Category Archives: Reviews

Shire Slings Starling Murmuration review

Reviews, Shire Slings, Woven wrap reviews

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Manufacturer – Shire Slings

Design – Starling Murmuration

Colour – Frosty Mist

Blend – 100% cotton

Weight – 228gsm

Width of wrap – 68cm

Size tested – 6

Retail price of tested design and size – £128

Provided to me by – Shire Slings

Website – Shire Slings

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Initial thoughts on design, colour and feel

When Starling murmuration arrived the first thing that really impressed me was the improvements Shire Slings have made in their finishing process. I had previously bought brand new one of their original Love Geek wraps, and at the time they got a bit of a reputation for being quite stiff and taking quite a lot of breaking in. The Love Geek I bought was certainly stiff, although I sent it off for conversion immediately so can’t really comment on how long they take to break in as wraps, although my wrap conversion mei tai has certainly softened considerably in the last year or so. Since then Shire Slings have been working on the finishing processes that wraps go through after weaving, to make their wraps much softer straight away, without losing anything from their hard wearing and pull resistant weave. And I would certainly say they’ve managed it with Starling Murmuration. The wrap arrived already soft and floppy, wrapped in a coordinating coloured muslin, and paper parcel. Even before its first use it felt really nice and had a beautiful sheen to the ‘right’ side of the wrap, while the ‘back’ is more textured for grip. We were on holiday in Yorkshire (for The Northern Sling Exhibition), during our testing time and were lucky enough to see the starlings flying together in a stunning coordinated display, and this wrap design is equally beautiful with lots of detail on the birds. I also admired Shire Slings new sparkly labels!

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Carrying thoughts

We used starling murmuration over several weeks before passing it on to SlingDad Dom for him to test out prior to giveaway on the Sling Sally Facebook page. It further softened during the time we had it, even though it was really nice to use straight from new and would be lovely and soft for a newborn as well as being super strong for older children. We (21 month old Reu and I), used it for a variety of front and back carries during this time, and took it for walks, around Ikea, for lunch with friends, at the sling library and for sleepy cuddles at home. I’ve now tried a few Shire Slings wraps and I really like their quite dense weave structure, and it’s a definite bonus that it’s not prone to pulls – in fact I think you’d have to actively try to pull it!

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I found  starlings really supportive and sturdy for toddler Reu, but without being at all diggy, which I find can sometimes happen on the shoulders when carrying a larger child. It was easy to wrap with and formed itself nicely around us in both single and multi layered carries, and the second layers had a nice level of grippiness – not too much when making a second pass, but enough to hold the carry without slipping. We tried a double hammock with a centrally flipped chest pass and saltwater finish, to try and show both sides of the wrap and found it really comfortable as well as rather attractive. My favourite back carry is a ruck finished knotless tibetan so we tested starlings with this knotless finish on many occasions and it always held well, with no slipping at all, as well as being nice a supportive and comfortable.

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As Reu is getting bigger and heavier I find some wraps are starting to pull a little when I front carry him, but I didn’t have this problem with starlings, thanks I think to the sturdy weave structure holding and spreading the weight well for me. He also has a tendency to bounce up and down when on my front if he’s not sleepy and in a wrap with more give this finds every tiny bit of slack in my carry and pulls it to the front, leaving a not ideally tight front pocket which can then pull on me. However with starlings the sturdiness of the weave meant that despite his best bouncing efforts during a rather stressful shopping trip (does anyone enjoy shopping in the lots of little breakables section of Ikea with a toddler?!), the wrap held up well, and none of the stress came from the wrap!

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Overall thoughts

Overall, starling murmuration has been a lovely wrap to use. The improvements that Shire Slings have made in their finishing processes are very noticeable, and you could now buy one of their slings and enjoy using it straight from new. The design is really beautiful and works equally well using either side out. The shimmery softness to the ‘right’ side is really lovely, and I’m sure it will continue to soften even further and become super soft, as well loved earlier edition Shire’s that I’ve touched have become. It’s a good all round wrap for babies and children of any age and for wearers of either gender. The resistance to pulls is a great benefit as I have some wraps which are really beautiful but their penchant for pulling puts me off using them. With this wrap you can have a great hard working wrap, that you can take anywhere without fear of rings, nails or sharp objects! And surely that’s the point of babywearing, to enjoy adventures with your little ones close to you.

