diff --git a/composite-aeson.cabal b/composite-aeson.cabal
--- a/composite-aeson.cabal
+++ b/composite-aeson.cabal
@@ -1,13 +1,7 @@
 cabal-version: 1.12
 
--- This file has been generated from package.yaml by hpack version 0.34.7.
---
--- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
---
--- hash: fa6d5ad5149157e7f81646f967bd8686cad752120bf82ade7ee863721f2996ea
-
 name:           composite-aeson
-version:        0.8.2.1
+version:        0.8.2.2
 synopsis:       JSON for Vinyl records
 description:    Integration between Aeson and Vinyl records allowing records to be easily converted to JSON using automatic derivation, explicit formats, or a mix of both.
 category:       Records
@@ -22,6 +16,7 @@
   exposed-modules:
       Composite.Aeson
       Composite.Aeson.Base
+      Composite.Aeson.Compat
       Composite.Aeson.CoRecord
       Composite.Aeson.DateTimeFormatUtils
       Composite.Aeson.Enum
@@ -68,7 +63,7 @@
     , contravariant >=1.4 && <1.6
     , generic-deriving >=1.11.2 && <1.15
     , hashable >=1.2.6.1 && <1.5
-    , lens >=4.15.4 && <5.2
+    , lens >=4.15.4 && <5.3
     , mmorph >=1.0.9 && <1.2
     , mtl >=2.2.1 && <2.3
     , profunctors >=5.2.1 && <5.7
@@ -131,7 +126,7 @@
     , generic-deriving >=1.11.2 && <1.15
     , hashable >=1.2.6.1 && <1.5
     , hspec
-    , lens >=4.15.4 && <5.2
+    , lens >=4.15.4 && <5.3
     , mmorph >=1.0.9 && <1.2
     , mtl >=2.2.1 && <2.3
     , profunctors >=5.2.1 && <5.7
diff --git a/src/Composite/Aeson.hs b/src/Composite/Aeson.hs
--- a/src/Composite/Aeson.hs
+++ b/src/Composite/Aeson.hs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 module Composite.Aeson
   ( module Composite.Aeson.Base
+  , module Composite.Aeson.Compat
   , module Composite.Aeson.CoRecord
   , module Composite.Aeson.Enum
   , module Composite.Aeson.Formats.DateTime
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@
   ) where
 
 import Composite.Aeson.Base
+import Composite.Aeson.Compat
 import Composite.Aeson.CoRecord
 import Composite.Aeson.Enum
 import Composite.Aeson.Formats.DateTime
diff --git a/src/Composite/Aeson/Base.hs b/src/Composite/Aeson/Base.hs
--- a/src/Composite/Aeson/Base.hs
+++ b/src/Composite/Aeson/Base.hs
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 module Composite.Aeson.Base
   ( ToJson(..), FromJson(..), JsonProfunctor(..), _JsonProfunctor, JsonFormat(..)
   , toJsonWithFormat, fromJsonWithFormat, parseJsonWithFormat, parseJsonWithFormat'
-  , dimapJsonFormat, jsonFormatWithIso, wrapJsonFormat, jsonFormatWithoutCustomError, wrappedJsonFormat
+  , dimapJsonFormat, jsonFormatWithIso, wrapJsonFormat, jsonFormatWithoutCustomError, wrappedJsonFormat, valJsonFormat
   ) where
 
+import Composite.Record ((:->))
 import Control.Lens (AnIso', Iso, _2, Wrapped(type Unwrapped), _Wrapped', _Wrapped, iso, over, withIso)
 import Control.Lens.TH (makeWrapped)
 import Control.Monad.Except (withExceptT)
@@ -132,3 +133,7 @@
 -- |Given a format for the value type inside some wrapper type @a@ which instances 'Wrapped', produce a format which works on the wrapper type.
 wrappedJsonFormat :: Wrapped a => JsonFormat e (Unwrapped a) -> JsonFormat e a
 wrappedJsonFormat = jsonFormatWithIso _Wrapped'
+
+-- |Specialized type for 'wrappedJsonFormat' so we can specify the 'Val' symbol.
+valJsonFormat :: forall s a e. JsonFormat e a -> JsonFormat e (s :-> a)
+valJsonFormat = wrappedJsonFormat
diff --git a/src/Composite/Aeson/CoRecord.hs b/src/Composite/Aeson/CoRecord.hs
--- a/src/Composite/Aeson/CoRecord.hs
+++ b/src/Composite/Aeson/CoRecord.hs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 import Data.Aeson (Value)
 import qualified Data.Aeson.BetterErrors as ABE
 import Data.Functor.Identity (Identity(Identity))
+import Data.Kind (Type)
 import Data.List.NonEmpty (NonEmpty)
 import Data.Maybe (catMaybes, fromMaybe, listToMaybe)
 import Data.Text (Text)
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@
 type JsonFormatField e rs = Rec (JsonFormat e) rs
 
