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.
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.
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