Review: Soul Onbuhimo

 

Soul is a wonderful company based in Bangalore, India that has taken the world by storm! They offer so many various carrier styles. From slings to buckles–they’ve got it all! They even have some pretty sweet accessories to match their carriers. I first came across them on Instagram a couple years ago and since then I’ve been watching them explode! Recently I was sent a Maze Blues Jacquard Onbuhimo to try out.

Since Minerva is my main wearee, I tested this out mostly with her. I did wear this some with Maxine (40 lbs) and she fit in it well! Minerva is about 20 lbs and 28 inches tall.  She was juuuust big enough to fit well in the carrier. With onbuhimos, all the weight is carried in your shoulders, so one of the most important aspects of the carrier for me  is the padding. Soul hit it out the park with this padding. I have tried a few other brands of buckle onbuhimo and this one had the squishiest padding. It reminded me of memory foam. The padding is thicker than in their buckle carriers which is a good thing.

The Soul onbuhimo has perfect fit adjusters (PFAs ) which help get  the carrier to fit better. With Max, I preferred them all the way out. With Min, I liked them all the way in. The chest clip can be moved up and down to get to a comfortable spot as well. Everything on this is easy to adjust . The Soul onbuhimo fit great in my diaper bag and since there is so little fabric, it is pretty ideal for warmer weather as well. I got to wear it in 90 degree Virginia heat–it was not that bad!

Onbuhimos are recommended for wearees who have sufficient torso control to support their heads and sit up independently. I found that the carrier fit me pretty well. I am plus sized, so that is pretty important for me. It fit me with Maxine  with plenty of webbing to spare and made me very happy!

Be sure to check Soul out on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and  also Join their groups Soul Family/Soul Family US Edition on Facebook!

Review: Natibaby Pearl (wool)

Natibaby Pearl is one of the original Natibaby designs. Marsupial Mamas  did an exclusive  recently and wow wow wow!  This is a wool blend (30%) so I was hesitant to try it at first because I am sensitive to most wool items. I tried it anyway because I am a sucker for natty wraps. It did not bug my skin at all. That blew my mind because usually my arms start to burn when I wear wool.

Pearl was a size 6, so base -2 for me. Over the few weeks it was here, I used it with both Maxine (age 3 & 35ish+ lbs) and Minerva (13lbs) frequently. This was medium-thin in hand and actually was pretty supportive! It was super moldable and made a good chestpass which is something I love in a wrap. It had nice stretch–the kind where you can get things like you want but it won’t sag on you after a little while with a heavy kid. It had great glide. I wouldn’t call this wrap grippy at all.

I used this wrap mostly in double layer carries because that is what I prefer to use with both girls in a base -2 wrap. I did do rucks with the big girl in this wrap. I found the wrap to be very comfortable on my shoulders, especially when sandwiched in the ruck. This wrap rocks a torso carry. I mostly did double hammock torso with my rose finish. I did not have to do much adjusting once I got the wrap in place. The slipknot stayed in place once I tightened it very well. Since the wrap glides so well, if you don’t lock  it in place the slipknot may slip some. Pearl was the perfect kangaroo carry wrap too.

I recommend this wrap to babywearers of all types with all ages of kids. If you are nervous about washing wool wraps, click here for an easy tutorial on how to do it from the Marsupial Mamas blog.

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Review: Ankalia Mako Laguna

Recently I had the pleasure of hosting Ankalia Mako Laguna. Just from looking at the wrap I imagined it to be everything I wanted in a wrap because I really was digging the colors! That always  is the first thing I notice when I open the package.

Me teaching with Laguna! Thank you Paul Chin, Jr for this great picture!

Mako was a size 4 which is base -4 for me. I tested this wrap out with Minerva AND Maxine. Minerva is three months old and 11 pounds. Maxine is three years old and 35 pounds. What a difference, right?! This 100% fine cotton beauty was comfy for both of my girls! My go to carry with Minerva was a kangaroo carry  and with Maxine, I stayed at a ruck with candy cane chest belt.

Kangaroo carry at the bus stop

This wrap was solid! Solid wraps are perfect for shorty carries in my opinion. I used a sling ring for a couple of carries and the wrap stayed in place through the ring very well. With the short front cross carry, Laguna’s grip made the carry shine. This wrap also rocked a slipknot. This wrap is on the thicker side of medium and that helped make traditional sling carry super comfortable on my shoulder with my three year old as well as the little one. This wrap was solid on my shoulders and definitely is a great ruck candy cane chest belt wrap.

short front cross carry

The wrap did not glide easily so pulling it through the ring was a little tough in short front cross carry. The grip made it a little difficult to kangaroo carry in, but once I got it in place, the kangaroo carry went NOWHERE. This wrap was wide enough for my toddler but not so overwhelming that my infant disappeared.

I absolutely loved the colors!

This wrap is a great toddler wrap! Once broken in it will be amazing with little babies as well. The wrap that I borrowed was well on its way to being broken in. I recommend this wrap to caregivers with children in the bowling ball stage and beyond. This may be a little overwhelming for a newborn. I also would suggest this to a caregiver who is familiar with woven wraps.

Napping big girl

Be sure to check out Ankalia on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!

cheese!!

Review: Baby-Doo Orchid Ring Sling

I recently had the privilege of hosting a Baby-Doo Orchidej ring sling from Marsupial Mamas. I absolutely LOVED the colors! When I opened the package the first thing I did was gasp at the colors.

Snoozing at Peppa Pig Live! Peppa’s Big Splash

This 100% cotton ring sling was a size medium which is juuust long enough for me to work with. I usually use a large or extra large sling. I used this exclusively with Minerva. She is 11 pounds, 21 inches, and 3 months old.

She fell asleep in this sling a lot.

I used this Baby-Doo ring sling for a few weeks. It was super soft! It was on the thin side of medium and was excellent in the hot weather we had. It was really comfortable on my shoulder. I really like how easy it was to get through the rings. I usually nurse while wearing so adjusting through the rings is incredibly important for me.

A milky nap at the doctor’s office. Necklace by The Vintage Honey Shop.

Ring slings are my go-to carrier especially when I need something quick to toss in my bag. This ring sling passed the fit-in-my-bag test! It isn’t bulky at all and did not take up much room in my diaper bag or my carry-all purse.

Bus stop napping

I would recommend this sling to wearers of all skill level. This would be so great for someone who is brand new to ring slings. It was so easy to get through the rings. I loved it with my baby! I would definitely recommend this ring sling to friends. Especially friends who look great in jewel tones!

kangaroo carry while we waited for window tinting

naptime while shopping

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