Review: PinkNova - Crunchy Banana aka Spicy Leaves

This wrap is paradoxical, it's a woven oxymoron if I ever did come across one.

I'll start by telling you how it came about.

My lovely friend and fellow wrap reviewing, blogging, birthing & bumping mama at Birth, Bump and Byond had the fortune of winning a competition to allow her to test this wrap, as the regular PinkNova testers weren't used to shorties.

When she posted in one of our groups asking if anyone would like to have a feel of the prototype, I was keen. Who needs an excuse for good coffee, great conversation and an added bonus of seeing an unreleased wrap in the flesh! or fibre, should I say?

We caught up, she popped me into a no sew ring sling and it was love! My eye's grew wide like a child who had just been allowed second dessert. It was nothing like I had ever felt before.

A couple of selfies later and I messaged one of the co-owners of PinkNova, next thing you know I was in line to test the banana leaf prototype too! I was beyond wrapt! (Pun intended).

In hand this wrap is incredible. Here's where the oxymoron kicks in - The black leaves have an almost gritty, but not scratchy texture which contrasts not only in colour, but in feel to the soft ecru cotton. This is the point when I wish you could reach through your screen and feel it! The texture varies over the whole wrap and you can hear a gentle crunchiness, not your typical wrap crunch though!

The blend is 48% bio-organic cotton, 32% Sea island cotton & 20% banana leaf fibre (yes, you read right).

It's blankety and feels as though it'd be suitable for winter, yet also has a tropical vibe, I'd love to see how it carries in the heat.

It's super textured! I could run my fingers over the leaves all day, yet it screams cush!

The colours are incredibly representative of the wrapping qualities, black and white, day & night.

Now that it has been dubbed "Spicy Leaves" it evokes the thought of drinking a warm spicy chai whilst wearing this beauty.

My base size is a 4-5, I'm very used to 3's but what was I supposed to do in a 1?!

I didn't even know such a size existed! But I was up for the challenge.

It came with a couple of matte silver ring slings but my first thought was to pop it into a rebozo.

Next I tried a ruck (tub). It was supportive with just the right amount of stretch and bounce. The thickness made the short length difficult though manageable to tie on tippy tails, once you've double knotted them, they aren't going anywhere!

I wondered if it was long enough to pop "A" into a poppins hip carry, no such luck but we were able to squeeze out a robins.

Even in a torso carry I found it incredibly comfortable.

My favourite carries in this wrap have to be a Double hammock rebozo and a ruck.

The shoulder passes are so cushy, there isn't an ounce of dig.

It supports in all the right places and is one of the most comfortable wraps I've tried.

Check out those chunky pleats!

The prototype had been pulled through rings and used quite a few times so I'm assuming it would've been a little crunchier to begin with, but once this bad boy is broken in, it's the ultimate.

I did hand wash it and air dry it just to see if it'd regain some of that crunch. It didn't which is great!

It's always frustrating when you have a lovely, smooshy, broken in wrap and with one wash, 'poof!' back to square one.

This wrap is suitable for heavier infants to toddlers and probably intermediate wrappers, but a broken in one in a longer length could cater to newbie wrappers too.

I believe this wrap improved my ruck vastly, broadened my horizons and opened up my eyes to size 1's. They also make a great chunky scarf or shawl when you're little one isn't being worn.

Even hubby got in on the action.

They say testing a wrap can curb your want for the purchase of that wrap, that definitely isn't the case here & I'm eagerly awaiting it's release.

Check out that banana butt! I still think that would've made a better name :P.