For your baby’s cot

The Silk Cot Sleeve Guide

A little softness for the nursery. Discover the thoughtful details behind our silk cot sleeves, from the fabric and fit to everyday care.

Illustrative image: a baby asleep on their back in an empty cot, on a pink silk cot sleeve fitted over the fitted sheet
Illustrative image

What Is a Silk Cot Sleeve?

A silk cot sleeve is a panel of mulberry silk that sits over the fitted sheet you already use, across part of your baby’s cot mattress.

It doesn’t replace the fitted sheet. Underneath the mattress, a mesh backing closes with hook-and-loop strips. There is no elastic band.

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  1. Silk panel
  2. Your fitted sheet
  3. Cot mattress
  4. Mesh and hook-and-loop underneath
Illustration, not to scale.

A Closer Look at the Details

  1. Close-up of the Sky Blue silk panel fitted across a cot mattress, with the fitted sheet visible above it
    01

    The Silk Panel

    Smooth mulberry silk across the mattress surface.

  2. Close-up of the white mesh backing underneath the mattress, with the silk wrapping the side
    02

    The Mesh Backing

    A lightweight mesh construction underneath.

  3. Close-up of the overlapping mesh flap and its hook-and-loop strip underneath the mattress
    03

    The Fastening

    Hook-and-loop strips along the overlapping mesh.

Photographs of the Sky Blue sleeve.

Thoughtfully Chosen Materials

Soft silk on top, practical construction underneath.

  • Pure Mulberry Silk

    A natural silk fibre prized for its beautifully smooth texture.

  • 22-Momme Silk

    A substantial silk fabric with a refined, luxurious feel.

  • Thoughtful Construction

    A silk surface paired with a mesh backing and hook-and-loop fastening.

Made from silk certified to OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, tested for harmful substances.

Finding the Right Fit

A quick measurement can help you understand whether the sleeve is the right size for your cot mattress.

How to measure

  1. Leave your fitted sheet on the mattress.
  2. Run a flexible tape measure around the width: across the top, down one side, across the underneath and back up the other side.
  3. Compare your measurement with the range below.

Or estimate it: (width + thickness) × 2. This is an approximate calculation. A flexible tape measure gives a more accurate result.

width thickness mattress, fitted sheet on all the way around
Measure around the width, over the fitted sheet.
  • Mattress circumference130–160 cmAround the mattress width, including its thickness
  • Silk panel50 × 90 cm
  • FasteningMesh backing with hook-and-loop stripsNo elastic

Designed for cot mattresses onlyNot for bassinets, cradles, Moses baskets, portable or travel cots, or other smaller sleep spaces.

Why the fit on your mattress still mattersMattresses vary in width, thickness and how firm their edges are, so a measurement within the range is a guide, not a guarantee. On your mattress, the sleeve must sit flat and taut with the fastening fully closed. If it doesn’t, please don’t use it, and get in touch with us.

Fitting Your Cot Sleeve

Fit the sleeve with the mattress out of the cot, and check it again before every sleep.

  1. cot mattress, fitted sheet on
    01

    Lift out the mattress

    Take the mattress out of the cot with the fitted sheet still on, and stand it upright.

  2. mesh flap head end silk fitted sheet
    02

    Wrap the sleeve around

    Wrap the sleeve around the mattress, over the fitted sheet, with the silk across the part of the mattress where your baby’s head will lie. Smooth out any wrinkles.

  3. presspress hook-and-loop underside, no elastic
    03

    Close the fastening

    Bring the mesh flap round underneath and press the hook-and-loop strips firmly together along their full length.

  4. flat, taut, no gaps head end
    04

    Check, then return

    Check the silk is flat and taut, with no slack or rucks and no hook surface showing. Put the mattress back in the cot and check there are no gaps around it.

Check the fit before every sleep and after every wash. If the silk is loose or rucked, the mesh or strips are worn or damaged, or the fastening won’t hold, stop using the sleeve.

Safe Sleep Comes First

Whatever is on the mattress, New Zealand’s safe-sleep guidance comes first. These are the Foundations for Safe Sleep, in brief.