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Little Fellows Boo review

Little Fellows, Reviews, Woven wrap reviews

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Manufacturer – Little Fellows

Design – Boo – wavy advancing twill weave

Blend – 50% mercerised cotton, 30% linen, 20% cotton

Width of wrap – 61cm

Size tested – 4m (long 4, short 5)

Retail price of tested design and size – £400

Provided to me by – Little Fellows

Website – Little Fellows

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Firstly, I should start this review by saying this is one of my favourite wraps, of those that I have had the pleasure of trying, and if I had £400 spare I’d have snapped this up (I’m not even sure if it’s for sale after it’s testing tour!). Boo stayed with us for a couple of weeks after the Northern Sling Exhibition before moving on to Slingdad Dom for more testing. The overall appearance of the wrap reminds me of the night sky, dark, with twinkles of different colours coming through which catch the light brilliantly, and Little Fellows’ description – ‘A wrap to remind us that even when times are dark, there is always colour and light waiting for us’ – really speaks to me and reminds me of my ongoing journey with antenatal and postnatal depression. Little Fellows unique advancing twill weave gives it the stunning wavy design which travels the length of the wrap, adding another aspect of interest and beauty to the design.

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As far as wrapping qualities go, I couldn’t fault it. It is strong and supportive while also being cushiony on the shoulders, and easily carried 21 month old Reu’s weight in both front and back carries. It moulded so naturally around us when we were wrapping that it was like a second skin, and held the carries brilliantly. There’s enough stretch to wrap easily but not so much as to introduce too much give and lead to any sagging. This piece of Boo was just long enough for us to manage a ruck with knotless tibetan finnish, and the texture of the wrap held the knotless finish perfectly, grippy enough, without being difficult to pass through. I even managed a kangaroo carry (previously a nemesis carry as I have struggled with it), with Boo and again, it was a joy to use and held really well, as well as looking stunning. Little Fellows wraps come blunt ended which I’m not very used to (this is only the second blunt ended wrap I’ve used), but I didn’t feel this was in any way a problem and because the wrap is so lovely and floppy, tying off was no problem, even with the full wrap width to pull through. At 61cm it could be considered a rather narrow wrap, but I didn’t notice this when using it, and at no point felt like I was struggling for width. Reu much prefers being hands in when carried and there was plenty of width for the wrap to come up to the nape of his toddler neck.

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You can probably tell I’m just a tad in love with this wrap (hint hint to hubby and family for Christmas 😉 ), but it was just such a joy to use. Really beautiful and subtle, and a true piece of woven art. It was fully supportive for my toddler, and would mould beautifully around even the smallest of babies. Massive thank you to Lisa at Little Fellows for letting us play with this beauty, and if you’re in the market for a handwoven wrap, do give Little Fellows a visit as they have recently brought out a more affordable range in addition to their higher end range.

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Joy and Joe Cosmic Rainbow review

Joy and Joe, Reviews, Woven wrap reviews

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Manufacturer – Joy and Joe

Design – Shiver me Paisleys

Colour – Cosmic Rainbow

Blend – 100% cotton

Weight – 255 gsm

Width of wrap – 60cm

Size tested – 6

Retail price of tested design and size – £149

Provided to me by – Joy and Joe

Website – Joy and Joe baby

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Initial thoughts on design, colour and feel

Joy and Joy have several colourways of the popular shiver me paisleys design (a fun and decorative skulls design). with both cosmic rainbow and its predecessor midnight rainbow having graduated rainbow colours. Cosmic rainbow has a light cream weft while Midnight has a darker weft, giving these similar wraps different looks that would appeal to different people. I really like the skulls design (do check out all the other beautiful colours available in this design!), and while it feels a little bit edgy, thanks to the decorative elements it’s not a hard or confrontational feeling design at all. The light weft colour gives the rainbow a lovely gentle and almost pastel feel, and you can use it ‘wrong’ side out for an even more subtle effect. The weave of cosmic rainbow has a really sturdy and slightly textured feel, which I like in a wrap, so that when you put it somewhere it stays there, but without being stiff. It has also softened in the time I’ve been using this wrap for review. The graduated design also makes this an ideal teaching and learning wrap as you can easily see which rail is which when you are demonstrating, learning and tightening.

