Time, investment, and quality - babywearing is about the practice and not about the product. Squish looks for used carriers, wherever possible. There are advantages and disadvantages to every product. Every carrier in the library serves a purpose and has lived a life of typical wear and tear of a mostly full time attachment parent.
HOPPEDIZ PANAMA 5.2 m
- woven wrap
- super long length for double layered carriers
- stripes and hemmed edges
If you are looking to convert a wrap to another style of carrier, the process is fairly easy. Contact Shannon at Metamorphosis, and prep your wrap for postage to her. It was only $30 for shipping both ways. I washed my wrap prior to sending it and discussed my wishes with Shannon beforehand. If you want scraps back, you can request that (I am keeping a sample of the wrap for my teaching kit, and it may perhaps find it's way into another creation some day. The cost was reasonable, and Shannon was really great to work with for communication and getting the conversion done in a timely manner.
This wrap came out of the box feeling extremely long, thick, and blanket-like. The only way I could really explain how this feels (now) is that as a wrap it was speaking to me as being useful for other things. This wrap was broken in over a very hot summer weekend, doused in a flash rain, dried out in the sun, and then used as a hammock. Great for the kids to use as a swing as well - they loved it! The wrap carried my three year old daughter with great ease. For my newborn, I found the maxi length to be a little tough to work with, and I found the thickness and heaviness to not work well in the summer. I held onto this wrap into the winter, hoping it would make another appearance with a larger baby in the cold.
Through the winter months, I still found the wrap to be tough to work with. I opted to send it away to Metamorphosis in Edmonton to be converted into a wrap conversion carrier. With a sling-ring waist, a baby body, and a pointy hood with long wrap straps - this Panama has seen a new life. It is a carrier that works well for work horse babywearing - that is, where comfort and duration of wearing are extended and where the opportunity to readjust isn't always possible.
OLIVES AND APPLESAUCE
- soft structured carrier
- buckles and a sleep hood
- back pack style straps
This carrier came to me free from my bff. It was well used by two previous owners. I use this carrier as a sample to show how a carrier can break down (especially SSC's) over heavy use. I know this carrier has seen better days, and it still is in working order. The waist band is floppy but would still be supportive for short periods. As an SSC, the O and A comes highly recommended by many babywearers and continues to be an SSC force to be reckoned with. I would definitely recommend this carrier as a highly valuable member of any babywearing team.
GYPSY MAMA BABY BALI STRETCH
- stretch and woven hybrid
- long length, t-shirt soft
- batik
If there was ever a single carrier that could "do it all" in the wrap world, this one would be the one that I would recommend. The hybrid stretch is a strong wrap, that needs no breaking in. It's tensile strength and softness is like nothing else. I purchased this wrap from the lovely Groovy Mama and it is in high rotation in my collection (and I will hope to see it move to the hands of a new momma very soon). I will most definitely be purchasing more of this wrap, perhaps in another color or pattern, and not only because I love the colors but also for it's versatility in my teaching collection.
MAYA WRAP RING SLING
- woven-like material
- pocket in the tail
- old-style shoulder (no padding)
My favorite carrier? Most used carrier? The one that opened the door? This is my first ever babywearing device. I learned to use it far better the second time around, and discovered that it's a carrier that I can throw into my van and take everywhere I go. There isn't a long wear time for me with a ring sling, no matter what the construction - I do notice that it does tire me out faster and can be less comfortable. But this isn't a carrier I would depend on for extended use anyway. It's a fast carrier, and to me it's meant for the ease of wear and not the duration. I would recommend that every babywearer has a ring sling in their arsenal. It makes breastfeeding easy, and you can use the tails (if you need to) for clean ups, storage of a bank card, etc. I often clipped my keys onto the rings for quick trips in the store as well. I used the sling many times in the grocery cart when it turned into a longer trip - you can tighten the sling around the baby and the cart and have your own shopping cart cover/seat belt combination (not without supervision please). This was also a Groovy Mama special, can you tell I love the store?
BABYHAWK MEI TIE
- apron straps for tying
- fold down head rest
- minky lining
UPPYMAMA MT/HAND WOVEN IN CANADA
If my husband invented a carrier, he would probably have invented this one. It's amazing for comfort, and it came to me used from a very special hyperemesis gravidarum survivor. I purchased it for $70 used and it's probably the most broken in carrier I've ever owned. I lusted about babyhawks for so long, finally got one, and it is on it's second go-round with my own children (a boomerang carrier that was sold and bought back). As far as MT's go, the babyhawk is a strong and well made carrier. Some aren't fans of the high structured head rest, and as a newborn carrier I probably wouldn't recommend it. But beyond four months, this carrier is definitely a standard and a needed carrier in any collection. My husband uses this carrier exclusively and has his own ToddlerHawk!
