Category Archives: Reviews

Bebe Sachi Warna review

Bebe Sachi, Reviews, Woven wrap reviews

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Manufacturer – Bebe Sachi

Design – Warna

Colour – Rainbow

Blend – 100% cotton

Weight – 192gsm

Width of wrap – 60cm

Size tested – 6

Retail price of tested design and size – £123

Provided to me by – Bebe Sachi

Website – Bebe Sachi

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Initial thoughts on design, colour and feel

I don’t know where to start with Warna, as it is so much more than just a wrap! I picked up this tester from the Bebe Sachi stand at the European Babywearing Conference, and also attended Azizah’s (from Bebe Sachi) workshop on the handloom legacy and the work that Bebe Sachi do helping people in Bangladesh. Bebe Sachi are a social enterprise providing employment for hand weavers in their own villages, thus enabling them to stay with their families and to maintain their heritage of handweaving. The weavers weave when suits them, fitting this work in around other work such as farming, family duties and religious festivals. By keeping the men in employment within the villages, this means the land can still be farmed fully and the women and children are also safer from the violence that is unfortunately a problem in this area of the world. So families can stay together, maintaining their heritage, and be safer, all because Bebe Sachi buy all of their output (fabric not suitable for baby wraps is made into bags and other accessories). So, from all of that you can probably tell I was inspired by Azizah’s talk and the ethos of Bebe Sachi.

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My initial thoughts on Warna (meaning colour in Malay), were that the colours are stunning, a really vibrant and cheerful rainbow, and in fact the brightness of this wrap is why it was selected for me to review, due to my Facebook page about how babywearing can help with postnatal depression (Sling Sally on Facebook). Instantly from brand new the wrap felt lovely and soft and floppy, there was no stiffness to it at all. Warna is a little narrower than Bebe Sachi’s usual width, and was designed with teaching and learning in mind as the different coloured rails are brilliant for demonstrating as well as understanding yourself which rail you are working with.

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I have been using Warna frequently now for over a month and it is a dream to wrap with. We’ve used it for front and back carries, and for short and long trips and I cannot fault it in any way. It seems to mold itself around Reu (18 months old), and I , and wrapping with it feels effortless. Reu feels weightless despite being an active and occasionally bouncy (in the wrap), toddler, so I would say Warna is supportive enough from newborn up to toddler (and I expect beyond). The narrower width should also help when wrapping a smaller newborn. The passes stay where you put them, and knotless finishes hold very well as there is a good amount of grip to the wrap, but not so much that there is friction when you are spreading passes. The wrap feels quite thin and light, but it hasn’t once pinched or dug anywhere (which can sometimes be a problem with thinner wraps), and has been very comfortable to use. It’s been quite hot here recently and Warna has been lovely and cool to use, even on hot days, and even though the tester wrap is a size 6. I’ve also used Warna to demonstrate some carries and the bright and different coloured rails have definitely helped with both the demonstration and the understanding of the audience.

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Overall thoughts

I love Warna! It has been a real pleasure to test Warna for Bebe Sachi and I have loved wrapping with it every time I have used it. Unfortunately they are out of stock or I would have added Warna to my personal stash, but instead I have added Bebe Sachi Biru and in the short time it’s been here I can already say it’s also brilliant, and I’ll also be keeping my eyes open for a Warna of my very own.

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Bebe Sachi are excellent value and quality handwoven wraps, being half to a third of the cost of many other handwoven wrap producers. Add to that the good they are doing for the communities and families they are working with, and you can’t go wrong with a wrap from them.  

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Soul – Ring Slings review

Reviews, Ring Slings, Soul - Ring Slings

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Manufacturer – Soul – Ring Slings

Design – Single layer linen

Colour – Olive

Blend – 100% linen

Retail price of tested design and size – 2000 INR (approx £20 at time of review)

Provided to me by – Soul – Ring Slings

Website – Soul Slings

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Soul Slings are an Indian, family run company making ring slings and promoting babywearing. Their prices start from the equivalent of approximately £15, so they are a very affordable ring sling producer, and they have some really lovely designs. I have tested their 100% linen single layer olive ring sling, which has a gathered shoulder.

