About the Wrapsody Wrap Brand
Kristi, then a mother of two, began Wrapsody under the name GypsyMama (in honor of her great-grandmother) at her kitchen table in 2004. She sewed and dyed each of her gauze wraps by hand making her the first US wrap manufacturer and the first to pioneer one-of-a-kind, custom-dyed, keepsake wraps.
In 2005, Kristi began working with an artisan in Bali to launch a new line of batiked wraps and in 2008 formally changed her brand to Wrapsody.
From Kristi:
“Do you find it difficult to take a shower because your baby is teething and wants to be held? We made the WrapDuO just for you. Want to look fantastic on the way to the store with minimal effort? Throw on jeans, a t-shirt, and a Breeze…wrap. You’ll keep cool while you shop and receive a zillion compliments on how happy, sweet, cute, and rested you and your little one look together.
“I would bet that like mine, your family is unique — your baby carrier should make your adventures easier and more fun, and Wrapsody baby carriers will. They have for me. And as a mother of five, as the founder and former chairwoman of the Baby Carrier Industry Alliance, I know how important the right tools are to keeping things in balance!”
Wrapsody: Environmental responsibility
- Our building uses recycled materials and was designed to be energy efficient.
- Our office considers the impact of our supplies with each purchase, choosing recycled and recyclable materials whenever possible and minimizing our consumption as much as we can.
- Our packaging is minimal, reusable, and emphasizes eco-friendly materials.
- Our products are made from eco-friendly natural or recycled fibers and with attention to eco-friendly dyeing and manufacturing processes.
Wrapsody: Responsible manufacturing
- Wrapsody products are always made with a focus on fair labor practices, both during manufacturing and in our office.
- Our WrapDuO is manufactured locally, in New England, from fabric to sewing and labeling.
- Our hand-dyed artisan wraps are made under fair-trade conditions, ethically manufactured by a small, woman-owned company in Bali, Indonesia.
- Wrapsody supports family owned businesses, actively seeking out partnerships with small companies in our purchasing decisions.
- Wrapsody carriers are manufactured with attention to the environment, using Oeko-Tex 100 certification in our Water Wrap fabrics and ISO-9001-compliant dyes for our artisan Bali line of carriers.
Wrapsody: Community building
- Wrapsody supports community – both our local community by sponsoring teams on our local youth soccer league, and the larger community through our work with nonprofit organizations.
- Wrapsody donates goods and money to organizations which enhance community, contributing to the growth of stronger, healthier families.
Wrapsody: Leaders in safety
- Kristi, the owner of the Wrapsody brand, founded the Baby Carrier Industry Alliance in 2010.
- Kristi attended meetings with ASTM International from the first sling standards meeting.
- Wrapsody baby carriers meet or exceed all federal safety requirements, such as CPSIA.
- Our WrapDuO (formerly Water Wrap) fabric is Oeko-Tex 100 compliant, meeting stringent requirements for safety to humans and the environment.
- The dyes we use for our Bali line (Breeze and Stretch-Hybrid) are all ISO-9001 compliant, and we have contacted Dyestar of Indonesia directly to ensure the dyes are free of heavy metals and other harmful substances.
- Wrapsody creates and shares quality safety and instructional materials for our carriers.
Wrapsody: Promoting a peaceful world
- Kristi, owner of the Wrapsody brand, believes that creating a peaceful world begins with well-attached children. In order to best achieve this, people must have their basic needs met.
- Gypsy Mama donates to charities which serve this purpose.
Wrapsody: Increasing access to babywearing
- Kristi teaches families and professionals how to carry with found objects, such as a bed sheet, for when they don’t have access to a quality manufactured carrier such as Wrapsody baby wraps.
- Gypsy Mama works with organizations that put carriers into the hands of at-risk families.
- Gypsy Mama has worked with government organizations to distribute carriers to at-risk families.
Wrapsody Breeze Wraps are thin, cool, and easy to use, available in long sizes in my store.
About the Natibaby Wrap Brand
Materials for NATIBABY slings and wraps are manufactured in accordance with technical parameters specifically designed by NATIBABY specialists based on many years of experience.
Type of yarn, it’s thickness, degree of twist, weaving density, type of dyes and weave (structure) are specifically selected to meet the requirements of comfortable and safe babywearing.
