The Selk’bag is a ridiculously cozy wearable sleeping bag that keeps you warm and mobile. But before I tell you more about the Selk’bag, let me tell you about my kid.
This is my middle daughter, and she’s very much a middle child (like me). She was actually 6 by the time our youngest was born, so we joke that she always was a middle child—we just didn’t understand for several years. She’s much more internally focused than our eldest, and has strong opinions about the way the world should be that she doesn’t always care to explain to anyone else.
Last summer, while on a bus tour with my parents, she bought herself a furry hat. My parents questioned whether it was wise to let her spend so much of her money on it, but then she wore that hat every day—starting in August!—and for several months it was rare to see her without it. (Occasionally I forced her to let me put it in the wash.) For a talent show this spring, her talent was putting on 9 hats at once (including a Cthulhu ski mask). She has another hat that she wears at night, along with fleece footie pajamas and about 5 blankets piled on top (or better yet, wrapped up in a burrito around her), even on nights when I feel it’s warm enough for shorts and a T-shirt.
Believe me when I say that my daughter places a high value on being comfortable, and she takes her coziness very seriously.
So when Selk’bag offered a review sample for their wearable sleeping bags, I knew immediately that my daughter would love it. I thought she might like one of the Star Wars–themed versions, but when we did the feature comparison, she quickly gravitated toward the 5G Original: puffier, warmer, and with removable booties.
Selk’bag Features: Cozy
The Selk’ bag comes in a couple different varieties—there’s a Lite version that allows for more ease of movement, and a camouflaged version for hunting and outdoor activities—but the basic form is the same. It’s essentially a sleeping bag with arms and legs, but there are several nifty details.
To get in the Selk’bag, you just unzip the two zippers on the front. The right side zips down to a little below waist level, and the left side is a little higher than that. The top of each zipper has a velcro flap that closes over the zipper pull to keep it out of your face and block out any extra drafts. The hood is insulated and has drawstrings to cinch it down, similar to mummy-style sleeping bags. The front of the bag also has a kangaroo pocket (as on a pullover hoodie), which is on the outside of the insulation. Inside the flap right at chest level, there’s a small mesh pocket for your cell phone.
Booties
The booties themselves have a nylon base, kind of like the bottom of a tough backpack, with two leather(ette?) strips across the bottom. They’re kind of trapezoid-shaped, so they don’t entirely conform to your foot shape but just keep them covered. You can zip them off to wear your own shoes while walking around outdoors, and then zip them back on when you’re sleeping or lounging around. The booties zippers are larger, chunky zippers, and there’s also a flap that covers them up to shut out drafts there.
All of the varieties have the booties except for the kids’ Star Wars versions, which just have foot openings.
Arms
The arms of the Selk’bag are closed at the end like a big sock, keeping your hands nice and toasty, but there’s a small opening on the underside in case you need, you know, fingers and a thumb for anything. The velcro strap (shown above on the left) doesn’t actually cover an opening—it’s used to roll the end of the sleeve back out of the way when you’ve got your hands out.
Finally, on the legs, there are some leg vents on the side of the lower legs—unzip them to reveal a small, mesh-covered opening in case you get a bit warm (but not warm enough to take the Selk’bag off).
Carry Bag
Each Selk’bag comes with a stuff sack, similar to a sleeping bag—you do have to shove it down a bit to get it all to fit, but it works, and then you can cinch it all down with the drawstring and straps.
Sizing
The Selk’bags come in several different sizes for kids and adults. I checked the size, and we actually decided on an adult medium, even though it’s technically still a bit large for my daughter. She’s 4′10″ and likely to keep growing, so we wanted some extra room just in case. The kids’ sizes are also proportionally narrower, so this one looks a bit baggier on my daughter, but she didn’t mind—it just meant she could stuff a few pillows inside for extra padding and be a punching dummy for her sister.
Zipping off the booties lets you stretch the height limit a bit, too—this size goes up to 5′5″ but I was able to wear it myself (I’m 5′10″) with the booties off, though the bottoms of my shins were exposed.
Colors/Patterns
There are five colors in the adult sizes of the original: black, green, blue, purple, and yellow. The Lite version comes in grey, blue, and a lighter purple. The kids’ version just comes in stereotypical blue and pink. And, of course, there’s the aforementioned camouflage version.
If you’re bored by the solid colors, you can always go for one of the Star Wars Selk’bags, too: Chewbacca, Darth Vader, Stormtrooper, and X-Wing pilot. (Note: I don’t think the Stormtrooper Selk’bag qualifies you for membership in the 501st Legion.) [Updated to add:] The Star Wars versions are currently 30% off until July 23, and there’s also a giveaway running during the sale.
I even discovered that there are Marvel superhero versions of the Selk’bag, though they’re not listed on the official site anymore. It looks like those are in limited supply.
Pricing
The price for this extreme comfort varies based on the version, from $69 for the kids’ sizes to $169 for the adult 5G original. The Star Wars Selk’bags are actually less than the original, but they are less insulated and probably a little more suited for play and costuming.
Selk’bag Features: Ridiculous
Okay, let’s face it: wearing a Selk’bag is going to make you look slightly ridiculous. The Selk’bag is trying to solve our desire to stay warm and our need for moving our appendages; the Slanket is another notable example of an attempt at a solution, and while it may also be pretty comfy, it’s also pretty silly.
But just look at that face—that’s a look of sheer joy.
As soon as the Selk’bag arrived, my daughter put it on and wore it around the house the rest of the day, despite the fact that summer has finally hit here in Portland and we had a really warm weekend. The next time we go camping, I know everyone’s going to be pretty jealous when she can get up on a chilly mornings and stay in her sleeping bag at the same time. Who knows? Maybe I’ll need to get one for myself for those chilly mornings when I don’t feel like getting out of bed but I have to get my kids ready for school: I can just bring my bed with me downstairs.
In short: if you’re a fan of ridiculous coziness, the Selk’bag may be perfect for you.
They may be purchased directly from Selk’bag or from various online retailers, including Amazon.
Disclosure: I received a sample of the Selk’bag for review. Opinions and wacky daughter are my own.
