Soul Starling

Review of Soul Starling

Brand: Soul
Collection: 100% linen wraps
Name: Starling
Blend: 100% linen
Thickness: 220 g/m2
Wrappee: 16 kg, 22 months
Size: 7

I received this wrap just in time for the Norwegian summer to start. We have had a few weeks with amazing weather and a sick toddler, and Starling arrived just in time for it all. It has been used a lot these hot days with a feverish toddler!

I have to say that to start with I was not sure this wrap, with a thickness of 220 g/m2, would be thick enough for my toddler with his 16 kgs. I know that linen is very strong, but I have not been a fan of linen before, because I think its a bit too stiff for us, and I feel it digging a bit.
So this wrap arrived, and it changed my opinion about all-linen wraps!

This wrap was already soft right out of the bag. Soul linen wraps arrives pre-washed, but I still like to  wash it once before using it. After a wash and ironing, it became even softer. It was a pleasure to wrap with from the very beginning, and I'm sure it will just feel better and better when more used.

My first impression of Starling is that it´s a very soft wrap, and that its very easy to work with. Its smooth, but still holds some grip. The wrap has almost no stretch vertically or horizontally, but has a small amount of diagonally stretch. This gives the wrap a bit of bounce, which is nice when carrying a toddler who will never sit still, and jumps up and down all the time. I think this is the reason why I do not feel this wrap digging anything at all! Its very nice and comfortable on my shoulders.

This wrap is very thin. It reminds me of a curtain I would use during summer, or like my own linen dress. It is almost transparent, and that makes it the perfect wrap for the warmer summer months, or for very hot and humid climate. Linen is also know for its soothing and cooling effect, and it has been a pleasure using it for this time.

The color of Starling is amazing! I love the way the color pops up every outfit, and makes my skin look more tan just wearing it. Its also perfect for everyday wearing, like jeans and t-shirt. The color is a bit hard to capture, but its truly an amazing, clear blue wrap.

It´s easy to make a nice wrap job with Starling, and if you are accurate with your wrapping job it will stay firm and immovable, even with a 16 kg toddler like mine.
This wrap is perfect for beginners, but also the perfect summer-wrap for experienced wrappers. I would also recommend this wrap for both newborn and toddlers.

I have tried Starling in Double Hammock with freshwater finish, saltwater finish, regular DH TIF (tied in front), FWCC, ruck and FCC. This is the perfect wrap for multiple layer-carries, and I liked it a lot for all my favorite carries. I had no expectations for it as a ruck, and with a toddler I would not recommend single layer carries. Its just a little bit too thin.
When wrapping, the passes glides easily into place, and the knot is almost invisible. For me, wrapping a big boy, it needed to be proper tighten, or else it would sag a bit after a while. I would say this is because of the weight of my boy, but also because he has a hard time sitting still. He always jumps up and down, stretching his legs out and waves with his whole body- just like an energetic toddler should. ;)

We love Starling already. I would really recommend everyone, who is looking for a cooler wrap for hot and humid weather, to check this out! It is very comfortable and supportive with my toddler, and soft enough for a newborn too. Its also affordable for everyone!

Thank you Soul, for this amazing wrap!

Liora Rae Flow Morgan

Liora Rae Flow Morgan

Brand: Liora Rae
Pattern: Flow Collection
Name: Morgan
Blend: 100% Egyptian Combed Cotton
Size: 4

Morgan has been her for around one week now, and its time for me to share some words about it.
First...
My first impression of the Morgan tester was that it holds a beautiful blue color. Its deep, like the ocean- with out being too dark. The contrast is a medium dark grey, and I would say this wrap is the perfect everyday-wrap, matching jeans and t-shirt, which is what I normally wear every day.
The pattern of this collection is very simple, still very beautiful. I like how the pattern is repeating itself, without being too much. The contrast of the two colors is not too strong, so it give a delicate impression.

Next to the pattern and colors, Morgan tester is medium-thin in hand, and it´s quite dense woven. It still does not feel too dense in hand, because it contains a great amount of stretch.
I have a thing for stretchy wraps, and like how they mold around me and my boy when wrapping, but this wrap may be a little bit too stretchy wearing my almost two year old boy in a base -2. This size is a bit awkward for us.