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Being 100% linen the fabric was a little stiff to pull through the rings initially but this has already improved with use and I’m sure with a little more use it will glide through easily. The linen is really strong, and lovely and light and airy. Soul say their ring slings are good for hot weather so we’ve been testing this one out on hot days and in our very warm polytunnel (a polytunnel is like a giant plastic greenhouse for growing plants, and it can get very hot in there). Even in the hottest we’ve tested it with it’s remained cool throughout, and you can even feel a lovely draft though the fabric.

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The fabric is much thinner than most woven wrap fabric ring slings available, but it is thicker and more supportive than the muslin ring slings (also marketed for warm weather), that are on the market. With the muslin ring slings you have to pay a bit more attention to your strand by strand tightening to get a comfortable carry, and I found the Soul ring sling to be in between this and a thicker woven wrap ring sling, where you can get away with being a bit less precise. However this is easily adapted to and once you have the ring sling set up for you and your baby you probably won’t need to make many adjustments anyway. I also really liked that the manufacturer and safety label are within the shoulder so hidden from view.

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Overall I found the Soul ring sling a really nice, cool and supportive ring sling, and excellent quality and value. It was great in the hot weather but would be equally good anytime of the year, as with other ring slings. These ring slings would make a great addition to a personal or library/consultants stash.

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Serena Slings Fairytale review

Reviews, Serena Slings, Woven wrap reviews

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Manufacturer – Serena Slings

Design – Fairytale

Colour – Purple

Blend – 55% linen, 45% cotton

Weight – 290gsm

Width of wrap – 72cm

Size tested – 6

Retail price of tested design and size – Unreleased at time of review (their released size 6 is 149 Euros)

Provided to me by – Serena Slings

Website – Serena Slings

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I was one of the first people lucky enough to test the new Serena Slings Fairytale wrap, so it was brand new when I received it. It’s a lovely purple and off white colour, with a magical design of a castle, tree, pumpkin carriage and a winged unicorn. The design is very effective from either side so both sides can be worn outwards. This wrap is quite wide at 72cm, and actually felt wider, but how wide you like a woven wrap is very much a personal preference. With quite a tight weave and 55% linen, Fairytale was a little stiff out of the box, but it noticeably softened in the short time it was with me, so although it will require some breaking in, I don’t believe it would take as long as some other linen blends that I’ve tried (and am still battling with!), and the wrap feels very strong in exchange.

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During Fairytale’s visit Reu (18 months old), and I tried out a few different carries. We tried a front wrap cross carry, a ruck with knotless tibetan finish, and a double hammock with freshwater finish. For the first uses of Fairytale it felt a bit stiff, which can be common with a new wrap (and especially linen blends). By the time I sent it on to the next tester it was noticeably easier to use and was softening nicely, so this shouldn’t be an issue for long if you were to buy one of these wraps. All three carries held very well and I found Fairytale grippy, strong and very secure. The passes stayed where I put them and didn’t slip or pull, despite a lively toddler testing them out. The knotless finish held well with no loosening at all. The double hammock with freshwater finish was very comfortable, which I put down to the secureness of the wrap job and the lack of sagging in the wrap. Some of the days we tested Fairytale it was quite hot but I never felt too warm while carrying Reu in it, which is another advantage to the linen.

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Overall, I found Fairytale to be a very good wrap. It will require some breaking in to get it soft and floppy, but I haven’t yet met a linen blend wrap that doesn’t need breaking in, and it’s already in a better state than a Natibaby linen blend that I bought pre loved (and that I really must put some more time into!). So don’t let this put you off, as in exchange the linen will provide strength and a coolness to your wrap, and will be worth the effort. Reu’s a lively toddler and Fairytale stood up to his weight and jiggling about very well, and could take a much heavier toddlers weight well. Serena Slings are a new company and have just released their first design called Florella, which is a beautiful butterfly design, with Fairytale and Tyger soon to follow. All three designs are lovely (Fairytale is definitely my favourite though), so I look forward to seeing the company grow and their future designs.

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Podmama Nobby the Podaegi review

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

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Manufacturer – PodMama

Design – Nobby

Retail price of tested design and size – £75

Provided to me by – PodMama

Website – PodMama

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I had never tried a Podaegi (Pod) carrier before but had always been curious, so when the lovely PodMama contacted me and asked if I’d like to holiday Nobby for a couple of weeks there was no doubt in my mind. Nobby is a very cheerful Pod with bright purple straps, polka dots and a lovely gnome scene on the bottom hem, and he travels around PodMama’s customers (and me!), so people can try him out.