The Foundations for Safe Sleep

  • Face up, face clear Your baby on their back for every sleep, with nothing near their face.
  • Flat and firm Their own flat, firm bed, with a mattress that fits the cot with no gaps.
  • Free A sleep environment free from smoke, vapes, alcohol, drugs and harm, that supports breastfeeding.
  • Fathers and family The whole whānau helps keep pēpi safe.

Read the full guidance

These resources provide general safe-sleep guidance and do not constitute an endorsement of LS Silk products.

Using a Silk Cot Sleeve

  • Cot mattresses only Never use it in a bassinet, cradle, Moses basket, or portable or travel cot.
  • Always over a fitted sheet On a firm, flat mattress that fits the cot with no gaps.
  • Check before every sleep The silk should be flat and taut, with the fastening fully closed underneath.
  • Stop using it if it’s worn If it’s loose, stretched or damaged, or if the fastening won’t hold, stop using it.
  • In the first 1–2 days As with any new sleep accessory, we recommend monitoring your baby closely. This doesn’t replace checking the fit before every sleep or following safe-sleep guidance.
  • Keep the cot clear No pillows, toys, bumpers or loose bedding.

A silk cot sleeve is bedding. It isn’t a safety device, and it doesn’t reduce the risk of SUDI.

Caring for Your Silk Cot Sleeve

Always follow the care label in your sleeve.

  • Washing

    Each sleeve comes with its own mesh laundry bag. Place the sleeve in the bag and wash it on its own in a front-loading machine, on the silk or delicate cycle.

  • Detergent

    Use a detergent made for silk.

  • Drying

    Air dry, away from direct sunlight.

  • Before Each Use

    Check the silk, the seams, the mesh and the hook-and-loop strips. If anything is worn or damaged, or the fastening no longer holds, stop using the sleeve.

Cot Sleeve Questions, Answered

Does a silk cot sleeve replace a fitted sheet?

No. A silk cot sleeve is designed to sit over an existing fitted sheet, not replace it. Your fitted sheet stays on the mattress, and the sleeve covers part of it.

How do I know whether it will fit my mattress?

Measure around the width of your mattress with the fitted sheet on: across the top, down one side, across the underneath and back up the other side. The sleeve is designed for mattresses measuring about 130–160 cm around. You can estimate the figure as (width + thickness) × 2, but a flexible tape measure is more accurate. A measurement within the range is a guide, not a guarantee: on your mattress the sleeve must sit flat and taut with the fastening fully closed. If it doesn’t, please don’t use it, and contact us.

Can I use it in a bassinet, cradle or portable cot?

No. The sleeve is designed for cot mattresses only. It isn’t designed for bassinets, cradles, Moses baskets, portable or travel cots, or any other smaller sleep space.

What makes mulberry silk different from cotton?

Mulberry silk is a natural protein fibre, reeled from silkworm cocoons as long, continuous filaments. Cotton is a plant fibre made of short staple fibres that are spun together into yarn. Because silk filaments run the full length of the yarn, woven silk has fewer loose fibre ends at its surface, which gives it its smooth feel and natural sheen. The two fabrics also need different care, so always follow the care label.

How do I wash it?

Each sleeve comes with its own mesh laundry bag. Place the sleeve in the bag and wash it on its own in a front-loading machine on the silk or delicate cycle, using a detergent made for silk, then air dry it away from direct sunlight. Always follow the care label in your sleeve.

What should I know about safe sleep?

Follow New Zealand’s Foundations for Safe Sleep: your baby on their back for every sleep, face clear, in their own flat, firm cot, with nothing loose around them. You’ll find the full guidance from Health New Zealand, KidsHealth and Whānau Āwhina Plunket. These resources provide general safe-sleep guidance and do not constitute an endorsement of LS Silk products. A silk cot sleeve is bedding: it isn’t a safety device, and it doesn’t reduce the risk of SUDI.

Explore Our Silk Cot Sleeves

Thoughtfully chosen silk, for the little details that matter.