Kari C
© Kari C

“THE INFINITY“

BABY SLEEPING BAG

2018

A group project for “Textile Product Development” course at University of Borås.


Develop a sleeping bag following the product development guidelines. The sleeping bag focused on the specific need that surrounds the chosen target group and design a new product concept. 


Our innovative sleeping bag is designed to adapt to the baby's growth, and includes features that prioritise safety, handling, material composition, design, aesthetics, and affordability. By choosing "The Infinity", parents can ensure that their baby is comfortable, safe, and happy while sleeping.


Brainstorming

- sensors for safety

- expandability for body growth

- heaters for temperature adjustment


Target Group

- young, sustainable, technology-affine parents/ parents-to-be

- age range of 20 – 35

Market Study

The Market is filled with various, large brands providing different kind of baby sleeping bags. To get a better overview of what is already on the market, we decided to do a market research with emphasis on the competitors, the price range, the available shapes and colours, the main materials, the customer needs respectively the most essential functions which should be considered.


Competitors and Price range

Basic shape (possible with arm design)

- Flared form

- more freedom of movement

- adapted arms are available

- zipper placement: middle/ at the sides

Basic shape

Star shape

- All over shelter

- With arms and hood

- More playful

- Limitation of hand movement

Egg shape

- swaddle solution for new-borns

- without arm design

- sidewise zipper

Animal shapes

eg. shark, bears (Pinterest)

Main Materials

The main materials used in baby sleeping bags are from organic origin. Remarkable is, that especially organic cotton or merino wool are processed in the inner layers, which have a direct skin contact of the baby. These natural fibres are known for their distinctive properties.


The Grobag Company

-       natural fibre cotton

-       skin-friendly

-       anti-bacterial

-       easy to clean, machine washable

-       able to wash the baby sleeping bag even at 60°C


Snugbags

Summer sleeping bag

-       organic cotton

-       two layer, lightweight and super soft

-       oriented to a temperature range from 23°C to 30°C

Year-around sleeping bag

-       keeps the baby cool in summer times and warm in winter times

-       soft and comfortable inner layer: Merino wool from New Zealand

-       soft and breathable outer layer: cotton


Natural Baby Shower

Winter sleeping bag

-       made of 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton in the main fabric

-       the filling is 100% polyester

-       thiis a lightweight solution to keep the baby warm in cold times

Summer sleeping bag

-       100% rayon

-       a manufactured fibre made from regenerated cellulose fibres

-       in this case from bamboo

All year-around sleeping bag

-       a four layers product out of 100% cotton muslin


Justkidding, M&S and JoJo Maman Bébé

-       mainly using 100% cotton

Size & Weight chart (Grobag)

What to wear in a baby sleeping bag in relation to the temperature and tog (Grobag)


*The tog measurement is a European warmth rating, the higher the tog the warmer the sleeping bag.

Clothing description (Grobag)

Customer Needs

Material Composition  

-       heat retention and moisture permeability

-       non-toxic, natural fibres especially for the inner layers

-       dying or prints with fastness for salivary, non-toxic finishing


Anti-bacterial

-       direct, all day long skin contact

-       washable at 60°C

-       material composition


Anti-allergic

-       sensitive skin, prevention or minimization of allergic reactions in material composition


Easy Cleaning

-       daily use

-       machine washable product


Easy to Handle

-       simplification of parent’s handling how to get the baby in and out easily


Multiple functions

-       beside safety, warmth and comfort

-       eg. travel slot for the safety harness, zipper placement, arm design


Sustainability

-       trend of “Green thinking”

-       Enhancement of the short lifespan


Aesthetics

-       Harmonic colours are optimal to baby

-       Impact on buying behaviour


Costs

-       Short lifespan

-       Daily use: need of more baby sleeping bags

-       Comparison of competitors, regarding cost-effectiveness

Opportunities

About Customers: Survey Analysis

To better understand potential customers, we conducted a survey but noticed many responses came from non-parents, particularly students. To get feedback from parents or parents-to-be who have dealt with finding the right baby sleeping bag, we excluded non-parent responses. The original survey had 55 participants, but after excluding non-parents, there were 31 participants, mostly women aged 20-29 (67.7%). In the adapted survey, no one was younger than 20, and 58.1% were parents while 41.9% were pregnant people. Most were employed. Notably, almost two-thirds of respondents did not currently own a baby sleeping bag, but were interested in buying an innovative one.

Occasions

Frequency of usage

Two most important criteria

Two most important functions

Target costs for a normal sleeping bag (left)

& an innovative sleeping bag (right)

About Competitors: Finding the gap

Relating to the results of our survey the preferred suggestions are sensors and expandable functions. To clarify, which aspects provide the best opportunity to establish our baby sleeping bag at the market, we run another research with focus on competitors already existing on the market. The aim is to find a gap which can be used as an advantage.

