Soft Baby Blankets
Looking for a super soft baby blanket? If so, there's no doubt that you can't get any softer than faux fur or minky.
Here are two examples: the one on the left is a $50 blanket from Pottery Barn Kids and the other has both faux fur and minky (with the soft little bumps) on Amazon for just $17.99.
These ultra soft baby blankets feel wonderful to the touch. We have large faux fur blankets in our home to snuggle under while watching television. But we don't think they are the best option as a soft baby blanket. Here's why:
They're 100% Polyester
Sellers use terms like "sherpa fleece" or "sherpa baby blanket" or "chamois" to sound exotic, but it's polyester. We even saw a description of sherpa fleece as 100% vegan. Of course it's vegan - it's artificial! We aren't discussing food here!
We don't have a problem with an all-synthetic baby blanket. Just be clear about what you are getting.
They're Factory-Made
Faux fur, minky, sherpa fleece - whatever the marketing term - is manufactured into rolls, then cut into baby blanket shapes and finished into blankets. You're told nothing about conditions in the factory or about all the energy consumed by their machines. Perhaps that's OK with you, but you do have other options.
FYI, we're quite familiar with these materials because we use them for the backs of our smaller blankets called loveys (the fronts are hand-knitted). More about that coming up.
Not Very "Breathable"
A crib blanket should be breathable in case it finds its way in front of a baby's face. While some withhold all blankets and bedding for the first year, that's a personal choice and there are differences in the breathability of blankets, with microfiber/minky being one of the worst.
At the other end of the spectrum, hand-knitted items are inherently breathable, because hand-knitting produces many small holes for air to pass through. See them in the hand-knitted blanket below?
There's also machine knitting, which doesn't yield the same result. Machine-made knit stitches can be really tight.
They Can be Hot
Related to the breathability issue... microfiber blankets can be hot. We came across someone on reddit just today looking for a better blanket. Here's what they wrote:
"Baby and toddler blankets all seem to be made out of that super soft and lovely microfiber material. It’s really nice to feel, but daaaaaaaaaaamn does it trap heat like a fluffy oven. Our son sleeps well with blankets, but those microfiber ones make him break out in a sweat, kick them off, then immediately gets too cold."
Because it's a small item that could not possibly get wrapped around a baby's head, breathability is not an issue. We designed our loveys to provide a wide range of textures for a baby to explore.Work Conditions
Our soft baby blankets are knitted by a group of about 10 women who work in the living room of the house we built in rural part of Nicaragua, the poorest country in Central America. They sit on our sofa or in rocking chairs, with fans overhead and music playing if they wish.
Not much like a factory, is it? There's no pressure on them. They finish when they are able, but often help each other so that as many as possible complete a blanket each week (and get paid).
Helping the Poor
Our knitters work to feed their families in a country with almost no jobs. 100% of the "profits" from Sheep Dreamzzz blankets go to them. Sheep Dreamzzz is part of Sheep Not Goats, a 501(c) (3) charity specifically designed to help the poor.
We don't just give a "portion" to charity - we are a charity and not a penny from Sheep Dreamzzz sales provides income to anyone other than the knitters in Nicaragua. You'll feel great knowing that you helped a family in need. We even tell you who made your blanket and a little about her.
Construction & Materials
Sheep Dreamzzz blankets are all knitted by hand. This is a time-consuming process that yields an heirloom blanket with quality like that your great-grandmother might have produced. In fact, since our ladies do so much knitting, the quality might be even better.
Most of our blankets are blends of cotton or wool and synthetics, mostly acrylic or nylon. We choose our yarn very carefully and with experience have learned which produce the softest baby blankets.
In Summary
Almost all blankets from Amazon, Target, Pottery Barn, Little Giraffe, etc. are completely polyester or some other synthetic and made into ultra soft baby blankets in a foreign factory. There's a lot of focus on profit margin, after all that's why they are in business (to help themselves by maximizing profits).
Not so for Sheep Dreamzzz! We do this to help women in the poorest country in Central America, so they can feed their families. We hope you appreciate that. We know that whoever receives a Sheep Dreamzzz blanket from you will!
The gift that is so much more - ★★★★★
Gorgeous soft and cozy blankets that are very well made, thoughtfully wrapped, and bearing a personal note about the knitter. Steve and Sandy have been changing the lives of women in Nicaragua by giving them much needed training, skills, and employment. My daughter, who is expecting her first child, loved not only the gender neutral tones of the blanket and lovey that we chose for her, but also the fact that disadvantaged women were being helped to raise their own standard of living and that of their families. Beautiful gift that does so much more. I plan to buy more for the daughters of my friends.
Watch the following news interview to learn more about the Sheep Dreamzzz mission:
Our Softest Blankets
Here's how to find our most super soft baby blankets. We hope you'll choose a hand-knitted, highly breathable blanket from Sheep Dreamzzz. And choose to make a difference.
- Angel Soft - all blankets
- Luxe Ultrasoft - all solid-color blankets (not patterns)
- Comfort Chunky - all blankets
- Happy Baby - solid colors (salmon probably the softest)
- Warm & Silky - all blankets