Fashion & Gear - Babywearing

Karma Baby’s Ara

It’s clearance time at Karma Baby Slings! Exclusively for Celebrity Baby Blog readers, take 40% off your purchase now through Sunday at their website.

Karma Baby Slings is clearing out almost all of their inventory as they gear up to go all organic. These pouch slings are so easy to use and come in the most gorgeous fabrics, including our favorites Whimsy and Ara (pictured left).

With five carrying positions, these slings work for newborns, infants and even toddlers. Now’s the perfect time to snap up that pouch you’ve been eyeing or get a great deal on a baby gift — you can save 40%-90% during this sale!

Celebrity fans of Karma Baby Slings include Matthew McConaughey, Milla Jovovich and Sarah Michelle Prinze.

CBB Deal: Use coupon code CBB40 to take an extra 40% off your entire purchase at Karmababy.com. (Expires 10/18/09.)

Swaddle Designs

As any new parent knows, a well-swaddled newborn is a thing of beauty. When wrapped up tightly like a burrito, a baby is less likely to flail about and more likely to sleep peacefully. To make sure those blissful nights of slumber continue as your baby grows, Swaddle Designs has created the zzZipMe Sack ($36) for babies three months to twelve months old.

Made of soft polyester and trimmed with satin, the sacks are like mini sleeping bags with arm holes to accommodate a baby’s increased movement. I zipped up my three-month-old baby Ella in one and she slept for six hours straight. The whole time, I was at ease knowing she was safely tucked in the sack instead of a blanket that could block her breathing.

There are four cozy versions of the sacks: Fuzzy (pictured left), Velvet, Flannel and Organic that come in an array of sweet pastels.

Celeb fans of Swaddle Designs include Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Affleck and Mariska Hargitay.

­­–  Joanne, a Manhattan mother of aspiring writer, Olivia, 8, and cuddly newborn Ella, three months, is always on the lookout for stylish yet durable clothing and gear for her family

CBB Deal: For a 10% discount on products enter the promo code (MadeinUSA) at checkout.

Peanut Shell Heirloom “Bessie” Baby Sling

I like to consider myself a baby accessory connoisseur. But until the Peanut Shell’s Bessie Heirloom Baby Sling ($139) crossed my path, I had never seen an infant carrier with ruffles.

Now, after fawning over it for days and wearing it repeatedly, I see what a shame that is.

But this pretty sling isn’t just about the looks. It’s also super comfy — it’s made of a soft pink linen and lined with jersey.

Available in two sizes (XS/S and M/L), this pouch-style carrier is cut generously and works well for newborns up to toddlers. I could tote my 19-month-old daughter around in it with ease. Because it’s a little roomier than some pouches, be sure to measure carefully when choosing a size or size down if you’re in doubt.

These carriers combine style and comfort (for you and baby) beautifully. And even if ruffles aren’t your cup of tea, Peanut Shell has lots of lovely slings to choose from.

– Stephanie, mama to a 4-year-old contrarian son and a 1-year-old philosopher daughter, is a crunchy, urban Canadian who loves all things green, gadgety and glam

2-Go Baby Carrier

Cybex is coming! Not to be confused with the gym equipment manufacturer, this German company will be offering infant and booster car seats, baby carriers and strollers.

We had a preview of the line that will be available late summer and winter.

We were impressed by all of Cybex’s products, but the 2-Go Baby Carrier ($100) really blew us out of the water.

Suitable for babies from 3 months up to 40 lbs, it has ergonomically formed shoulder straps and distributes the child’s weight evenly on the parent’s hips, not back — similar to the ErgoBABY Carrier, but with even more positions and way more style.

There are 5 positions; facing inwards, hip position — facing inwards, front facing outwards, front facing as a mobility seat — for older babies with the top part folded down, and on the parent’s back.

Read more to hear about which products we’re most excited about!

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People who know me (and my obsessive babywearing ways) know that I have often turned up my nose at traditional frame carriers for babies. Now that I’ve tried a Kokopax Classic Carrier ($180), though, it looks like I have to eat my words.

A modern and stylish interpretation of a frame carrier, the Kokopax combines all the convenience of frame carriers (the baby is higher up, the carrier can stand on the ground with baby in it, it’s easy to put baby on your back) with the fashionable appearance and comfort of some of the more modern carriers (namely, it doesn’t make me feel like I’m going to topple backwards like other frame carriers can).

