Hemp, cotton, silk--OH MY!

You've decided to give wrapping a go? Great! Time to choose your fabric!

Woven wraps can be made with many different types of fibers: Cotton, linen, silk, hemp, bamboo, and wool are the ones you will see most often.

Cotton
Cotton is the most common fiber you'll see a woven made from. Wraps almost always have cotton in them. It is cheap and easily accessible. Because of that, cotton wraps usually have a lower price point than other fibers (excluding handwoven wraps). Cotton is easy to care for. Usually soft right out of the package and requires little breaking in. Some find that cotton wraps aren't supportive enough for heavy babies or toddlers. Cotton tends to be on the warm side.

Linen
Linen is another common fiber. Linen is easy to take care of, although it wrinkles much easier and is prone to perma-creasing. Linen is supportive for heavier babies and toddlers. It is great for hot weather, as it is very breathable. The amount of effort required to break in linen varies from wrap to wrap. I've had a linen wrap that was soft after a wash, and I've had linen that needed a good beating before it softened. Although not terribly expensive (for the babywearing world anyway), linen-blend wraps will usually be priced higher than 100% cotton.

Silk
Silk is a less common fiber you'll find in a woven wrap. Silk wraps are hand wash only, and most must be dryed flat and out of sunlight (but always check the tag before washing/drying). Silk is generally better for smaller babies. It is wonderfully soft, but it often as a "silk smell" to it (that can only be described as the way silk smells!). Silk is not hard to break in, but it takes some time and effort for the smell to go away. Silk is better in cooler weather.

Hemp
Hemp is my favorite! Hemp wraps are rock solid for heavy babies and toddlers. Hemp is very easy to care for. Hemp requires effort to break in. The thicker the wrap, the harder it will be to beat into submission. If you're purchasing a thick hemp wrap (you can tell by the weight of the wrap) I'd suggest buying used if you can. Hemp wraps have a higher price point. Hemp is better in cooler weather.

Bamboo
Bamboo wraps are buttery soft. Woven wraps are typically made from bamboo vicose, which does take some special care. Bamboo is prone to shrinkage, so avoid heat. It must also not be submerged for more than 40 minutes, and air dryed (again, check your wrap's label before washing). Bamboo/cotton blends tend to get saggy with heavy babies. When blended with another fiber, such as hemp, you can get the wonderful softness of the bamboo with the solidity of the hemp (bamboo/hemp blends are pricey). Some say that bamboo is hot, I personally thought it was fine in warm weather.

Wool
Wool is surprisingly breathable during the warm weather! It's great for winter too, a year round wrap. Wool is hand wash only, and needs to be flat to dry. Taking care of your wool wrap is important, improper washing could lead to felting of your wrap, and felting is dangerous. When wool becomes felted, the weave is tightened up. A tight weave is prone to tearing, which you definitely don't want while wearing your baby! Wool wraps are great for big or small babies. Some do have a scratchy wool feel to them. No breaking in will change that, just the nature of the fiber.

A wrap can be 100% one fiber, or it can be a blend of fibers. The possibilities are almost endless. One fiber is not better than another. It truly is a personal preference and what suits your baby.

Why is babywearing so expensive?

If you are new to the babywearing world, particularly wraps, you've probably experienced a bit of sticker shock. I definitley did when I first started! I couldn't fathom spending $150 on a simple piece of fabric! I was apalled at the massive stashes some women had. They must be SO rich! Luckies! That's not always the case. Over my babywearing journey I've come to learn why baby carriers cost what they do.

Why do wraps cost so much?
There are many things that factor into the cost of a woven wrap. The main one is the quality of materials. Wraps can be made of many different things: Cotton, linen, hemp, silk, bamboo, wool, and any combination there of. Just like if you were buying a shirt, a 100% cotton wrap is going to cost less than a 50% Cotton/50% Hemp wrap. The farther away you move from cotton (hemp/bamboo, linen/bamboo, silk/wool/cotton), the more expensive it is to make, therefor the more expensive it is to purchase.

Another contributing factor is that most every woven wrap company prides themselves on being part of the Fair Trade Commission. They are paying their weavers honest wages, so the cost of the product must also go up.

One more thing to consider is most wraps are not woven in the US. Whether you are purchasing directly from a company, or you are purchasing from a US vendor, remember that the cost of importing the wraps to the US has also been factored into the price.

What about the wraps that go for thousands of dollars?!
A product is worth what someone will pay for it. These are wraps that have been auctioned off, and typically handwoven and hard to find wraps. Let's use Uppymama as an example. Uppymamas are hand woven by one person with high quality threads. Weaving is an intricate process, so these wraps retail anywhere from $350-$500. Because they are handwoven by one weaver, only a certain number of wraps are made at one time (around 15). That makes these wraps very hard to find. They are never sold by the retailer for thousands of dollars, they are auctioned off at that price.

How can so many people afford 20, $150 wraps? They must be rich!
They might be! But not necessarily. Stashes of 20 wraps weren't built overnight, they were built over months or more likely, years. As a single mom, I can't afford to drop a hundreds of dollars whenever I want to. When I bought my first wrap, I sold some other baby items in order to fund it. Now, I have a stash because that's where I choose to budget my money. I save for my wraps and carriers, sometimes for months at a time. I also stalk for good deals online or on Craigslist. Buy low, sell high, also applies to baby carriers (within reason, of course!). Buying a wrap or certain buckle carriers is more of an investment than it is a frivolous purchase. Wraps retain their value and can be resold at or near retail value.

Why do the prices of buckle carriers vary so much? Aren't they all just basically the same thing?
Kind of, yes. They are all made with the same design, however, they are not all the same. For example, the Ergo and the Tula have two very different price points. The difference is in the construction of the carrier. The Ergo and Tula are both well made carriers, however, the Tula is built to last longer. It has a bigger seat, a bigger body, and it is able to support more weight in the long run than the Ergo. For a visual example, see the picture below.

Can't I just make it myself? Won't that be cheaper?
Sure! There are plenty of mamas who use DIY wraps and ring slings! I recommend checking out the DIY Facebook Group , there will be a ton of resources there for you.