Boba Carrier Review!

I have done reviews of many different kinds of products, but I have to say that this one was one of the more interesting ones to do.  Whoever thought of the intricate design of the Boba Carrier was a genius!

On first look, the Boba Carrier looks like your basic carrier.  Simple enough; you just put the straps over your shoulders, click the latches and put in baby.  But the Boba Carrier can be SO much more!  There are so many details that they put into their carrier.  It doesn't have to be your basic carrier.  In fact, it's so much better!

To start, the Boba can be used with both toddlers and infants.  It is so versatile.  It fits men and women, big and small.  You can use it as a front carrier and a back carrier.  I was even able to carry Little Man at 28 lbs. while I was pregnant!

The RacDad is my big teddy bear.  He is 6'3" and about 280 lbs.  Other carriers that we looked at wouldn't fit him.  I am so impressed that the Boba Carrier fits him well and even has slack left in the straps.

 

I love that the Boba Carrier fits men and women on all sizes and can be a front and back carrier.  I really love that it fits toddlers and infants with no need for extra inserts or accessories.  Here are the other details that made the Boba Carrier so unique and user friendly:

There is a sunshade

It rolls right into the pocket.

It has snaps that hold it inside the pocket.

This strap makes the head area tighter
or more loose when carrying an infant.

It is adjustable by snaps and is behind the sunshade inside the pocket.

There is a slider on the side for the strap that secures
the shoulder straps.

The slider moves up and down.
There is also a strap with a snap
to secure your bag.  

The shoulder straps are adjustable
on the top and bottom and there is an
elastic strip that secures it down.

There are snaps inside to secure
the waist strap up for infant carrying.

 

There are foot straps that are removable and
adjustable with the black strap.  It is secured with snaps.

The foot straps can also slide forward and back as needed.

There is an open pocket on the waist strap for cell phones
or other things that you'd want to access easily.

Behind the open pocket is a zippered pocket
for other things to keep safe.

All of the latches are very sturdy.

I am very impressed by the ease of use and the attention to detail that makes the Boba Carrier such an amazing product.  It is also one of the most versatile carriers that I have found.

Boba has this Trophy Wife's Seal of Approval!

Baby Wearing Gear

There are many different ways to 'wear' your baby.  Which way works best depends completely on your needs and your lifestyle.  Don't give up if one style doesn't work for you.  Here are the different types that I've tried.

The Ring Sling:  The ring sling is a large piece of fabric that has two large rings attached to one end.  The way that you use it is by threading the open end through the rings and then hanging it over one shoulder.  The ring sling is nice because you can adjust it to give a nice firm hold with an infant or sleeping baby.  You can also loosen it to use on your hip with a toddler.  You can easily make your own ring sling.  Here are some directions.  The downside is that you have a large amount of fabric hanging on one side.  Also, using a ring sling on one shoulder for a long period of time or with a larger baby or toddler can be very hard on your back and shoulders.  It changes your posture and can cause aches.

The Wrap:  The Wrap is a long piece of fabric that you tie around yourself.  It is very versatile and there are many different ways to use it.  You can tie it like a ring sling to use as a hip carrier.  You can also tie it it many different ways to use as a front or back carrier.  It can be used with infants or with toddlers. Here are different ways to tie it.  Moby Wraps are one of the most popular wraps.  You can easily make one yourself.  It takes 6 to 6.5 yards of fabric.  Choose something that is light, breathable and stretchy.  I prefer jersey knit.  You can usually get 2 to 3 wraps out of your fabric by cutting it in half or thirds length wise, leaving you with about 20 inch wide and 6 yard long wraps.  The drawback to wraps is that they do take practice.  They are awkward to use at first, and take a little time to get used to.  The other drawback is when taking them on trips.  It can be hard to keep them clean when you have to use them outside.  The plus side is that if you make your own, you'll have extra to use while one is in the wash!

The Carrier:  Carriers come in all shapes and sizes, but the basic idea of them is that they are like a backpack that you can put your children in.  They have shoulder straps, a waist strap and some sort of 'seat' for the kids to go into.  You can use them to carry infants and toddlers.  You can use them to front carry and back carry.  I've never heard of anyone making a carrier for themselves, but I suppose with some really great sewing skills, the right materials and a ton of patience it could be done.  The drawback to carriers is that they are bulky.  Some of them are also not so great for your children.  Those would be the ones that just let their legs dangle and don't support their lower backs.  Definitely do your research before purchasing a carrier.

The Sling:  The sling is a circular piece of fabric that goes over one shoulder.  It's similar to the ring sling, but it is not adjustable.  They have a line of padding to help support your child.  Personally, I think the sling is not the best for daily use.  It is hard to support your child properly in a sling unless you happen to get the perfect size...which can be tricky to find.  This is because you can't adjust it to fit you and your child.  The sling is also somewhat limited in how you can carry your child too.

Baby Wearing Week!

I love baby wearing.  I carried Sweet Pea in an archaic Snugli when she was a baby and I needed to vacuum.  It was very awkward to use and wasn't that secure.  It looked something like this:

Because I didn't feel very secure with it, I didn't use it very often.  I mainly just held her.  I had never heard of wraps or other baby wearing contraptions.  I started seeing people wearing Moby wraps years later when she was 4 years old and I thought to myself...why didn't we have these when she was a baby?!

Then when I was pregnant with Little Man, I knew that I just had to have some way to keep this special little bundle close to me.  I did a lot of research and I decided that those wraps I saw years earlier were what I wanted (and what was in my budget), so I made myself a Moby Wrap.  I love the wrap that I made.  In fact, I have made them for my closest friends too.  Unfortunately, Little Man was never a snuggly baby.  He has always been very independent and mobile, so he didn't like the wrap very much.  Once in a while he was happy being slung on my hip or the occasional walk facing forward when he didn't like his stroller.  But it never got used very often. He was most happy being in his swing or bouncer and only tolerated being held.  Such an independent boy!  Now that he is bigger, he thinks it is novel to be in a carrier on my back....that is until he sees something that he wants to chase after.  Then it's all bets off.

I was very excited about the idea of getting the chance to put my baby wearing skills to the test again with Peanut.  I hoped that she would be the baby wearing type of baby.  It turns out that she is!  She is happiest being supported on my chest; hearing my voice and heartbeat.  She likes being in the wrap and she likes being in a carrier.  I have gotten the opportunity to try out different kinds and I'm excited to share them with you this week!