I have tried the wrap in DH TAS and TUB (wich is none of my favorite, I just feel its hard to tighten enough), simple ruck and I have also used it in FCC. The last one was suprisingly good with this wrap, and it was the perfect breastfeeding-carrie!
My son is already soon 16 kg´s, and because the wrap is base -2 for me, I feel that I could not give it the credit it deserves, because I never got to wear it in my favorite multilayer-carries.
In single layers it did sag, and then the plaids started digging on my shoulders. This is because of the single-layer carrie combined with the stretch. It´s just not enough when wrapping a toddler of this size.
We hardly use single layer if the wrap is not extremely thick and supportive. In double hammock it was way more supportive. I wish the tester was just two sizes longer, so that I could finish it off like we like to do it.

Morgan tester had a perfect width for me. I would say that its of the wider side, and I like it like that, because that way it can support from neck to bum, and still be enough wrap left to make a good seat. I think the wrap can feel a bit too wide with a newborn, but for toddlers its the perfect size.

The wrap is not very grippy, and the passes glides easily into place without causing you too much work. Its easy to tighten and make a good knot. The knot in this wrap will not be too big, and will not get in your way. I like to have double knot in this wrap, because of its amount of grip and stretch.

I would say that this wrap is very beautiful, and that it would be a perfect wrap for bigger babies and toddlers. I would think this wrap is amazing for 6-7 and until 12-13 kg´s. Its a great wrap for beginners, and specially if you like your wraps wide and stretchy.

Thank you, Liora Rae, for letting us host Flow Morgan.

Risaroo Celiese Dream

Risaroo Celiese Dream

Brand: Risaroo Wovens
Pattern: Celiese
Name: Dream
Blend: 55% Cotton, 45% tencel
Weight: 289 g/m2
Released: 21. April 2017

Risaroo Wovens is a well-known US- brand that came to life just about 3 years ago, 30th of May- 2014. They have since then produced a lot of beautiful wraps made in a local mill in US.

I have only tried one wrap from them before, and that happened when I was looking for a yellow wrap. I came across their page and fell immediately in love with Sagitta Harvest. That is an Eco2 wrap with 360g/m2,  and I love my shortie! I have to say that I was really shocked when Celiese Dream showed up here.
Without even thinking about the name of the wrap, Celiese Dream could be a swan, or a ballet dancer. Or even a beautiful flower, with the sweetest smell.
Okey, lets focus...

I opened the box from Risaroo, and the wrap was so soft. I had never felt a wrap so soft, kitten-belly soft to touch, right out of the box before. I almost forgot to wash it, just because it felt like a wrap worn for years. I just had to put it around me, and of course share a picture to the babywearing community.

I washed the wrap, dried it and iron it. It was so soft to start with, that I actually didn't know if it really did soften up any more once out of loom state. But it probably did.

I have a child that is soon to be two years old. He is long and big for his age, and weight almost 16 kgs. My first thought was that this is a wrap made for babies, a lot smaller then my toddler, and that it would maybe be too thin for him. But I was wrong.. 

The wrap was a success from start. My little one settled down so fast, and put his arms inside the wrap and fell asleep. He is normally not that easy to put to sleep. 

We have used Celiese Dream a lot since it arrived, and we can promise you that this wrap is also perfect for toddlers, even the heavier ones. 

So, wrapping qualities...

This wrap is thin in hand and feels like a baby blanket. It is, as I may have mentioned before, so soft, and its very moldable. It feels like a second skin, and its very easy to wrap with. 

Celiese Dream is not too stretchy, but does not feel stiff or dense at all. It has just the perfect amount of stretch. I would also say that the wrap is very smooth. It does not contain a lot of grip, and that makes it very easy to work with. In the other way it could also be a bit slippery, so I suggest it works best for the ones that like doing their wrapping job perfect. And if you are not in that group, please don´t be scared. This wrap will almost wrap itself, and its so easy to tighten, that it does not require a lot of extra work from you. Just do what you regularly do, and it will be just perfect.

The wrap is woven on a ecru warp, with an ombre fill, that goes from purple to ecru. The pattern is not too much, and leaves just a nice touch to the ombre colors.

The tencel-blend is a bit new to some of us. 

I would say that it feels very supportive, and its supposed to be a cooler opinion to linen. Its also so soft even in loom state, so I would really suggest it to everyone, from newborn to toddler. I have used it a lot now because my son have had some fever, and it has been a great option for us at this time.

