Our story
Why I started KO-COON
I started KO-COON after my second son was born. He had a dust mite allergy, and the mass-produced baby products we tried made things worse, even the ones that sounded good. A bamboo mattress went mouldy underneath. Soft pillows overheated and held humidity, which dust mites and bacteria thrive in.
Our paediatric physiotherapist taught us how to care for him and what to surround him with. That's where the ideas started. I wanted natural fibres around him. I also wanted things that looked calm: soft colours that helped him relax and that fitted our home, without turning it into a baby shop.
— Alina Warner, founder
KO-COON launched in Cape Town in 2018. Our first product was the Merino Nesting Pod 3-in-1, a modular merino wool nest that starts as a newborn nest and carries on as a cot bumper, Moses mattress and toddler pillow. We designed it with input from paediatric physiotherapists and occupational therapists, for even, medium-firm support of the developing spine, neck and head.
Made in our Cape Town studio
Everything except our baskets and stands is made in our studio in Constantiaberg, Cape Town: the merino mattresses, pods, pillows, covers, sheets and blankets.
Woven in Malawi
Our Moses and changing baskets are handwoven from lala palm by artisans in Malawi, through a fair-trade partnership. Each basket comes to our studio, where we quality check it and attach the leather or hemp handles. Moses baskets have no formal safety standard, so we build ours to bassinet safety requirements and test every one internally.
Why merino
Merino is breathable, regulates temperature and is naturally resistant to dust mites, mould and mildew. It's also naturally flame-resistant, so there's no chemical flame retardant against your baby's skin.
Visit us
Collect from our studio by appointment: Unit 13, Constantiaberg Business Park, Elfindale, Cape Town. Email hello@ko-coon.co.za or WhatsApp +27 82 411 8977.