Tinge Garden Review

Tinge Gardens Tester
Cotton/Cashmere/Wool
2 years and 33 pounds

This Tinge Garden tester, my first experience with the brand, arrived neatly folded in a cotton tote bag with tag and charm attached. I was pleased by how soft it was as I pulled it out. The muted maroon red color is right up my alley, a soft and subdued hue, but still rich and warm.

Exceptionally thin in hand, not what I was expecting for a blend with cashmere/wool, but I should know by now not to always expect wool to be bulky. Running my hands over the wrap, there is a mostly flat feel, with a micro texture that adds to the softness. Smooth, but not totally soapy, there is no hint of wool itchiness. The diagonal stretch is medium high, good recoil.

Back to the muted maroon color of the wrap, the cream of the pattern shows thru and dilutes the intensity of the color, giving this wrap a bit of a vintage vibe. Definitely a color for Fall and Winter seasons and those that prefer warm harvest hues.

There is a lovely bounce and recoil from the wool content that is evident while wrapping and wearing. Wearing my toddler I found this wrap to be very cushy and comfortable, tho it is a flatter, not so fluffy wool blend. While wearing I also found this Tinge Garden tester to be rather airy and mouldable. I mostly wore using double hammock carry with a candy cane chest belt as this tester is base - 2 for me, but it also performed well in a simple ruck. I am not a typical wearer and do need quite a bit of support to wear my toddler for any periods of time and using this wrap I was able to wear comfortably on a few longer walks.

Overall this tester performed well with no complaints from me. If you are looking for a thinner wrap with well balanced wrapping qualities and are okay with animal fibers and handwashing, this one is for you. If you love grippy, thick, or very textured wraps, you will want to pass. If you desire easy care, or have a wool allergy, again you will want to pass. Besides this wrap requiring a bit more care with washing, I would absolutely recommend it to newbie wrappers, just be sure to brush up on how to handwash wool wraps. This tester was easy to wrap with, no fighting against bulk or grip to get passes into place and a nice balance with micro texture adding just a touch of hold to keep things in place. Because of how soft the wrap is, combined with being thinner and breathable I would definitely recommend for newborns and for me it worked well for my toddler, though my toddler is not a leg straightener at this point.

Thank you to Tinge Garden for sending this tester out to me to test!

Please find them on Facebook here, with their chatter group here.

Vanamo Wovens Solki Usva Review

Vanamo Solki Usva
55% Merino wool / 45% organic cotton / 231 GSM
1 year and 27 pounds

Liinalapsi - Wearababy wrap shop was founded in 2008 and the owner Niina started making woven wraps under the name Vanamo in 2014. They are based in Finland and the wraps are all lovinglyw made right there. From the Wearababy website, Usva means mist or fog: a light cloud of mist that can sometimes be seen floating over a field early in the morning. I was surprised at how small the package was and how small the wrap folded up for being a wool blend. The bright and saturated purple color contrasts nicely with the white and makes the Solki pattern stand out. The pattern on first look has a very handwoven look and feel. I also noted immediately how soft this wrap is, especially for the high wool content, there is no hint of itchiness here.

Solki Usva is very thin in hand and the weave is airy when you hold it up to the light. The wrap has a very flat feel as you run your hand over, but almost a micro texture is also evident from the weave pattern. Smooth and soapy in hand as well the wrap is also extremely soft and no wool itchiness present. There is a very obvious right side and a wrong side, the wrong side white dominates and more of that micro texture is felt. The diagonal stretch here is medium high, but pulling in other directions the stretch is low.

Vanamo Solki Usva has a classic "old school" woven wrap look and will appeal to those who like a subtle all over pattern where the colors are what stands out and shines. The purple is a clear and bright medium purple and the bright white really compliments it and helps the purple and the pattern stand out, but still not feel dominating.

