Vesper Galaxia Glow Review

Vesper Galaxia Glow
100% cotton / 260 GSM
1 year and 24 pounds

Of course the first thing I noticed about Galaxia Glow was the amazing hot pink color. The pattern is very geometric and adds an embossed feel though the wrap is still slightly flat feeling giving it a low to medium texture.

In hand I noted the dry feel, not terribly dry, but drier than what I usually wrap with. The combed cotton adds a softness, both "right" and "wrong" sides were very similar in feel. There is also almost no stretch. As I am stretch lover I know that this will likely make the wrap more of a challenge for me since I do rely on stretch when wrapping and tightening. The texture is certainly there, but in a subtle low texture way as the wrap is woven smooth and flat besides the pattern. This also makes me think Galaxia Glow will not be pull prone, the density is solidly medium and the wrap flat besides the texture of the pattern.

Galaxia Glows looks will appeal to you if you like your wraps to be attention getting because the hot pink is kind of "bam"! The geometric pattern gives a modern feel combined with sth a lil rock n roll. The wrap is girly because it's pink, but I really don't see it fitting in well if you have a very romantic or floral patterned wardrobe.

This tester wrapped like a 4, but Vesper has addressed shrinkage issues with this run of wraps, which have now been sorted out with their mill for future releases. Vesper is a newer wrap company and I appreciate their transparency on this. I used this wrap for FWCC tied under bum, kangaroo, and shepherd's. Again because this wrap is dry and has almost no stretch it was a different wrapping experience for me. Combined with the grip from the texture and the extremely low stretch it was more difficult for me to tighten this wrap and it did not mould easily to my baby and me, but my wrap jobs were rock solid. Once you get passes into place, they stay there, no give and no sagging.

This is the wrap for you if you don't enjoy stretch and you want a drier texture with some grip, so you will want to pass if you are a stretch lover like me. For those that will enjoy the solid wrapping qualities of Vesper Galaxia Glow I think it will shine in a shorty, a 3 or 4 for a older baby 15 pounds and up, rather than a newborn. Not that you can't use this wrap with a newborn, but the mouldability I like for wee babies isn't here.

Thank you to Ilse at Vesper Wraps for the opportunity to test this bright and bold beauty.

For more info on Vesper Wraps visit their Facebook page here and their chatter group here.

Linuschka Bolero Feerie Review

Linuschka Bolero Feerie
48% Peruvian pima cotton / 52% Tussah silk
1 year and 24 pounds / 2 years and 38 pounds

Bolero Feerie is one of the most textured wraps I've had the pleasure of testing. The nubs and slubs on this silky beauty were the first thing I noticed and I am still in awe. The wrap was just slightly brighter and more pink toned than I was expecting from the pictures I had seen.

 

Medium thin in hand, Bolero Feerie is deliciously textured with all the nubs and slubs creating a woven wrap that is a tactile delight. Both sides have the same nubby texture which creates a look of perfect imperfection. The vintage feeling floral pattern also adds some texture and ups the grippy feel. This wrap does feel more dense, but holding it up to the light you can see there is an airiness along the lines of the pattern. There is also a low to medium amount of stretch.

The Bolero design will appeal to those lovers of boho style and vintage vibes. Bolero Feerie has a lot going on, in a good way, and can be a statement wrap, or fit in nicely if you have other standout pieces in your outfit that are detailed and textured. The different colors of tangerine, coral pink, and cream create a warm and pretty pink toned orange. The silk adds a warm sheen. The overall effect here of color, texture, and design is exquisitely luxe and beautiful.

I wore Bolero Feerie mostly with my 1 year old, but decided to test a simple ruck with my older toddler who is a formidable 38 pounds and was very pleased with the support and cush. He was by no means weightless feeling, but there was no digging and very good support for a single pass carry and a heavier fellow. With my 1 year old I put this wrap thru the paces with FWCC and double hammock many variations. We wore it a lot and for long periods of time, 2 plus hours. This beauty became our nap wrap, so silky soft and such gorgeous drape. I had anticipated the pattern and nubby texture would result in a wrap that is grippy and more of a challenge for those second passes and that was absolutely not the case here. The grip was just the right amount to aid maintaining tension with tightening, but glides over easily and tightens easily. I needed just slightly more work on my initial chest pass in double hammock, but pulling the second pass over my baby the wrap glides easily for all the texture. This wrap is also very forgiving with sloppier wrap jobs. The strong tussah silk fibres were evident here in long wears and how well the wrap moulds provided additional comfort for those long wear times. Some wrappers may find it to be more on the narrow side and more care is needed with creating a seat and adjusting the wrap high enough on your child's back, but I personally am used to slightly more narrow wraps such as Kokoro and it was not an issue for me. Wraps similarly to Sling Studio Falling Feathers Margot Storm.

Linuschka Bolero Feerie is one of those wraps where it's exceptional good looks match it's equally impressive wrapping qualities. I wholeheartedly recommend it for all ages and in all sizes. For toddlers though I think this would be stellar in base size for multi pass carries, unless you are only planning on wearing your toddler for short ups. This wrap is not for you if you don't like a lot of texture, or lines and "imperfections" bother you. Also if you prefer smooth wraps and a lot of slip, you may want to give this one a pass. Though you may also want to give it a chance as I tend to prefer smooth and dense wraps with low texture and a lot of stretch, but that is not this wrap and I still think the wrapping qualities are amazing.

Thank you so much to Oxana for the wonderful opportunity to test this special wrap!

Find out more about Linuschka here: http://www.linuschka.de/en/

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.

PinkNova Cloudless Birds of Paradise Review

PinkNova Cloudless Birds of Paradise
75% Egyptian cotton/25% Mulberry silk / 240 GSM
1 year and 22 pounds

The first thing I thought looking at Cloudless Birds of Paradise was this is a unique pattern and placement for a woven wrap, you catch glimpses of the pattern, but large spaces with no pattern, just the cool, calm colors. The cream silk side has a fine and not too slippery feel and is a nice contrast to the light cool blue cotton side. Both sides have a smooth flat feel with a low amount of texture.

This wrap will appeal to someone wanting a soft and spare looking wrap that has a subtle elegance. There is an understated luxurious feel and look. Wearing this wrap I felt very calm and serene and and wanted to keep the rest of my attire rather simple to complete my look.

Wrapping with it, there is a lot more slip than I had anticipated just feeling it in hand. Considering this I think a more experienced wrapper would enjoy this wrap over a newbie wrapper. Tightening and maintaining tension is more challenging, particularly for multi pass carries.

 

I really enjoyed Cloudless Birds of Paradise in my base and in a double hammock and FWCC, but it also has the chops to pull off a simple ruck, it is dense and sturdy, though it is on the thinner side. This is definitely a toddler worthy wrap and I would recommend it in either a shorty or base for more experienced wrappers. It is also lovely and velvety soft once broken in for newborns.

PinkNova has an aesthetic that I find very appealing and I think their thoughtful designs are current and modern feeling without being trendy. I've had the pleasure of testing a few PinkNova wraps and love that they offer thoughtful design combined with wrapping qualities that are superb.

Thank you Judith and Ilse at PinkNova for the opportunity to test this beauty!

For more information on PinkNova please visit their website: http://pinknova.com/