All those parameters are completely different if we take fabrics used for bed linen or clothing. Such fabrics are not designed for heavy duty such as carrying a 10-kilo baby or forceful tightening of the fabric.
- NATIBABY slings and wraps fabrics have specifically selected weaving density and yarn thickness.
NATI wrap, like second skin, adapts to the shape of the baby’s body and uniformly supports baby’s spine along its entire length. It also prevents the wrap from cutting into the caregiver’s arms or under baby’s knees.
- NATIBABY wraps are made with special weave
providing proper stretching of the material, which is crucial for correct support of the baby’s spine and comfortable spreading of the weight on shoulders of the carrying person. Those are cross twill weaves or precisely selected diamond and jacquard weaves. For bedding and clothing fabrics the simple linen weave is usually used. Wraps woven this way do not receive favorable reviews.
- NATIBABY slings and wraps are manufactured from long-fiber combed or carded cotton,
which provides for long lasting use of a sling/wrap and high durability. NATIBABY slings and wraps can sustain loads of 600-1000 kilos.
- NATIBABY slings and wraps are dyed in accordance with Oeko-Tex standard 100 certificate which is much more rigorous, as far as the chemicals used are concerned then the “children safe” certificate (this certificate applies for older children, not the newborns) or even the “baby safe” certificate.
We are parents ourselves and we understand that we all want to give our children only things that are healthy, safe and comfortable – the best to make it short. This is why in our business we are driven by “100% quality” rule.
The most important information concerning the quality of NATIBABY slings and wraps:
- NATIBABY wrap has been tested in accordance to the requirements of the PN-EN 13209-2:2005 standard (soft carriers).
- Both textiles and final products are controlled by accredited laboratories.
- In order to keep up with the highest quality standards, the textile production and the sewing of the slings and wraps take place within European Union.
- NATIBABY wrap was created under supervision of experts and in accordance with rigorous physical and chemical parameters.
- We use the highest quality natural, 100% cotton yarn and safe dyes that are free from toxins, heavy metals, and other harmful substances.
- NATIBABY wraps gained recognition both in Poland and in many countries all over the world. Sales network includes many countries of the Western Europe as well as North America.
Natibaby wraps are strong & supportive baby and toddler wraps, available here in my store.
About the Didymos Wrap Brand
Erika Hoffmann founded the first of the widely popular woven wrap companies in Europe. The story of the DIDYMOS – baby sling started in 1971 with our twins Lisa and Tina (twin = ancient Greek didymos):
“The carrying cloth would probably have become a nice memento of the our twins’ early years, but when the “Heilbronner Stimme” and “Stern” magazine published articles about us, parents all over Germany wanted carrying cloths from me, and I only had one myself…How I founded the baby-sling company in a small village, with four children and living in a half-finished house is another story. However this much is true, I could not have done it without the baby sling.”
The history of DIDYMOS is defined by our desire to foster the relationship of children to their parents and their development. In doing so we find it of the greatest importance to hold on to high social and ecological standards. Equally important is it for us to help children all around the globe – for a look at DIDYMOS-supported projects simply click here.
Our baby slings are tested regularly by the ECO institute. Until today, we always have received the valuation „einwandfrei“ (impeccable).
We acquire the raw cotton from biologically controlled sources in Egypt, Turkey and Peru. In other words, pesticides or artificial fertilisers are not used on the fields.
Apart from cotton we very much like using linen and hemp, because both these materials grow more or less on our doorstep and both plants can be extensively cultivated. In other words, both these plants grow almost like weeds and need neither fertilisers nor pesticides. However, the easier their cultivation is, the more demanding hemp and linen are when they are being processed. Quite a lot of mechanical effort is needed to transform a rough stalk into a fluffy yarn, which is one of the reasons why linen and hemp fabrics are finally more expensive than cotton.
It does not matter if the cotton comes from Peru, the linen from England or the hemp from Baden – all the other stages of manufacture from spinning the yarns to the final packaging take place in southern Germany or Austria.
With almost 40 years of experience behind us, we have compiled an extensive list of criteria for our DIDYMOS baby slings. According to this a DIDYMOS sling has the following characteristics:
- It is woven in such a way that it supports the body of the child all over evenly and has built-in elasticity.
- Even after a long time of use and pressure it does not stretch and wear out.