This wrap is super easy to wrap with. Very thin in hand with lots of drape. Glides beautifully, though some extra care is required to create seats in back carries that do not need further adjustments to maintain. With both double hammock and ruck I needed to be more precise creating my seat, not too loose or overly tight. Since the wrap is so thin and soapy, you just cannot be sloppy for some of the steps. I wore Solki Usva in FWCC, double hammock, and ruck. To have a wool wrap be so thin in hand and light and airy, there will be drawbacks to that and I would recommend this wrap more in a base size and for multilayer carries. In a ruck it can start to feel a bit diggy with heavier babies and toddlers, but that is not unexpected with how thin the wrap is. The thinness translates to more ease with experimentation for bunching or sandwiching passes, you won't have much bulkiness no matter what you do and can adjust a few different ways for comfort and support. 

Because this Solki Usva is easy care and machine washable I recommend it wholeheartedly for newborn and up use, it has the softness for very young babies and will not be overwhelming either as it is so thin and moulds so well. Also measuring the width it's 26", which can work for all size babies, but is especially ideal for smaller babies. For me Solki Usva shines in FWCC and does very well in double hammock, the wool has a good bounce and because of the thinness and airy weave it will do well year round. I wore this on some of the hottest Summer days and it performed very well in the heat, excellent breathability and temperature regulation. If you are wool curious, love thin and soapy wraps this one is for you. If you love grip, want a thicker and more toddler worthy wrap, particularly a shorty for toddlers I would pass on this one. Vanamo has since woven a thicker weave Solki Usva which may be more suitable for toddlers. For a thin and super soft wool wrap though this version of Vanamo Solki Usva cannot be beat.

Thank you so much to Niina at Vanamo for letting me test this lovely wrap and for generously offering it up as a giveaway! The winner from the Instagram and Facebook entries is: askforthesea

Please check out the Vanamo Wovens Chatter group on Facebook here and look for Liinalapsi on Instagram here.

Huberine Matilda Lise Review

Hubertine Matilda Lise
75% Egyptian cotton 25% merino wool / 320 GSM
1 year and 24 pounds

I received a size 6 Matilda Lise tester and noted with surprise how small the wrap folds up for being 320 GSM and the size. I was immediately taken with the color combination of soft moody blue and slightly pinkish nude. I had no expectations for what wrap I would receive to test and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved the color combination and the delicate brush strokes.

My first feel proved the wrap not to be fluffy and fuzzy as I was expecting from the merino wool content, but thin and very dense with a crispy texture. Both sides of the wrap felt the same to me. Pulling diagonally I felt an amazing amount of stretch. I anticipated there would be some stickiness with the texture when wrapping and that the stretch would be a delight as I am a lover of stretch.

Back to the design, the brush stroke pattern manages to be both delicate and bold, as the brush strokes look soft, but the layout of the pattern dominates the wrap. The Lise colorway will appeal to those looking for modern and unexpected color combinations. If you have an artsy, boho, or earth mama vibe I can see Matilda Lisa appealing to those sensibilities. Hubertine also incorporates thoughtful details, such as their logo woven into the tail end of the wrap as well as middle markers that are discreet and placed so there is no feel of right or wrong side.

I tried both single and multi pass carries with Matilda Lise. With the high amount of texture I found pulling passes tight where the wrap moved against itself required some skill and patience, especially in double hammock, but with a little extra work passes did still manage to glide and tighten surprisingly well. The stretch here has great recoil and bounce back, no sagging at all. After putting this wrap thru a few different carries and wearing for a couple of hours at a time I will confidently describe it as thin and very dense with high texture and grip, and amazing stretch and cush. Matilda Lise wraps similarly to Pavo texture series with nice elasticity and support and very mouldable like the wraps in that series. Also reminds me of Pavo Otomí Fuchsia for the surprising amount of support and the cushy feeling with a thin wrap and both are also very textured. On my shoulders even in a simple ruck there was so much comfort and cush, truly impressive for 320 GSM and especially for how thin in hand the wrap feels.

Matilda Lise confounded me a bit. The merino isn't fluffy or fuzzy at all, and while there is a great amount of texture, with some attention and a little extra work the wrap still glides surprisingly well, plus there is so much cush! Definitely a pleasure to wrap with and wear. This is a special wrap that is thin in hand and not bulky, but delivers an amazing amount of support. I think Matilda Lise would most shine in a shorty and would recommend it to those who want a shorty that is toddlerworthy, but not bulky. This wrap is suitable for newborn to toddler and will appeal to those who like thin and dense wraps, stretch, texture and grip. You may want to pass if none of those qualities appeal to you, or if you are looking for easy care or super soft. Really though Matilda is a unique wrap in that it is thin in hand, but also very cushy and if you have the chance to try wrapping with it I highly recommend you do.

