Grobag Baby Sleep Bags
Once upon a time there were two ordinary people called Rob and Ouvrielle and we decided it was time to start a family, as you do. It was an exciting 9 months, but like all new parents-to-be, we didn't have a clue what was coming. I mean, how hard can parenting be?
As it turns out, quite hard actually. Our son Sam was born a month early in December 1996 - the poor chap couldn't wait to meet his parents. He was all fit and healthy but there was a snag... he just would not sleep at night! The trouble was we put him to bed under his blankets, only to return with the covers kicked off and Sam, cold, screaming his head off. We thought to ourselves, there has to be a better way?
This is where our Austrian sister-in-law came in to the picture. She said that in Austria and many other European countries, most babies slept in special baby sleeping bags, not under blankets and sheets. We tracked down a baby sleeping bag, bought one, nicknamed it a Grobag™, put Sam in one and he slept 12 hours a night.
After our second child (Lucy) was born, we decided it was time to start up a company producing Grobags - we had to spread the word to other sleep-deprived parents.
So that's how it all began, in some spare offices we found in Kingsbridge in September 2000. We really had no idea that the Grobags would take off like they have. We knew that in Holland, over 80% of babies slept in baby sleeping bags, so we gave ourselves a target of 10 years to get the UK from zero to 80% baby sleeping bag usage. As it turned out, we managed that in 5 years and the UK now has a higher percentage usage figure than Holland!
We are proud to say that we have changed the way that babies are put to bed in the UK.
Not only are parents and families getting more sleep, but Grobags are proven to be safer than traditional bedding and we have worked closely with the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID) since early 2000 to design safe products and promote safe sleep practices.
Eight years on, we have helped fund FSID safe sleep research to the tune of £500,000 and sold over 2 million Grobags in the UK and around the world.
It really has been an incredible journey.
We now have 4 children, or product testers in technical jargon. Along the way we have come across other parenting problems and set about solving these with innovative solutions, such as the Gro-egg , which turns room temperature into easy to understand colours; the Gro-light, which lets you check on your children without waking them up and the Gro-clock, which helps keep toddlers in bed longer giving everyone more sleep!
All our products are available throughout a wide range of UK high-street retailers, such as Mothercare, John Lewis, Babies R Us and online with Amazon and Kiddicare, to name but a few! We also have our own retail website and mail-order catalogue, called Bump to 3, which sells our full range of products, as well a wide range of innovative products from around the world.
Back in our HQ in Ashburton, South Devon, our talented product designers are beavering away, coming up with more amazing products that help make parenting just that bit simpler.
At the end of the day, we think being parents is hugely rewarding, but its also hard work . . . however why make it harder than it has to be? Our aim is to keep searching for simple, clever and innovative products that give you and your family the energy, as well as the right kit, to explore this new world.
Who knows, you might like parenting so much, you might end up with four kids, just like we did! Then again, you might be more sensible…
We would love to hear from you, maybe with your thoughts on our products or with any parenting problems you'd like us to solved
Just drop us a line at know @gro.co.uk
We look forward to hearing from you...
Rob and Ouvrielle Holmes
Founders of The Gro Company
Grobag has been working closely with FSID (The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths) since the very beginning, to help parents to create a safer sleeping environment for their baby. We also donate a substantial proportion of income each year to safe sleeping research.
Joyce Epstein, Director, FSID, said: "We are delighted to be working with the Grobag team in what is our 8th year of collaboration. Rob and Ouvrielle came to us for safety advice 6 months before they launched and we were pleased to help them - it was obvious that safety was one of their main concerns from the start."
"Not only do the Grobag Baby Sleep Bags meet all our requirements in terms of their design and construction, but we appreciate the extra steps that have been taken to ensure their sleeping bags are used correctly by parents. For example, the free room thermometer that is supplied with every Grobag Baby Sleeping Bag helps parents protect their baby from the dangers of overheating and on the reverse of the thermometer, parents are reminded of all the steps to make a safer sleeping environment for children."
"Grobag was the first dedicated Baby Sleep Bag manufacturer to come to us and ask for extensive help in the development of their products and we have been very happy to work with them and look forward to working with them for many years to come."
FSID is a leading baby charity working to prevent sudden infant deaths and promote baby health. More than 20,000 lives have been spared as a result of their research and health awareness projects. But, cot death is still the leading cause of death in babies over one month old and more research is needed to save further lives. Website: fsid.org.uk Registered charity number: 262191 Call FSID’s Helpline on 020 7233 2090 or email helpline@fsid.org.uk with your questions about reducing the risk of cot death and to get hold of a free BabyZone booklet on safe baby care.
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