Nested Bean Zen Sack Review

I recently bought the Nested Bean Zen Sack for my nine month old baby. I wasn't paid for this review, and did not receive the product for free.

I bought it in sleep deprived desperation like many parents scouring the internet for solutions to help their baby sleep.

Why did I decide to try the Nested Bean Zen Sack?

My baby is nine months old and for the first six months of her life she was an amazing sleeper. I thought I was lucky, my third baby is a great sleeper, and it's payback for all the sleep deprived torture with my first two babies.

Before she was born I decided I would co-sleep and roll with whatever having a newborn brought me. I was all prepared for the sleep ups and downs of a newborn.

But to my amazement she slept wonderfully right from the start. Long stretches, waking to eat only occasionally.

I have never believed in cry it out or hard methods of training my baby to sleep, but I was thrilled with her sleep habits.

Then around six months she started waking. A lot. Okay, maybe she is teething or learning a skill I thought.

While it has been off and on with the waking, it's definitely a lot more than it used to be. I also nurse her to sleep and was having trouble putting her down without me.

I even wrote a post about when your baby only wants to sleep on you. I was okay with it though. I try to have the attitude to roll with the challenges, because as soon as you fix them your baby changes and you are on to a new issue.

But this has been happening for awhile and I do need to get stuff done occasionally.

I had seen the Nested Bean sleep sack advertised but always thought well I don't need a sleep gadget. They also have a swaddle but I am way past the swaddle stage. We use sleep sacks only now.

I decided on a whim to try it though. Considering I have a baby who does not like me to put her down, and this sack claims to mimic a parent's touch, I figured what did I have to lose. Worst case, I have another sleep sack and we do use those.

Here is some info about the Nested Bean Zen Sack Classic from the manufacturer:

• 100% cotton
• Imported
• EASY TO USE: Two way zipper system makes midnight diaper changes a breeze. The adjustable shoulder snaps allows this wearable blanket to grow with your baby and make it the perfect swaddle transition product
• LIGHTLY WEIGHTED: On the chest, to give the feeling of your reassuring palm. The weighted pad is filled with non-toxic poly beads (same as those used in children’s toys) and was created using physio-therapy standards to give just the right amount of pressure. Moms report longer sleep in 1-3 nights
• THICKNESS: The Zen Sack Classic has a TOG rating of 0.5 which means it is breathable for Summer days but still warm and cozy enough for night time sleeping
• MATERIAL: Made from 100% luxuriously soft cotton. Completely washer/dryer safe and BPA, toxin and phthalate free. Exceeds safety standards - 12 mandatory and 7 voluntary tests passed
• SIZING: Comes in 3-6 months (7-18 lbs, 19-26 inches) and 6-12 months (16-24 lbs, 26-30 inches)

So, what did I think? I wasn't expecting a sleep miracle which I believe is key. The Nested Bean sleep sack is adorable, cozy, and the weighted bean on the front is cute and just right, not too heavy at all.

And what I love about this sack is the way the shoulders open with snaps and have two settings for height. Then the bottom has double zippers.

This combination allows it to completely open up making a diaper change easy or taking it on and off without waking your baby if needed. The fabric is soft and the design is cute. It feels high quality to me.

I wondered if it was even worth it to buy this since my baby is nine months, but the six to twelve month size has plenty of growing room. And believe it or not my baby did sleep better after I got this.

We went from waking every couple of hours to waking once in the early morning which is more in line with how she used to sleep.

Now, I am always a sleep sceptic. I truly believe babies and kids go through many growth spurts and challenges, and sleep horrible sometimes, and better other times. So I can't say for sure the sleep sack really helped. She also happened to have her first tooth poke through finally.

But, you can't lose with this product because even if it does not help your baby to sleep longer, it is an adorable high quality sleep sack. I would have paid for that alone.

Can I wash the Nested Bean Zen Sack?

Yes. The Zen Sack is totally machine washable. Thank goodness, since babies are not clean!

From the manufacturer:

The garment’s construction ensures filling stays in place through repeated washes. To protect the quality of fabric, we recommend washing in cold water, on a gentle cycle and drying using low heat.

Is the Nested Bean Zen Sack safe?

I will admit at the time I bought the swaddle I was not concerned about safety. From my understanding of the product, and the way it felt to me, it was so lightweight it did not occur to me that there could be a safety issue.

Since then I am aware of questions related to the safety of weighted items, including sleep sacks and weighted blankets. 

While a weighted blanket should never be used on a baby or young toddler, the Nested Bean Zen sack does not have nearly the same amount of weight as a weighted blanket.

Since my baby was nine months at the time of purchase and already rolling over and moving around plenty, I was not concerned at all.

But I have given it more thought since then I am not sure I would have bought something like this for a newborn.

My advice is to always check with your pediatrician if you have any concerns with any baby product or gear you are considering using.

I also looked into what Nested Bean has to say about safety and this is the information available on their website:

At Nested Bean, we take infant safety very seriously. First and foremost, all of our products have been designed according to the AAP's Guidelines for Safe Sleep. Additionally, the weight in our products is maintained well below the recommended weight to body-weight ratio according to physiotherapy therapy standards (1:10). Throughout the development process, we worked with multiple safety laboratories, all of whom are accredited by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. These safety firms were involved at multiple stages of our product's design, to ensure safety in both design and quality. The Zen Swaddle and Zen Sack have undergone many tests, to meet both mandatory as well as voluntary safety standards. 

As I said above, please check with your pediatrician if you have any concerns about any baby product you are using.

This sums up my thoughts on the Nested Bean Zen Sack Classic.

I loved it enough I felt compelled to write a review.

You can find it here!

Nested Bean related products

Nested Bean Zen Swaddle if you are still in the swaddling phase.

Nested Bean Zen Footie Pajamas

Nested Bean Zen Sack Premier - 70% Rayon from Bamboo Baby Sleeping Bag

Please let me know if you have any questions!