About Us
In 1999, Hanne Bollhorn, a dedicated Public Health Nurse and mother, had a revelation that would change her life—and the lives of countless families. It began when her son and daughter-in-law returned from Germany with a duck-down baby sleeping bag for their child. The sight of it sparked a memory from 35 years earlier: the sleepless nights spent struggling to keep her own babies warm and safe. Back then, the options were limited—many contraptions were impractical or even dangerous. Determined to find a solution, Hanne sewed her own baby sleeping bag, a simple act that solved her problem but faded from memory as her busy career took over.
That same year, a Consumer Product Safety Commission warning (April 8, 1999) urged parents to remove soft bedding like pillows, quilts, and stuffed toys from cribs, linking them to as many as 900 infant suffocation deaths annually. This call to action, combined with Hanne’s personal experience, the frustrations she’d heard from other parents, and her health expertise, ignited an idea. She teamed up with her sister-in-law, a skilled seamstress, to create a safer alternative. After discovering that no such product existed in Calgary, Hanne launched Kangapouch Inc. in the fall of 1999.
The name “Kangapouch” came from one of Hanne’s daughters, who likened the cozy, secure design to a kangaroo cradling its joey. The sleeping bag quickly became a source of pride and joy for Hanne, as parents shared how it brought them peace of mind, knowing their babies were warm and safe.
Hanne retired in 2003, passing the torch to me, her daughter Johanna, whom she trained to carry on her legacy. Since then, I’ve nurtured and grown Kangapouch, ensuring it remains a trusted name in baby sleep safety. For over two decades, Kangapouch has provided warmth, comfort, and security to babies everywhere—because every parent deserves a good night’s rest.