Review: KHR Wovens Baby Spring Flowers

Up until now, all of my experience with wrapping had been with machine wovens. Handwoven wraps just seemed so expensive, plus I had absolutely no idea where to start because the list of weavers seemed to be just so loooonnnggg. So when I stumbled upon a deal and a price for a handwoven that I could afford, I jumped on it. This has been the best impulse purchase so far.

KHR wovens is a handwoven business that also runs a machine woven company called Tiny Tiger. All of their wraps are made in the U.S., and both the handwovens as well as the machine wovens get a ton of praise from babywearers. I'm anxious to try their American Beauty wrap because it has been compared to very expensive handwovens for a fraction of the price.

Baby Spring Flowers came to be only slightly used, so it still needed slight breaking in. However, it already felt so soft and was very floppy as most handwovens are. It is 100% cotton and a pointed twill weave.

The colors are difficult to capture because there are so many, not to mention the green warp dulls out the colors a bit from far away. In person, the colors are incredibly vibrant, however. It definitely feels earthy and happy. I like that it seemed to match pretty much all of my clothing. 

This is a very thick wrap. It reminds me of Pavo Granite Etini, which was 370 g/m2, so this is definitely a beast. The cush on my shoulders was incredible. It's pretty hard to find a wrap that I can use for extended periods of time with my large toddler, but this wrap proved to be perfect for the job. It was never diggy and he stayed completely supported with no sag whatsoever. 

The weave on Baby Spring Flowers definitely made it a struggle to make passes and get a nice, snug fit. It is very, very grippy. This will improve with time as it is broken in, but I imagine it will always have some grip. Knots held really well and every knotless carry I tried stuck perfectly. The texture may cause a ton of grip, but it is a pleasant, soft texture, similar to a favorite sweater or knitted blanket. Although it was tough to wrap with, it was worth every second. This wrap is amazingly comfortable and cozy.

I would recommend this wrap for experienced wrapper with large children. The thickness may be too much for a small baby, and the grippiness of this wrap may be too much of a struggle for a newer wrapper. It is thick, cushy, blankety, soft, textured, grippy, and a serious toddler wrap. I am in awe every time I use it.

Check out KHR and Tiny Tiger here!

Review: Doeck Tulipa Rosso

I had seen this wrap in one of the Facebook babywearing groups and it took me a while to track it down. It was red, my favorite color, and it had an almost retro feel to it. When I finally found out what it was, I was happily surprised that it was on sale.

Doeck is a Dutch woven wrap company started by Anneclaire Hortensius. She is a trained babywearing consultant and has a focus on simple designs and high quality materials.

When it arrived, in loomstate, it was surprisingly soft and floppy. I washed, dried, and steam ironed it and it was already satiny and smooth. The color is incredibly vibrant in person and the truest red that I have ever seen in a wrap. There are simple tulips evenly spaced around the wrap, facing in opposite directions. At first, I wasn't sure if I liked that not all of the tulips faced in one direction, but after some use I found it pleasing that every carry showed a similar design, no matter how many flips or passes I did. The middle marker is small and only on one side. It's rather hard to find and I find myself wishing that it was on both sides to make wrapping in the car easier.

This wrap is so soft, almost with a wet, satin like feel. It has a great drape to it, and is very easy to wrap. Passes are easily made and tightening is simple. The design gives a pretty minimal texture to the overall feel of the wrap, and I think this would be a great newborn wrap for that reason. The weave is also very neat and tight, this is a workhorse of a wrap and not pull-prone at all. The weave and feel reminds me of a tighter woven FireSpiral. Despite being smooth, this wrap is not very slippery, and knots hold well.

Tulipa is a medium weight wrap that feels thin in hand. It also seems to fold up really flat and small, which is odd because it does not wrap like a super thin wrap. On the shoulders, it feels nice and solid with no dig. There is really no stretch and my 30 pound toddler was supported for long wears with no sag.

