Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Babywearing 101: Find a Carrier you LOVE (Boba review)


Before Lucia was born, I knew I wanted to babywear.  I bought a wrap carrier a few months before she was born and she spent much of her waking hours in it until about six months.  I loved being able to take her anywhere without a bulky stroller (the jogging stroller they my husband had to have doesn't even fit into my trunk) and being able to keep her close to me while keeping my hand free to get things done.  After about six months though, the wrap just didn't work as well for us.

Looking back, I should have bought another carrier right away, but I stalled for a variety of reasons: there were a million carrier options and I couldn't decide on which would be best for us, we didn't have the money to invest in a good carrier, Lucia was crawling and I wasn't sure she would want to be in a carrier, etc., etc., etc.  There were good, easy solutions to each of those issues but at the time, it all seemed overwhelming.  I'm convinced that the main reason more women don't babywear is because they don't know where to start.  I've never heard of mom who, after finding a carrier that worked well for her, decided that she didn't like babywearing after all. 

Two months ago, Boba sent me a Boba Carrier 3G to review.  After about nine months of rarely using a carrier, I wasn't sure that Lucia would still like to be worn.  In fact, the first two or three times I put her in the Boba, she was not thrilled.  But after those initial "warm ups", she's been a happy camper with her Boba.  And so have I.  I cannot tell you how much a difference it makes to have a carrier that both mama and baby (toddler!) love.  Our wrap worked really well for us in the beginning, but as she got heavier, it just wasn't doing it for us.  I slowly stopped babywearing and didn't even realize that it was the discomfort of the carrier that was causing it.  I thought it had just become less useful as she got older and started moving and crawling.  Now I realize that I would have never stopped babywearing had I had the proper carrier at every stage.

What do I love most about my Boba?  
  • size It's so small that is can easily be taken along anywhere, stuffed in the diaper bag, etc. 
  • ease It's really easy to put on and adjust.  I've worn it, David's worn it, and my dad has worn it (how cute are baby wearing grandpas?) and it took very little time to adjust it for each of us.
  • comfort My dad, husband, and I are three very different sizes, but we all we able to adjust it to be comfortable for us (and Lulu).  I know I'm 
  • versatile Can be worn on the front or back! And is comfortable both ways.  It can also be used with newborns through toddlers, which is so nice.  I can't speak to the ease of using it with newborns/infants, but I look forward to trying it out myself in the future.
  • cool This may not make sense to those of you who haven't used wraps but take my word for it, wrapping thick material around you several times gets hot.  Of course, where baby comes in contact with your front/back, it can get toasty, but the rest if you stays cool!  
  • purse straps This is just a little thing but the Boba has clasps to keep your purse/diaper bag attached to the carrier and from slipping off your shoulder. 

Drawbacks?
  • I got mine free of cost to review, but the price might have prevented me from buying one.  $120 looks like a steep price tag, but considering that I use it much more than I use our stroller which was around that price, it's definitely worth it.  If I had to do it over again, I probably would have gotten a cheaper stroller and Boba that could have been used from birth.  It's comparable to other big name baby carriers on the market. 
  • It's a bit difficult to put Lucia on my back by myself.  I've been able to do it, but it's tricky.  It's super simple if I have someone to help me and putting her on the front is a piece of cake.  
  • There are so many hanging straps.  Since the carrier is one size fits all (not all are, and it would be a waste of money if my hubby and other family couldn't use it!), the straps are very long to be able to adjust for larger people.  When I wear it, the straps are pulled pretty tight and there are long pieces hanging.  It's kind of annoying and not really attractive, but also not a big deal.  In the comments, a reader just informed me that Bobas have elastic on the ends of the straps to be able to roll them up.  Oops, how did I not realize that!  Feeling sheepish.

All in all, I adore my Boba and the advantages far outweigh the drawbacks.  Finding a carrier that works for me has made all the difference in babywearing and my ability to get out of the house with my toddler in general.  Lucia doesn't like sitting in strollers or shopping carts and, when held, whines to be put down so she can walk (and get into everything).  But she's a contented little girl in her Boba.  (I think she enjoys being up high enough to flirt with everyone in the store!) 

Where I've worn my Boba:
grocery store
mall
airport (absolute lifesaver here!)
on walks & hikes
around the house

Do you have a babywear?  Where is the strangest place you've worn your baby?  What do you love about baby wearing?  Have you tried a Boba?




I received a Boba Carrier 3G free of cost to facilitate this review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  Opinions are 100% my own.  See disclosure policy.



20 comments:

  1. Interesting! I LOVE babywearing! So does my 19 month old. We've used the Moby wrap since he was 8 weeks old and he continues to love it. When he sees me putting it on, he says "mine, mine!" We've never tried the Boba, mostly because of that price tag. I splurged & bought a BabyHawk Oh Snap! and honestly, don't like it much. I feel like after spending $100 on that, I can't financially take a chance to try anything else out. I'm disappointed that it's getting tougher to wear him in the Moby since he's 25+lbs now. I use it mostly at church (he's SO content) and whenever he's not feeling well.