List of available baby sensors

relating the website MakeUseOf

Sensors:

Initially, sensors connected to an app were considered to measure body temperature and movement for baby care. However, they are expensive and distract parents from focusing on the baby’s well-being. Therefore, we decided to focus on expandable functions instead.


Expandable Functions:

A baby sleeping bag typically lasts for only a few months, which is not sustainable. Therefore, we aim to provide an expandable sleeping bag that grows with the baby. Ergobaby’s adjustable strap solution inspired us, and we plan to combine expandability with adapted arms to the sleeping bag.


Potential:

We plan to improve on Ergobaby’s expandable sleeping bags by adding arm design. Additionally, inspired by non-slip socks, we aim to add a grippy material at the back of the sleeping bag for added safety.

About Materials

Natural fibres are better to use. They are greener and more adapted for kids and babies. We want to use anti-allergic and anti-bacterial fibres, like wool and bamboo, but greener, more sustainable and more comfortable like cotton or Lyocell.

Comparison of natural fibres

Advantages and Disadvantages of the natural fibres

Lyocell is ideal for our product as it’s sustainable, cost-effective and has all the properties we need. Transporting it from Australia to Europe has a minimal environmental impact compared to other fibres. Using a material mix is not necessary as Lyocell already has the desired properties.


Sort of fabric:

Three-layered solution with brushed, non-woven and woven Lyocell. Less extensible due to non-knitting fabric.

Knitted Lyocell is a better option as it regulates warmth and moisture, and is flexible. Suitable for moderate temperatures.


Grip material:

Vegetable leather like mushroom leather can be used for anti-slip and safety, as it is anti-bacterial and does not need chemical treatment.

Animal leather and polyurethane are less sustainable options. Mushroom leather is preferred despite being slightly more expensive.

About Colours

To create a timeless aesthetic for our baby sleeping bag, we have chosen two main color tones – Lavender and Greenery – that align with current nursery trends and principles. Lavender is a softer tone of Pantone's 2018 Colour of the Year, "Ultra Violet," and is well-suited for babies. Greenery is inspired by nature and can add color and texture to a nursery. We have selected warmer green shades to create a comfortable atmosphere with the right balance of light and dark. These natural tones align with our environmental-friendly principles and will help make our sleeping bags sustainable in every aspect.

Examples of Lavender colour palette

Examples of Greenery colour palette

Examples of Lavender and Greenery combination colour palette

Our sleeping bag patterns, inspired by 2018 trends and nursery principles, include buffalo check and circular patterns. Buffalo check, a modern twist on traditional gingham, is a popular choice for nursery décor and can be found on crib sheets, wallpaper, bibs, and bows. Circular patterns, chosen for their association with unity, are predicted to dominate nursery design in 2018.

Inspirations

Two unisex patterns have been developed for our sleeping bag. The first is a lavender check pattern, combining soft purple and buffalo check, creating a trendy and harmonious design. The second is a green circular pattern, inspired by soft green and circles, providing harmony for both babies and parents.

Design – lavender check pattern (pinterest)

Design – green circular pattern (pinterest)

Design

First ideas

According to the market research, the sleeping bag would be focused on the functional designs.  Expendable function is the most important. In the original ideas, we consider how to apply “Expandable” into the sleeping based on the body alteration of baby.  

Folding Design 1

There are several folding layers placed on the main body part and the zipper opening is in the middle.  The paper prototype is used to test how to work the folding design.

Sketch 1 – Folding in several layers

Folding Design 2

Folding the expandable part up from the bottom and hold that part with buttons.

Sketch 2 – Fold it up

Rolling Design

Rolling the expandable part up from the bottom and hold that part with 2 straps.

Sketch 3 – Roll it up

Velcro® (De-/Attach it) Design

Linking the expandable parts with Velcro.  The Velcro® fastener are surrounding along the edges of the connections.

Sketch 4 – Velcro® design

Adjustable Functions

Apart from expandable function, adjustable function is another consideration.  In regarding to the above sketch, the flexible strap is used.  Several buttons arrangement is placed for the growth of baby arms: one is in snap button design, and the other, in buttonhole design.

Sketch 5 – Adjustable function:

Snap button design (left)

& Buttonhole design (right)

Zipper location

-       U-shaped zipper: A large long zipper passed through majority part of the sleeping bag.  There is convenient to urination for baby and their parents’ handling in the lower part of U-shaped.

-       Zipper in middle:  A straight zipper placed on the middle of sleeping bag.  The classic large opening for parents to take care their baby in easy-handling.

