Stretchy Wraps and Back Carries: Recipe for Disaster

A manufacturer of stretchy wraps sent me their new hybrid wrap to try out. Here is what happened when I used it with my 18 month old, 26 lb toddler, Devin, in a back carry.

Devin did not want to be wrapped. So I was wrapping an unwilling toddler in a Double Hammock (DH) and I was pretty impressed. It was way cushier with about as much stretch as the Gypsy Mama Bali Baby Stretch (GMBBS). I was able to get what felt like a secure, comfy, arms-in DH. Devin asked for a banana and you can see he was still arms in and not moving much even while eating it. 

I was feeling pretty confident so I took him for a little walk around the neighborhood during which he finished the banana. You can see that he was still arms in and secure (and I was comfy) after a 10-minute walk. I was still impressed.

Then, I went for the real test. I asked Devin to lean back. 

Not too bad, but he wasn't really motivated. So we went and stood by my wrap shelf and I showed him that his lizards (Geckos Antigua) were there and told him to get his lizards. Within 5 seconds he had his arms out. 

Still not a big deal. He can fish his arms out to get a little slack for leaning even in a woven wrap. But then, this happened. 

Devin didn't fall out because I'm an experienced wrapper - I had a really deep seat pocket. He's also an experienced wrappee and held on to me with his little legs and used his strong toddler core to sit back up with his wrap in his hands. However if he were a motivated 8 month old, he could have done the same thing and been stuck hanging upside down from my back. With a less secure wrap job, he might have even fallen! Although this wrap has less stretch than a Moby or Sleepy wrap, unlike hybrid wraps that are safe for back carries it does not have hemmed rails. This allows it to stretch quite a bit at the rails and roll down baby's body easily despite the wrap being stretchy in only one direction. 

NEVER EVER use a Moby or Sleepy wrap for a back carry. If you have a hybrid wrap with hemmed rails, like the GMBBS be careful what carries you use. Double hammock, inverted double hammock, and wiggleproof carry are all safe for use with hybrid wraps. Do not use single-layer carries or carries with cross passes like Back Wrap Cross Carry (BWCC) as these are less safe.