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Carrying thoughts

Reu and I (21 months at the time of this review), have been using Cosmic Rainbow for several months now and have used it with a variety of front and back carries, as well as using it for demonstrations when teaching friends and at sling library sessions. It started off easy to use while still being sturdy, and has softened further with use without losing any of the supportive nature. It moulds itself nicely around Reu and I, but I don’t find that it sags even when I’m rushing, as it doesn’t have much stretch to worry about tightening away. The weave design adds a nice level of texture which helps the wrap to grip in place, and when doing knotless finishes such as a ruck finished knotless tibetan this texture helps it to grip really well, so that there is no slipping in the finish. With front carries I have also found Cosmic Rainbow to be lovely to wrap with and really supportive and comfortable, as well as beautiful! It’s very much supportive enough for toddler Reu, and would also be supportive enough for bigger children, as well as good to use for even the smallest of babies.

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Overall thoughts

I’ve enjoyed using Cosmic Rainbow, and as with some of the other Joy and Joe wraps I’ve used (Luceo non Uro and King of the Birds), I really like the sturdiness of this wrap. I always find when I use these wraps that I get a lovely tight and secure carry, and when back carrying in a ruck I’m always pleased with how comfortably high I manage to get Reu. Wraps with more stretch and floppiness to them have other benefits, but I always find myself pleased with my wrap job when using a sturdier wrap, such as Cosmic Rainbow. This could also be of benefit to someone new to wrapping, who may not yet be proficient in tightening strand by strand. It’s also proved to be a great teaching and learning wrap thanks to the variable stripe colours, making it easier to distinguish rails and to be able to follow a stripe around the carry to tighten and remove slack, or to be able to notice if you’ve accidentally gone wrong somewhere. Overall, Cosmic Rainbow is a great all round wrap.

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PodMama Boo the Onbuhimo review

Mei Tai's, Podaegi and Onbuhimo reviews, PodMama, Reviews

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Manufacturer – Podmama

Design – Onbuhimo

Colour – Boo – ghosts fabric

Size tested – Toddler size

Retail price of tested design and size – £65

Provided to me by – Podmama

Website – PodMama

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I have recently had a onbu (onbuhimo) here for testing from Podmama. Having not used an onbu before I looked up some tutorial videos and learnt that they are a traditional Japanese carrier. There is a main panel and two long shoulder straps, but instead of a waistband there is a loop (or rings on some versions), at each of the bottom corners of the main panel. The child’s legs go out the side of the panel so the bottom section of the panel curls under their bottom and up in front of them and between you and them, forming the seat. When used for front carries the straps can be straight or more usually crossed behind you, and for back carries they tend to be ruck style, and can be finished in whatever way you prefer (my preferred is tibetan). Onbu’s tend to be used with arms out so have shorter panels than other carriers (although as usual Reu insisted on arms in every time I tried to encourage them out!), so are great for busy toddlers who want frequent ups and downs, as well as younger babies with head control. Because there is no waistband, these carriers can be ideal for pregnant women or those who just do not find waist bands comfortable.

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As with the pod I had tested from PodMama previously (see my review of Nobby the pod here!), I was very impressed with the attention to detail and workmanship on Boo the onbu (Onboo!). Boo was a halloween inspired design with grey cotton straps and  a spooky fun ghost design for the main panel. there was padding to the top and bottom of the panel, as well as some on the sides where the child’s legs are.

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Having never used an Onbu before Boo I was very pleasantly surprised with how comfortable it was to use. For back carrying I found it easiest to stand Reu in front of me, get the onbu behind him with the straps ready threaded ruck style with enough slack to get on, and feed one of his legs out each side of the carrier (you could do this with them sitting in a younger child – Reu was 20 months at the time of testing). I them superman tossed him up onto my back as i would do when wrapping, fed my arms through the ruck straps, tightened everything up so he was nice and high and finished the carry (you could tie a double knot but I chose to finish knotless tibetan as I find this more comfortable on my shoulders). The straps and main panel on Boo were made of a very sturdy cotton, which was very supportive, and the straps were lovely and wide so you could spread them where appropriate to spread the weight to where suits you best. While some onbus have rings at the base of the panel, Boo had cotton loops. This were snug fitting, so while it look a little effort to pull through when tightening, the straps wouldn’t slip back through by themselves. They had enough grip that while tightening I didn’t feel the need to secure the straps as they really weren’t pulling through at all (you could however easily secure them between your knees if required).