I would recommend this wrap for beginners, experienced wrappers, newborns, and large children... practically everyone. It's, to me, a perfect all around wrap. It is: soft, beautiful, supportive, medium weight, folds thin, a workhorse, and easy to wrap with. Everyone needs one of these!

Check them out here!

Review: FireSpiral Octarine Frost Midwinter

If you haven't tried FireSpiral yet, you need to. I would easily consider them one of my favorite woven wrap companies because their wraps are so special.

FireSpiral Slings make baby wraps that are woven in the U.K. They have two lines: Alchemy, which are a looser weave, and Elements which are a tighter weave. The Alchemy line are incredibly soft and have amazing drape and moldability. The Elements are the workhorses and still very soft, they just take a bit longer to get there.

Octarine Frost Midwinter is part of the Alchemy range, it is 100% cotton and has a loose weave. It arrived fairly quickly all the way from the UK and was considerably soft in loom state. After a bath, dry, and steam iron, this wrap was already softer than some of my other wraps. The more I used it, the softer it got and the more I became convinced that this was truly woven with unicorn hair and kitten fur. This would make the perfect squish wrap based only on it's softness, but that's not the only amazing quality it has.

The design is an owl on a sprawling tree as snow gently falls all around. The colors are white and blue, although the blue looks either purple or grey in certain light. It is breathtakingly beautiful and intricate. Because of the design and the loose weave, this wrap is extremely pull prone. I had to be careful about snagging a thread on a nail or looking at it wrong, but pulls were easy to weave right back in if they didn't work themselves out with a few wears. The design adds some texture that was pleasant to the touch and seems to help it stay in place when wrapped. Because the wrap is so soft and smooth, this bit of texture is definitely needed.

It is a medium weight wrap, coming in at 240 g/m2. It felt thin in hand and had a bit of cush which was nice on the shoulders, but I preferred this wrap in multiple layers with my big toddler. There was a nice amount of stretch, making chest passes easy, but it didn't ever translate to sag. Even in single layer carries, this wrap proved to be nice and supportive. I was surprised about this because I thought that the looser weave would mean less support. But it handled my 30 pounder toddler like a champ.

Wrapping with Midwinter was as pleasurable as it was to snuggle it. Passes were easy and the glide was just delicious. Midwinter truly wraps itself; it was so easy to get a nice wrap job every time, even with a squirmy child. The wrap felt like it melted and molded right to us.... it is just so comfortable.

I would recommend this wrap to everyone: beginners, experienced wrappers, small babies, large children... It really is amazing. It is supportive, SOFT, easy to wrap with, glidey, moldable, cushy yet thin, and did I mention SOFT? I don't even mind fixing the pulls it gets because it is just so darn snuggly and comfortable.

Check them out here!

Pavo Spearmint Etini Ring Sling

After falling in love with Pavo Granite Etini, I really wanted to try another Etini because I had heard that each one was different. Although Spearmint Etini is very similar to Granite, it still felt unique, beautiful, and did not disappoint.

Pavo is a U.S. based woven wrap company with two lines: Form and Guild. Form is a bit more accessible and affordable but still amazing. Guild is their high end, "specialty" wraps with intricate weaves and very unique wrapping qualities.

Spearmint Etini came to me in the form of a ring sling. I was never really a fan of the ring sling because my son was always pretty large and heavy, so it was just too much weight on one shoulder. I preferred as much even support as possible. When I opened the package, my eyes widened and I grinned: this thing SHINES and GLOWS. The color itself is lovely, but it really has shimmer. The intricate weave stood out a lot more than on my Granitini, though both are lovely.

Spearmintini is still very thick and very heavy, coming in at 360 g/m2. It needs breaking in when new, but gets to a point of awesome wet fluidity. The shoulder was a floating, gathered one (meaning the seam was sewn about 9 inches away from the rings) so the term cush would be an understatement. The floating shoulder provided marshmallow clouds on my shoulder. I do have very narrow shoulders, so it took a lot of effort and adjusting to get it just right, but it felt very bulky.

