Review: Aden + Anais swaddling blankets

As you read from my post last week, we love wrapping up little baby burritos in our house. When Isaac starts to get a little fussy, all it takes is a tight swaddle to put him right to sleep. We have our tried and true swaddle blankets and have been pretty hesitant to try anything new. If it's not broke, don't fix it, right? When I got the opportunity to try the Aden + Anais muslin baby wraps, I was initially somewhat skeptical. Could I really like another swaddle blanket as much as I loved the ones that we've been using for months? We've been using our blankets for a few weeks now, and I have to admit they now see almost as much use as our old standbys.

Click on Read More! to learn more about Aden + Anais and get a full review.

Aden + Anais was born when two Aussie moms who had moved to the U.S. began looking for the muslin wraps that they knew to be a staple with moms back in Australia. They soon found that the blankets did not exist here in the U.S. That's when Claudia and Raegan decided to create their own. They began with a line of muslin wraps and now also offer a line of soft cotton towels and muslin washcloths, too.

We really like the Aden + Anais wraps. For one, they are HUGE at 47 inches by 47 inches to be exact. As you know, newborns grow very quickly and most blankets just aren't big enough to allow you to get a really tight swaddle for very long. When we wrap Isaac up, we have plenty of room to really pull the blanket tight around him. If he wasn't getting so strong, we'd be able to use these blankets for months.

The cotton muslin fabric has been a godsend as the weather has gotten warmer. I never worry that Isaac is too hot when he's wrapped up in his Aden + Anais blanket, regardless of the temperature. I used one the other day to drape over his head and body when he was in the Baby Bjorn at the park. It blocked the hot sun, but didn't completely smother the poor guy. Aden + Anais also makes a winter weight wrap as well. The winter wrap is make out of the same muslin fabric, but is double layered for a little extra warmth.

The muslin fabric is soft and breathable, but there's just a tiny bit of stretch to it. Not really a big deal for a young baby, but the stretch makes it even easier for my little Hercules to break himself out of his swaddle. I fully accept that the breaking out is inevitable, and he's able to do it more and more frequently even in our old blankets, but he gets out VERY quickly when wrapped up in his muslin blanket. I did notice that the Aden + Anais website had an alternative "Aussie" method for swaddling your baby. We're going to give it a try and see if it helps keep Isaac contained for just a little longer. I really do feel that Isaac sleeps better when he's tightly swaddled, and I'm dreading the transition to getting him to sleep without the swaddle.

Now for the "official" review.

All ratings are on a four-star scale.

Functionality ***1/2 - While these blankets haven't completely replaced our favorite swaddling blankets, I do think they are a great alternative. The extra-large size makes these blankets perfect for swaddling larger babies. I love the unique muslin fabric. It's so soft and breathable. I NEVER worry about Isaac getting hot while swaddled in his Aden + Anais wrap, even on the warmest nights. They are also simple to wash and dry, too. I took off 1/2 a star just because Isaac has quickly mastered getting himself out of his swaddle with these blankets due to the slight stretch in the fabric. I didn't take off more because I know a lot of this is just a product of the fact that he's nearly 4 months old and getting pretty strong. He's able to get out of just about any swaddle these days, but the Aden + Anais blankets pose little challenge. The Aden + Anais website also offers several other uses for your wraps, as well.

Style **** - We've been using the zoo animals prints which I really love, but you have tons of options in boy and girl prints as well as some great unisex options as well. All of the prints are simple with muted colors, and your choices go beyond simply pink, blue, green and yellow. I think the mod prints are cute, and I love the navy/lime prints as well.

Cost **** - At only $44 for a pack of 4, these wraps are a steal! Aden + Anais does offer packs of two for $29.95 which makes them a little more pricey, and the winter weight version is more expensive as well, but it's hard to find such a quality swaddling blanket for only $11 each!

Overall Rating **** - I really do like these swaddle blankets, especially for the warm months. They are inexpensive and incredibly functional. I'm sad that we won't be using them much longer for swaddling because Isaac is really reaching the end of his swaddling days, but I know that we will be finding tons of other uses for them.