Review: My love affair with Velvet (Ankalia)

Ah Velvet, where do I begin?

There are two ways in which you can temporarily obtain wraps to try. Travellers and Testers.

Testers are potential new releases or prototypes manufacturers or weavers send out to be put through their paces. We have an exciting one on it's way soon! Travellers are wraps that mamas send out to either be broken in, to see if they'll miss them when contemplating sale or just to share the love.

A lovely mama decided she wanted to send her Ankalia Rubix Velvet (size 3) out for a little holiday & A and I were lucky enough to be first cab off the rank!

When she arrived it was like all our Christmases had come at once! Who doesn't enjoy a bit of fluff mail?

On first impression she was a thicker, sturdier wrap than I was used to & the purple was much richer in person than in any photo I've seen.

That's the thing I've found with a lot of Ankalia wraps, it's hard to truly capture their colour in photographs.

• 

  12970662_10153974142485435_1069001508_o

• 

  12970318_10153974138930435_1668162226_o

• 

  12970266_10153974140225435_157235907_o

• 

  12948616_10153974140480435_1036037133_o

• 

  12921903_10153974139655435_1219564432_o

• 

  12970506_10153974137345435_1150542655_o

Now this was the first 3 I had experienced. I attempted a FWCC(tub) (front wrap cross carry tied under bum) and was JUST able to tie it, by it's tippy tippy tails. I then attempted a poppins carry and it was absolutely perfect!

I've heard Velvet referred to as a toddler cage, some say that she can be quite intimidating, but over the couple of weeks we had her she softened immensely! And rather quickly! A few wears and I was able to FWCC(tub) & double knot with ease.

Velvet is quite a grippy weave, that said the passes do glide pretty easily, and even more easily after some breaking in. I do recall one night when bub was crying & I tried to pop her into a very quick, very sloppy FWCC and couldn't get her feet out the bottom due to the sheer grip & had to rewrap.

I tried various other carries, Ruck, Shepherds carry in a few variations (which are back carries & only advised on a child who is sitting comfortably alone, unless you're proficient & confident in wrapping). The length was perfect, it convinced me to add 3's to my own stash.

Although it is a thick and some may say dense wrap, due to the cotton it wasn't at all uncomfortable during the last few hot Melbourne days of the season. Speaking of comfort it carried bub with ease for hours and was rock solid, with little to no shift, even in the sloppiest of wrap jobs. I did find if I had tightened poorly & A was wiggling and leaning, there was marginal dig, but ordinarily she was able to be wrangled BY the beast! This wrap is marketed to winter & I can agree with the suitability, but I had no qualms wearing it in the warmth. I'd say this wrap is suited to 4months up, definitely not for a squish unless you happen across an extremely broken in one, or put in some hard yards prior. Even so, the width may be a little too big for newborns.

Velvet is a love affair that I'll definitely remember. And who knows, she may wonder back to me.

Thanks again to the lovely mama who allowed us to host her.

And yes, she does come with sleepy dust! (Note: bub was semi unwrapped here after falling asleep).