Posts Tagged ‘Out & About’
Wriggle Wrapper: Wonderful!
Posted on: July 6, 2010
Here’s an update – dare we say, product review – for Phil N’Teds Wriggle Wrapper: “The perfect solution for sitting, feeding & sleeping on the go!”
A while back, we posted about the beautiful unfulfilled promise of the Wriggle Wrapper, which had sat gathering moss while our little babies rolled gleefully along, stopping only to nosh in the infinitely superior Phil N’Teds MeToo. After several noble attempts at proper use, we felt wasteful and downright ashamed at having gotten suckered into another $50 of gear we didn’t need.
Then – the baby turned 1, the toddler hit 2.5, and we all took off to co-op preschool together, working parent shift (with tag-a-long) one day a week.
The first few times, I just struggled & juggled with the baby – swapping deftly between the Ergo, a Pack N’Play (not popular), and furtive sideway glances to keep Mr. Increasingly Mobile in my sights. This wasn’t working, so I deployed the MeToo – but with much more at stake (glue sticks – how delicious!) the little guy grew even more determined, finding a way out of MeToo’s safety straps and onto the table.
As it turns out, toddlers are pretty good at sounding the alarm – not out of concern of precious baby’s health or welfare, but because glue is “mine” and they’re not sharing. Yet another rescue pop into the Ergo.
Later, physically exhausted and emotionally bereft, it hit me like a ton of mossy rocks: Wriggle Wrapper. The perfect solution for sitting…on the go. (Their words.) It would bind baby’s wiggly little bottom to a tiny preschool chair. As though the chair were wearing the Ergo. Sort of. Well, at this point, anyone or anything else wearing the baby is welcome, and my back thanks you.
I brought Wriggle Wrapper to Co-op my very next shift and it worked like a dream. The WW’s extra-wide velcro-buckle waistbelt/short is genius for sitting securely, since it immobilizes the hips – baby has no leverage to wiggle his legs into standing position. Best of all, baby seems to love it. I think the secure hold might actually feel comforting – like he feels wrapped, not bound.
The other parents were impressed – what’s that? That’s brilliant! For the first time, I finished shift with energy to spare. I’m a fan of baby-wearing, and still wore my 23-pounder for a good two hours out of five, but the Wriggle Wrapper gave me *my* mobility at key moments in the Co-op day. I felt like Supermom. No…I felt…normal!
So I’m updating the review, and giving WW high marks – at least for sitting and feeding! Sleeping…remains to be seen. But I’ve got to find a way to test it. Because the $49.99 just got paid off (good luck hiring a nanny for that for five hours) – and now I’m curious.
This just in from ERGObaby, makers of the ever-popular Ergo Baby Carrier: a new/improved Infant Insert called “Heart2Heart.”
The original insert (c. 2004) was not unlike a small comforter you’d tuck your infant into taco-style, and then carefully bundle into the carrier at a precarious angle (“the cradle position”). It always felt like an after-thought, and something of a rip-off at almost $40. (We even razzed it in our GearGuide.)
Photo Credit: ergobabycarriers.com
The new design is the result of contributions from research studies, customer feedback, chiropractic support and working directly with newborns. Heart2Heart keeps the comfy padding of the original, but gives parents confidence with a more defined shape and secure snaps. ERGO handles the baby origami for you this time, removing a big barrier to use (if not purchase) with the original.
Heart2Heart is available online and in stores, in both regular cotton poplin ($25) and 100% organic cotton ($38 – recommended).
GaGaGear’s Word To The Wise: With the new version in circulation, you may see deep discounts on the old insert. While still technically effective as a newborn carrying device in combination with the Ergo carrier, we didn’t recommend the previous version, and still don’t. It was cumbersome and too easy to use incorrectly.
Boba Carrier Has a Leg Up On Ergo
Posted on: April 12, 2010
I’m a big fan of my Organic Ergo Baby Carrier. With a back prone to going out and two active babies, it’s always at hand – both as go-to gear and safety net. Don’t leave home without it.
I’ve worn Ergo on my front, worn it on my hip, and most recently became adept at the tricky slide-baby-onto-your-back maneuver, freeing up my arms and shoulders for an increasingly demanding toddler.
Photo Credit: bobababycarrier.com
Today, though, I learned about another soft-structured carrier that has all the best of Ergo and more – the Boba Baby Carrier. Basically, Boba is the Ergo but 100% organic, a little taller + wider, made in the U.S.A.*, and with clever foot stirrups for the child. (Boba provides a handy comparison chart vs. Ergo on their web site.)
There’s certainly a part of me that wants to give more credit to Ergo for having pioneered this general design in the first place. That same part wishes Ergo had added footholds first, brought some finesse to the carrier design (let’s be honest – it’s ugly – Boba’s is better), and wasn’t manufacturing in China*.
* Editor’s note 6/22/2012: I recently learned Boba is now manufacturing in China as well…darn it!
I’ve got to admire Boba for boldly stepping up with just a couple key improvements to an already successful proposition. A look at their web site shows a company brimming with confidence, almost daring you to pick another carrier once you’ve read everything there is to know about babywearing in their “compare carriers” section.
Am I rushing out to get one, trusty dusty Ergo dangling behind? Probably not – it’s really not a set of features I absolutely can’t live without. (Still holding out for the Cone-of-Silence-Carrier.) But I’m adding it to the GearGuide, and am curious to see how Ergo will respond.
Boba Baby 2G Carrier will be available starting April 23, 2010. It retails for $118 and can be ordered online direct from Boba. From what we can see, it’s new colors and a little different styling.
Find the original Boba Organic Baby Carriers for just $99 locally in Portland, Oregon at Bella Stella on NE Broadway. Bella Stella also sells Ergos.
GaGaGear 