The short answer: a baby lambskin is a genuine lambskin pelt, tanned with the wool on and finished for use around infants. Parents use one for tummy time, floor play, feeds and prams. For sleep, guidance differs by country, so check the advice where you live before using one in a cot or bassinet.
Natural benefits
Families have used lambswool around babies for generations, and the reasons are practical. Wool traps air for warmth in cool weather and lets moisture vapour escape, so a lambskin feels comfortable to lie on in both cool and warm weather. It is soft and springy underfoot, which makes it a good surface for tummy time and first rolls and crawls.
A lambskin is still an insulating layer. Dress your baby lightly on warm days and move them off the rug if they seem hot or sweaty.
Baby lambskins
Our baby lambskins come in natural long wool and a shorn short-wool version. Each is a genuine lambskin with the wool still attached to the leather, tanned through several stages to give a soft, washable finish suited to babies. No two pelts are identical, so small differences in shape, size and wool are normal.
To compare sizes and wool lengths, see our baby sheepskin buying guide.
Other lambskin products for babies
We also stock a shorn lambskin pram liner and stroller comforter with harness slits, and a larger sheepskin play rug for older babies and toddlers.
Using a lambskin safely
Awake time
Tummy time, floor play, feeds and cuddles are what a lambskin is best for. Stay close by, and if your baby falls asleep on the rug, move them onto their back in their cot or bassinet.
Sleep
Guidance differs by country:
- New Zealand: Whānau Āwhina Plunket allows a short-hair sheepskin in the cot, covered with a sheet, unless anyone in the family has asthma or allergies.
- UK, Australia and the US: The Lullaby Trust, Red Nose and the American Academy of Pediatrics advise keeping sheepskins and other soft items out of a baby's sleep space, including cots, bassinets and Moses baskets.
Our guide to whether sheepskin is safe for babies links to each organisation's advice. If you're unsure, ask your midwife, Plunket nurse, health visitor or doctor.
Prams and strollers
Check that the harness can still be fitted and tightened correctly with the liner in place, and follow your pram manufacturer's instructions.
Allergies
Wool itself is generally not a common allergy trigger, but like any soft furnishing a lambskin can collect house dust mites over time. If anyone in the family has asthma, eczema, or a wool or lanolin sensitivity, check with your health provider first.
Care
- Shake and air the lambskin outdoors in the shade regularly, and sponge small spills.
- When it needs a full wash, machine wash on a gentle wool cycle in cold or lukewarm water, with a sheepskin wash such as Woolskin Wool Wash. No bleach or fabric softener.
- Dry naturally, away from direct sun and heat. Do not tumble dry.
- Once dry, gently stretch the leather back into shape and brush the wool.
Each lambskin comes with care instructions. For more detail, see our sheepskin care guide.