GYSPY MAMA BALI BREEZE
-thin and gauze-like
-4.0 m
This was my first purchase when Jonas as born, in fact I ran out to Groovy Mama when I was only a few hours post partum to snatch this one up. It was very hot, and I definitely needed a light carrier to get us through. The width is narrow - perhaps my only complaint about the carrier. I think it's slightly scratchy, and digs in the shoulders with a double layer carry. But, this is meant for hot days and I wouldn't use it for long. I love the colors, though, and it's a great carrier for older kids carrying their siblings (my daughter loves it).
-Canadian content
When I first saw this carrier, I was in love. It had my favorite rasta elements, was a MT (that I wanted to add to my collection), and woven in Alberta - how could I not place that order. Becky is a fellow educator and head UppyMama. Careful shopping (wrappers call it stalking) lead me to this beast. The long wrap straps fit me perfectly, and it is a reversing carrier to me (not sure if it was truly meant that way, but I definitely take advantage of that). It is a workhorse as well, and a lovely soft woven wrap MT. It is my official Canadian Content carrier. Shop Canadian!
DIDYMOS HEMP INDIO (BROWN)
LENNY LAMB SUMMER (cotton)
- 4.2 m
- a heavy and thick wrap
This wrap came used and I was hemp-curious... sounds like an epic story, but really there is not much to report. It has all of the qualities a hemp wrap is thought to have - strong, soft, heavy. It's one of my favorites, but I don't use it much because of the weight. With good tightening, this wrap is definitely a much easier wear. This is a pretty weak attempt at tightening in the picture, but remember I am still a novice wrapper myself. It was comfy with my pork-chop little guy, and I would imagine it does the same with a newborn as it would with a four year old.
DIDYMOS WOOL INDIO
-4.2 m
-a light and fragile wrap
I call this my unicorn hair wrap. Wool is a lovely fiber, but to me - if it can't go into the washing machine when it's got ketchup on it, it's a precious piece of cloth. I hand dyed this wrap with 32 packs of green Kool-Aid (food grade, so that if my boy sucked on the wrap it would be less worrisome than if it was a chemical based dye). As a wrap, I can say that it's nice and soft and airy and comfy. It's a lovely wrap, I would highly recommend wool to a momma who had experience with working with wool items. The risk to wool is that it can felt in extreme temperature changes and can even be picky in hot water - which could change the size of the wrap. When I hand dyed this I measured before and after and was rather gentle with the wrap. It may exhaust dye when I wash it again, but I am okay with that.
DIDYMOS SILK INDIO
-3.0m
-slippery but solid
Not much experience with this wrap, but being that it's a blend of silk and cotton, I would agree that it is a warmer wrap. It's a lovely color, so shiny - and a wrap that I cherish not only for my baby but also as a piece of clothing. It does run a little warm, but it's a worthy tool. I find this wrap is nice as a comparison for people to feel the difference in fabric types and weaves.
DIDYMOS BURGUNDY PFAU
-3.7 m
-chickens...
This is the wrap that sold me on Didymos. It's not hot like other patterned wovens. It's a thick and floppy wrap (by floppy, I mean that it literally makes that flopping sound when I fold it and toss it down), but it's not as hot as one would think. It has two sides with contrasting colors. I love it, I will have a heard time ever letting this chicken leave the coop. Pfau does have a great reputation in the babywearing world - whether it's some people think they are tacky and loud to where they are coveted basics in the collectors stash. If you want a wrap that is beautiful and does what it says, the cotton blend Pfau is a lovely addition to your collection or (dare I say) as the do-it-all wrap.
HOPPEDIZ ANTIGUA
-4.7 m
-my workhorse beater snuggler
My kids love this wrap. It's a swing, it's a carrier, it's a snuggling blanket, it's a go-to, it's a car wrap, it's thinner than Panama and so unlike that carrier... Ah. I love this carrier. If it doesn't eventually become threadbare or repurposed into something else, It may just get vacuum sealed in a closet for the grand children.
LENNY LAMB SUMMER (cotton)
-4.7m
-pretty soft
This is a very cost reasonable wrap. Unfortunately for the company they had a hiccup with their MT's recently, but this wrap absolutely holds up to anything I've owned. I love the colours, that's my favorite part about this carrier. It's also a highly used carrier and usually stays in the vehicle. It's been camping and well used this summer. Photography in this shot by Ally of Purely Fresh (check her out!)