The texture and stretch on this etini are perfect. The texture provided grip in the rings, but it was not difficult to pull it through because of the softness. The stretch never translated to sag with my big boy, but instead hugged us tight. The stretch, I feel, really helped to keep his seat in place.

I would recommend this wrap for experienced wrappers with a larger child, but broken in it would be nice for a newborn. Pavo etini makes the perfect ring sling because of their cush, support, slight stretch, and ring holding texture. Although I still prefer wrapping over the ring sling, I would happily use this daily. Out of all my wraps, this is still the only one Dominik has brought me.

Review: Didymos Turquoise Hemp Indio

Didymos woven wrap company was founded in 1972 by Erika Hoffmann because she needed a solution to make caring for two small children easier. Didymos is still a babywearing staple and a must try for every wrapper. Although they make a variety of wraps, nothing else wraps like the Indio weave.

This is the second hemp indio that I have tried. The first, Mystic Petrol OS 1975, was the original indio weave. Turquoise hemp indio is the newer weave and is the sister wrap to Flamenco Hemp Indio (a very pink color). The color is more saturated in person and a really lovely turquoise. It is 60% cotton and 40% hemp.

These are often described as being the cushiest of the indios because they are nice and thick. This comes in at 270g/m2, so although it is not the thickest wrap, it is a thick indio. I did not try this brand new, but have heard, as with other hemp blends, it required quite a bit of breaking in. By the time I got it, it was buttery soft. I wanted a sweater and sock made out of this because it is so snuggly soft. My first thought was how amazing a newborn would feel in this. Although it was cushy, it did not feel thick in hand or when wrapped. There was a bit of stretch which became sag after about 20 minutes, but it was very comfortable with my toddler. This was a shorty, but I think with a base size that this wrap would be more supportive.

There was a ton of glide and no grippiness because of the smoothness. The fluidity seems to cause the knots to slip a bit with my heavy kiddo, but for the most part they stayed in place. As with all indios, it was very easy to wrap with and molded right to us.

I would recommend this wrap for a beginner or experienced wrapper with smaller babies. It is so soft and would be dreamy with a squish in any size. With a larger child, a base size would be best for maximum support.

Review: Pavo Granite Etini

Pavo is a U.S. based woven wrap company that is known for making high quality and pretty amazing wraps. Some of their wraps are very highly sought after and go for a hefty chunk of change. After using Pavo Granite Etini, I can say I truly get the hype. They have two lines of wraps, form and guild. Form tends to be more accessible and more affordable, but there's really nothing "budget" about them. Form are still high quality wraps and have differing and amazing wrapping qualities. Guild are the more expensive, more intricate, and more "specialty".

Granite etini, or affectionately called "granitini", is from the Guild line. Out of all the etinis, this is the most beastly and thickest. I was not able to try it loomstate, but have heard that it required breaking in. When I got it, it was very soft and floppy but most certainly thick. The design, particularly in person, is breathtaking. The pattern is woven intricately into a serious work of art. The only downside to this, is that it was very pull prone. I felt like if I looked at it wrong, it would pull. But pulls didn't seem to matter when I was using it, because it was just so good.

Granitini comes in at 372 g/m2, making it VERY thick and heavy. This translated into a ton of shoulder cush. Dominik, at 30 pounds, was nearly weightless. Knots were a bit of a struggle, partially due to the texture, but it was surprisingly easy to wrap with. I felt like the passes all wrapped tightly, it did not feel as thick as it was when wrapped. It had a nice wet fluidity that I feel helped it to wrap more easily. Well broken in, it is possible to use with a squish, but this is most definitely a toddler wrap.

What was truly magical about this wrap, was the stretch. Despite being so thick, granitini had this lovely ace bandage stretch that never turned into sag. Dominik could snuggle in and let the wrap hug his body, but it remained incredibly solid and supportive. It had all the support and cush of Natural Hemp India by Didymos, but was easier to wrap with and more comfortable because of this lovely Pavo stretch.