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Once on my back, Reu and I were very comfortable. His weight was very well supported and I found the wide straps and lack of waistband very comfortable. On one of our test trips we took Boo to the zoo (zooboo!), and Reu had a few long carries with naps throughout the day (showing how comfortable he was), in between charging around seeing all the animals. It was really quick and easy to get him up and down, and without the long tails you would have with a wrap. I even found that when Reu was walking, I could leave Boo on my back secured with a loose knot, which was comfortable (maybe even fashionable if you’re interested in fashion?), and therefore easy access for the next up.

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We also tested Boo out in a front carry, with the straps crossed behind us, and again found it really comfortable and supportive. I started with Reu standing as I did for the  back carry (again, with a smaller child you could sit or lie them down), and picked him up onto my front before crossing the straps behind me and threading them through the loops. I also tried putting the carrier on first with the straps already threaded loosely, before putting Reu in, so I just needed to tighten up, which I found an easier method.

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Overall we very much enjoyed our time with Boo, so much so that I’m currently planning a custom Onbu with the lovely PodMama. Do check out her website for details of her onbu’s, as well as pods and other carriers, and how you can design your own from her lovely variety of fabrics (or your own if you have a wrap or scraps you’re thinking of converting). Boo was really quick and easy to use and very comfortable for both Reu and I.

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Little Fellows Let’s Get Fizzical review

Little Fellows, Reviews, Woven wrap reviews

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Manufacturer – Little Fellows

Design – Let’s Get Fizzical – pebble weave

Colour – Pastel rainbow

Blend – 50% silk, 30% cotton, 20% linen

Width of wrap – 68cm

Size tested – 3.6m (long 3/short 4)

Retail price of tested design and size – £345

Provided to me by – Holidayed from a friend

Website – Little Fellows

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A lovely friend recently sent her beautiful hand woven Little Fellows wrap on holiday and I was lucky enough to host it for a couple of weeks. Let’s Get Fizzical is a pebble weave pastel rainbow and is a silk blend. The pebble weave gives it a good texture, which counteracts any slipping you might anticipate from the high silk content. The colours are really rather gentle and shimmer as the light catches them, but aren’t at all bland. Little Fellows wraps come with raw selvedges (the top and bottom rails aren’t hemmed as there’s no need with the hand weaving process), and blunt hemmed ends, rather than tapered.

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I used Let’s Get Fizzical for a few back carries during its stay, including a double hammock tied under bum, and a ruck tied at shoulder with candy cane chest belt. I found the wrap lovely to use, and thanks to the open style of the weave and the handwoven nature, it really moulded itself around 20 month old Reu and I. There was some stretch to the weave which helped it to mould so well, and a little slipping with the silk, but the weave texture helped to hold the wrap in place, and as long as I tightened properly strand by strand this wasn’t a problem at all (and let’s face it, all wraps do a better job if tightened carefully). Despite being quite a thin wrap and with the open weave, the silk added lots of strength and it was plenty strong enough for toddler Reu, even in single layer carries. So it would be a lovely airy wrap to use on a hot day, for a baby or toddler of any age. I even played horsey (I pretend to be a horse with Reu on my back and he tells me when to trot up and down the road), with Reu in a ruck, trotting up and down our road! Despite all the movement from me ‘trotting’ so much, and Reu jumping up and down with excitement, the wrap held well. I hadn’t used a blunt ended wrap before and was curious as to how this would affect tying, but was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t really feel any different to a tapered end, probably thanks to the looser weave structure. The candy cane chest belt was lovely and soft and didn’t dig at all, which can sometimes happen with a thicker or tighter weaved wrap.

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Overall, we really enjoyed our time with Let’s Get Fizzical, especially how well it contoured around us, and how comfortable it was to use. It’s a beautiful piece of art as well as a lovely way to carry your child and be close to them.

The picture bellow is blurred because I’m ‘trotting’ at the time!

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Tree of Opals European wrap scrap charms review

Other reviews, Reviews, Tree of Opals

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Manufacturer – Tree of Opals

Design – Wrap Scrap European Charm

Retail price of tested design and size – £30 per charm, bracelet £5

Provided to me by – Tree of Opals

Website – Tree of Opals

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Tree of Opals contacted me recently about their new Wrap Scrap European charms, and asked if I was interested in hosting a giveaway for them. I love supporting work at home Mums and all things wraps and wrap scraps so of course said yes! So that I could give a full and accurate review I have gone through their website and full order process.