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A Pod is basically a large rectangle of fabric, approximately the width of your back and that reaches roughly from your shoulders to just past your bottom. There are long, wide straps coming from the top two corners, but no waist straps, which is the difference from a Mei Tai. You use the straps to form the seat when carrying your child, as you would when wrapping, so a Pod could be said to be half way between a Mei Tai and using a woven wrap. PodMama gave me a crash course in the difference between an angled strap Pod (most commonly available in the UK), and straight strap Pods like Nobby (she makes both). The angled or straight refers to the way that the straps come out of the main body of the carrier, either straight out to the side (straight), or up and out from the top corner (angled). You can use Pods to do most carries that you can do with a wrap (Nobby is the equivalent of a size 6), and the straight strap Pods can easily do underarm passes, such as with a double hammock carry, meaning you can do more variety or carries with a straight strapped compared to an angled strap Pod.

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When Nobby arrived for his holiday (I know I’m anthropomorphising a sling here!), he certainly didn’t let me down in the cheerful sense! He is so bright and cheerful and the cotton is lovely and floppy with lovely strong feeling straps. Our first attempt was a kangaroo front carry. I found it really comfortable with 17 month old Reu, even though I hadn’t spread the straps (spreading them provides more support for you and your child). I was initially concerned about how to use a Pod, but I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was. During Nobby’s visit we went for several walks together (Reu, Nobby and I), and tried out a few different back carries. We tried a basic ruck tied at waist, a ruck with knotless tibetan finish, and a double hammock with candy cane chest belt. All three carries were very comfortable but the ruck finished knotless tibetan was insanely comfortable. Once I’d got the hang of using Nobby it was really simple, and it was nice to not have a waist band as you would with a Mei Tai. Not having a waist band makes Pods a really good choice for back carrying while pregnant as there is no pressure on your abdomen if you choose a finish on your chest like the tibetan or double hammock. When I tried to double hammock it took me a little while to get my brain around it as I’m used to offsetting my middle marker on a woven wrap for this carry to get equal length tails, but of course you can’t do this with a Pod. As soon as I’d got my head round it and realised I just had to tie at the shoulder (I chose to candy cane my tails to form a chest belt for comfort and aesthetics), all was well, and it made for a very comfortable carry.

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Overall we loved having Nobby to stay and really enjoyed the opportunity to try out a Podaegi carrier. I was pleased with how easy it was to pick up how to use it, and with how comfortable the carries were. We were having some rather hot weather while Nobby was here and it was nice to have less fabric wrapped around us on our walks. and with side ventilation. So, if you’re Pod curious, go check out PodMama and the lovely custom carriers she offers (prices start from £45), and consider the options you have with angled or straight straps.

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Bunny Baby Carriers review

Buckled carrier Reviews, Bunny Baby Carriers, Reviews

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Manufacturer – Bunny Baby Carriers

Design – Bunny Baby Original

Colour – Yellow with Sunshine panel

Retail price of tested design and size – 120 Euros

Provided to me by – Bunny Baby Carriers

Website – Bunny Baby Carriers

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Initial thoughts on design, colour and feel

My first thoughts when I opened the bag for this carrier was how gorgeous the bright colours were. I really like the sweatshirt hood (this is the option I went for on my own wrap conversion mei tai), and it’s a really nice touch that the hood is lined in the same fabric as the panel (appropriately called sunshine). The waist is well structured with a nice amount of padding, and the shoulder straps are very comfortably padded. All of the buckles have elastic safety loops to thread the buckles through, in case of accidental release. Although this adds a little bit of effort when fastening, I think it’s well worth the effort for the extra security this brings. When you unfasten the buckles you can see and feel them catch on the elastic so it’s a very worthwhile safety feature. This carrier can carry children between 8lbs and 45lbs and it has a nice sized seat, which you could cinch in easily for a smaller baby.

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Bunny Baby carriers make custom carriers so you can choose the colour and fabric design for your own individual carrier, with prices starting from 80 Euros for their budget range. They have a nice selection of custom options available including wrap conversions, roll away hood, leg padding, embroidery, ears for the hoods (always cute!), suck pads and stuff sacks. And they even offer mini versions of their carriers so your little ones can carry their toys around.