 -- |Class which makes up a 'JsonFormatField' for some @rs@ where each @r ~ s :-> a@ by using the 'DefaultJsonFormat' instance for each @a@.
-class DefaultJsonFormatField (rs :: [*]) where
+class DefaultJsonFormatField (rs :: [Type]) where
   -- |Make up a 'JsonFormatField' for some @rs@ where each @r ~ s :-> a@ by using the 'DefaultJsonFormat' instance for each @a@.
   defaultJsonFormatField :: JsonFormatField e rs
 
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@
 
 -- |Make a @'Field' rs -> 'Value'@ given how to map the sum type to JSON along with a record with encoders for each value the field could have.
 fieldToJson
-  :: forall (rs :: [*]) r' (rs' :: [*]).
+  :: forall (rs :: [Type]) r' (rs' :: [Type]).
      ( rs ~ (r' ': rs'), RApply rs, RMap rs
      , RecApplicative rs, RecWithContext rs rs, RecordToList rs', ReifyNames rs )
   => SumStyle -> ToJsonFormatField rs -> Field rs -> Value
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@
 
 -- |Make a @'ABE.Parse' e (Field rs)@ given how to map the sum type from JSON along with a record with decoders for each value the field could have.
 fieldFromJson
-  :: forall (rs :: [*]) r' (rs' :: [*]) e.
+  :: forall (rs :: [Type]) r' (rs' :: [Type]) e.
      ( rs ~ (r' ': rs'), RApply rs, RMap rs
      , RecApplicative rs, RecWithContext rs rs, RecordToList rs', ReifyNames rs )
   => SumStyle -> FromJsonFormatField e rs -> ABE.Parse e (Field rs)
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@
 
 -- |Make a @'JsonFormat' e (Field rs)@ given how to map the sum type to JSON along with a record with formatters for each value the field could have.
 fieldJsonFormat
-  :: forall (rs :: [*]) r' (rs' :: [*]) e.
+  :: forall (rs :: [Type]) r' (rs' :: [Type]) e.
      ( rs ~ (r' ': rs'), RApply rs, RMap rs
      , RecApplicative rs, RecWithContext rs rs, RecordToList rs', ReifyNames rs )
   => SumStyle -> JsonFormatField e rs -> JsonFormat e (Field rs)
@@ -108,4 +109,3 @@
         oneCase :: forall r. r ∈ rs => ((,) Text :. JsonFormat e) r -> Const (Text, FromJson e (Field rs)) r
         oneCase (Compose (name, JsonFormat (JsonProfunctor _ ia))) =
           Const (name, FromJson (CoVal . Identity <$> ia))
-
diff --git a/src/Composite/Aeson/Compat.hs b/src/Composite/Aeson/Compat.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Composite/Aeson/Compat.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+module Composite.Aeson.Compat 
+  ( CompositeFormat(..)
+  ) where
+
+import Composite.Aeson.Base (parseJsonWithFormat', toJsonWithFormat)
+import Composite.Aeson.Formats.Default (DefaultJsonFormat(..))
+import Data.Aeson (FromJSON(..), ToJSON(..))
+
+newtype CompositeFormat a = CompositeFormat {unCompositeFormat :: a}
+
+instance DefaultJsonFormat a => FromJSON (CompositeFormat a) where
+  parseJSON = fmap CompositeFormat . parseJsonWithFormat' defaultJsonFormat
+
+instance DefaultJsonFormat a => ToJSON (CompositeFormat a) where
+  toJSON = toJsonWithFormat defaultJsonFormat . unCompositeFormat
diff --git a/src/Composite/Aeson/Record.hs b/src/Composite/Aeson/Record.hs
--- a/src/Composite/Aeson/Record.hs
+++ b/src/Composite/Aeson/Record.hs
@@ -1,22 +1,26 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE CPP #-}
 module Composite.Aeson.Record
   ( ToJsonField(..), FromJsonField(..), JsonField(..)
-  , field, field', fromField, fromField', toField, toField'
-  , optionalField, optionalField', fromOptionalField, fromOptionalField', toOptionalField, toOptionalField'
+  , field, valField, field', fromField, valFromField, fromField', toField, toField'
+  , defaultField, valDefaultField, defaultField'
+  , optionalField, valOptionalField, optionalField', fromOptionalField, valFromOptionalField, fromOptionalField', toOptionalField, toOptionalField', defaultValFromOptionalField
   , JsonFormatRecord, ToJsonFormatRecord, FromJsonFormatRecord, zipJsonFormatRecord, toJsonFormatRecord, fromJsonFormatRecord
   , DefaultJsonFormatRecord, defaultJsonFormatRecord
   , RecordToJsonObject, recordToJsonObject, recordToJson
   , RecordFromJson, recordFromJson
   , recordJsonFormat
+  , valMaybeParser, valMaybeField
+  , MaybeRecordFromJson, maybeRecordFromJson
   ) where
 