Thank you Hubertine for allowing me the wonderful opportunity of testing such a beautiful and unique wrap.

For more information on Hubertine please visit their Facebook page here. As well there is a chatter group on Facebook here.

Wauggl Bauggl Zen Purpur Review

Wauggl Bauggl Zen Purpur

62% combed cotton/38% merino wool /335 GSM

1 year and 24 pounds

I was immediately impressed with how soft Zen Purpur felt when it first arrived. Definitely you can tell it's a merino blend, there is a wool feel, but it's just so soft and fluffy! The purple color is even more saturated in person than I was expecting from photos I had seen.

The pattern doesn't add much texture or grip at all, this wrap is rather smooth and felt very flat as I ran my hand over, just a bit of fluffy texture from the merino wool. There was a medium to high amount of stretch as I pulled diagonally.

The bold purple shade works so wonderfully with the stark white and the graphic print of wings creating a lovely contrast, so that the pattern stands out clearly. This is a wonderful Fall to Winter wrap that will fit in with all your cozy clothes and add that extra snuggly feel and warmth for both you and your baby.

I tested this in a size 4 and it was absolutely perfect for a rucksack carry. Zen Purpur is a wider and rather blankety wrap, so you do have a little more work to do with carries, but you get so much support! Because this is a merino wool blend you get those wonderful wool wrapping qualities too. Cushy and bouncy, there is a nice stretch with good recovery that moves with you and your baby. Also with the low texture of this wrap passes move easily into place and tightening the wrap is not difficult at all. For a wrap that is blankety there is a lot of floppiness and pleating is effortless.

Because the wrap is wider and thick some may not love it with really small babies. This is a wrap that I would wholeheartedly recommend for toddlercarrying and in a shorty it really shines. A great quality is that it is very forgiving of sloppy wrap jobs, which are sometimes all you can manage with a toddler. Lovers of easy care wool and cush look no further than this purple beauty.


Thank you Wauggl Bauggl for the opportunity to test!

PinkNova Polaris Mr Grey Review

PinkNova Polaris Mr Grey
53% bio cotton/37% superfine wool/10% cashmere / 288 GSM
1 year and 24 pounds


Mr Grey arrived in a lovely dustbag with a piece of Polaris Zen adorning the bag and a nicely printed brochure. As a tester I don't always get to see those extras, I appreciated them. The colors are soft and light, but the wrap is substantial and has a good weight and density to it. I anticipated Polaris Mr Grey to be both cushy and plush, but strong. The gray is particularly beautiful and cool toned, true to the photos I had seen, but in some lights it looks very blue, which I also love.

The wool in Mr Grey doesn't feel like what I've been conditioned to think wool feels like, there is no itchiness here, but it is definitely still wool feeling, a more luxe wool. I can best describe this blend as feeling velvety, which works quite nicely with the texture of the Polaris pattern. There is Medium-low stretch with great recovery.

The design appealed to me right away, the geometric pattern feels clean and modern, and the more I wore it the more I loved it, especially in carries that show both the "right" and "wrong" sides. For me this design and look that would work especially well in a stash where both mom and dad are wrappers, if I could convince my husband to wrap I know some of my more flowery or whimsical wraps would not appeal to him, but he commented on this wrap many times admiringly.

Mr Grey is rock solid in ruck tied Tibetan with a knotless finish as pictured. I put it thru the paces with FWCC, double hammock, various finishes, but I loved this in a ruck and that says a lot to me, that even for longer carries Mr Grey was amazing in a single pass carry. My first impressions had been that this might not be a newborn to toddler wrap, but after wrapping with it extensively it is, there is a softness here for newborns and though it is a substantial wrap I didn't find it to be terribly bulky or unwieldy. For multi pass carries even though the wrap has a velvety feel, it is also still smooth and passes glide easily and the wrap moulds very nicely. The wrapping qualities for me are amazing, there is the perfect balance of glide and grip to hold things in place. Absolutely no sagging or slipping with Mr Grey, but a wonderful bounce that I didn't expect, this is a wrap that moves with you and your baby or toddler. On my shoulders even in ruck there was a great amount of cush, just a feeling of a comfortable wrap hug, but such strength you can wear for hours and not feel anything aching afterwards.

