Natibaby Nepal - 33% merino (Size 6)

After my first foray into wool with SweetPlace, I decided I had to try more. I saw Natibaby Nepal as one of the BOGO offers on Natibaby's website and snapped it up. The blend was 33% wool, which was slightly higher than the previous one I had tried.

It arrived and I gave it a wooly bath in the tub, then ever so not patiently waited for it to dry. Despite Natibaby's recommendations, I would not wash these in the washing machine. Felting is scary. Save your wraps. Once dry, I wrapped my youngest in a dh with it and noticed immediately that it was longer than a size 6, which is what I had ordered.

I had a lovely local seamstress chop and hem the wrap to a 4.5m, which is my favourite long length. She made some adorable elephant stuffies for the boys out of the scraps.

I found this wrap amazing for back carries, but a bit too rigid for long-term front wearing. It didn't have the same amount of bounce that SweetPlace had. It was very soft, and I loved the neutral stripe pattern. It was a bit more slippy than SweetPlace also, which I found nice mostly, but was sometimes challenging overtop of a winter coat. There was no sag at all in this wrap, which was lovely for longer wearing of my big guys.

The Verdict:

Pros: Soft, supportive, neutral

Cons: Handwash, a bit slippery

Recommendation: This would be a great first foray into wool, and a wonderful year-round wool wrap. With careful wrapping, this would be comfortable for even larger babies on front and back. 

Natibaby SweetPlace Merino Wool Blend (Size 6)

For a long time I was scared of blends, mostly due to the beastly linen blend Natibaby Nature of America experience I had as a new wrapper (http://wrappedupwithyou.blogspot.com/2014/12/natibaby-nature-of-america.html). I stuck with cotton because it was a sure thing.

However, an awesome sale from Tadpoles and Butterflies led me to purchase my first wool blend wrap, a Natibaby Sweetplace merino blend in orange (one of my fave colours). It arrived quickly, and was so soft, straight out of the box. I handwashed it and laid flat to dry, then made a hammock out of it to break it in some. From that first hammock I understood the bounce of wool that was so highly raved about on message boards and Facebook. It was such a comfortable seat for me.

It also made a great stroller blanket :)

I took it out for a spin on a longer walk while front wearing with my youngest, who was about 25lb at the time. It was very comfortable, though it had a bit more support than I like for a front carry. I tend to like stretch for front wearing, and support for back wearing, as it is easier to adjust in a front carry. Regardless, I really enjoyed our first long outing in this wrap. It was so soft and not at all woolly feeling.

Where this wrap really shone was for back carries. It was super supportive in multi-pass carries, such as double hammock, and made for a great extra layer of warmth for our cold winter. I didn't try many single-layer carries with it for long periods, as I owned it in a size 6, but I imagine it would have been pretty great in a ruck tied tibetan also.

Messy DH but happy baby

The Verdict:

Pros: Super soft, affordable, supportive

Cons: Handwash (Natibaby website says you can machine wash, but I wouldn't machine wash wool)

Recommendation: Don't let the wool scare you. It is so cozy and soft, the extra two minutes of effort and waiting for it to lay flat to dry are so worth the benefits of this awesome fibre. Natibaby wool is one of the softest wool wraps I have ever tried. You should try one!

Natibaby Colorado (Size 6)

The wrap so nice, I've bought it twice!

Natibaby Colorado is an all cotton colour block wrap. It was a little stiff out of the box, but softened nicely after a wash and being hung to dry. The colours are so vibrant, a bright red, orange and hint of yellow that make me think of sunshine and summer.

This wrap is a great all-purpose wrap. I have owned it in a size 6 and a size 5. I have trekked through field and forest, cooked spaghetti, and caught fish while wearing this wrap. It has never had a pull, and doesn't show stains or wear easily. It was soft and cushy enough for a tiny babe, and was supportive enough in a double hammock tied at the shoulder for my 40lb three year old.

I first sold this wrap when I caught the churning bug and the urge to #BuyAllTheWraps hit. Since selling, I have tried nearly 100 wraps. I recently boomeranged this wrap and am even more in love with it now that I have the experience to know better. The cotton is so sturdy, the width is nice and wide, this one will live here as a beater wrap until the end of our wrapping days.

Catching some minnows

The Verdict:
Pros: Affordable, obtainable, soft, wide, colourful
Cons: Seriously, this wrap is the bee's knees
Recommendation: Whether this is your first wrap, your only wrap, or your beloved beater wrap, this is such a cozy and versatile addition to any stash.

Natibaby Nature of America (Size 6)

My very first wrap that wasn't 100% cotton was a BNIB Natibaby Nature of America 30% linen blend. I purchased it directly from Natibaby, and looking back, it probably wasn't the best wrap for my tiny baby and a fairly inexperienced wrapper.

BNIB, the thing literally stood by itself. I washed it, braided it, beat it in the dryer with dryer balls, hammocked it... and still it was a beast. We wrapped with it often to try and break it in. I even wrapped a sack of potatoes in it to try to break it in further. Sadly, this beast was too much for us, and ended up being passed along without the chance for a thorough review.

The beast and I ever so gently cradle a sack of potatoes.

For awhile, this experience scared me completely off of blends. I'm glad I came to my sense eventually.