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Firstly, when I started looking at the website I was really very impressed with the variety of options available. She makes a variety of keepsake jewellery such as European charms (like Pandora charms), rings, necklaces and earrings. And you can have a massive variety of things preserved for posterity, including wrap scraps, wedding dresses (part, not all!), cremation remains, breast milk, placenta, hair, pet fur, umbilical cord, menstrual blood and teeth! And why not ask if you have something else you’d like preserved? There are also some crochet babaywearing necklaces available from the lovely Coastal Path Creations (I have one of her necklaces and it’s lovely and very well made).

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So having looked through the website and finding several items to add to my Christmas list, I then progressed with my wrap scrap charm order. The website was easy to navigate and there is a very comprehensive document detailing how to send the various items, which is linked to at many different points, so that you can’t miss it. I also decided to have some of Reu’s hair added to the charms so he got his first (very small) trim, we packed our scraps and hair and sent it off. I should at this point say that Tree of Opals have a wide variety of wrap scraps available or you can send your own if it’s something they don’t have in stock but you do. They are also building a library of wrap scraps to further meet people’s desires, so if you are a wrap scrapper and end up with those tiny bits that aren’t much use for anything other than jewellery making, consider sending them to Tree of Opals (I sent her a variety as a thank you). Communication throughout was great, and from start to finish was very quick for such a bespoke service.

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When the charms and bracelet arrived I was very impressed with them. They arrived in their own little wrap scrap bag, and with lovely packing material, so much nicer than just a ziplock bag! And I wasn’t disappointed with the quality either. I can clearly see my wrap scraps and despite the pieces used being so small I can clearly identify them thanks to the skillful positioning (Firespiral Driftwood cyano seafoam and Shire Slings Love Geek if you’re wondering), and having Reu’s hair in two of them makes them really special keepsakes, and so personal to us (the wrap choices were for sentimental reasons too). They are rather difficult to photograph well, but Tree of Opals have taken some more professional photographs of the ones available for giveaway (see Sling Sally for details), so I’ve included these here as they show the detailing much clearer than any I managed to take! I would definitely recommend these to anyone who wants a beautiful way to preserve their memories of carrying their children, or other aspects of their lives.

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Daiesu Jigsaw Mustard review

Daiesu, Reviews, Woven wrap reviews

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Manufacturer – Daiesu

Design – Jigsaw

Colour – Mustard

Blend – 100% cotton

Weight – 260 gsm

Width of wrap – 70cm

Size tested – 6

Retail price of tested design and size – 320 MYR (approximately £48)

Provided to me by – Daiesu

Website – Daiesu

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We recently hosted a Daiesu Jigsaw Mustard tester wrap for a short while. It is the first Daiesu wrap we’ve tried, although I’ve admired their jigsaw design for quite some time due to the simplicity but effectiveness of the design. I would think this design would appeal to many different people and of either gender, and with 8 different colours available at the time of writing there’s bound to be one to suit most tastes.

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The wrap had already been travelling for a while before arriving with us, and was lovely and soft and floppy on arrival. We tested it out with both front and back carries for walks and shopping trips, trying a front wrap cross carry, a ruck finished knotless tibetan and a double hammock with freshwater finish. I found it really nice to wrap with, it moulded round Reu (19 months at time of testing), and I really comfortably and was easy to tie. The passes for the double hammock spread easily and slid over each other without too much friction. And the knotless finish held well for our walk to the park, without any slipping. It was perfectly supportive for toddler Reu but would also be suitable for younger babies too, and with a width of 70cm there’s plenty of room for bigger children too.

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Overall, we enjoyed Jigsaw’s short holiday here, and have since ordered a dyed Sandbox wrap from Daiesu which I’m looking forward to trying out too. This is a great quality all round wrap, especially when you consider how reasonably they are priced.

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Yaro La Vita custom dyed by All the Small Things review

All the Small Things, Other reviews, Reviews, Woven wrap reviews, Yaro

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Manufacturer – Yaro slings

Design – La Vita

Colour – White initially, dyed by All the Small Things

Blend – 40% linen 60% cotton

Weight – 230 gsm

Size tested – 7

Retail price of tested design and size – £77 plus dying costs

Provided to me by – Pour La Bebe and All the Small Things

Website – Pour La Bebe and All the Small Things

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A quick review on the Yaro La Vita linen blend that briefly visited us recently as part of a giveaway (now ended but check out the page  for more), on Sling Sally in conjunction with Pour La Bebe who stock a range of baby carriers and accessories, and All the Small things who expertly dyed the wrap.