I would recommend this wrap to an experienced wrapper with a bigger baby. Wrapping a squish would really only be possible with a broken in wrap and very experienced babywearer. This thick, cushy beast is truly amazing and it will go down as one of my all time favorite wraps.

Review: BabyHawk Mei Tai

After we outgrew the gauze wrap that we had been using since birth, I was curious about a carrier that I could use quickly and easily. A mei tai seemed like a great choice to try out, and it proved to be super handy and easy to use.

BabyHawk is a U.S. company that makes their products in Oceanside, California. At the time, we were living nearby, so I was pretty excited about that. They have premade options that are made with lovely fabric and patterns often rotate. They even have an option where you can design one yourself with your choice of pattern on both sides (so it can be reversible), strap length, and strap color.

Like all canvas based carriers, it is pretty stiff brand new, but it softens up a bit with use. It will never be as soft and floppy as some of my wraps, but I feel like something like this should stay pretty sturdy. It was easy to care for and could just be thrown in the wash when needed. The pattern was a nice floral pattern that I chose because it was on sale. But it seems to be a nice neutral that went with most of my wardrobe

Wearing it was fairly comfortable. The waist knot dug into my back, so I often had to move and adjust that. I found it nicer to wear a bit lower on my body, but that was personal preference (note that this is ok with an older baby, but smaller babies should be nice and high). The straps had some padding which gave nice shoulder cush. As Dominik got larger, it was harder to keep the straps into a comfortable place on my shoulders and back, but I could easily use this for long periods.

When putting this on, the straps got pretty dirty from the ground, but as stated before, this carrier is no fuss and easily washed. That option was nice because Dominik LOVED to chew on the straps. He was already pretty big, so he fit very easily into the mei tai. But with a smaller baby, it may not feel very secure. Rolling up the waist band would most certainly help, but I feel like it may not be snuggly and secure enough for a squish.

Overall, I would recommend a BabyHawk Mei Tai for a beginner or experienced babywearer who was looking for an easy to use and care for everyday carrier. It was comfortable on the shoulders and because it was tied and not buckled, it was easier to get a snug fit than in a soft structured carrier.

Review: Wrapsody Bali Breeze Morgaine

The Wrapsody company makes water slings, gauze wraps, and hybrids. Their gauze wraps are hand dyed with baby safe dyes in Bali under fair trade conditions. They designs are breathtaking and the colors are all so saturated and lovely. Because they are also affordable, this was my very first wrap and baby carrier.

Morgaine arrived very stiff and scratchy, and remained pretty rough for several months. This takes some elbow grease to get soft. Wrapsody's breeze wraps are the thinnest on the market. They are super light and airy and THE wrap to have if you live in a hot climate. However, because the wrap is so thin and light, there is a weight limit of 35 pounds. The roughness didn't seem to bother little Dominik, and this was absolutely perfect for his first summer, especially because we did not have air conditioning.

The design and colors were very bright and absolutely lovely. It had mermaids, turtles, and other ocean/tropical patterns. This is a dyed wrap, so there was no added texture from the design. The weave itself is plain and very airy.

This was very easy to wrap with and moldable. Dominik felt secure and the knots held well. There is no cush and just a tad bit of stretch. As a newborn, this was fine, I really didn't need any cush. However, as he got bigger, it got less comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. By the time Dominik was about a year old, I was just too narrow and thin for us.

I would recommend this wrap for smaller babies that live in a hot climate. There are certainly softer wraps for newborns, but if you don't want to end up a sweaty mess, this is a great choice. I just recommend breaking it in a bit before use to work out some of the scratchiness.

Check out Wrapsody Baby here

Review: Didymos Mystic Petrol OS 1975

After hearing great things about Didymos in general, as well as specifically their Indios, I decided it was time to try one out. So when they rereleased a well loved classic, I ordered one.

Didymos woven wrap company is THE woven wrap company. As in, the first major woven wrap company. Erika Hoffmann founded Didymos is 1972 because she needed a solution to make caring for two small children easier. Didymos continues to make top quality woven wraps that are both collected and admired. I notice many other companies rising and falling pretty quickly, but Didymos remains very popular, and for good reason. Although they make a variety of wraps, nothing else wraps like the Indio weave.