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Front carry thoughts

You can front carry with a Bunny Baby Carrier with the straps crossed over on your back, or with them going straight down and using the accessory strap between your shoulder blades. Both ways are comfortable but I prefer the straps crossed – this is very much a personal preference though and everyone’s bodies are different so see what works best for you. Reu (17 month old toddler), and I went for a walk together with him on my front with the straps crossed. I found it comfortable, especially the well padded shoulders. I did find the fastening for the reach straps on the hood a bit fiddly to fasten, as I have found with other carriers that use the double ring design. Once I had fastened them they were nice and secure, but also easy to release when needed (I have previously struggled to unfasten straps like these on a different carrier when Reu woke up upset, so was pleased these released quickly when needed). The sweatshirt style hood is great as you can cover their heads if needed but they’re not pulled so tight against you as can happen with a flat hood. It was a particularly hot day and I didn’t find the carrier too hot, and it was certainly cooler than most woven wraps.

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Back carry thoughts

Reu and I put the Bunny Baby Carrier to the test while back carrying, on walks to see the local horses, as well as over fences and through the woods. I found it really comfortable throughout and was able to get a really comfortable high back carry by fastening the waist band just below my chest. It was easy to tighten the straps to get a good fit and felt very stable, even while I was climbing over five bar gates. The only problem I had with it was that while I could reach the hood straps they weren’t long enough for me to pull the hood up on my own, so reach strap extenders or more flexible arms would be useful. The well padded shoulders were very comfortable in a back carry as well as a front carry, as was the waist band. Reu was very happy everytime we used this carrier and really enjoyed looking around at everything.

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Overall thoughts

We’ve really enjoyed trying the Bunny Baby Carrier. I really like that you can customise your own carrier so it really can be an individual carrier for yours and your child’s tastes. Of the buckled carriers I’ve tried so far this one has been the most comfortable and easy to use, and I really like the added security of the buckles safety elastic loops. And the specific carrier we tried is so cheerful and happy, it brought a ray of sunshine to our days every time we used it.

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Mokosh-wrap Sirin Colombina review

Mokosh, Reviews, Woven wrap reviews

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Manufacturer – Mokosh-wrap

Design – Sirin

Colour – Colombina

Blend – 100% cotton

Weight – 248gsm

Size tested – 4

Retail price of tested design and size – 130 euros

Provided to me by – Mokosh-wrap

Website – Mokosh-wrap

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This is a quick review of Sirin as unfortunately Reu and I weren’t very well while Sirin was here so we didn’t get as much chance to try it out as we would have liked.

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I really like the design, it initially reminded me of flames, but when I read the inspiration behind the wrap (Columbine is a street theatre character from the Medieval ages), it fitted perfectly. Sirin came for testing along with Eywa, and they both arrived in a rather nice and very spacious drawstring bag, with the Mokosh-wrap logo on (always a nice touch).

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The weave feels quite tight and there’s not much stretch or give to the wrap, but it feels very strong, and the passes stayed exactly where they were put with no sagging at all. The slight texture to the weave helped the wrap hold a knotless finish well, with no slipping at all. I have definitely wrapped with softer wraps, but this wrap makes up for that with it’s strength and ease of use. And I expect it will soften further with continued use.

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Reu (17 months) and I used Sirin for a walk, with a ruck carry finished knotless tibetan. It was comfortable and didn’t pull at all, I think because it stayed exactly where I put it, so there was no sagging to alter the weight distribution from where I wanted it. Reu fell soundly asleep so Sirin gets his seal of approval! The tester wrap we had here was a size 4, but I think it’s probably a long four (should have measured to check), as I usually need a size 5 to have enough length for a knotless tibetan finish. I also had a go with Sirin and our demo doll. I tried a front cross carry with a ring finish and it held well.

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Overall, I found Sirin a really nice wrap to use, it’s very strong, has a lovely design and held the carries very well. And having looked at Mokosh-wrap’s Facebook page, they have lots of other gorgeous designs.

