Düsseldorf – September 04, 2026 -- Schlummersack, the German baby sleep bag brand born from Britain's original slumbersac, is celebrating its 25th anniversary by giving away 1,000 sleeping bags to expectant parents, with entries open from September 3 to September 22 via the company's website.
The brand traces back to 2001 in Berkshire, England, where Geoffrey and Josephine Wood, together with partner Henry Young, developed a sleep sack designed to replace loose baby blankets, launching it as slumbersac.
A German entrepreneur turned a niche product into a household staple
In 2010, Karina Grassy, then a single mother working in London's e-commerce sector, invested 5,000 euros of her savings into 500 sleeping bags, storing them at her parents' home in Plauen and selling them through her own online shop. Sales grew to roughly 20,000 units by the second year. In 2012, Grassy acquired the trademark rights for the German-speaking market, rebranding the product as Schlummersack.
The sleeping bag with feet became the brand's best-selling product
In 2014, Schlummersack introduced a sleeping bag with feet, among the first to market with this design, allowing toddlers to walk after waking rather than being confined to a closed sack. It remains the company's top-selling item. The company relocated to Plauen in the Vogtland region in 2017, with its warehouse now based in nearby Neuensalz.
Sudden infant death cases in Germany dropped from 367 to 75 over two decades
According to figures cited by kindergesundheit-info.de and the Forschungsverbund Kindergesundheit at TU Dortmund, 367 infants died of sudden infant death syndrome in Germany in 2002, compared with 75 in 2024. Contributing factors include back-sleeping positions, separate cribs in parents' bedrooms, smoke-free environments, and the use of sleep sacks instead of loose blankets, with back-sleeping considered the single most important measure.
Schlummersack now operates in more than 15 countries
In 2023, Schlummersack became part of empact brands GmbH, led by Ferdinand von Hammerstein and Daniel Reiners. The brand now sells under the Schlummersack name in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and as slumbersac internationally. In 2025, it received a German Brand Award in Gold. The company also participates in the B1G1 initiative, funding education, health and environmental projects with every product sold.
Reflecting on the company's early days, former owner Karina Grassy recalled having to explain to customers why a baby sleeping bag was even necessary, at a time when 500 units sat stored in her parents' house in Plauen.