It comes in six gorgeous colorways – I have the Espresso, which, as a bonus, is very dad-friendly. And my 15-month-old daughter loves it so much we actually have to hide it when we’re not using it so she doesn’t ask to go in. Click to continue reading »

Rebecca Romijn has teamed up with Serena & Lily for a special Mother’s Day initiative. For every Market Sling (like the one pictured above from the new Catalina Collection) sold between April 20 and May 31, Serena & Lily will donate a care package to a homeless child through the non-profit organization Project Night Night, which serves more than 25,000 homeless children every year.

Each care package is filled with a security blanket, an age-appropriate book and a stuffed animal and delivered to children (ages 0-10) in homeless shelters. Rebecca said, “As a new mother, I feel it’s my responsibility to help other children who may need extra comforts during difficult times. I hope other companies take Serena & Lily’s lead to help care for those less fortunate.”

– Danielle

AzureWrap

As a Canadian, I’d like to share with you some of the fine babywearing options that come out of the Great White North — comfortable, trendy, and downright beautiful, these great Canadian carriers are sure to wow you.

– Stephanie

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Is it a pouch? Is it a ring sling? No, it’s both! And it comes with all the benefits of each. How cool is that? The UpMama Hybrid sling ($84CAD) has combined the best features of pouches and ring slings and eliminated some of the common problems of both to make a super-easy and super-comfortable carrier. The UpMama Hybrid has the simplicity of a pouch, but it’s adjustable like a ring sling, which means post-partum weight loss won’t get in the way of carrier comfort and, more often than not, two parents can share one sling. I think it’s a perfect introduction to babywearing. It’s made of a cotton sateen with a touch of stretch and also has a zippered pocket in a complementary fabric at the end of the tail. This carrier (I have the Raspberry Red one) gets admired from near and far whenever my daughter and I take it out on the town. UpMama is also an exclusive online retailer (with free shipping!) for an amazing Canadian babywearing 3-in-1 coat: the down-filled M-Coat has a removable panel that will help take you from pregnancy to babywearing and beyond.

– Stephanie

CBBDeal: Save 10% off any of the new spring line of UpMama Hybrid slings — available in the third week of April — using coupon code ‘cbblog’ (expires June 30, 2009).

This mei tai from Mango Baby ($99CAD) is a gorgeous option for parents looking for a two-shouldered carrier. The carriers are made of cotton (some have satin jaquard panels) and can be machine-washed and dried. And I was lucky enough to have the owner of Mango Baby come over to my home for a personal demo. This Chinese-inspired mei tai is designed to be tied in a different way than most (there’s nothing tied around the wearer’s waist, just the shoulders — it’s called the Twist-and-Tuck method, if you’re looking for the fancy lingo!) so it was great to have the hands-on lesson. But since we can’t all have the owner in our living rooms, there are great videos and instructions for how to tie your Mango Baby mei tai on their site. After a bit of practice, I find the Mango Baby mei tai to be extremely easy to use and a great carrier for wearing my baby on my back. I also love the little pockets at the end of the straps. The fact that this carrier looks beautiful and turns heads wherever I go? Just an added bonus!

– Stephanie

CBB Deal: Get $10 off your purchase when you use coupon code ‘babyblog’ (expires June 6, 2009).

Your little Buddha is going to love going for a ride in this comfy carrier. Easy to use and a pleasure to wear, the Baby Buddha (starting at $119CAD) is an excellent choice for a mom (or dad) looking for a perfect do-everything carrier. With a choice of performance fabric (cotton, bamboo, or hemp — all organic!) that stretches with you when you move and wicks away moisture, the Baby Buddha is always comfortable for the baby and the wearer. I have the carrier in the Organic Hemp in Merlot and oh, how beautiful it is. The color is head-turning and the comfort is glorious. And Baby Buddha even recommends that you can use the waist sash (also called the stabilizer wrap) as a funky skirt over jeans! Now that’s a multi-tasking carrier! Check out their cool Buddha Belly Support Bands (in all their divine fabrics) and their Buddha Buddy Play Slings.

– Stephanie

CBB Deal: Save 20% when you use coupon code ‘CBB’ (expires May 5, 2009).