- The edges have double hems so that the cloth of the sling keeps its shape even after prolonged carrying.
- The dyes are not poisonous, free from any heavy metals and completely non-allergic to the skin.
- The fabric is not processed, finished or otherwise treated either before or after manufacture.
- Auxiliary materials like dressings or lubricants are not used during the weaving process.
- The cotton is free from poisonous chemicals like insecticides or defoliants – we regularly test these factors. Test Reports: 1 2 3
- We only use long-fibrous cotton, which has proved to be anti-abrasive.
- The sling is washable at normal temperatures (60 or 95 C).
- The luxurious and complex manufacturing process, using different yarns for both warp and weft, guarantees that the cloth of the sling stays soft and elastic even after many washes.
Advice before and after purchase is most important for us:
- Every baby sling comes with instructions for various ways of tying and carrying. They are illustrated and easily understood.
- Many of our female employees have personal experience using the baby sling and can give help and advice either by phone or e-mail.
- Each DIDYMOS sling carries a 3 -year guarantee.
Sociological and ecological aspects should also be considered:
- The raw cotton comes from biologically controlled cultivation.
- It is harvested by hand, because machine harvests require the use of defoliating agents which harm the workers at the beginning of the manufacturing chain in particular.
- Transport distances should be kept as short as possible.
- Manufacturing costs should not be reduced by using child labour, something that is frequently done in developing countries.
About the Storchenwiege Wrap Brand
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The company’s founder and fabric developer is a textile engineer, a father, and grandfather. His love for his profession and children shows in every Storchenwiege Baby Sling as it lovingly embraces your family with just one simple knot.
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All cotton used in the Storchenwiege Baby Sling is from strictly regulated cotton farms and are all Oeko Text 100 certified cotton, free from chemicals or residue in the fabric. More info Oeko Tex 100 link.
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Storchenwiege is manufactured in Sachsen, Germany, under strict environmental regulations. German manufacturing alone stands for the highest quality possible.
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Storchenwiege Baby Slings are Oeko Text 100 certified
About the EllaRoo Wrap Brand
Ellaroo was founded in 2003 as a reliable source of superior baby carriers, and to be an economically, socially, and environmentallysustainable business. The product list has grown gradually, always focused on well-crafted designs that are practical and convenient for parents.
It is essential to the Ellaroo team that our work contributes something meaningful to other people’s lives. Ellaroo has a mission to improve people’s lives – farmers, crafts people who make the products, staff, resellers, parents and babies – at every level of business interactions.
Ellaroo production partners in Italy are committed to sustainable business practices, and choose to work with companies that care about people and the environment.
Ellaroo Guatemalan weavers’ cooperatives provide good jobs and a supportive community in small villages, helping to keep families together.
About the Girasol Wrap Brand
From Girasol: We originally planned to go on a journey in Central America for 6 month, but it grew into a 2 years stay.
There remains among us a lasting affection for the region and a special love of the Indians of Guatemala.
We started selecting cloth, textiles and handicrafts on the markets of the Guatemalan highlands to sell them in Mexico and later in Germany.
Our shop in Berlin opened 1984.
Through our continous stays in Mexico and Guatemala, we developed friendly relations to the families of the weaver and artisans. The collaboration with the artisans is based on fair trade with the guarantee of continous orders.
In the highlands of Guatemala live the Maya Indians, whose knowledge and mastery of old weaving methods still persists today.
The men work on a wooden loom, brought there by the Spaniards, and they produce material to sell.
The women use the precolonial backstrap loom weaving textiles with old motives, which are mainly used in traditional garments.
Quality and fair trade
It has been our priority to provide baby carriers of high quality at favourable prices since 1984. We were awarded the top “Recommendable” commendation for our outstanding quality by the ÖKO-Test magazine in its special baby issue in 2000. A later test in the ÖKO-Test 2/2007 magazine found the Girasol baby carrier (rainbow stripes) to be “very good”.
And there’s one thing you can depend on:
Only pure untreated cotton that has neither been pre-bleached or chemically finished is used. We do not use formaldehyde, halogen-organic compounds, aromatic amines or brighteners. And our fabrics are not treated subsequently with chemicals or finishes.
Our select weavers are masters of a very difficult and ancient skill: diagonal weaving. A high-quality baby carrier produced with this method of weaving will always adapt elastically and never stretch out of shape. The hems have been doubled to prevent the edges from causing any unpleasant pressure.
