To start off - I was not asked to write a review for this product. I was selected to host this reverse onbu for one week while it made its journey to a line of other hosts to try out. I decided to write a review because, well, that's what I like to do. And it's been a while.
I am a wrapper - as if you couldn't already get that. I love everything about woven wraps and tend to geek out over them quite often. As I plow down the path towards becoming a Volunteer Babywearing Educator (VBE) for my local Babywearing International (BWI) chapter, I find it is important to branch out and be familiar with all types of carriers, and one that has been harder for me to grasp and actually physically get my hands on has been a reverse onbu. I have a buckle onbu and sure I like it, but something about the reverse caught my attention. It was probably the long straps and fancy finishes. I was ready to try it out and see if it really was as life changing as some caregivers say it is!
Carrier: The Cute Awaking Reverse Onbu with 90" straps
Wearee: My daughter, Ray: 16 months, 21lbs, 28" tall
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| Image: A white woman with dark hair in a bun on top of her head is wearing a small white toddler girl with blonde hair in pigtails in a grey carrier with black line design. They are standing on a bridge. |
Upon opening the package, I immediately got excited to see the fancy, yet not overwhelming pattern. The neutral colors let me know I would feel more comfortable using it daily no matter what my outfit for the day was. I also noticed how long the straps were. I typically grab for my base and base+ sized wraps, so being overwhelmed with fabric is not something I am used to. The width of each strap threw me off, as they were half the width of a typical woven wrap. While the shoulder straps had nice cushy padding, the wrap straps were very narrow and made me worry how supportive they would actually be. I have used and still own a buckle onbu. I am aware of the basics of how to use it. I am able to get my baby on my back easily and sort of get it comfortable. Finding a sweet spot has always been difficult with the buckle onbu and I was expecting the same challenge with the reverse.
Our first time using it, it was pretty simple to adjust, felt nice on the shoulders, but I was feeling overwhelmed with what to do with the length in the straps. For the first two days, I tried reinforcing passes and tied tibetan with a knot, but the tails hung down to my knees! Granted, I am a very short human being, so this isn't a very difficult thing to accomplish, but still! I wasn't sure how to get a candy cane chest belt (CCCB), let alone how to use up even more length that I already was.
Posting on The Cute Awaking chatter page (The Cute Connection - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1016543138400161/1103897159664758/?notif_t=group_activity¬if_id=1475023922224908), owner and seamstress Tasha quickly suggested a tie-off and included a quick tutorial to go along with it. The next day, we gave it a shot, and it was absolutely perfect. I like a little bit of tail at the end of a carry, just to make it feel fancy, and that is exactly what I got. I typically do chest passes with wraps, and I got that as well. And for some more icing on the cake, I was even able to get a tiny CCCB! I was hooked.
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| Image: A white woman with dark hair in a bun with glasses on is wearing a small white toddler girl with blonde hair. The little girl has her arms in the grey and black carrier and is looking wearily toward the camera. |
We used the reverse onbu while shopping, at big brother's football practices, and on our daily walks/hikes. For the most part, we stuck to the chest pass, reinforcing pass, CCCB finish as it felt less overwhelming and met so many of my personal style criteria. We wore for anywhere from 30 minutes up to 90 minutes. Each time, Ray started with her arms out but always ended up with her arms squashed in at her sides, as if she had been captured and lassoed. I prefer when her arms are in, because at 16 months old, it is way too much fun to see how far you can reach around you in all directions. So when she squeezed in, I made sure to try to adjust to accommodate that. I found that adjusting was actually really difficult once I had tied off. I really couldn't pull the padded shoulder strap any higher up to make room for her arm, and honestly, it just helped solidify how supportive this carrier is. I also favor having Ray's arms in, because it helps her to relax and move away from all the stimulation that keeps her awake. We go up daily while waiting for her brother at football practice, which goes until 8PM - way passed bedtime - and wrapping is our way of settling in for the night. While Ray attempted to keep her arms in on the chilly fall nights, she was finding it quite difficult, and would instead proudly scream "down" in my ear until I let her run wild and free with the other toddle-beasts waiting for their older siblings. For a carrier to get your child to sleep or nap, I would suggest something else, as this carrier is ideal for outings in which your child will be able to observe and interact.
A frequent problem I have is my hands will go numb due to my lack of shoulders. I don't find soft structured carriers particularly comfortable as they feel as though they are going to fall off my shoulders. Again, I didn't find that issue with this carrier. My hands didn't even swell (which is the first sign of discomfort for me) on an hour and a half hike! I also usually don't complain about my back, but with weaving in full swing in my house, my back cannot take much weight without feeling it by the time I get into bed. Again, after an hour and a half hike, though, the only thing that hurt was my ear from again, more toddler screaming (this time for my friend's chocolate protein shake). The carrier didn't slide down, and Ray stayed up nice and high with my shoulders. Her weight was so nicely supported, she was (dare I say it?) weightless.
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| Image: A close up of a grey carrier with dark and light grey designs on a woman's body. You are unable to see the woman's head. The carrier is tied with a chest pass and candy cane chest belt. A child peers over the woman's shoulder. The woman is holding the child's foot, which has a red shoe on. |
Who I would recommend this carrier for: anyone who has a baby who can fit in it and can sit unassisted. Whether you are a wrapper or not, you don't need to worry about all the passes being weight bearing, holding other passes in place, or distributing weight properly. Even for my most obvious discomforts, they weren't a thought while wearing this carrier. My tiny toddler fit really well, and was even a bit big for the fit! She definitely would not fit into a toddler carrier, but I appreciate that she probably would have fit when she was able to sit unassisted, as with other structured carriers, we needed to wait months and months until she fit into the panels. The Cute Awaking makes reverse onbus with all different wrap strap lengths, and is even working on coming out with their own buckle onbu! If you ever get a chance to try one out - do it! And custom slots are so affordable, the only thing holding me back is finding the perfect wrap to be converted.