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Mokosh-wrap Eywa Tree review

Mokosh, Reviews, Woven wrap reviews

 

IMG_20150702_160113764Manufacturer – Mokosh-wrap

Design – Eywa

Colour – Tree

Blend – 48% cotton, 52% silk

Weight – 262gsm

Size tested – 7

Retail price of tested design and size – 194 euros

Provided to me by – Mokosh-wrap

Website – Mokosh-wrap

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This is a quick review of Eywa as unfortunately Reu and I weren’t very well while Eywa was here, so we didn’t get as much chance to try it out as we would have liked.

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The Eywa design is beautiful (and comes in other colours if green isn’t your taste). As anyone who has seen my personal stash will know, blues and greens are very much my favourite colours, so I was really pleased to open the Mokosh travelling wrap bag (very spacious drawstring bag with the lovely Mokosh-wrap logo on), and find this green beauty (along with the vibrant Sirin). The design has a lovely grippy embossed feel to it and the silk makes it shimmer in the light.

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As with the other Mokosh-wrap I tried, Eywa has quite a tight weave with minimal stretch, but feels very strong in exchange. It’s also not as soft as other wraps I’ve tried but I expect it will soften with further use.

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Reu (17 months) and I used Eywa for a front wrap cross carry and went for a walk together. The wrap was really easy to use, the passes spread well and stayed exactly where they were put and I found it very supportive. The green almost sparkles in the sun, it really is very beautiful. I also had a go with a back carry using our demo doll, as Reu was quite hot and bothered. I tried a double hammock with freshwater finish, which was very comfortable. I found Eywa easy to use and make the passes with, and they stayed in place well.

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Overall, it was a pleasure to have Eywa here and I enjoyed carrying Reu with this wrap. What this wrap lacks in softness, it more than makes up for with strength and beauty, and I was pleased with how well it held the carries I tried.

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Lawilde Latreille Aveta

Lawilde, Reviews, Woven wrap reviews

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Manufacturer – Lawilde

Design – Latreille

Colour – Aveta

Blend – 39% Egyptian cotton, 35% Merino, 26% Linen

Weight – 270gsm

Size tested – 4

Retail price of tested design and size – £205

Provided to me by – Holiday from a friend

Website – Lawilde

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A brief review from me of the lovely Aveta, as I only got to try her briefly before the beautiful butterflies had to fly on to their next holiday home.

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The Latreille design is stunning, a simple repetition of butterflies which alternate which way up they are (so you don’t have to worry about having the wrap the ‘right’ way up for the design), but very effective as a design. I was definitely sad to see this beauty leave at the end of our holiday.

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This wrap feels quite thin but so very strong, and it was really nice to wrap with. Passes glided over each other and stayed where they were put. The wrap is very smooth, although not as soft as other wraps I’ve used, and almost silky to the touch. When you wrap with it, you can really feel how strong the blend is (cotton, merino, linen). I used Aveta in hot weather and at no point felt hot and bothered while carrying Reu, again thanks to the blend. I only got the chance to try two carries, a front wrap cross carry tied under bum, and a simple ruck tied at waist. Both were comfortable and stayed in place well, although I could have done with sandwiching the ruck straps if we’d gone for a longer walk.

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Overall, I enjoyed our short holiday with Aveta, and would definitely welcome the butterflies into our stash if the opportunity arose. A classic beauty, with a strong backbone to support you and your child of any age.

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Hoppediz Bondolino review

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

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Manufacturer – Hoppediz

Design – Bondolino

Colour – Black and sand

Retail price of tested design – 99 Euros

Provided to me by – Hoppediz

Website – Hoppediz

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Initial thoughts on design, colour and feel

I initially thought the Bondolino would be similar to other soft structured carriers I’ve tried, but when I opened the box I was blown away by all the thought that had gone into the features of this carrier. There are so many features I’ve added an extra section to my normal review format! You can tell that the people at Hoppediz have really tried to make a carrier that will suit any member of the family carrying, as well as be suitable for a really wide age and size range of baby/child (by using the built in adjustments). I must admit I was like a child in a toy shop, and had a good going over all the features straight away, even though Reu was asleep in bed.