I continue to be impressed with PinkNova. Mr Grey kind of blew me away. The more I wore this beautiful wrap the more I loved it. I knew it would be a tester favorite since gray is my favorite color, my wrappee's middle name is in fact Gray! This shade of gray is really just gorgeous, soft and cool, but would look great with most any other colors in your wardrobe, and the pattern as well, though bold really goes with a lot. If you are a wool lover this one is for you, superfine wool and cashmere are a higher quality wool than I am used to, so soft and velvety. Bounce and cush are high here in thanks to the wool content. I tested this wrap in Winter which is the perfect time to cozy up to wool, but it's very breathable and could work well in Summer too. There are some extra care issues to be aware of with wool, but Mr Grey is well worth the extra effort. This wrap will perform beautifully in all sizes and while I was partial to testing in my base, Mr Grey will make a fabulous shorty, even for toddlers! The price point is medium high, but the quality of the wrap is high end in my opinion, there is fabulous value for the money here. I recommend Polaris Mr Grey to anyone looking for a luxe wrap with amazing and well balanced wrapping qualities for anywhere from newborn to toddler.

Thank you so much Judith and Ilse at PinkNova for the opportunity to test Polaris Mr Grey!


For more information on PinkNova please visit their website http://pinknova.com/ and also check out there Facebook page here. As well there is a chatter group on Facebook with lots of spam and reviews here.

Minako Naomi Prototype Review

Minako Naomi Prototype
44% Egyptian cotton/32% Merino wool/24% Mulberry silk / 292 GSM
1 year and 24 pounds


Unwrapping this beauty I caught my breath. Minako Naomi features a take on the pattern of a peacock feather and it's a worthy interpretation focusing on the downy barbs and "heart". The almost highlighter pink has a beautiful hint of coral and is more vibrant in person, and the soft dove gray compliments it perfectly. I was immediately impressed with how soft this wrap is, the blend here is all luxury and you can feel it.


The stretch is significant and if you are a lover of stretch as I am you will be delighted. In hand it is floppy with a beautiful drape, perfect to cocoon your babe or toddler in. It is rather thick feeling which may feel a bit overwhelming for wrapping brand new babies in, but the softness is so perfect for a new baby, I would not dissuade wrapping a newborn with this prototype. I also didn't anticipate this wrap to be pull prone as the weave is denser and no large floats in the pattern.

Elegant and edgy, for me this is a wrap that comprises both. I envision many wrappers with different styles loving the look of Minako Naomi. I myself don't have a "girly" stash and this Minako Naomi prototype drew me in right away with the colors instantly appealing to me though they are not colors I have sought out to have in a wrap. This is a "feel beautiful" wrap if ever there was one.

I wore Minako Naomi everyday I had it, pretty much eschewing all other wraps for this one. It wraps with ease and comfort. The passes glide with very little effort and tightening was equally easy. If you are a brand new wrapper you may find that tightening will require more effort than with a thinner wrap, but for an experienced wrapper there should be no issue at all. That said I also found the wrap very comfortable and supportive in sloppy carries which is huge for me with a wriggling 1 year old. The stretch aids in tightening and has good recovery while wearing, nice bounce with no sagging. The grip is minimal, but it's there and just right so you have no problem maintaining tension as you tighten. My favorite carries were FWCC and double hammock with CCCB, my CCCB was just right, bigger and supportive, but not bulky. The silk really gives this wrap strength and the merino wool adds a wonderful cushy feeling, on my shoulders this felt perfect even after long carries.

There is really nothing negative here to say. This is the wrap I didn't know I need to have. Out of all the testers that have been thru here, this one is so far my hands down favorite. It's amazing. Personally I love it in my base or maybe a 4, but it will work beautifully in all sizes and from newborn to toddler. There will be some extra care issues because of the silk and wool, but well worth any extra effort to launder.

Thank you Minako for the opportunity to test! I'm excited to hopefully try more, especially vegan friendly blends.


Find Minako's Facebook page here and chatter group here.