Advice before buying my first woven wrap?

[martineba]

Hi!

TL DR: proficient newbie wondering if I should get a size 5 or 6, and asking for recommendations about favrics brands and places to buy.

I've been carrying with a borrowed wrap for the last 5 months or so.
It's a size 5 mokosh, pretty sure it's 100% cotton and quite thick - I don't really know, but I'd guess around 250 gsm maybe?

I've become quite proficient with tying a fwcc, but that's all I do - I tried a back carry a couple of times, and Robin's hip carry, but I need much more practice, and my baby doesn't really like it when I fuss around with the wrap while tying it, and she complains a lot.

Anyways, I really like carrying this way, it's far more comfortable than any of the other carriers we have/tried, and it's time to buy my own. So I have a couple of questions:

1. I'm wondering about the size - should I get another size 5, since I am able to use it (albeit with short tails) or size up to a 6?
   Will a 5 limit me in the future with e.g. back carriers or when my baby grows? She's 7 mo atm, and I plan to keep on carrying her for at least a couple of years hopefully.
2. Another thought about size is getting a shorter wrap, like a size 3 or something - since I like the option of taking it with me without the bulk.. but I'm not sure about the carries that can be done with it - are they more advanced? Less comfortable for longer periods?
   I suppose most people eventually have both a shirt and a long one?
3. Regarding fabric - I tried a lighter weave one, and much preferred the thick one, it felt a lot more solid. However, it feels a little rough, and I'm wondering if it's the composition of the fabric, the thicker, or that different companies have different weaves and some are just softer than others..?
4. What brands do you like? Are there places to buy secondhand internationally which are not eBay? (there's very little on there as far as I've seen)

Sorry for such a lot of text, and thanks for reading!

 

[goobiebean]

@martineba As your baby grows, you will find that you need more length to do the same carries. If you like the kinds of carries that you can do with your base size, then you'll probably get more use out of a size 6.

However, a base-2 is a really versatile size, especially for quick stuff around the house. I think having a shorter wrap and a longer one is the way to go.

The roughness is more to do with the fibres and weave, not the thickness.

My favs are Didymos and Oscha. I think Facebook groups are generally the most active for second hand wraps.

 

[richgsr7]

@martineba

1. I either recommend getting your base size ( sounds like a 6) or a base -2 size (4).
2. Base -2 is very versatile ( probably a 4 for you). It's great for 1 shoulder hip carries ( Poppins and Robins TUB and CHCC) and for 1-2 layer back carries ( ruck TIF, half Jordans, Pirate carry)
3. After the first 6m, I also prefer a mid to heavy weight GSM. My first wrap was a thin 230, all cotton. It is now not comfortable to wrap my 20+ lb 1yo. Now I prefer a ~300gsm all cotton or a ~250gsm cotton/silk blend.

If it feels rough instead of soft and floppy, you need to break it in more.

At this point, I would stick to thicker wraps ( 250 GSM +) You can get away with thinner ones if they have a supportive blend: hemp, linen, or silk.

1. Check out FB marketplace for used wraps. There's usually a few budget groups that are location specific. It's a buyer's market right now so you should be able to get some sweet deals.
   I really like oscha, didymos, and Lenny lamb for wraps. If you're in Europe I think yaro and little frog are available too.

 

[martineba]

@richgsr7 Thank you!
So silk makes the fabric stronger? How about wool?
I forgot to ask about an aspect of the fabric - it's pretty hot where I live, and rarely goes below 10° C even in the middle of winter (or what's left of it here, what with climate change and all).
Are there blends which are considered less warm, without sacrificing strength and/or thickness?