Are your brand’s baby & kids “loungewear” styles considered “sleepwear”? Why you need to know the answer.
As a childrenswear designer, I’ve had plenty of experience in the area of sleepwear. And let me tell you - are there a LOT of rules for this category!
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission defines children’s sleepwear as: “any article of clothing, such as a nightgown, pajama, robe or loungewear, that is sized above 9 months and up to size 14 and that is intended to be worn primarily for sleeping or activities related to sleeping.”
So, are your baby & kids “loungewear” styles considered “sleepwear”?
Yes. Yes they are.
One thing that I’ve noticed is that many brands use the term “loungewear” to describe garments or as a broad category name - even if the items sold under the “loungewear” category aren’t sleepwear. For example: loose fitting sweatpants, shorts, tees and sweatshirts.
Why is this a problem?
Because if these garments weren’t designed and tested to be CPSC compliant sleepwear styles - meaning they pass the flammability testing (or) are tight fitting - they run the risk of being recalled.
(If you’re not sure if your sleepwear is compliant, then go to the CPSC website to review their rules & regulations for children’s sleepwear.)
A letter dated February 3, 2015 from the CPSC to manufacturers, distributors, importers and retailers reinforced this:
“The CPSC staff views children’s “loungewear” (or other similar garments marketed as comfort wear) as garments worn primarily for sleep-related activities. Therefore, “loungewear” must comply with the children’s sleepwear standards.”
Who needs to be aware of this:
Brand owners & managers
Product development (including merchandisers, designers, technical designers & sourcing)
Factory partners
3rd party testing partners
Sales
Marketing
Customer care
Why? Because product recalls COST MONEY. And depending on how many pieces were manufactured, it can really add up.
(Google “CPSC children’s loungewear recall” and you’ll see what I mean.)
Beyond the financial cost, there’s also an environmental cost. And if you are striving to have a sustainable, eco-friendly brand, product recalls are neither.
Everyone involved, starting with the product development team, needs to understand what the rules and regulations are around children’s sleepwear.
Even the sales and marketing teams should be aware of these rules because the CPSC considers “how the garment is promoted and distributed” when determining whether a garment is considered “sleepwear”.
A photo of kids jumping on a bed could be a really cute visual. An IG post talking about how your loungewear sets are great for playing and sleeping is great marketing. Just make sure the styles shown and referenced are CPSC compliant “sleepwear”.
Your customer care team also needs to understand U.S. children’s sleepwear regulations so they can accurately respond to customer questions about fit and sizing. Being able to explain why some sleepwear is snug fitting helps to educate consumers as well.
If you’re a brand owner, don’t risk it. Make sure that your sleepwear follows CPSC regulations.
Do:
Hire designers and product developers who have a background in childrenswear
Familiarize yourself with the regulations - there are CPSC Children’s Sleepwear seminars posted on YouTube
Use 3rd party testing to ensure that your product is compliant
Make sure your factories are familiar with the regulations
Random test production
Don’t:
Cross your fingers and hope that you won’t get caught
Market something as sleepwear and/or loungewear without it being in compliance
Use factories without any experience making sleepwear for the U.S. market
Have questions? Need help with design or development? Let’s connect.