 import Composite.Aeson.Base
   ( JsonProfunctor(JsonProfunctor)
   , JsonFormat(JsonFormat)
+  , fromJsonWithFormat
   , wrappedJsonFormat
   )
 import Composite.Aeson.Formats.Default (DefaultJsonFormat(defaultJsonFormat))
-import Composite.Record ((:->))
+import Composite.Record ((:->)(Val))
 import Control.Lens (Wrapped(type Unwrapped, _Wrapped'), from, review, view)
 import Control.Monad (join)
 import qualified Data.Aeson as Aeson
@@ -29,9 +33,11 @@
 #endif
 import Data.Functor.Contravariant (Contravariant, contramap)
 import Data.Functor.Identity (Identity(Identity))
+import Data.Maybe (fromMaybe)
 import Data.Proxy (Proxy(Proxy))
 import Data.Text (Text, pack)
 import Data.Vinyl (RApply, RMap, Rec((:&), RNil), rmap, rzipWith)
+import Data.Vinyl.Functor (Compose (..), (:.))
 import GHC.TypeLits (KnownSymbol, symbolVal)
 
 -- |Function to encode a single field of a record, possibly choosing to elide the field with @Nothing@.
@@ -54,14 +60,42 @@
 field :: (Wrapped a', Unwrapped a' ~ a) => JsonFormat e a -> JsonField e a'
 field fmt = field' (wrappedJsonFormat fmt)
 
+-- |Specialized type for 'field' so we can specify the 'Val' symbol.
+valField :: forall s a e. JsonFormat e a -> JsonField e (s :-> a)
+valField = field
+
 -- |Given a 'JsonFormat' for some type @a@, produce a 'JsonField' for fields of type @a@ which fails if the field is missing and never elides the field.
 field' :: JsonFormat e a -> JsonField e a
 field' (JsonFormat (JsonProfunctor o i)) = JsonField (Just . o) (`ABE.key` i)
 
+-- | Given a 'JsonFormat' for some type @a@, produce a 'JsonField' for fields of type @a@ which substitutes a default value if the field is missing
+--  and never elides the field.
+defaultField :: (Wrapped a', Unwrapped a' ~ a) => a -> JsonFormat e a -> JsonField e a'
+defaultField default_ (JsonFormat (JsonProfunctor o i)) =
+  JsonField
+    (Just . o . view _Wrapped')
+    (\k -> view (from _Wrapped') . fromMaybe default_ . join <$> ABE.keyMay k (ABE.perhaps i))
+
+-- | Specialized type for 'defaultField' so we can specify the 'Val' symbol.
+valDefaultField :: forall s a e. a -> JsonFormat e a -> JsonField e (s :-> a)
+valDefaultField = defaultField
+
+-- | Given a 'JsonFormat' for some type @a@, produce a 'JsonField' for fields of type @a@ which substitutes a default value if the field is missing
+--  and never elides the field.
+defaultField' :: a -> JsonFormat e a -> JsonField e a
+defaultField' default_ (JsonFormat (JsonProfunctor o i)) =
+  JsonField
+    (Just . o)
+    (\k -> fromMaybe default_ . join <$> ABE.keyMay k (ABE.perhaps i))
+
 -- |Given a parser for @'Unwrapped' a@, produce a @'FromField' e a@.
 fromField :: Wrapped a => ABE.Parse e (Unwrapped a) -> FromJsonField e a
 fromField = FromJsonField . flip ABE.key . fmap (review _Wrapped')
 