With being easy to wrap and moldable, I will also say that the wrap showes great amount of cush on my shoulders. I did not feel it dig at any time. I like to use only one knot when I wrap, but since this wrap is so smooth, I have been thinking about if I needed double knot with it. I think its better to use double knot if you are going to wear for a while, or use one layer- carry, so that it does not slip and make your carry sag. 

Another great thing about this wrap is that it is machine washable, and you can even tumble dry it. In that way it allows you not to be too scared about getting it dirty and need to use your whole night for washing and drying it. It will be ready the next day. 

My conclusion about this wrap is that its great for babies in all ages and sizes. Its nice for beginners as well as advanced wrappers, and it could easily be your favorite blanket on the sofa in front of the tv when the baby is happily asleep.
The wrap is smooth, and that can make it a bit slippery, but with a good wrap job, you will have no problem using it. Its easy to wrap with, easy to tighten and makes the pass slide easily into place. The plaids on your shoulders gives a good amount of cush, and the wrap does not dig.





Another great thing about Risaroo Wovens is that the wraps are made to be possible for most people to fund. Its not a cheap wrap, but its not like HE wraps that we can only drool over, but never buy. So if you like this wrap, or are curious of what other color ways or designs Risaroo Wovens have, just check out their webpage.

Thank you, Risaroo Wovens, for letting me try out this wrap, and send it out for testing here with us wrappers in Norway.
If any of you would like to follow Celiese Dream`s trip around Norway, check out #RisarooInNorway on instagram. 

Minako Gems Amber

Review of Minako Gems Amber

Pattern: Gem
Name: Amber
Blend: 64% egyptian cotton and 36% Bourette Silk

I have been so lucky to have Amber here visiting us for a week.
A lot of people brags about the cotton/bourette- blend of Minako, and I was very excited to try this one out!

This is the first Minako Gems Im trying, and I think the pattern is beautiful and delicate. I like gems, as a lot of womens, and this is no exception.

My first impression of this wrap was that it was incredible soft! Its soft and cushy, feels like a marshmallow in my hands. Still you can feel that the "right" side is grippy. It has nubs and clubs of beautiful orange, white and yellow.  All this on the top of a pale orange background. The "back" of this wrap is grey, and that way the diamonds are in grey. The back side has the opposite- grey background and orange/yellow/white diamonds. The "back" of the wrap is also much more smooth. There is almost no grip in this grey side of the wrap. That way the wrap will easily slide in double layers, but still be grippy to hold tight when wrapping and wearing your baby.

I have tried the wrap in both ruck, DH and FWCC. I think it was perfect for all of them. My favorite carrie is DH, and I use that often when going for longer walks. Ruck is great when Im in a hurry, or my little prince don´t have the time for the extra tightening and fixing that a DH requires.
This wrap is good also with my heavy toddler in a ruck, and that is a very good quality. I would say its definitely toddler-proof!

Amber feels medium thick in hand, and have almost no stretch. In both horisontal and vertical there is no stretch at all. Diagonally there is some amount of stretch. This makes the wrap feels a bit inelastic. The good thing is that when wrapping with Amber, as long as all the tightening is well done- there will be no sagging og heavy feeling on your shoulders. It requires a precisely wrap job, but it will reward you with making your toddler and baby feel weightless.

The silk in this wrap makes the wrap very strong, and the perfect toddler prison. Still its also as soft as a blanket, and could easily be squish friendly too. its very moldable, and folds like an extra layer of skin around both me and my toddler.
The plaids on my shoulders felt very good once tighten well, and the wrap gives some cush too.

So, this wrap is easy to wrap with, easy to tighten, and is perfect for all ages. It holds a small knot, and it stays in place both with one and two knots. Even having medium thickness, its not making me warm at all. The silk makes the wrap good for both warm and colder seasons.
The colors of this reminds me of autumn. Its such a warm and cosy color, just like the beautiful autumn leaves, or the light of the fireplace.

Thank you Minako HQ for letting me host this beautiful Gems Amber.

Woven Wings Tin Man

Pattern: Geo
Name: Tin Man
Blend: 39% egyptian Cotton, 37% Ethical Merino and 24% Linen


Woven Wings are famous for their Geo- pattern. Its a delicate and symmetric pattern, that is very easy to love. I have had one myself, but this one arrived as something completely else!
I have had the pleasure to host this beautiful Geo- Tin Man- for 10 days, and here is my review.