In loomstate, this wrap literally stands by itself. It is 70% cotton and 30% hemp, so the hemp fibers were particularly stiff and scratchy. It softened up enough to be nice and moldable, but this wrap needs some serious breaking in. However, once broken in, mystic will be one of the softest wraps you will feel. It has a lovely texture that will help to keep it in place, but passes are not difficult at all. In fact, this wrap was probably the easiest to wrap with out of the wovens that I have tried. It acted like a second skin gave me a perfect wrap job every time, feeling wet and fluid.

The design is the original indio pattern. Due to the complexity of the colors within the weave, it tended to look pretty different depending on what light we were in, but the above is fairly true to color. The mixture of the white, blue, and "petrol" colors make this a lovely turquoise, blue.

Mystic is a very, very thin wrap. It's comes in at just 190 g/m2, so it folds up pretty small and is lightweight. There is no cush and quite a bit of stretch. I found myself reaching for it when the weather was hot, because of it's light and airy qualities. I was hoping that, because it is a hemp blend, it would be supportive. However, I found it to be both diggy and very saggy with my large toddler. Granted, he's 30 pounds of solid boy. But for short periods, this was comfortable because it was light and easy to wrap with.

Indios are pretty special because nothing wraps quite like them. Mystic was a lovely wrap to play with. I would recommend this for beginners and small babies because it is easy to wrap with and very soft and moldable. It is not supportive enough for big kids, as I found personally, but it's workable. This light, thin, and airy wrap is also perfect for hot weather.

Check mystic out as well as other indios here

Review: Smitten Vena Cava Coracinus

Smitten is an amazing new wrap company in the U.S. They send their wraps in recycled and biodegradable packaging and they even include a children's book that was going to be just thrown out! Think they stop there? Nope. A portion of the sales of the Vena Cava line go to the Save a Child's Heart organization. Their wraps are also budget friendly and truly amazing to wrap with.

Ok, on to the review of the actual wrap. Vena Cava is 100% cotton and has a very cute heart design made up of ecru and black. I found myself preferring the "wrong side" out, with the white hearts and black background, but they are both very nice. It is densely woven and not very pull prone, so I can see this being a great everyday, no fuss wrap.

Brand new, it was only mildly stiff, so after it's first bath and steam iron, it became quite dry, soft and floppy. With some love, this will get flannely soft. The design gave this wrap decent grip, although it did not seem to make wrapping too difficult. With more breaking in, it will get more glide, but this wrap will most definitely stay in place and hold a knot well.

It is on the medium side, coming in at 260 g/m2. Both the design and weight of this wrap give it a nice amount of cush. Once again, despite being both grippy and a bit thicker, it is fairly easy to wrap with. The nice stretch and bounce that it has make it's a pleasure to wrap with and to wear, especially with large children. My big toddler happily bounced into the wrap, but there was no sag or dig whatsoever.

Smitten is a great company doing some pretty wonderful things for the community, so that alone would make me recommend this company. But their wraps are truly special and a pleasure to wrap with. They are good for both beginners and experienced wrappers alike. Broken in, it would make a nice squish wrap, but I think Smitten really shines with a large baby. The grippiness would make it a good shorty as well as a great beater wrap. But it was great to snuggle into a base size. All around, you can't go wrong with whatever you choose.

Smitten's Website

Woven Wraps

Woven Wraps: Falling Down the Rabbit Hole

Doeck Tulipa Rosso, Pollora Forest Fairies, FireSpiral Octarine Midwinter, KHR Baby Spring Flowers, Cari Slings Owl Post

*Disclaimer: I am warning you now. Woven wraps are strangely addicting. I know, I know... An obsession with fabric? Well, let's just say there is a reason people collect these things. Once you start...you'll get it. You are warned.