+-- |Specialized type for 'fromField' so we can specify the Val symbol.
+valFromField :: forall s a e. ABE.Parse e a -> FromJsonField e (s :-> a)
+valFromField = fromField
+
 -- |Given a parser for @a@, produce a @'FromField' e a@.
 fromField' :: ABE.Parse e a -> FromJsonField e a
 fromField' = FromJsonField . flip ABE.key
@@ -82,6 +116,10 @@
     (fmap o . view _Wrapped')
     (\ k -> view (from _Wrapped') . join <$> ABE.keyMay k (ABE.perhaps i))
 
+-- |Specialized type for 'optionalField' so we can specify the 'Val' symbol.
+valOptionalField :: forall s a e. JsonFormat e a -> JsonField e (s :-> Maybe a)
+valOptionalField = optionalField
+
 -- |Given a 'JsonFormat' for some type @a@, produce a 'JsonField' for fields of type @Maybe a@ which substitutes @Nothing@ for either @null@ or missing field,
 -- and which elides the field on @Nothing@.
 optionalField' :: JsonFormat e a -> JsonField e (Maybe a)
@@ -96,12 +134,20 @@
   where
     f k = view (from _Wrapped') . join <$> ABE.keyMay k (ABE.perhaps i)
 
+-- |Specialized type for 'fromOptionalField' so we can specify the 'Val' symbol.
+valFromOptionalField :: forall s a e. ABE.Parse e a -> FromJsonField e (s :-> Maybe a)
+valFromOptionalField = fromOptionalField
+
 -- |Given a parser for @a@, produce a @'FromField' e (Maybe a)@ which represents an optional field.
 fromOptionalField' :: ABE.Parse e a -> FromJsonField e (Maybe a)
 fromOptionalField' i = FromJsonField f
   where
     f k = join <$> ABE.keyMay k (ABE.perhaps i)
 
+-- |Given a default @a@ value to use if the field is missing and a parser to use if the field is present, produce a @'FromJsonField' e (s :-> a)@.
+defaultValFromOptionalField :: forall s a e. a -> JsonFormat e a -> FromJsonField e (s :-> a)
+defaultValFromOptionalField default_ = fmap (Val . fromMaybe default_) . fromOptionalField' . fromJsonWithFormat
+
 -- |Given an encoding function for some type @a@, produce a 'ToField' for fields of type @Maybe a@ which elides the field on @Nothing@.
 toOptionalField :: (Wrapped a', Unwrapped a' ~ Maybe a) => (a -> Aeson.Value) -> ToJsonField a'
 toOptionalField o = ToJsonField (fmap o . view _Wrapped')
@@ -110,6 +156,16 @@
 toOptionalField' :: (a -> Aeson.Value) -> ToJsonField (Maybe a)
 toOptionalField' o = ToJsonField (fmap o)
 
+-- |Promote an ABE value parser to one which can be used to parse a field of a sparse JSON record using 'maybeRecordFromJson'.
+valMaybeParser :: forall s a e. ABE.Parse e a -> (FromJsonField e :. Maybe) (s :-> a)
+valMaybeParser r =
+  let r' str = fmap Val <$> ABE.keyMay str r
+   in Compose (FromJsonField r')
+
+-- |Promote a value parser to one which can be used to parse a field of a sparse JSON record using 'maybeRecordFromJson'.
+valMaybeField :: forall s a e. JsonFormat e a -> (FromJsonField e :. Maybe) (s :-> a)
+valMaybeField (JsonFormat (JsonProfunctor _ r)) = valMaybeParser r
+
 -- |Type of a Vinyl record which describes how to map fields of a record to JSON and back.
 --
 --
@@ -235,3 +291,16 @@
 
 instance DefaultJsonFormatRecord '[] where
   defaultJsonFormatRecord = RNil
+
+-- |Class to make a parser for a @Rec Maybe rs@ given a @Rec@ of parsers.
+class MaybeRecordFromJson rs where
+  maybeRecordFromJson :: Rec (FromJsonField e :. Maybe) rs -> ABE.Parse e (Rec Maybe rs)
+
+instance MaybeRecordFromJson '[] where
+  maybeRecordFromJson _ = pure RNil
+
+instance forall s a rs. (KnownSymbol s, MaybeRecordFromJson rs) => MaybeRecordFromJson (s :-> a ': rs) where
+  maybeRecordFromJson (Compose (FromJsonField aFromField) :& fs) =
+    (:&)
+      <$> aFromField (pack . symbolVal $ (Proxy :: Proxy s))
+      <*> maybeRecordFromJson fs