Need educating on woven wraps.

[brandyleigh]

I currently use a Moby Wrap on my 7 week old but when I wear her all day long, I start to get tired. She's not ready for the Ergo yet so I've been researching other options and have been really intrigued by Woven Wraps.  However, they seem a little intimidating to me!  There is a huge price difference and I don't know if the expensive ones are THAT much better than the more affordable ones.

Are there mainstream woven wrap sellers?  Or could I just order one off Etsy?  I would love to hear your ladies' experiences with them and tell me if they're that worth it...and if so, can you recommend a brand/store?

TIA!

Brandy

[carriebft]

I have a gira and a hoppediz and I love them both! I am wearing my 2.5 year old these days in the hopp. The gira is a smaller length and is great for all the front carries and simple back carries. the hopp is the 5.4 larger size because I use the double hammock back carry a lot and I find I need longer for that. I have yet to carry an infant in either, but I can just tell it's going to be very comfy based on how comfy they are with my 30 lb 2.5 year old.

You can get some great deals on thebabywearer for sale or trade area.

[RoseMcNeill]

I have a Storchenwiege wrap and an EllaRoo wrap. I really like both, and despite the big price difference (EllaRoo on sale for $40 Canadian, Storch $150 Canadian) I don't notice a huge difference.

I prefer the stretchy wraps with smaller babies, but once they get heavier I find the woven wraps offer more support, and the heavier kids will "sag" less. I can still wear my 4 year old who weighs 42 lbs comfortably in my woven wraps - though usually Dad gets to wear our big kid! 

Im using the Moby almost exclusively with my 9 week old, though sometimes we use a Mei Tai as well.

I would strongly recommended a used woven wrap. They are so nice and soft once they are broken in - and it takes quite a while to break one in nicely - especially the Storch - so if someone else can do it for you, great! :)   Like the previous poster said thebabywearer FSOT is a great place to start.

[clovergirl]

There are lots of brands of woven wraps.  I would not recommend getting a handmade one from an Etsy seller, unless it's something like a gauze wrap, because the fabric used for a German style woven (GSW for short) wrap is a very particular type which is usually milled specially for wraps.  Gauze wraps are kind of a step below GSW in terms of support and how they wrap, but they are better for older babies then a stretchy wrap. 

Alright, so on to brands... here is a list of some quality GSW wraps, basically in order of least to most expensive (not exact, but close)-

BBslen, Storchenwiege, Girasol, Vatanai, Neobulle, Hoppediz, Ellevill, and Didymos.  Most have some different weaving patterns within the brand, as well as different fabric materials (100% cotton, cotton/linen, cotton/silk, cotton/wool, cotton/bamboo). 

And then there is sizing... you can get different lengths of woven wraps, depending on your body size, and what types of tying variations you are looking to do.  For an all purpose wrap, something around 4.6 meters fits pretty much everyone (it's a bit shorter then the Moby, if that helps in gauging size).  IF you are very petite, you may be able to get away with a 4.1m or if you are plus sized you may need more length, like a 5.2m. 

Personally, my two favorite "starter" wraps are Girasol and Neobulle.  They are pretty soft right out of the package and break in easily.  They are also not super thick or thin, and not too grippy. 

Hope that helps... the world of woven wraps can be very confusing!

[Mom2M]

I love the BBSlen, especially if you want to try back carries because they are very wide and it gave me a little more confidence just to have more fabric around her.  It is very supportive but soft too.  I got mine on the babywearer FSOT so it was already nice and soft.

A nice thick one that is very inexpensive is walter's organic.  There is one with leg holes and it's kind of cool for starting back carries and also if your baby is good at trying to pop out, they absolutely cannot pop out in this one! It's almost like a blanket so it depends on how you like your wraps, thick or thin.

Another really nice carrier is the Gemini, it is a lot less bulky than an Ergo.  It is great for little babies and also works for DD at 23 pounds. It takes all the weight off me and she is very comfortable.

[upnorthmama]

 I was coming here to ask just the same question. Thank you!

[TiffanyToo]

The value you get from the investment of a wrap, a ring sling or a podegai (Korean style carrier) is they are wraps that can be used from newborn to well into toddler years. If cared for they retain a nice resale value. They are useable from child to child can be used in a variety of positions. As well they are custom every time you use it.

I ask the "wearer" where she is located when consulting on the kind of woven to buy. There are lighter weight wraps and heavier wraps this can be a deciding factor when purchasing a wrap.

[bubbledumpster]

I don't mean to hijack this thread but I've been researching and I definitely want a woven wrap. What would you suggest for someone who lives in hot humid Florida?

[TiffanyToo]

I live in Southern California, I get your concern for weather.

I like for hot climates cotton linen blends.  Some 100% cotton wraps are very breathe-able and light for warmer climates made specific to warmer climates.

Here's a link to a listing for local babywearing groups. You might attend a meeting and talk to the locals about what they use and why.

http://www.sakurabloom.com/pages/Find-A-Babywearing-Group-Near-You.html 

Originally Posted by bubbledumpster 

I don't mean to hijack this thread but I've been researching and I definitely want a woven wrap. What would you suggest for someone who lives in hot humid Florida?

[Mom2M]

I love the Gypsy Mama Bali Baby Breeze for hot weather, it's very light and airy, somewhat stretchy but supportive enough to do a back carry and I wore my DD at 20 pounds in it with no problem.
I do like linen blends also but I have problems with them being a little uncomfortable after a while.

[Eresh]

I like my didymos waves for warmer times .. I'm in VA.  It's a more airy weave than a lot of other wraps.  I bought mine new off of amazon at a steep discount but you can usually find them on tbw fsot for a reasonable price.  Be aware that surfing fsot can be really bad for your bank balance :D

[danibean]

Another apology for hijacking...  I am so torn.  I am a completely clueless first time mom due at the end of June and would like an affordable wrap that I could use with DD as soon as she's born.  I live in the DC area and the weather will be hot and humid and I sweat a lot, so it seems like a woven would be better for that but from everything I've read, the stretchy ones are better for newborns.  However, the stretchy ones, like Moby, etc. are also said to be very warm.  I am going to a babywearing worshop at the end of the month and hopefully they will have some different ones to try out and see... Any suggestions?

[bwaybaby918]

Try the Wrapsody Bali Stretch...it's a great cross between a stretchy and woven, but also pretty lightweight and super comfy.  I also loved a Ring Sling with a newborn (either Maya Wrap or Sleeping Baby Productions which offers some really lightweight fabrics).  Good luck!

[Mom2M]

Originally Posted by danibean 

Another apology for hijacking...  I am so torn.  I am a completely clueless first time mom due at the end of June and would like an affordable wrap that I could use with DD as soon as she's born.  I live in the DC area and the weather will be hot and humid and I sweat a lot, so it seems like a woven would be better for that but from everything I've read, the stretchy ones are better for newborns.  However, the stretchy ones, like Moby, etc. are also said to be very warm.  I am going to a babywearing worshop at the end of the month and hopefully they will have some different ones to try out and see... Any suggestions?

Gypsy Mama Bali Baby Breeze is great when it is hot/humid. I like the Wrapsody Bali Stretch too