own babies.

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Jump To:
Best Muslin Swaddle
Best Pre-Made Swaddle

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Muslin Swaddles:

Muslin is hands-down the best fabric for babies. It breathes, it washes and if you get a good quality piece it will last you through a billion washes and 6 kids (not that you want 6 kids after having a high needs baby).

 

Muslin swaddles are all-purpose. They’re a summer blanket, a burp cloth, a bib, and although the big ones are REALLY big they will fold up teeny tiny to fit in a diaper bag. Hell, tie one at the corners to MAKE a diaper bag if you want. Who are we to judge?

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Best Muslin: Ziggy Baby Swaddle Blankets

We were all about Aden & Anais muslin until we tried these. Ziggy Baby Swaddles are way softer (and get softer with every wash). Besides, they’re almost half the price. Sold!

Best for:

• When you have a unique swaddling style and no pre-made swaddle will cut it (rock on, you beautiful beast!)
• Parents who like multi-purpose items. Keep two of these on hand at all times – your older kid will use one as a lovie, we guarantee it
• Small budgets and bigger families. These things will last for years

Pros:

• Soft. Seriously, the softest muslin we’ve ever tried
• All-purpose. Receiving blanket, puke cloth, swaddle, sun-shade. In a pinch it will even work as a towel
• Less expensive than the market leader Aden & Anais. And bigger too
• Really cute patterns
• The colors don’t run in the wash
• They’re huge. The largest size is 48 x 48 inches (around 120cm x 120cm)

Cons:

• They come in a 3-pack unlike Aden & Anais Swaddles that usually come in a 4-pack
• They’re huge (did we say that already?) Be prepared for a corner to drag on the ground when you’re wrestling a high needs baby, maybe a toddler, a diaper bag, some groceries, and that 10-gallon drum of gin that was on sale

Overall: 

You can’t go wrong with these muslins. Even if your baby never takes to being swaddled you’ll find a ton of other uses for them

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Honorable Mention: Aden & Anais Muslin Swaddle

A&A have dominated the muslin swaddle market for a long time, and with good reason. This is a quality product and about half our group have at least one A&A muslin in their diaper bag.

Best For:

• Dedicated “free-wrappers” who don’t want a pre-made swaddle cramping their style
• Baby shower gifts
• Warmer climates

Pros:

• A&A have been around a long time and are a trusted name in baby products
• You can buy just one swaddle if you’re not ready to commit to a 4-pack
• The range of designs is vast. Ziggy Baby have a beautiful collection but are nowhere near the number of options offered by Aden and Anais
• Different material options: Bamboo is pretty popular, a new offering beside the traditional muslin
• Buying direct from Aden and Anais is a nice experience – their customer service is top notch and we like the global options

Cons:

• Sticker shock. Even though they last a long time, it’s tough to hand over that much cash for a piece of muslin
• Some of the prints can make the fabric feel more scratchy than we’d like
• The latest version of these feels like a lower quality than past years – the fabric is faster to de-thread and there’s a lot of excess lint the first few times they’re washed

Overall:

A beautiful product for families who are dedicated to “free-wrapping” their fussy baby. Makes an amazing gift too.

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Pre-made Swaddles

You’ve completed your free-wrapping apprenticeship and you’re ready to try a swaddle that does the wrap style you like in half the time, Let’s roll!

Best Arms-Up Swaddle: Love to Dream Swaddle Up 50/50 

By far the best swaddle for babies that hate swaddles!

The Swaddle Up Original was the only pre-made swaddle that uses the hands-up swaddle technique. The Swaddle Up 50/50 is the same principle but also comes with zip-off mitts that help baby transition out of a swaddle.

Best for: 

• In the car or the swing. There’s a gap in the swaddle so you can do up the safety clip. Genius!
  
• Swaddle-haters
• Babies 4+ months. For 0 – 4 months the Swaddle Up Original is a better buy
• Babies who prefer having their hands near their face

Pros: 

• Our unswaddled Test Babies kept punching themselves in the face thanks to the startle reflex. The Swaddle Up 50/50 smothered the startle reflex just enough that it wasn’t an issue but didn’t interfere with free movement
• Stops baby scratching themselves. And stops them scratching your boobs
• The fabric is nicely lightweight
• Free leg and hip movement
• Just enough arm movement that if your baby learns to roll in the night they will be able to support themselves

Cons: 

• It’s not exactly a swaddle so it almost didn’t make the list at all. It’s more like a sleeping bag with inbuilt mitts
• Could use a waterproof lining around the hands. The mitt area gets soaked from being chewed
• If baby is serious about stretching their arms above their heads the fabric can get pulled up over their face
• Because it’s deliberately tight around the torso to mimic a hug, the Swaddle Up can run small – get a size larger if you’re not sure

Overall:

A good swaddle for babies who hate having their arms pinned straight down or wrapped across their chest. Doubles as a sleep sack when the mitts aren’t being used. Anything that is multi-purpose gets our vote!

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Related: Moby Wrap Review: Like Stuffing An Octopus In A Sack

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