Each type of baby carrier has it's own qualities, differences, brands, etc. But woven wraps are really a category all on their own simply because of all the options. Choice of price, pattern, size, material, weight, etc. makes for a seemingly endless list of possibilities. And not to mention the woven wrap terms! So let's break it down into those categories.

Terms:

-Airy: When a wrap is not very dense and allows for airflow
-Bounce: this quality is if a wrap has give when the wearer moves around with the baby
-Broken thread: if a thread is pulled and then broken; if it is tied into a secure knot, it will not affect safety
-CISO/ISO/DISO: Casually in search of/In search of/ Desperately in search of; descriptions used by people looking for a particular wrap
-Cush: the amount of give a wrap has; typically translates to a marshmallow like feel on the shoulders
-Dense: this quality is attributed to a wrap with threads very closely woven together
-Dry: this is a quality that means the fabric feels a bit more rough and dry in hand
-Felting: damage to a wool wrap; the fibers get too agitated resulting in fuzziness, shrinkage, and the formation of little balls; a felted wrap is not safe for babywearing
-Glide: the slipperiness of the fabric; how easily it slides onto itself when making passes and pulling tight
-Grip: the way the fabric moves against itself; grippier wraps stick to itself and it is harder to pull the fabric tight, but once it is put into place, it stays
-Moldable: If a wrap hugs close to your body and you baby, like a second skin, it is considered moldable. Wraps with this quality are easier to wrap with.
-MV: market value
-Natty: natural, undyed fibers
-Permacrease: when a wrap is left folded too long, it runs the risk of having a permanent crease; unless very worn, it is typically safe to still use
-Pull: when a thread is pulled out from the wrap; can be woven back in with patience and a steady hand; doesn't affect safety but beware that it can become a broken thread
-RV: retail value
-Saggy: if a wrap stretches out while wearing, it is considered saggy; usually means unsupportive
-Slippery: when fabric slides easily against itself
-Shorty: a shorter size wrap; typically size 2 to 4
-Supportive: this quality is given to wraps that hold heavier children without sagging
-Wet: a quality of a wrap that is slippery and cool feeling

But isn't it just fabric?
It is possible to go to a fabric store and find fabric that has been woven in a similar way. Many people make homemade wraps using Osnaburg fabric. But the difference between fabric store material and a woven wrap is that wovens are safety tested. They tested to make sure that they can withstand the weight of a child as well as the wear and tear of daily use. The dyes are also typically baby-friendly as many babies love to suck and chew on the fabric. Plus, a professional company or wrap maker has ensured that the seams are secured and do not run the risk of unravelling. All of these safety qualities and better materials mean that woven wraps have a higher price tag.

Price:

Pavo Granite Etini: a pricier brand

Prices on woven wraps can be tricky. There's the retail price and the market value price.
The retail price varies depending on the quality of the material, the type of material, the complexity of the weave, and to some extent, the brand. Cheaper woven wraps are not necessarily bad, they just may not be as soft or thick or well made as more expensive woven wraps. More affordable wovens are easy to find and will still do a great job carrying and snuggling a baby. Higher quality materials, like organic cotton or pima cotton, as well as the type of material, like silk or cashmere, are more expensive for the manufacturer. This makes the retail price higher. Often, very expensive wraps will have blends of multiple materials like cotton, silk, and wool. Each blend gives a wrap a different feel and different wrapping qualities. Also, if a wrap company makes a woven with a particularly complex weave, the price is higher because the process is more complicated. The more expensive, or high end, wrap companies all use better quality materials and more complex weaving, but their name often lends to people seeking them out more.
Market value on a woven wrap is what other people will pay for it second hand. There is a huge market for woven wraps on places like Facebook. There are multiple places to buy, sell, and trade them. Many wraps will sell for around or lower than retail. These wraps are typically easier to find or they are already pretty cheap. Wraps that were made in smaller quantities and more sought after will fetch much higher than the retail price. There are many "budget wraps" that sell for under $100 retail but will sell for much higher on a Facebook swap, just depends on what's popular at the time. Market value changes often and quickly for this reason.

