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: Kokoskaa Hope (Black Weft)

 Kokoskaa’s budget wrap line has blown me away again. First with Brave, and now with Brave’s little sister Hope.

Hope is a gradient rainbow wrap. Kokoskaa offers it in white and black weft and I have enjoyed using the black weft for about five weeks now. This has been one of my go to wraps while it has been here and thanks to the fun colors, Maxine (30ish lbs, 2T/3T Clothing) has been picking this one for uppies all the time.

When I received the wrap, it had been washed once and I immediately noticed the difference between this and Brave. Hope is thinner, softer, and easier to manipulate than Brave. The first carry I did was a ruck. The first picture in this post was actually the first time I wore the wrap and I was so pleased! The wrap feels flat on the shoulders with no cush, but it was still comfortable. I enjoy flat wraps, especially when they are not diggy and Hope is not diggy at all. I also did about a dozen semi front wrap cross carries with this wrap. Since the wrap I tested was a base -2 for me, I had to do my favorite carry! It pleated so nicely on my shoulder. It held the slipknot like a rock star as well.

There is little stretch to this wrap and basically zero bounce. It glides very easily and there is not much texture to it. Very smooth. In a double hammock, the chest pass basically spread itself which seems to be the case with all of the Kokoskaa wraps I have tried. What magic is that?!  Even wrapping over a jacket was pretty easy with Hope.

  

 Hope would be great for wrappers of all skill levels and would be suitable for newborn up through toddlers. If you like thinner (but not too thin), solid, and easy to break in wraps, this wrap is for you!

The Kokoskaa budget line is all under $99. 

Be sure to follow Kokoskaa on Facebook and Instagram! Also join their Facebook chatter group!