Brands:
Im going to try to cover each brand for the different styles. For the brands that have websites of their own I will also link those. If I have forgotten one please feel free to leave me a comment informing me. I plan to update this post often whenever new information comes to my attention.
Stretchy Wraps:
Moby Wrap: This is probably the most popular brand of stretchy wrap. You can buy it at babys r us and is very affordable. It comes in many colors to choose from. Some people complain that the moby gets too hot to wear for extended period of times. This is the brand that I started out with.
Boba Wraps: This is a basic cotton jersey fabric similar to the moby. These come in sizes based on shirt size.
Bali Stretch: a great well liked stretchy wrap. This is the ONLY stretchy that can be used in a back carry.
Gauze Wraps:
Babyette: This is a WAHM who makes wovens and gauze wraps. This is the only brand that I am personally familiar with although I know that there are more out there. She seems to be popular with the gauze using moms.
Bali Breeze: A well liked popular gauze wrap.
Woven Wraps: WARNING! this is going to be a huge list lol I have not personally tried every single one of these brands, although I have tried a lot. I only feel comfortable telling you about my own personal experience and what I have learned through other moms. If anyone has anything they'd like me to add then please leave me a comment or shoot me an email =)
Amazonas: have long tapers and are getting hard to find in the US. However I have heard that they are cheap and easy to find in parts of Europe.
Artipoppe: I do not know very much about this brand. Very highly sought after wraps, these are one of the ''in'' brands at the moment. They come with a heavy price tag.
Babyette: This is a WAHM who makes wovens and gauze wraps. These are produced in small batches and are
handwoven. She seems to be gaining popularity in the babywearing community.
BB Slen: This is a great brand for newborns through toddler years. These are known for how wide they are. Most tend to be thinner but they are an amazingly affordable brand. Great for beginners.
Bebina: Thinner wraps (most of the time) and are typically harder to find. This brand makes the highly sought after astrology sign wraps.
Colimacon & Cie (C&C): Sturdy and affordable wraps. A lot of babywearers LOVE these wraps. These are wonderful for wrap newbies.
Didymos (Didys): One of the most popular and diverse brands of woven wraps. They come in all different blends (cotton, linen, silk, wool), weaves, colors, thickness etc. every single wrap is different. Didymos releases limited edition wrasp often, making them always sought after. Most of the wraps in my personal stash are from Didymos. I can not say enough great things about this brand.
Diva Milano: a Brand growing in popularity, this company is relatively new. These were pretty sought after in the babywearing community but the popularity seems to be dying down. They come in different blends (cotton, silk,
wool, linen) and limited editions are released seasonally.
Dolcino: Although I've only tried one of these once. I have heard nothing but good things. This is a great beginner wrap and reasonably priced. The one I tried was relatively thin.
Girasol: Another big name brand Girasols are great beginner wraps. They come in amazing colorways with or without fringe. They tend to be on the thicker side making them quite hot in warmer climates. They are quick to break in and some colorways are highly sought after. Some people tend to think they aren't as supportive as other brands but I have not noticed this to be true.
Ellaroo: Very thin wraps which make them a good choice in warmer climates. Not as supportive as some other brands. All come with fringe and are hand woven. I have one of these in my personal stash.
Ellevill: Come in four main lines (Zara, Jade, Karma, and Paisley) and all have different blends. They come in so many different colors and tend to be on the thinner side. These tend to have really long tapers...which some people love and some hate. They also are quite textured.
Heartness: Another new brand with a heavy price tag. If you're lucky you might be able to find a reasonably priced one. I have never tried one of these nor do I know much about them.
Hoppediz (Hopps): Are medium to thick work horse, toddler worthy wraps. They can be a pain to break in from what I hear. The few I have tried have been amazing and very supportive.
Kokadi: Are a very popular German brand. They come super soft right out of the box. They do make limited edition wraps which make some of them very hard to find and sought after, which makes the price of some of them super high.
Lenny Lamb: Dense wraps that are starting to get popular again. They take some breaking in (like a lot of breaking in) but get buttery soft. I had one of these that I got rid of because it wouldnt get soft. I have heard the newer ones don't have this issue.
Natibaby: One of my all time favorite brands. They come in many different blends and patterns. They get amazing soft once broken in. They do tend to vary in thickness just like Didymos wraps. As of right now I have three of these in my stash.
Neobulle: Soft and easy to break in. Tend to be thick toddler worthy wraps. These are getting harder to find however they are not very sought after.
Oscha: Another high end brand. Oschas come with a very high price tag, even higher if you do not buy them straight from Oscha. The "Oscha Craze'' is dying down. They tend to be very textured and dense wraps. Oscha is known for great customer service. They come in a variety of blends and patterns. They also have limited edition releases.
Pavo Textiles: Another brand I dont know much about. These are another in wrap and very expensive.
Strochenweige: Another reasonably priced work horse wrap. They are known for support. They require some breaking in and tend to be medium thick. I have heard amazing things about their 'leo' line
Uppymama: I don't even know what to say about these...the prices on them put all other brands to shame. Seriously. If you buy them from the woman who hand weaves them (in Canada) then the prices aren't as bad, but you don't want to see what they go for on the markets. Its crazy. People tend to think that they are the most amazing things to ever be created though.
Vatanai: Typically thin wraps, these tend to be a great popular choice for summer wraps. I have one thats on the thick side that I love. These tend to have longer tapers than most. However, they do have one handwoven wrap called pamir. The price of that wrap is right up there with the uppys...if not more.
Which Brand to Buy
The best advice I can give is to just buy something that you're drawn to. If you absolutely love the wrap, then more than likely you will find a way to make it work. If on the off chance you don't like it then you can always trade or sell that wrap. Wraps have an AWESOME resale value which make them so great for people who can't afford a lot of wraps but not sure what they want. Now, if you live in florida then you're obviously not going to want a super thick wrap. Think of your climate, the size of the child you're wrapping, etc.
Other Places to Buy
Here is a list of some popular babywearing venders:
www.weecarry.com
http://www.cariboubaby.com/
http://www.elephantearsonline.com/
http://www.frogmama.com/
http://www.nappies-and-more.com/
There are also tons of great places to buy carriers used online. Facebook Groups like The Babywearing Swap and Babywearing on a Budget are great places and so are website such as The Babywearer, Babycenter, and Diaper Swappers
What about baie slings? Have you heard of these?
ReplyDeleteHello!! Do you mean ringslings? I will be doing a post on slings very soon =)
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