Patterns, colors, and designs:

Doeck Tulipa Rosso

It's pretty easy to find a wrap that will suite your personal style and preference. There are just way too many to even begin to list but let's say you want a red wrap with flowers. There's Oscha Roses Aphrodite, Doeck Tulipa Rosso, and Kindred Paia Watermelon... and that's just off of the top of my head. I'm sure many more could be found with a couple of quick searches. Sometimes the weave itself lends to the pattern of the wrap. Whatever the design may be, it will affect the wrapping qualities. A complex and busy pattern will make a wrap more "grippy", while a plainer design with open spaces will make it glide easier. The weave can also determine whether or not a wrap is "cushy". If the design is contrasted enough, it can create little air pockets that can translate into cush.

Size:

Silver Lining Slings Pipe Dream Shiro as a shorty

Woven wraps typically come in size 2-7, but sometimes will be offered as a size 1 or even an 8. The sizes average as the following:
Size 2: 2-2.2 meters
Size 3: 2.5-2.7 meters
Size 4: 3.7-3.9 meters
Size 5: 4.2-4.3 meters
Size 6: 4.6-4.9 meters
Size 7: 5.2-5.4 meters
Size 8: 5.5-5.8 meters
The size that you get depends on what carries you want to do as well as the size of both you and your child. Your "base size" is the size that you can do Front Wrap Cross Carry (FWCC), which is the easiest to start with, as well as a large range of other carries. Most average sized women are a base size 6. Smaller sizes, or "shorties", are used for specific carries like a Rucksack carry or Rebozo. This video is good for demonstrating shorty carries. This channel has a great list of many carries and what size to use for each one.
Woven wraps also can vary by width, but this is not usually included as part of the size and varies by wrap and manufacturer. For example, Didymos makes wraps more narrow than Pavo. Narrow wraps are great for smaller babies as wider wraps can swallow them up. I use wide wraps with my big boy now because it goes higher on his back and is more secure.

Material:

FireSpiral Slings Octarine Midwinter

Although cotton is the easiest to find, there are so many different blends to choose from. Most wraps that have more than one type of material have cotton as a base, but there are wraps that are completely made of something different like linen or silk.

Cotton: This material is very easy to care for and typically requires no special treatment. A gentle wash, dry, and steam iron are perfect and it's fairly easy to get stains out. Whether or not it is supportive depends on the actual wrap (density, weave, quality of the cotton, etc.) I have tried cotton wraps that were not supportive enough for my toddler, but on the other hand, my most toddler worthy wraps are 100% cotton.

Hemp: Hemp is known for being very supportive of heavier children. It breaks in quickly to be buttery soft, so it's a great choice for a smaller baby as well. Hemp loves heat, so ironing it will only help it to become softer, but beware of over-drying. It's easy to care for as it can be thrown in the washer and dryer with no problem. It's not great for hot climates because it holds heat in so well.

Linen: Linen is also very supportive, but is much more cool and breathable. It's great for hot climates and heavy babies but the right one can be great for a newborn. This material requires breaking in and, depending on the wrap, it could take quite a bit of work. Once broken in, linen is so soft and moldable.

Bamboo: Wraps made with bamboo thread are considered more squish (newborn) worthy. They are not very supportive with heavier babies, particularly because the fabric so slippery. But they are wonderfully soft and floppy for a small baby.

Silk: Similar to bamboo in that it is super soft and slippery. But silk is very supportive, so it is also great for a bigger child. These wraps are typically a bit more expensive as this material is more high end. No breaking in required, but this needs to be washed by hand and air dried.

Wool: There are many different types of wool that wrap companies use. Wool in general is very cushy and supportive. There are higher end wools that are softer and more luxurious, but these are usually quite expensive. Unless it is a high end wool, it can feel "prickly" to some people that are sensitive. Wool is a temperature regulator, so although it may seem like a cool weather wrap, it can be great for warm weather as well because it is breathable. This material requires special care; it needs to be handwashed and air dried. If a wool wrap is felted at all (when the wool fibers are too worn), it is no longer safe to use.