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Despite being a brand new linen blend wrap which could have made it a little stiff to use I actually found the wrap really nice to wrap with. It was nice and sturdy but still flexible for use and was plenty supportive enough for toddler Reu. It’s not a thick wrap so would be nice to use any time of the year. I don’t think it would take much use at all to be fully broken in.

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As for the dye job, it was quite simply beautiful. Lindsay at All the Small Things is a true master of her craft, and had created a stunning design with wrap width rainbows at each end and a lovely lotus design marking the centre point of the wrap. I have got some of Lindsay’s other tie dye work and can vouch that it’s all to a very high standard. She offers a custom service including dying both stretchy and woven wraps as well as many other items.

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We loved this wraps brief visit with us, both for its wrapping qualities and the beauty of the dye design.

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TigerPig hip bag review

Other reviews, Reviews, TigerPig

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Manufacturer – Wrap Scrap Goodies by TigerPig

Design – Prototype hip bag

Colour – Made from Natibaby foxes wrap scrap

Retail price of tested design and size – Prices starting from £25 – speak to TigerPig for further details

Provided to me by – Wrap Scrap Goodies by TigerPig

Website – Wrap Scrap Goodies by TigerPig

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For the last couple of weeks I’ve had this prototype design hip bag here for testing from Wrap Scrap Goodies by TigerPig. If you haven’t heard of TigerPig before, she’s an up and coming work at home mum, wrap scrap seamstress and makes some really stunning and unusual items to a very high standard, and with excellent customer service so you get a truly bespoke experience on a custom order.

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I’m not someone who likes to carry a big bag and we always travel light, so I’d been looking for a solution for a little while (having bought a very ‘cool’ bumbag from eBay), so when Hilary from TigerPig asked me to test her new design hip bag I jumped at the chance.

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My first impressions were with the high quality of the design and production, you can really tell that Hilary has a keen eye for detail. The stitching is perfect (as with other items I’ve seen of hers), and she has matched the lining fabric and zip colours beautifully. It has a wide band to go around you with two small sling rings to fasten, just like on a ring sling. The bag section has two smaller pockets within and the front is cleverly pleated to allow more space without being bulky when that extra space isn’t in use. Although it is called a hip bag, you could wear it anywhere around your waist, on the front, back or side, whatever is most comfortable for you. I’m a size 14 UK and had approximately 6 inches of spare waist band after fastening through the rings, so people of different sizes may wish to adjust the waist band length according to their size and how much tail they were happy with (TigerPig are very good with bespoke orders so just discuss the length required when you contact her).I felt this was just the right length for me as the tail wasn’t too long but there was space for any future expansions!

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Over the two weeks that I tested the bag out I used it almost daily and found it really comfortable throughout (much better than the eBay purchase!). I took Reu to a busy Tumble Tots class with lots of getting up and down and never felt it was in the way. We went to a local science discovery centre for the afternoon and again, it was comfortable throughout. We also went on walks, to Reu’s swimming class and to shops, as well as wearing it around the house. The ring finish was really secure; it was easy to put on and adjust but never loosened by itself, and I think it looks much nicer than a buckle. I also used it while carrying 19 month old Reu in the sling, both with front and back carries, and I found it ideal for this as I could still easily access the bag but there were no straps over Reu and I, or the wrap, so it didn’t impact at all on my wrap job at all.

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I generally carried my phone (medium smartphone size), purse and house and car keys in the bag, and there was plenty of room to spare. I also popped a size 4 disposable nappy in there with the other items and with a little planning I could have fitted much more in thanks to the front pleating. I found it easy to get to the stuff in the bag (something I’d struggled with with the eBay purchase), and the extra pockets within were handy for loose items such as change.

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Overall this is a great bag when used with or without a sling. It’s surprisingly spacious and very comfortable. I’ve enjoyed it so much I’m ordering one for myself! And the lovely thing about TigerPig is that with such a personal service, if you were to order one for yourself, you could choose your own wrap scrap from her large supplies (or provide your own if you had something particularly special), and have a lovely custom bag to meet your needs and tastes.