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The Bondolino is basically a mei tai, but with added benefits. It has a wide velcro waist and tie straps so there are no buckles. The velcro waist is nicely padded and the width is good to spread the weight without any pinch points. The advantage to the velcro fastening waist that I instantly thought of was that it’s very easy to swap between users of different sizes without having to make adjustments, as you would have to with a buckled carrier. The velcro felt completely secure and has a different coloured section to show the minimum overlap required for safety (you can also buy waist belt extenders if required, without these the waist extends to about 110cm/44inches). A friend did point out that the only downside she could see with the velcro would be if you were trying to silently remove it with a sleeping baby, velcro is not known for its stealth qualities. The panel has nice sized seat darts so there’s plenty of room for your baby’s bottom. The shoulder straps are also well padded, but still nice and flexible so you won’t be flailing around behind your back trying to grab that strap that’s decided to stick straight out behind you! I received a black and sand coloured design which would easily suit anyone, and in fact Hoppediz marketing emphasises that this carrier is very suitable for men as well as women. The Bondolino comes in a wide variety of different colours and designs, including a light version for warmer weather and one made with Swarovski elements! And if your little one wants to be like Mummy or Daddy, they make a mini version for dolls too.

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Special features

The bondolino comes with it’s own cinch belt (which doubles up as the chest strap), and the panel has a little loop for the cinch belt to thread through so that it stays in the right place. This allows you to make the panel width narrower so that you can provide knee to knee support for even newborn babies. As your baby grows, you remove the cinch belt so that the carrier continues to fit appropriately. Then, as you baby continues to grow (or you swap from carrying a baby to an older child), the Bondolino has integral seat extenders. When not in use they fold into their own little pockets and then when you need them, you just fold them out and fasten using two buttons each side.

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The height of the panel can also easily be adjusted, so that you can appropriately carry a wide age range of children. When you need a taller panel you simply use the loops and toggles to fasten the sleep hood higher, forming a panel extension but still leaving you with a half sized sleep hood.

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The sleep hood itself it attached by velcro so you can easily adjust it according to your own individual requirements, and Hoppediz even provide little velcro covers to protect the attachments during washing. These can be found in the handy little pocket attached to the side of the panel. This pocket is big enough for keys but wouldn’t fit my phone or purse in.

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When you have your baby on your back and they fall asleep, you can sometimes find yourself trying desperately to reach the straps on the sleep hood to pull it up over your baby’s head, but the Bondolino has a solution for this too. Before popping your baby on your back, attach the toggle from the shoulder strap to the loop on the sleep hood. Then when you need the hood up, just pull the other end of the toggle strap (this will be on your shoulder so easy to get to), and it should pull the sleep hood up. I tried this while out on a walk and unfortunately the velcro had stuck so I couldn’t pull it up, but I would simply attach the provided velcro covers in future and this shouldn’t be a problem.

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With the chest strap there are four loops on either shoulder strap to attach to, allowing for people of different shapes and sizes to all have a comfortable fit. I also chose to criss cross the strap through two of the loops and I found this to be really comfortable and a good way to spread the weight.

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You also get a bag with the Bondolino so you can easily carry it about and keep it clean when not in use. Another nice touch is a special plastic square that helps you to achieve a comfortable cross on your back when you are carrying, especially if you are not familiar with using a mei tai. There is also a very comprehensive manual with lots of clear pictures and instructions.

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Front carry thoughts

We’ve been for a few walks using the Bondolino for a front carry and it was really easy to use and very comfortable. I have used mei tais before but they are very simple to learn to use so anyone who hadn’t before could learn very quickly. There was no pulling or digging anywhere, and the padding on the waistband and shoulder straps provided a very comfortable level of support. Reu was obviously very comfortable as he settled very quickly every time we used it.

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Back carry thoughts

Again, we went for walks to test out the Bondolino with a back carry. It was very comfortable and well supported with padding in all the right places. The chest strap was easy to use and I found criss crossing it through two of the loops helped to spread the weight even better, and there was enough length left that you could weave it through more if this was more comfortable for you. Reu was once again, very settled and happy to watch the world go by from his vantage point on my back.

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Overall thoughts

I am really impressed with the level of thought that’s been put into the Bondolino, and the ways that it can be adapted to suit babies from newborn right up to older toddlers (the weight limit is 20kgs). It was really comfortable and easy to use, both for front and back carries, thanks to the design and well placed padding. This carrier could be a family’s only carrier, suiting parents of varying builds and sizes, as well as differently aged children, by making some quick and easy adjustments. I also like that all the adjustable parts are integral so there’s no risk you’ll leave the house without the seat or panel extenders. Overall, this is a great carrier suitable for a really wide range of uses, and I hope to see more in the UK soon.