Tin Man is the complete wrap in most ways. Its thin, its strong, its hot, its not, its easy to wrap with, its easy to tighten, its good for double layers, and I bet its perfect for single layers too- when its not a  16 kg toddler.
To be honest- most wraps are not perfect in single layers for us anymore- so dont judge Tin Man because of that, because I bet he would rock that ruck!
I could also say that its the most perfect squish-friendly wrap. Its so soft it would hug your baby like the softest baby blanket.

Already at first touch, I could feel that Tin Man has been traveling the world and been much loved before I met it. It´s very soft and cosy, and I just needed to put it around me and just hug it for a short while at the time it arrived.
I was a bit scared that my toddler might have become to heavy for thinner wraps by now, and the first up I had with Tin Man was not a pleasure.
I was too excited, and put my little one upon the wrap when he actually did not have the time for being carried, and I needed to rush wrapping him. I didn't tighten it enough, and my shoulder started hurting. Could it really be that this beautiful, cozy wrap was not for us?

By the next time I wrapped my little one in Tin Man, I had lower my expectations and my excitement was not over the top anymore. I took all the time I needed to tighten everything just perfect, and there it was- the true beauty of this beautiful wrap. Tin Man carried my boy with no problem! It was so comfy!

Tin Man is a wrap that is easy to love. I think he could cover most needs. I want to talk about the wrapping qualities, so here we go.

Tin man is thin in hand. If you feel closely, you can feel the linen/cotton, but with the merino added, it get´s more soft and cosy right away.
The wrap is a tiny bit stretchy. I like my wraps stretchy, and I would say this has just below medium amount of stretch. There is no horisontal stretch, but there is some stretch diagonally- and a bit more stretch vertical. This makes the wrap moldable and takes away that diggy feeling on your shoulders- that I often feel in cotton/linen blends of thinner wraps.
There is some amount of grip in this wrap. Its not a lot, and you need to feel closely if you want to feel it by hand. I would say that the side with more grey is the most grippy, and I could feel that the grey thread makes more grip and the black one, but combined together there is just the perfect amount of grip- so you will not overwork then tighten the second pass. I think for us with more heavy toddlers this is the perfect DH wrap.

With all this being said, I also need to say a few words about the colors of this wrap!
I personally love mono wraps, together with loving colors, pastels, gold and silver... Yes- you name it.
This wrap has the most beautiful combination of black, which is a bit matte, together with some kind of grey that is leaning closer to silver. With this said, I can not resist saying that there is some amount of brown in the grey... Just a tiny tiny bit, and in some way it makes the grey/silver pop in a very positive way! This is a wrap you should see with your own eyes!

Thank you Woven Wings HQ for letting me be a part of your traveling tour.

Soul Maze Honey

Soul Maze Honey

Pattern: Maze
Name: Honey
Blend: 100% jaquard woven cotton
Thickness: 280 gr/m2
Wrappe: 15,5-16 kg

Soul is one of Indias largest brand of Baby carriers, and produce and sell woven wraps, ring slings, onbuhimo, full buckles, meh dai´s and accessories like sunhat´s, blankets, carries for your kids and soft sole shoes.
Its a family-run company, and I fell in love with their story about how Soul came to life, and their philosophy and thoughts.
If you want to know more about this, or order something yourself, you can have a look at their webpage.

I have seen the beautiful logo of Soul before, but I had never tried one myself before I was asked if I wanted to test one. I fell immediately in love with Maze Honey from the pictures of their web page. Those colors, that combination, that design! It was just screaming my name out loud. And yes, the lovely Soul team wanted to send me exact this wrap! I was very excited.

The shipping from India to Norway was surprisingly fast! In four days I had the box here with me. And when I opened it- this was the pile of goodness that met me!
One set of lovely soft sole shoes in Maze Honey, one blanket in Flyaway pattern, and the wrap itself- Maze Honey in sz 6!

The first thing I noticed when opening the bag of Maze Honey was the colors! The colors are stunning, and the combination of the black and yellow is perfect together with this eye-catching pattern. I really think its more beautiful in real life, then in the pictures!
When first touching the wrap I suddenly felt a bit insecure. The wrap felt hard, and had a paper-like feeling to it. It could almost stand by itself. I was not sure this wrap was for us.
But, I had no need to feel insecure...

The wrap is machine washable, so after a short wash, a night of drying and a round with the iron, it fluffed up be a marshmallow of a wrap, and had a much more softness and air right away!
Wow! What a change!
We were very excited to get to know this wrap more.

