This wrap is unlike anything I've ever tried before!
It's absolutely stunningly beautiful. I've had the good fortune to try a good number of stunning wraps before, but where this one is different is the slubs. Slubs arise when the threads used to make the wrap is of uneven thickness ... leading to some big fat bits that stick out of the wrap. While I've owned wraps with the odd slub here and there before, Gaia Labrinth has these absolutely huge fluffy, textural Tussah Silk slubs.
These slubs make this wrap look and feel like a really luxiourious soft blanket. Almost like a natural wool blanket... but with the lightness and strength that comes with silk. This wrap is 34% Tussah Silk and 66% cotton, and it has distinct sides. The cotton side that is smooth and the silk side that is slubby and textural. As you might expect this side has loads of grip, while the cotton side is less grippy and more able to slide into place. It's a really clever mix because the slidy cotton side means that this wrap is nice and easy to tighten (you don't feel like your having a wrestling match with friction generated by too much grip), but the silk side means that the wrap has enough grip that it stays exactly where it is put and doesn't slip or slide or get saggy with time.
Measuring at 290gsm technically this wrap is thick, but it honestly doesn't feel thick. In hand it feels more like a medium weight wrap ... more like 250gsm. And certainly not hot - the silk makes this wrap really breathable and not at all hot and cloying like I'd expect from a thicker wrap. Dimensions wise this tester is a size 6, weighing 920g and measuring at 493cm and 64cm wide. Which is pretty long for a size 6 but relatively narrow. I am quite finickity around width and most my wraps are around 68-70cm and I tend to find anything over about 72cm too wide and anything under about 63cm too narrow for my tastes. But actually at 64cm this wrap was plenty wide enough to get a supportive carry with Rachel and actually the narrowness means the wrap is a little easier to deal with so on balance I quite liked it.
We used this wrap in front wrap cross carry, kangaroo and double hammock. It was a delight in the front carries. I tend to avoid carrying Rachel on my front if I can as she is getting so heavy now - but the silk in this wrap lends loads of strength and so I was really comfortably carrying her on the front during our sleepy walks. It was great on the back too - although the grippyness did mean I had to work a little harder on getting my double hammock chest pass nice and snug... but then the pro was once in place it stayed exactly where I put it for a lovely supportive wrap job.
All in all I loved this and wouldn't hestiate to recommend Vatanai as a brand making truly lovely wraps.
-Madeleine
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