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ISARA wrap conversion carrier review

Buckled carrier Reviews, ISARA, Reviews

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Manufacturer – ISARA

Design – Toddler wrap conversion

Colour – Raspberry

Retail price of tested design and size – 559 Lei (approx £93 GBP)

Provided to me by – ISARA

Website – ISARA

ISARA baby sized in Turquoise available to rent from here

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Initial thoughts on design, colour and feel

The ISARA arrived in a lovely box with a handle, which make it really easy to store and transport. The carrier I have received for review is a wrap conversion (there are a variety of options on their website with prices starting from the equivalent of about £63), and the woven wrap fabric is lovely and soft and flexible, so it forms a lovely snug fit around Reu and I.

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One of the first things I noticed was how generously padded the shoulder straps are and that the padded area is longer than many other buckled carriers I’ve seen and used. The shoulder straps can be used either straight down with the chest strap, or crossed over, depending on what you find most comfortable. The waist band is also well padded and is quite wide, with one continuous padded section which on me (UK size 14) comes approximately two thirds of the way around me. Someone a bit smaller could have a padded waist all the way round. The buckles are all sturdy, with elastic safety loops on the shoulder strap buckles, and there are elastic loops at the end of the webbing to neaten up trailing ends, which is a nice extra touch which you don’t get with all buckled carriers.

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On further inspection, I found all the lovely features that make this carrier so adjustable. Having been created by a babywearing consultant you can tell that first hand babywearing experience has gone into the design. The panel size can be adjusted both width and height wise, allowing you to tailor the carrier for your child’s size to carry them in the desired ‘M’ position. Where the panel attaches to the waist band there are hidden velcro strips which allow you to decrease the width of the panel and secure it in place. This way you can provide knee to knee support for a range of different aged children. ISARA state the carrier can be used from around 10 months and 8kg, although I easily cinched the waist small enough for a 3 month sized demo doll. And with the panel at it’s full width, 19 month old Reu still has space to grow so I’m sure this carrier would provide several years worth of use to a family, especially one with differently aged children to carry. I measured the panel width at 8 inches at the smallest and 17 inches at the widest, showing just how versatile this carrier can be. The height of the panel can also be adjusted using the clips at the top of the panel, with a variance of about 3 inches, so you can make it smaller for smaller children or if your older children want to have their arms out. The panel also has lovely seat darts which make it really easy to get a good seat and get the child into a comfortable position to be carried in.

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Front carry thoughts

I have found the ISARA really comfortable to use. The wide padded waist band fits snuggly around me, and thanks to the lovely seat darts on the main panel, the waist band wasn’t pulled away from me as I have experienced on some other carriers, so there was no digging in of the webbing or buckles with ISARA. The seat darts make a lovely comfortable seat really easily, and Reu has enjoyed all our testing walks and sessions. At 19 months old, Reu still had some space to grow with the fully extended panel, and I also tried it out with Dory the (scary looking!) demo doll. Dory is 3 months old sized and with the panel at its smallest size, fitted really well. I tried the shoulder straps both straight down with the chest strap and also crossed over, and for me I preferred the straps crossed but this really is a personal preference and both were comfortable. The generous shoulder strap padding was lovely and there was no digging or pulling at all. The wrap fabric molded itself round Reu and I in a lovely snug carry, and it was easy to adjust the tightness of the straps to our individual needs.

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Back carry thoughts

Reu and I also tested the ISARA in back carries on several occasions and again it spread the weight really easily and was very comfortable to use. The carrier wrapped around us really nicely again and we played horsey (I pretend to be a horse while carrying Reu), while feeling nice and secure. I even popped Reu on my back while I was climbing on chairs to clean out the kitchen cupboards.The padding on the waistband and shoulder straps were again, very comfortable, with no pulling or digging.

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Overall thoughts

Overall, we’ve really enjoyed using the ISARA and I’m very impressed with the adjustability features, meaning it really can grow with your child, or be used for children of varying ages. The wrap conversion was lovely to use and of the buckled carriers I’ve tried so far, it’s the closest to using a woven wrap for comfort and the way it moulds around yours and your child’s body. The only thing that ISARA doesn’t have that most buckled carriers do have is a sleep hood, and although this didn’t bother us at all, it’s worth mentioning as if you’re used to one you may miss it. I mostly wrap so am used to not having a sleep hood so in a way it makes sense that their wrap conversion doesn’t have one. This carrier would also be a great addition to a sling library due to its versatility for different ages. My husband aslo had a go with it and also found it comfortable and commented it was more comfortable than the other buckled carriers he has tried.

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