We have had this wrap for a over a month now. This had become our "to go" wrap, and we almost bring it with us everywhere. We use it a lot, and it has started to become beautifully broken in.

So, about the wearing qualities of this beautiful wrap, because we all know that being beautiful just isn't enough.
But don´t be afraid- there is way more to this wrap.

Maze Honey is a medium-thin wrap. It has a thickness of 280 gsm.
It has a great amount of grip. This makes the wrap easy to work with, as it will stay in place and allow you to make your carrie comfortable without losing its place. For me this is very important when wrapping with a wrap of this thickness together with a big toddler.
The knot can be a bit hard to tighten, and that is also because of the grip in this wrap. It has already become more easy to tie, and I think this will only become better by the time it gets even softer and more broken in.
The knot is not too big, and just the right size to not lower your mobility if tied at shoulder or back. I only use this with one knot, but it would be great with two knots also- if you prefer that.
I think this is the wrap with the size of knots that would look perfect in fancy finishes.

The wrap feels a tiny bit airy, and have both a tiny bit horisontal and vertical stretch. It has a bit more diagonally stretch, and that makes it moldable and gives it some bounce too.
The plaids on your shoulders are made by themselves, and the wrap gives a great bit of cush too. I have been carrying my toddler for long walks in this one, and I dont feel any digging at all.  Its very supportive for bigger babies!

I have tried this wrap in Front Wrap Cross Carry, Front Cross Carry, Double Hammock and Ruck. There was no problem doing either of this carries, and they all felt comfortable with my toddler.

My conclusion for this wrap is:

- Stunning colors
- Some Stretch
- Some bounce and are very moldable
- Nice cush on your shoulders
- A great amount of grip- makes it stay in place
- Easy to wrap with
- Suitable for all ages
- Nice size knot

I would not recommend this wrap for babywearers who like tense and rigid wraps, with a hard feeling, for people who want thicker wraps or for people who like wraps with a lot of glide.

Thank you team Soul for letting us test this wrap 💙

Yako Yako Find The Heart infinity

Review of Yako Yako Find The Heart Infinity

Pattern: Find The Heart
Name: infinity
Blend: 50%  GOTS certified organic cotton and 50% super wash Merino Wool
Thickness: 300 g/m2 prewash and approximately 340 postwash.
Wrappee: 20 months and 14,5 kg

Find the heart is the other one of Yako Yako´s two patterns. It is a beautiful pattern, and Infinity is made out of a beautiful blue color, that will for sure take anyone´s attention.

My first thoughts when touching this wrap is that is was very soft and smooth. It has a bit more grip than First Touch (the other tester I hosted- review further down on the page), but still not a lot.  It also feel a tiny bit thicker.
It is also dense woven and it has some more weight than what you should think when feeling its thickness in hand.

Find The Heart is made out of 50% GOTS certified Organic cotton, and 50% Superwash Merino wool. The wool gives it the feeling of being a bit more cushy then First Touch.  They are both toddler proof, but I think Find The Heart could even be pre-school proof! Hehe..

This wrap is soft and smooth when wrapping. It´s easy to wrap with, and it´s no problem doing double layers with it. It does not have a lot of grip, so it will slide easily in to place and make every wrapping job easy. It is also study and it´s also having a small bit of stretch.

Find The Heart is just thick enough to make nice, cushy pleats on the shoulders, and that gives you a feeling of wrapping with pillows on your shoulders. For everyone who have sensitive shoulders like me- its a big plus. 
You could easily think that it would be a warm wrap when looking at it´s blend, but I can assure you that its not uncomfortable warm at any time for me. It was just warm enough when wearing outside, and the wool does actually breath when using inside. We have been using this almost every night when wearing the little one to sleep, and we have not been feeling to warm at any time. Find The Heart is like a blanket you put around you.

This wrap is easy care, and thats a big plus for everyone who have kids like mine. You can let them eat in it, you can wrap up and down as they prefer to walk or play during the walk, and you do not have to think about wether it would be dirty or not. You can just put it in the washing machine at wool-program, and dry it flat. And then its good to go for next day and next adventure!

Oh, by the way- In my opinion its almost pull-proof too! 

My conclusion about this wrap is:

- Its smooth and soft 
- easycare
- a bit thicker then First Touch
- have a lot of cush
- dense weaved wrap
- almost pull proof
- Beautiful colors
- very toddler proof
- not too warm
- feels like a blanket

- Not for those who like a lot of grip or thin wraps.