Girasol Wraps are soft and comfortable handwoven wraps in twill or diamond-weave here in my store
About the Lenny Lamb Wrap Brand
From Lenny Lamb: The LennyLamb project can definitely be called a family business run by people fascinated by the idea of babywearing. All of our products are manufactured in our factory in Poland, where owners and employees do their best to ensure that both babies and their guardians feel safe and comfortable whilst babywearing. Our products are unique simply because people involved in creating them are unique.
Just Two sisters….and the husbands…. And our Kids: They are our blessing and biggest inspiration! They grow and develop alongside our company, being very brave and patient during all the photo shoots.
Both cotton yarn from reliable sources and dyes have the Oeko-Tex certificate. The processes of finishing fabric are conducted in a way that makes the fabric safe for children (free from formaldehydes and phenolic compounds). We don’t use any chemical baths as well. As a result, we obtain fabric completely safe for children (running the colors in the wash or fabric shrinkage can be side effects.)
All of our products are made in Poland. We meet the criteria of The Fair Trade according to The Fair Trade Federation.
About the Ellevill Wrap Brand
From Ellevill: Ellevill wraps are designed in Norway and produced in India from high-quality organic cotton.
The factory that produces goods for Ellevill AS is concerned dignity and justice. They have more than 30 years experience in textile production and therefore have a good knowledge to give workers the best working conditions. Here are all equal. By adhering to the strict international standards that are set in relation to the production gives workers a fair treatment in terms of pay, working hours and environmental aspects. They mean that our products are the result of fair trade.
Patterns and colors are developed and designed by the owner Benedicte Andreassen, the woman behind the Ellevill brand.
A unique, jacquard-woven fabric for optimal thickness and thread count, specially designed for carrying children. Makes the wrap two sided.
Soft and kozy – gentle enough to use straight from the bag for newborn, but the fabric is also first class quality to ensure full support for heavier children.
Perfect breathability, perfect for all seasons even through summer.
Ellevill wrap has a form of parallelogram (about 45 degrees), with tails 50cm long. The wrap size is measured by one side and includes one tail.
Middle marks (with size) are placed on the rail. Rails and tails are very carefully sewn.
Only high-quality weaving yarns (organic cotton and other 100 % natural materials) Indian origin is used in the production. All yarns used in Ellevill wraps, are produced from the purest and best refined raw materials.
Ellevill wraps are carefully inspected at special equipment for any weaving flaws and damages, before they are shipped to us in Norway and from us to you!
Production from raw material to finished product is carefully planned. It used natural AZO free and eco-friendly colors of both environmental and health reasons.
Why are knots in my wrap? “The weavers knot” is said to be the smallest possible knote that is possible to make. It is used to attach the thread ends together. It is almost impossible to get up once it is connected. This is an art in itself and absolutely necessary for the work to be beautiful.
Loose ends and broken strands? The process of weaving machine becomes smoother, but there could still be correspondingly small irregularities like the hand woven wrap has such nodules and threads. We believe that our products should be unique, and therefore we choose this form of production rather than to mass produce goods without charm.
Automatic looms are fully automatic and produces thousands of feet without textile weavers present. These tissues used for very large productions.Auto looms is an automatic loom that produces thousands of meters textile without any weavers present. This is used for very large productions.
All products are a result of fair trade and environmentally friendly production.
The products are designed to be beautiful, comfortable, unique and practical.
The first Norwegian woven wrap was presented in May 2008. Ellevill wraps have managed to establish its name in over 40 countries worldwide. The success is due primarily to comfort and quality, but the pattern and colors are well established.
“- The most important thing for us, is to offer products that have high quality and comfort, but that is also beautiful.”
Our slogan is -“Carry with pride!”
With love, Benedicte
…mother of three boys. Born and raised in Norway where she designs everything from idea to new product, Ellevill, Fables and KoCoi.
Ellevill wraps are wonderfully airy, supple, soft, and supportive and available in my store here.