Sketch 5 – Zipper location:

 U-shaped zipper design (left)

& Zipper in middle design (right)

Opening is a vital part to affect the convenience of handling the sleeping bag. From the above sketches, the zipper opening is passing through the main body which provided larger area to take care the baby with physical needs. Moreover, zipper opening will be used into final idea as it is the fastest way to open the sleeping bag if there is any emergency.

Development

Concept A

-       Based on folding design 1

-       Folding part was adjusted from the middle to the bottom

-       Because the thickness of several folding layers is uncomfortable for babies’ back

-       Zipper in the middle

-       Expandable functions: strap with sleeveless design

-      Grippy material: mushroom leather

Concept B

-       Based on folding design 1

-       Improvement from concept A: one large fold at the bottom because it is capable to fulfil the comfort of leg movement

-       Two-zipper opening: the flip of opening fabric turning down to prevent any obstructions while taking care of baby

-       Arm design for warm-keeping: folding part at the edge of sleeve for addressing arm length

-       Grippy material: PUR

Concept C

-       Expandable function: rolling- up design

-       Design limitation requires zipper at the side of the sleeping bag

-       Flexible strap as in concept

-       Grippy material: mushroom leather

Concept D

-       Arm design as in Concept B

-       Expandable function: VELCRO® (De-/Attach it) placed at the edge of connections

-       Design limitation: U-shaped zipper is applied as it will not pass the edge

-       Grippy material: PUR

Design Concept

To determine which concept to use for our final product, we evaluated several product concepts and put them into a concept combination table. After careful consideration, we determined that concept B was the best, with the exception of the grippy material, which we replaced with mushroom leather from concept A for a more sustainable solution. To support our decision, we used a concept scoring matrix that focused on main differences between the concepts, including size, appearance, additional functions, and cost. While not all customer needs were listed, we excluded criteria such as material composition and heat retention, as they were already compared and dependent on other criteria. By considering these factors, we were able to make a reasoned and informed decision for our final product concept.

Concept combination table

Concept scoring matrix

Explanation of rating

Final Product

Final product – Design 1

Final product – Design 2

Aesthetics

Concept B chosen for development due to effective demonstration of expandable sleeping functionalities


-       Large fold in the bottom

-       Two-zipper opening with covers at the top

-       Warm-keeping arm design with folding

-       Grippy design at back

-       Insufficiencies identified

-       Concept B further developed with: Hood for full body heat retention and protection for baby’s head

-       Velcro® added to hold large folding layer in expandable position

Final product

Final Product – Velcro®

Functionalities

-       Large folding at bottom for leg movement and expandable potential

-       DFL-E Velcro® sewn along bottom folding for holding various flexible expansion

-       Soft surface of DFL-E Velcro® will not hurt baby's skin

-       Two invisible zippers opening located at two sides of main body part

-       Arm design: folding for baby's growth

-       Grip material in middle of back: Mushroom leather

-       2 versions of sleeping bag for 0-18 months and 18-36 months

Benefits of DFL-E:

-       Decreases skin irritation through superior breathability

-       Conforms to baby's anatomy, increasing comfort

-       Soft loop eliminates abrasiveness against skin

-       Maximise visual identity via colour and embossing options

-       Die-cut shapes and packaging options reduce assembly time

Lyocell knitting

Mushroom leather

Fabric and Material

Lyocell knitting fabric

- anti-bacterial and anti-allergic properties, low cost, softness, ease of cleaning, breathability, moisture retention, sustainability

- The desired temperature range for the sleeping bag is 18°-24°C, which is suitable for indoor activities and temperatures

- Knitted fabric is preferred over three layers for its lower heat retention and better expandability

- Fully-fashioned machine will be used for production to reduce costs associated with assembly and sewing.


Mushroom leather

- No chemical treatment needed

- Suede-like appearance

- Anti-bacterial

- Provides grip

- More sustainable than animal leather and polyurethane

- Slightly more expensive than other options

Conclusion

Inspiration




Design goals





Lifecycle considerations






Price






Opportunity in the market

- expandable function

- ability to grow infinitely

- optimise zipper location and arm design

- add grippy mushroom leather

- use clean colours for a soothing feeling


- easy to clean

- sustainable materials (Lyocell and organic mushroom leather)

- anti-bacterial and anti-allergic properties

- no laminates for easy recycling

- expandability for extended product life cycle


- 70€

- justified by use of eco-friendly, sustainable materials & customer survey results


- an expandable and non-slip baby sleeping bag with focus on usability during travel

- considerations for travel use, eg. a travel slot for safety belt, can be easily solved