Monthly Archives: July 2015

Podmama Nobby the Podaegi review

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

11705125_950885364932952_6457837739619378790_n

Manufacturer – PodMama

Design – Nobby

Retail price of tested design and size – £75

Provided to me by – PodMama

Website – PodMama

1467225_946328882055267_2919852384752700627_n

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.

11750698_951553801532775_551072146803460534_n11138642_946328925388596_5475651565679583506_n11028352_949882588366563_4312472240430370796_n

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.

11063821_950885484932940_3455898358033246521_n11667335_946861862001969_8997526474692869440_n11403162_950885441599611_2043097912276252965_n

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.

11403113_946861842001971_6346738493189406467_n15684_950885384932950_9178367483439522692_n11760291_951553778199444_3230925084503712195_n

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.

11755892_950885408266281_5180005105995264751_n11028015_949882625033226_1204360629556054873_n11059712_951553758199446_1631127881564823004_n

Bunny Baby Carriers review

Buckled carrier Reviews, Bunny Baby Carriers, Reviews

11695849_946992455322243_5559474013876523339_n

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

11403290_947750415246447_2249537060025508452_n

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.

11406781_934463196575169_6221568238726760532_n

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.

11401130_934463129908509_7613589719872407575_n10403384_934463029908519_5674509773053185724_n

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.

19999_946069748747847_7389653416172441974_n

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.

11141186_947750545246434_1488244628827346447_n

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.

10414853_946069792081176_1218571681242759211_n

10409788_947750511913104_5007603136943652033_n18729_940501142638041_5491350869084975482_n

11666081_946069728747849_8735284230808026566_n

11202066_940501199304702_8187545734980172090_n10986823_946992551988900_3571496086892587294_n

11265447_946992475322241_3637341118003267170_n

10998389_946992581988897_9010584829860999340_n1545061_940501079304714_595504109125227849_n

11694166_947750571913098_6235997802324384909_n

Mokosh-wrap Sirin Colombina review

Mokosh, Reviews, Woven wrap reviews

IMG_20150703_110448796

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

IMG_20150703_110730536_HDR

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.

IMG_20150703_110457040

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).

IMG_20150703_135316832 (1)

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.

11720257_10155736976220696_999472076_o

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.

IMG_20150703_110658687_HDR11664067_10155736976225696_1358140065_o

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.

11720249_10155736976255696_1122942032_o

 

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

IMG_20150703_135138385

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.

IMG_20150703_135143101

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.

IMG_20150702_160144232_HDR

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.

IMG_20150702_161336344

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.

IMG_20150702_160315369IMG_20150702_161218109IMG_20150702_160321974

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.

IMG_20150702_161227946IMG_20150702_161239674IMG_20150702_161306417