Wrapsody Stretch-Hybrid Review

The following review was written by guest blogger Jennifer Marple. 

I recently tried out the Wrapsody Stretch-Hybrid: Chronos from my local babywearing group’s lending library. I own a Breeze (gauze) wrap from the same manufacturer, and have tried other traditional stretchy wraps and wovens, and was interested in how the hybrid stretch would compare. I was looking to evaluate how it worked with a slightly older baby (about 6 months old and 15 lbs), and in particular how it faired with back carries, which I’ve become comfortable with just in the last few months.

Stretchy wraps in general are designed to be very soft and comfortable, with no diggy fabric or buckles, straps or buttons. The Wrapsody Stretch-Hybrid specifically is intended to be used up to 35 lbs on front hip or back. This is one of the key differentiators between this and more traditional stretchy wraps, which are intended for front carries only. My understanding is that any back carry with more than one pass across the baby is safe with this carrier, so I was able to use my growing woven wrap repertoire in my experiments.

The fabric seemed a bit thinner than other stretchy wraps I’d tried, but stretches less freely, which is what allows it to be more supportive at higher weights. This is a one size fits all wrap, and the tails are tapered in a way that makes it not bulky when tying the ends around after wrapping baby.

I found the Wrapsody Stretch-Hybrid to be supportive and comfortable for my daughter, in front and back carries. It was no warmer to wear than my favorite heavy-ish cotton woven wrap, and almost as supportive. It was not “diggy” in the least on my shoulders, as most wovens can be if you’re not very precise with your wrapping job.

Overall, I was pleased at how the Wrapsody Stretch-Hybrid performed for us. If a friend was having a baby and interested in babywearing, I would definitely recommend it over other stretchy wraps, due to the versatility of being able to use it for hip and back carries, and get better support at higher weights. For me, I’m already too far down the woven rabbit hole, and we will not be having any more squishy newborns in our house – but I would really enjoy helping a friend learn how to carry their little one in this wrap, knowing that it could last them the full duration of their babywearing time.


Pros:
Easy to care for the fabric
Several color and pattern choices to suit different styles (mostly patterns, not solids)
Can pre-tie before leaving the house keeps the wrap out of parking lot puddles
Can also be used with hip or back carries
Comfortable for wearer and baby
No complicated sizing
No rings, buckles or straps to dig like a soft-structured carrier or ring sling
More affordable than a woven wrap
No significant bounce, even with a larger infant

Cons:
Thicker than a gauze wrap, can be warm in summer
No sizing can mean excess fabric for some wearers, depending on carries chosen (but tapered tails help with this)
More expensive than a traditional stretchy wrap



NOTE:   Wrapsody donated the Wrapsody Stretch Hybrid Carrier to our local babywearing lending library in exchange for this review.    The views expressed in this review are Jennifer's own and were not influenced by this donation.   Our community whole-heartedly thanks Wrapsody for their very generous donation.   

Follow my blog with Bloglovin