About the Easycare Wrap Brand
The mother-daughter team that own and run Easycare are babywearers and know exactly what makes a comfortable and supportive wrap: in 1980 Ulrike started wrapping her daughter and started manufacturing her own wraps in 1996. Konstanze – that same baby that was wrapped up by Ulrike in 1980 – officially took over the company in 2011 after becoming a mother herself. Easycare wraps are thin, moldable, and soft, and were named because they are easy to care for. They will not lose color or shape in the washing machine. Easycare have blunt (not tapered) ends. They are made in Austria.
Easycare Wraps are soft, floppy, and easy to use but supportive and available in my store here.
About the Colimacon et Cie Wrap Brand
Colimacon et Cie translates to Snail and Child, founded by Alexa who still runs the company. The seamstress, Christine, adeptly turns the woven fabric into beautiful baby carriers and Emilie is responsible for the company’s graphic design.
C&C are very proud that nearly all of the production steps for their wraps happens in France as they enjoy contributing to keeping the French textile industry alive. They are also proponents of buying local and as much as possible work with suppliers near their workshop for all components of their carriers.
Fabrics are woven in the Vosges and dyed in Rhône-Alpes. The fabric is then cut and sewn into wraps in Grenoble in the heart of the French Alpes.
“For your and your children’s health… and for the health of textile fibre producers, our Colimaçon wraps and Colima-slings, as well as our fabric by the meter, are all made of certified organic cotton (GOTS Certificate available upon request). That’s why they are SO SOFT!”
“We have chosen to work with organic cotton because it is non-GMO and is grown without pesticides or insecticides. Organic cotton farming uses two times less water than conventional cotton farming.”
- Our WEAVER carries the OEKO-TEX label.
- On all of our fabric, our DYER uses dyes that comply with European requirements:
- They do not contain heavy metals or formaldehyde.
- They do not contain azo or other allergenic compounds. (Azo compounds are carcinogenic, and are banned in Europe but are still widely used in India, China, etc.)
- Our DYER also carries the OEKO-TEX label.
Each color of wrap has been tested in an accredited test lab in accordance with the European standard NF EN 13209-2 (soft baby carriers). They were tested on:
- tensile strength (carrier undergoes a test equivalent to 30 000 strides of intense jogging carrying a 15kg/33lb baby)
- flame resistance of fabric
Our labels and instructions also carry all mandatory European labeling.
About the Joy and Joe Wrap Brand
Joy and Joe baby wrap carrier was founded by husband and wife team, Mayor and Bisi, dedicated parents to two special children, Joy and Joseph. In 2007, when Joy was born with Downs syndrome and some medical complications, she spent some time in the neonatal intensive care (NICU) receiving treatment. During this period, Bisi observed how much motherly touch and cuddles go a long way to help children recuperate and that was where the first inspiration for Joy and Joe baby carriers came from.
It wasn’t until the year 2009, when her second child, Joseph, was born prematurely that she was fully convinced that she had to do something about her inspiration as life kept leading her back to the neonatal units and kangaroo care! Joseph’s birth took Bisi back to her roots mentally because in Africa, baby wearing is more predominant and all the women in Bisi’s family are experienced in baby wearing, especially with the back torso carries.
Joy and Joe baby® is a very customer centric small business and this is evident in our products and packaging as well. We treat every customer as an individual and we aim to provide products that will be functional and practical for families. Our wrap carriers are designed by an experienced and creative mother who understands the needs of parents and children.
Joy and Joe baby® carrier are all handmade in England. All our materials are GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified and have passed the stringent Oeko-Tex Standard 100 test for harmful substances. For our woven wrap, all our Yarns are organic and all weaving and packaging are done in England.
Our linen is sourced from a manufacturer in Northern Ireland that has been producing high-quality textiles since the mid-1800′s. They produce a high-quality, 100% Irish Linen fabric each and every time. Irish Linen is considered the highest-quality linen available as it is spun and woven to the highest standards and is strong, supportive and long-wearing. Our cotton yarns are sustainably sourced through cottonconnect.
As part of our commitment to safe baby-wearing and responsibility to our customers,a batch of Joy and Joe baby wrap carriers was sent to a UK government approved laboratory for safety testing in 2012. We are happy to announce that Joy&Joe passed the stringent requirements in conformity with the BS EN 13209-2:2005 (UK/EU safety standards for soft baby carriers). We are really proud of our achievements and we’ll continually work hard towards ongoing product development.
Birthing Goddess wraps by Joy and Joe are supportive and soft, available in my store here.
