Boba Baby Carrier Review

This adorable face is what peeks up at me when I’m wearing him in the Boba. I love it!

My Wearing History

I love carrying my babies, but that wasn’t always the case. When my first child was a baby, I gave babywearing a try with a borrowed ‘snuggli’ but it was a flop. Chloe (now 4) wasn’t happy in it and I found it uncomfortable and hard to put on. With the birth of my second child, John (now 3), I branched out and since then have used a Hot Sling, WomBaby, Ergo Carrier and now the Boba Baby Carrier. I will be adding a sleepy wrap to this list very soon. I have to say that in order for babywearing to be a good experience, you really have to have a good carrier; one that is comfortable for baby as well as for you and sometimes one type of carrier is better suited for the circumstance than another.

About NAP Inc.

“…mission is to provide comfortable and durable baby carriers to parents throughout the world and give them a helping hand in raising confident, joyful and compassionate children. We hope to enhance the bond between mother and child by enabling both to be close and connected to each other in a practical yet magical sort of way.”

Doesn’t that sound beautiful? There truly is something magical about babywearing and I love that the NAP team  recognizes that fact. NAP Inc. supports a variety of non-profit organizations that support many of the same ideals that our family shares from natural birthing and midwifery to homeschooling. This is a company that I can relate to and feel good about supporting.

About the Carrier

A year and eleven prototypes later, the the Boba was born. It is a soft structured carrier designed for babies 15-45 pounds and has some really great and unique features! A versatile carrier, it can be used as a front and back carrier. The extra height, width, foot straps, organic fabric and leg support are the highlights for the Boba. I encourage you to visit their website; it’s well designed and chock-full of information to help you make an informed decision!

Our Experience

“One size fits most”  and I would say that is pretty accurate. The various straps adjust easily to ensure a custom, comfortable fit. I’m an average height and build so it was no surprise that it fit me well. My husband is 6’ 8” and I was impressed by how well it fit him except the top chest strap in the back carry is too close to his neck. That being said, not too many people are his height! The Boba has some really great features which I will let you discover on the Boba website; this is really about our experience!

Our organic pine carrier arrived at the door promptly. When I opened the package, John (3) excitedly asked to “go for a ride” and Chloe (4) danced around asking if it was for Isaac (9 weeks) or if she could have a ride too. Though ‘grown up’ they still love to be carried. I assured them that everyone would have a ride to try it out and that they could all share our new carrier, taking turns.

We were supposed to have gone to South Africa this month however, due to some complications with Isaac after birth, our trip is rescheduled to November. Having traveled abroad before with tots, I know how much simpler life can be babywearing and look forward to using our Boba there in November.

Since we weren’t going to South Africa as planned, we decided to go visit Ottawa for four days instead. During the course of our trip, Chloe (4), John (3) and Isaac (9 weeks) all spent some time in the Boba and all three loved it. Chloe is quite grown up but, at times, still enjoys the closeness that being carried affords her. John is the same. He was absolutely delighted with the foot rests and informed me, “Mommy, you have these just like a camel”.

I didn’t unroll and use the hood in the traditional sense but left it rolled. I found that it provided a good amount of support for Isaac’s head. Though the recommended minimum weight is 15 pounds, Isaac did well in the carrier thanks to that hood. He snuggled right in and had a nap each time I wore him in it.

It is comfortable for me to wear and easy to put on, though I did have a teeny bit of trouble getting the chest strap done up when wearing the carrier on the front. I think that was mostly because I had it on the bottom setting, having worn it as a backpack previously. Once the strap was in the top position, it was much easier.

The organic pine carrier is a very soft, comfortable yet durable material. I was surprised at the lightness of it as well. It is very well padded for comfort but not bulky. It was warm to wear though the temperatures this summer seem to be breaking records for heat and babywearing in general is often a warm affair.

Comparing the Boba

I decided that for the purpose of this review, I would simply review the Boba Carrier based on it’s own merits and {try} not to compare it to other carriers during the review. I do plan to do another post where I will compare the different carriers I have had the privilege of trying and using, whether I purchased them myself or received them for review. The Boba website does have a great carrier comparison article as well as a Boba vs. Ergo chart which you may find helpful as you await my comparison post!

 Final Thoughts?

I love it. It’s a wonderful, comfortable carrier that will really carry you through all stages {pun intended!}. I love the beautiful colors and softness of the fabric, that it is made in the USA, and that it is just so comfortable to wear even for long periods. I would definitely recommend the Boba, mostly for it’s versatility; it’s perfect for my baby, my 3 year old and my 4 year old! The only issue for our family is who gets to ride in it!

Do you own a Boba Carrier? What carrier is your ‘go-to’ and why?

• Thanks to NAP Inc. for providing an amazing Boba Carrier to facilitate the review. All insightful, delightful opinions expressed here are entirely my own, of course!