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  2. We haven't used our Boba a ton in the past 7 months or so (mostly due to the weather and the fact that I do have a stroller that I love), but it was actually great when Cora was an infant. I got it when she was only a few months old, and I loved how easy it was. I can get her on my back now only if I have a bed behind me. I hope to get on some trails this summer with her on my back, but I definitely do need another person.

    Also, Boba has a thing to help with the long straps. Do you see those rubber band things on the side of the end of the straps? You can roll the straps up and then secure it with the band. I LOVE that about it, actually.



    I used my Swagbucks Amazon credits to get this exact carrier, so I only paid about $20 out of pocket, and I'm so glad I did it. I did a ton of research because I wanted something that would last through multiple kids and decided that the Ergo newborn insert would be too hot in FL (and I didn't want to shell out an extra $30 for it), and this has a higher back on it, too.

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  3. Oh goodness, now I feel like a dork! How did I not realize that with the straps? Thanks for letting me know. I feel the same way about the Ergo and similar carriers - buying "accessories" is annoying.

    I like our stroller, but Lucia doesn't like sitting it it at all!

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  4. Nicole, I've heard in some areas there are babywearing groups where you can rent different carriers to try for a month or so and see if you like them. That might be a good option for you. Can you resell the carrier you don't like? They tend to have pretty good resale value. If you do ever have the money to get another carrier, I really suggest the Boba, I only know a few people that have it but all of them really like it. I only have experience with my toddler in it, but it works great for that if you're looking for something for your son now. I don't now how you do it with the Moby with a big kid and in the summer! I loved it for my itty bitty baby, but then it just got to be too much!

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  5. I never had one of these when My kids were little but this looks nice.

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  6. when my twins were babies, I would wear them both at the same time. One in a sling and the other in an old school "snugglie". This one looks like it would have worked much better! Baby gear has come a long way in 6 years!

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  7. Girl I love me some babywearing! My favorites are the Ergo, which I personally own, and also the Boba. Super skinny or short mamas do better in a Beco. (I used to work at a natural parenting/cloth diaper/babywearing store) I was like you with the Moby. Loved it until Baby H hit around 15 lbs, then it just doesn't offer enough support. I look forward to using the Moby with Baby #2 someday, and the Ergo has been a lifesaver. Especially the airport. Ahhhmazing!

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  8. Yes that's true about the babywearing groups. The ones in Dallas are very active, and have a large lending library. The shop where I worked (www.nappyshoppe.com, you may even see me and hubby on the website ads for babywearing!) even offers Babywearing 101 and 102 classes! So helpful!

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  9. No kids here but I could see how this would help!

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  10. I haven't been able to wear a Boba but I did use a Moby for the first few weeks and then tried a Beco but I didn't like it because it didn't fit comfortably. I also had a ring sling that I used right after the Moby for shopping and that was awesome. The one I got spread the weight throughout the back and not just the one shoulder. The last thing I got was a wrap conversion which worked very well. I didn't wear her much though because it was too hard on my back. I would have loved to be able to go on walks with my daughter on my back and I did a few times but I always hurt when I was finished. I will try again with my next baby though.

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  11. Have you tried a Boba or just not had the chance to? I wonder if there are babywearing groups in your area that rent out carriers. That sounds like a great way to try them out. My back never hurts with Lucia in the Boba, but she's still petite at only 20 pounds, so that may be a part of it!

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  12. Does the Beco work well with bigger people as well? I like the idea of one carrier that we all can use. My husband is skinny but taaaall and my dad is not tall or short but definitely not skinny!

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  13. This looks like a nice one! I used to wear my kids on the front and it was kind of tricky. I think I'd have preferred this!

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  14. This is great!! My cousin was just asking about these carriers and I will be sure to send her this way!!

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  15. When my son finally let me wear him it was amazing how much more I was able to do with ease. This looks to be a high quality carrier. I know when I have our next child I'll need a new carrier. Now I know this one is worth the money.

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  16. I got a Boba before my baby was born. I hated it for a long time though, the straps weren't in the right spots or something. I felt so stupid when I fairly recently realized how easy it is to adjust the location of the strap that goes across your chest or the top of your back! We've been using it a lot now. It was difficult to use just for quick errands in the winter though because of coats and stuff.

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  17. That's true about winter time, but I just recently got my Boba and the weather had already warmed a bit. We don't tend to go anywhere on really bad days!

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  18. Glad to help, Becky. Lucia was a little reticent at first too, but now she (usually) loves it.

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  19. I love that this one works in both the front and back! Depending on what we're doing, I'll switch it up.

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