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Pure Baby Love grey review

Pure Baby Love, Reviews, Woven wrap reviews

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Manufacturer – Pure Baby Love

Design – Pure baby

Colour – Grey

Blend – 100% cotton

Weight – 225gsm

Width of wrap – 70cm

Size tested – 7

Retail price of tested design and size – 75 Euros (foreign currency fee is extra)

Provided to me by – Pure Baby Love

Website – Pure Baby Love

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Initial thoughts on design, colour and feel

I can’t get over how soft this wrap is, right out of the box! I received a brand new wrap and it feels really lovely and floppy straight away, and quite light too. Currently Pure Baby Love wraps come in three colours, pink, blue and grey, but more colours are in the pipeline. The grey wrap that I received is a lovely soft and subtle shade of grey. I was a little worried that it would seem harsh or industrial but it’s not at all and is actually a really nice colour for a wrap, maybe for those who don’t want to be wearing a bright rainbow wrap! Being grey, it’s also a great unisex colour for babies and wearers alike. When I went to wash the wrap before use I initially thought it didn’t have a washing instructions label, but then I realised they were on the middle marker. I like this touch as there’s just the one label, so less chance of it sticking out of your finished carry. It also came nicely packaged and with a lovely little wooden plaque that says ‘Enjoy the little things’, a nice extra touch and great advice.

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Front carry thoughts

I tried the Pure Baby Love wrap out a few times in a front wrap cross carry, both with bunched and spread passes. It remained lovely and soft after it’s wash and just as floppy, which made it really easy to wrap with. Reu and I went for a walk as he was grumpy from teething and being overtired, but he settled quickly in the wrap and went on to have a nap in it, remaining asleep even after we got home and I sat down (usually a bit of a gamble on my part as to if he’ll wake up when I stop moving). I found that the wrap was well cushioned on my shoulders, so was suitable for 16 month old Reu’s weight. The slight stretch was enough to make it easy to use without it making tightening harder. Clare, who co-runs a local sling library also had a go and commented on the softness of the wrap and that it had a nice amount of give to it.

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Back carry thoughts

I put the Pure Baby Love wrap to the test with three different back carries, a ruck finished knotless tibetan, a double hammock with saltwater finish, and Christina’s ruckless. I found it really easy to use due to the floppiness of the wrap. It was easy to make the passes for the carries and threading the tibetan passes through the ruck straps was no bother at all as there was no stiffness or friction catching. Again, I was impressed by the softness of the wrap, and it felt well cushioned on my shoulders in the ruck carry, even with gathered ruck straps (if I find a wrap digs in on my shoulders then I tend to sandwich rather than gather the shoulders to make the carry more comfortable). The double hammock with saltwater finish was very supportive, and the ease of use of this wrap made it simple to make the passes required for this carry. We went for a half hour walk with Reu wrapped in the double hammock carry and it remained comfortable throughout, and Reu settled happily while we admired the local horses. On all three back carries the wrap stayed where I had put it well, with minimal movement or sagging. I had never tried a Christina’s ruckless before this time, and Reu was not himself either, so it wasn’t a great wrap job! However that was purely down to Reu and I rather than the wrap, and the ease of use of this wrap meant I did at least manage the carry; with a stiffer wrap I don’t think I would have managed it quick enough for Reu’s mood.

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Knotless finish thoughts

As the tester wrap was a size seven, I ended up loosely tying the tails behind me on the knotless tibetan finish ruck, but without applying pressure to the knotless point, so that I could still assess how well it held. It was easy to pass the tails through the ruck straps as the softness of the wrap means there is very minimal friction. Despite this lack of friction the knotless finish still held well for our walk.

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Overall thoughts

I have been really impressed with this wrap, especially the softness and the price. It’s been really easy to use straight from new and I’ve not come across many wraps that are as soft and floppy as this from brand new. While it is perfectly suited to experienced wrappers, I think it would make an ideal wrap for someone new to wrapping as they won’t have to worry about breaking it in. It’s so soft it would be lovely for a newborn, but was also plenty strong enough for me to comfortably carry my toddler around in. I look forward to seeing the future colours and designs that they come up with (purple and royal blue are now available for pre-order). Lovely wrap and at a great price.

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