The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) issued a Safety Alert on 1 October 2026 for certain baby sleeping bags because of the risk of overheating and suffocation1. The alert concerns baby sleeping bags that do not have arm holes or that include a hood, marketed or intended for babies to sleep in unsupervised in a crib or cot1.
OPSS said that without armholes to retain a baby in position, the child might slip into the sleeping bag, which could result in overheating, suffocation and potentially death1. Sleeping bags with hoods may also cover a baby's nose and mouth and cause similar harm1. The alert follows nearly 50 recalls or product safety reports for dangerous sleeping bag products in the UK since 20231.
"OPSS is advising parents and carers not to buy, and to stop using, any sleeping bag products that lack armholes or which include a hood for unsupervised baby sleep."
OPSS said parents and carers who have these products should contact the business that supplied them, as they may be entitled to redress1. The alert does not name individual products, makers or retailers, and no list of affected brands has been published in the announcement1.
On the same day, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) issued a warning to parents and carers to be on high alert for online ads promoting baby products that claim to help with colic, reflux, sleep and soothing1. OPSS said the ASA warning followed a large-scale monitoring exercise in which the regulator identified ads promoting potentially dangerous products and practices that could put babies at risk of serious harm or death1.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Issued by | Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS)1 |
| Date | 1 October 20261 |
| Products covered | Baby sleeping bags without armholes, or with a hood, for unsupervised sleep in a crib or cot1 |
| Stated risks | Overheating, suffocation and potentially death; hoods may cover a baby's nose and mouth1 |
| Background | Nearly 50 recalls or product safety reports for dangerous sleeping bag products in the UK since 20231 |
| OPSS advice | Not to buy, and to stop using, such products for unsupervised baby sleep; contact the supplying business about redress1 |
| Related warning | ASA warning on online ads for baby products claiming to help with colic, reflux, sleep and soothing, issued the same day1 |
Why it matters for households
The alert applies to households with babies who sleep unsupervised in a crib or cot in sleeping bags that lack armholes or have a hood1. OPSS advises parents and carers not to buy such products and to stop using them for unsupervised baby sleep, and to contact the business that supplied them, as they may be entitled to redress1. The ASA warning concerns online advertising for baby products making claims about colic, reflux, sleep and soothing, which households may encounter when shopping online1.
What happens next
No further steps, deadlines or product lists have been reported1. Households wanting to follow official product safety alerts and recalls can use the staying informed hub1.