Repreve: This material is made out of recycled plastic. It is compared to wool because of it's cush and temperature regulating qualities. As repreve is very supportive, it's great for bigger babies but can sometimes be overwhelming for squishes. This is similar to hemp in that it is easy to care for and loves heat, but can be overdried.

Tencel: Tencel is a material made of wood pulp, making it another eco-friendly choice. It is super soft and floppy, with little to no breaking in required. It is also very affordable. But it can be not quite supportive enough and too slippery for a larger child.

Weight:

Pollora Forest Fairies (thin) vs. KHR Handwoven (thick)

Woven wraps vary greatly by thickness and density. They are measured by grams per square meter with something around 170 g/m2 being very thin and 350 g/m2 being very thick. Thin wraps can be supportive with high quality materials or a denser weave, but are best suited for very small babies. They are easy to wrap with, lightweight, and hugs your body like a second skin. Thicker wraps are typically harder to wrap with because of the heaviness and lack of moldability but are so great for large children. Now that Dominik is a heavy toddler, my thicker wraps are much more comfortable and worth the extra wrapping effort.

Machine woven vs. Hand woven

Machine woven (Doeck Tulipa Rosso) vs. Hand woven (KHR Wovens Baby Spring Flowers)

Woven wraps are either made by machine or by hand on a loom. Machine weaving is easier and more cost effective because it can power out many more wraps in a shorter amount of time. There are machine woven wraps that are simply woven and then there are those that have a complex and intricate weave. It really depends on the company. There are huge differences in prices of a machine woven, ranging from about 75$ to thousands. This depends on the brand, material, how many were made, etc. Certain highly sought after brands like Kokoro or Pavo have a few wraps that were very exclusive and therefore hard to find, these machine wovens go for thousands of dollars on the second hand market. But then, on the other side of spectrum, are very easy to find and affordable machine wovens.
Hand wovens are exactly that, a hand woven wrap. These vary almost as much as machine wovens. There are budget handwovens like Girasol and Inda Jani that are easy to find, affordable, and very nice wraps. There are also very highly sought after weavers whose wraps go for a lot of money. Hand wovens come in many different blends and designs as well as different weights. It's a lot harder to navigate the hand woven world because there are such differences between wraps, even by the same weaver. In general, a handwoven is coveted not just because it is hand made, but because of it's wrapping qualities. Most handwovens are softer and easier to wrap with because of the higher quality materials and looser weave.

Machine Woven Brands: *there are even more than this, but this is a list of popular brands

Artipoppe
Baie Slings
Bara Barn
BB Slen
Bijou Wear
Butterfly Baby Company
Cari Slings
Cassiope Woven
Colimacon et Cie
Daiesu
Danu Slings
Didymos
Diva Milano
Doeck
Dolcino
Easycare
Ellevil
Ethos Babywearing
Fidella
FireSpiral Slings
Hoppediz
Kindred Wrap
Kokadi
Kokoro
Kokoskaa
Lalu Wovens
Lawilde
Lenny Lamb
Lewlewbelle
Linuschka
Little Frog
Maya Wrap
Mokosh
Natibaby
Nunamoochie
Oscha Slings
Ovolo Wraps
Owrapel
Pavo
Pellicano Baby
Poe Wovens
Pollora
Risaroo Wovens
Sensimo Slings
Sestrice
Shiny Star Designs
Silver Lining Slings
Smitten
Solnce
Storchenwiege
Tekhni Wovens
Tinge Garden
Tiny Tiger Baby
Tula
Vanamo
Vatanai
Woven Wings
Yaro Slings

Handwoven Brands:

Cloth of Kin
Eagle Ray Wovens
ETLA
Fairy River Textiles
Girasol
Heartiness
Inda Jani
KHR Wovens
Mountain Girl Wovens
Nunamoochie
Turkish Towel
Uppymama
Vandeloo Woven
Warped and Wonderful