Up On the Hill (affiliate link) is an online & brick & mortar shop in historic Shepherdstown, WV. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting the store, and the owners have done an amazing job of packing a ton of product in a smaller space, while still keeping it neat and easy to browse.
For a long time, the only soft structured carrier (SSC) I’d used (not counting the Bjorn!) was my original Boba. When I got an ErgoBaby carrier to review, I immediately took a bunch of pictures comparing it to my Boba. Then, I received the 3G for review and started over! This has left me with a mish-mash mess of pictures of all 3, but hopefully it’s helpful anyway.
I love my Boba Wrap (which was Sleepy Wrap way back then!) that I bought in 2009, before my second child was born, and several months before I started this blog! More than two years ago (wow!) I posted my Boba Baby Carrier review. The text/photo alignment is all wonky since it was a post that was transferred over from my old blogspot address, my apologies for that! I like to think of my original carrier as the “OB”, you know, “original boba” like “OG” (original gangsta’ ha ha.) I was so blessed to get to do a Boba 3G carrier review on Outnumbered 3 to 1, and I thought some of you might be curious about the differences in the carriers, as I was!
NAP, inc. makes both the Sleepy Wrap and the Boba Baby Carrier. The Sleepy Wrap was a lifesaver for us. I love it so much that if I could marry it, I totally would. So logically, when I was looking for a soft structured carrier, I looked at Boba. The Boba is designed for babies 15-45 pounds; if you have a smaller baby, you will love the Sleepy Wrap!
My post in October on The Village of Moms is on Babywearing, so look for that to read more about the Sleepy Wrap and why I love it, along with photos and video of it!
I received the Organic Carrier in Aspen (retail $118), which is a nice, neutral color. The box it came in is really nice, I felt like I was opening a present!! It also came with a helpful instructional booklet, though you can also get information on their website. Boba recently released the Classic Carrier Collection. It is the same great carrier in fabulous colors, but comes with a lower price tag of $100 to go along with the non-organic cotton.
The Boba has a wide, padded waist band, and thick, cushy shoulder straps.
The sleeping hood attaches to the shoulder straps to support a snoozing baby’s head. It’s completely removable and tucks away neatly when not in use.
Unique to the Boba are the fully adjustable (and removable) foot straps, that provide proper leg support for older children (usually age 2 or so) and hold their knees up at hip level. They also slide along the waist band so you can get them perfectly adjusted for your little one.
Measurements above show: (clockwise, left to right) carrier height, carrier width, waist band height, strap width.
The Boba is highly adjustable, and will fit a wide range of sizes. The adjustments are sturdy straps that come with the excess neatly folded up. Aside from the foot strap and hood adjustments, you can adjust the waist, chest/back clip, move the chest/back clip up and down, and there are two adjustments for the shoulder straps themselves (seen above).
Below is a quick video demonstrating all of the adjustments on the Boba. I did this video when I first received the carrier. It becomes easier over time to adjust the straps, and I’d recommend sliding each one back & forth many times when you first receive it, before trying to adjust it while wearing it.
The carrier was a little intimidating at first with all the straps, but it was so easy to put on!
I did most of these photos and videos with my camera on a tripod while my husband was watching my son, so I had to recruit a model to help me out! Obviously, he is a little smaller than the minimum 15 pound baby the Boba recommends.
Clip the waist belt and adjust the strap.
In the pictures above, I had one strap on my shoulder before I picked Manny Bear up. Normally, I could pick up my son and hold him against my belly. Supporting his bottom with one hand, pull one shoulder strap up. Switch hands, supporting his bottom with the other hand, and putting the other shoulder strap on.
Fasten the chest/back clip and tighten. I had a little trouble tightening the back clip, and with NAP Inc.’s help I discovered it was easier to tighten this all the way before putting the carrier on, and tightening the shoulder straps instead. I am far more petite than the average petite person (I measured my shoulder width at about 15″) so I need most adjustments all the way tightened to feel secure.
Below is a quick video showing me putting the carrier on:
I will admit that it took quite a bit of playing around to get the fit just right, but once I did, it was wonderful. I didn’t know about all these awesome babywearing products when my daughter was small, so my babywearing experience with her was limited to the baby bjorn. Not only is the front facing carrier not recommended for several reasons, but it put so much strain on my shoulders that I couldn’t carry her for more than a few minutes, even when she was tiny.
One of the most important things about the Boba (to me) is that my son is sitting the same way he would be if I were holding him. His legs are held in a natural position.
My husband is more average sized, and the carrier fits wonderfully on him as well.
My husband also tried him on his back, but it was about bedtime and my son was not happy that I was taking pictures of him instead of holding him! We’re happy with the front carry right now with my son’s size and development, but the fact that we can use it in a back carry is great!
In conclusion, we LOVE the Boba Baby Carrier! My son is so happy when he is in it, and it’s very comfortable. I was sad when he seemed to be getting too big for the Sleepy Wrap, but now I can grocery shop, vacuum and do everything else I need to do in complete comfort. Woo-hoo!
Discount: Use coupon code Boba10 to get 10% off any Boba Baby Carrier.
FTC Compliance: I received the above product at no cost in order to review it. I was not otherwise compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own. I was not requested or required to write a positive review.
Maria wants to live in a world where cloth diapers are the norm and moms can make parenting choices without judgement. When she’s not chasing her 18, 14 and 11-year old kids around, you might find her checking out the latest gadgets, organizing something (again) or exercising in the fresh air. Read More »
