As a babywearing consultant, I have realized that the most common parents’ question, I usually answered, was about choosing the first wrap?
What is the real difference between wraps?
I’m aware that babywearing market is very wide and the beginning parent can easily get lost. The parameters we should pay attention to in the first place are:
Weave (broken-twill, diamond, herringbone, Jacquard)
Fabric composition (cotton, bamboo viscose/cotton, silk, linen, hemp, wool, etc)
Colour and pattern - it’s crucial to like your wrap
Each parameter requires a closer inspection and there is a lot to say about each. However, to answer simply - the cotton broken-twill wrap is always a good choice for the beginners.
Why? It is really easy to work with, cheap and available in many colours. It’s gold standard. Stripes weight are usually 210 - 230 g/m2 which make them suitable for any season of the year, airy enough for the summer, not too thin for winter. Cotton broken-twill wrap is soft enough for newborn and supportive enough for toddlers. It has mostly advantages.
When choosing your first wrap, it’s a good idea to pay attention to colours and stripes combination. Many babywearing consultants advice for the basic wraps is two different rails. It’s helpful in learning.
In LennyLamb, we combine those parameters to create special Basic Line. Our broken-twill Basic Lines are must-haves. They are airy, soft, having different colours rails, cotton and not expensive (size M costs 50USD). They meet the need of beginners and provide good quality in excellent price. It’s available only in three-colour combination. If your budget is not limited, you can find all range of colours in LennyLamb standard offer of broken-twill wraps.
Does it mean that other wraps will not be suitable at the begin with? Of course not! You can find many wraps - great both for newborns and babies among the whole range of babywearing products. Choosing good for you requires an in-depth analysis of the issue and often larger funds. So let's go back to analyzing previous points.
Weaves, weight and fabric composition
You have to remember that the wraps properties depend on fabric weave, weight (which can be described by density and thickness) and yarn. Every weave can be highly satisfactory and the question is rather about aesthetics than functionality. Broken-twill wrap texture is smooth while diamond, herringbone and most of Jacquards have characteristic texture.
LennyLamb Diamond and Herringbone due to good quality of yarn and right weight are also suitable at the beginning and then, much longer. They are a little more expensive but definitely worth it. The most characteristic properties of herringbone are softness straight from the box and a unique texture.
The last group of weaves is Jacquards. Let’s focus on them! When you buy Jacquard weave wrap, it’s hard to predict its qualities without fabric description. Wrap properties depend on the technology used to achieve that pattern or colour effect.
Definitely, the best Jacquard first wraps, we can recommend. are our hearty patterns - Little Love and Big Love and smooth thin Jacquards like Lace (the price for all cotton Jacquards in size M is ). They will be perfect even for the smallest newborns (except in very hot weather). We will not recommend starting with very thick Jacquards (over 300 g/m2).
What about choosing fabric composition?
Cotton is budget-friendly and easy to care. Blends like cotton/linen/silk or cotton/cashmere will make you and your baby overjoyed but are more pricey and require special treatment.
Most of all: it is not crucial what are you wearing but how are you wrapping :) Everyone is different, has different needs and sense of style. Those personal preferences make choosing wrap quite tricky but still possible to choose the best product for you! If you have any doubts, it's a good idea to contact customer service or to meet the babywearing consultant.