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6 Reasons Why Woven Wraps Are Not Expensive, Followed by 5 Reasons Why They Are

6 reasons why woven wraps are not expensive, followed by 5 reasons why they are.

1. You can get a wrap for free as a shower present (gift certificates available here).
2. Baby wraps are not more expensive than other baby equipment and are, in my opinion, a better investment than most of the “must have baby gear” that Babies R Us is marketing to new moms: https://wrapyourbaby.com/blog/2012/06/why-spend-money-on-woven-wrap/ (I am considering that a basic wrap costs $80 – $120)
3. Baby wraps are not more expensive than four trips to a fast food restaurant for a family of 4; going to the movies with your spouse five times; a ticket to an amusement park; 2-5 months of cable TV (depending on your plan);  2 nights eating out with your spouse at Applebee’s, or the couch you’re thinking about buying from the thrift store.
4. You could buy 150 wraps with the amount of money the average American spent eating out in restaurants 2010. http://gma.yahoo.com/how-much-does-the-average-american-spend-eating-out-at-restaurants–.html If you spend the average amount of $14.40 per week on cups of coffee outside the home, giving up coffee for just 7 weeks would be enough to buy you a wrap.
5. A woven wrap could easily be funded by the average garage sale, or even selling some unneeded things on ebay.  Plus that will make room in the house for a new baby.
6. Not all families have any of the above expenses.  A payment plan may make it easier for even a very frugal family to afford a wrap with just four payments of $20-$30.  Here’s the information on my layaway plan.

5 reasons Why Woven Wraps Are Expensive:

1. Most woven wrap brands (all of the ones that I sell) are made under fair trade practices.
2. Most wrap companies (all of the companies that I do business with) make ecologically kind choices which include safe, non-toxic dyes (remember, babies mouth these wraps all the time) and in some cases 100% organic materials.
3. Most wrap manufacturers provide written and photo instructions and/or DVDs with their products to ensure that you, the end user, will be able to use and be happy with your wrap.
4. Commercial baby wraps are not made from any fabric that you will find in most fabric stores. Wraps are woven specifically for the purpose of carrying babies, and the fabric is made with exactly the right amount of diagonal stretch and give to be comfortable, secure, and easy to manipulate.  This fabric costs more to manufacture than most fabric store cloth (especially when done under ethical standards as mentioned above).
5. The US has legally required standards that must be met and testing which must be done regularly on the production of the wraps to ensure that they are safe to carry babies, and this testing costs money.  So while you could make your own for less money, it would not be possible for a mom to start a business making them for others without raising the price to cover these expenses.

Where does that leave you?  You can purchase a woven wrap now that you understand what goes into it (using layaway or requesting a gift certificate to help, if needed).  You can also make your own (and here is some advice to help you get started). Women around the world have worn babies without commercially made wraps.