The DracoMom Hatchling carrier is a truly fantastic option for anyone looking for a carrier they can use for a newborn right from day 1. This mum led Bosnian and Herzegovinian brand is not *yet* well known in the UK, but they deserve to be and I think they will become better known over the next few years. Because their Hatchling carrier is soft, lightweight, well designed, well made and works just beautifully for newborns and babies upto around 1 year of age. It is a perfect mix of functionality, flexibility and a truly great price point.
In fact the price is one of the best things about this carrier.
Priced at just £60-67 (at time of writing) this carrier is a lot cheaper than comparable newborn carriers. It's main comparables are the Izmi Baby Carrier, the Ergobaby Embrace and the Baby Bjorn Mini - all of which cost between £80-£100. So it costs a good chunk less, BUT it lasts longer the Baby Bjorn Mini, and just as long as the Embrace and Izmi. It also offers a lot more adjustability than either the Ergobaby Embrace or Baby Bjorn Mini. So if these carriers were on your radar, then it is definitely worth considering the Hatchling as a more wallet friendly option.
You can see how it works and hear my full thoughts here in my video review (or read on below):
Key DracoMom Hatchling facts:
- Weight tested from 3.5 to 11kg, this carrier is great from newborns. Because of how it adjusts I can see this working right from day 1 for nearly all babies. Even smaller ones who are under 3.5kg - provided you can adjust this carrier to get a snug, secure fit... which certainly seems possible from the design. I can then see this carrier lasting to around 9 months maybe a year, but I think parents will get the most use from this carrier in the first 6 months and then likely move onto something more robust as baby grows and becomes heavier and more wiggly.
- Adjustable panel width. Velcro tabs hidden in the waist band allow the width to be smoothly adjusted from just 12cm (5 inches) to 33cm (12.5 inches), meaning you can get an exact "knee to knee fit" as baby grows. Babies grow most rapidly in those first 6 months and the hatchinling is designed to really adapt to give perfect fit throughout.
- Adjustable panel height. Likewise the panel adjusts in height too, via easy to adjust toggles on the outside of the panel. Meaning you can adjust these easily while wearing, allowing you to increase the panel height to give more support as baby gets sleepy or decrease to give baby a little more view when awake (provided their neck is strong enough.
- Made from a 50% cotton, 47 Polyester and 3% Elastane Jersery fabric, the Hatchling is ultra soft. The material is light, and not at all hot. It has some stretch but not loads. Enough to feel really soft and gently cocooning, but not so much that it feels bouncy or unsupportive.
- Offers 2 carrying positions. While only 1 is shown in the manual the Hatchling can be used on the caregivers front (facing inwards) and on the hip. Note that as this carrier is designed for newborns primarily to doesn't offer an outward facing carrying position nor a back carry.
- Flexible fit for parents of all shapes and sizes. The waistband is lightly padded, narrow and very flexible allowing it to mold to fit. Likewise the wide, ultra soft shoulder straps cross over the parents back spreading the weight and giving a great weight distribution. Because of how soft it is, the fabric gently molds to fit parents with very different shoulder and back shapes and sizes. The webbing is extremely generous so this is a carrier that will definitely fit plus sized parents. Conversly the fabric parts are not overly long which means this carrier works for very petite parents too as they are still able to tighten enough (and can use the strap tidies at the end of the generous webbing to avoid having long dangly bits).
The closest comparable to the Hatchling is definitely the Ergobaby Embrace. Both the Hatchling and the Embrace are newborn specialist carriers that work well 0-9 months, and both are made from soft jersey materials. The main differences between the two are the price and that the Hatchling is far more adjustable, offering a better fit throughout. While the Hatchling adjusts smoothly, the Embrace can only be adjusted via folding the waist band - something that often confuses parents and also often leaves a bit of a gap where baby isn't quite big enough yet for unfolded but is growing out of folded. With the Hatchling there is no such gap, it is possible to get a perfect fit throught all of the same age range. The Embrace now comes in 2 materials - a cotton a standard jersey and a "pin-prick" mesh. The Hatchling material is lighter and cooler than the Embrace standard jersey, and a similar weight and feel to the Embrace mesh. But without the actual mesh. Considering that this mesh is "pin-prick" rather than really open mesh, and that Ergo has more layers and lining in the panel, I wouldn't say there was a huge difference between the Hatchling and the mesh Embrace. Or at least I am not sure that the mesh Embrace is particularly cooler or more breathable. Then when you consider that the Ergobaby Embrace retails at £100, compared to the Hatchling at just £60-67... I did think its a bit of a no brainer. The Hatchling is more adjustable and alot less. But I do have so say there is a difference in quality feel, the Embrace does feel more high end and better put together, and the Hatchling does feel a bit cheaper. That said, considering you get the most use out of either of these carriers only in the first few months I would likely prefer to save my money! But it is worth mentioning most parents I show both to do often go for the Embrace based on the feel. And also because the Embrace does come in more fashion forward colours. At the moment the Hatchling comes in just 3 colours and none of them are the most inspiring (although I do love the rainbow stripe webbing) but I hope that this is something that will change and more colours will come.
Another comparable is the Mamaruga Zen Sling. Like the Hatchling this is made from super soft jersey material and is hugely adjustable in height and width. The Zen sling typically works from a few weeks of age up until around 2 years of age as it goes much wider and much taller than the Hatchling. It also offers a back carry. The trade off is it is more bulky, and also the adjustment while even more flexible on the Zen sling it is a little more complex which occassionally puts people off. Compared to the Zen Sling the Hatchling is smaller, simpiler and focusing on a shorter age range. And this is reflected in price, the Zen sling retails around £110, while the Hatchling won't last as long but is half the cost at £55.
In fact the price is around what you would pay for a Close Parent Caboo or a good quality stretchy wrap which again are fabulous newborn options and parents get the most use out of in the first 6 months.
Making the Hatchling a fabulous option for anyone who wants the softness and lightness of a stretchy wrap but with the psychological reassurance that buckles bring. The Hatchling is available to hire and try and I will hopefully be adding this to my retail stock in the near future so please do get in touch if you'd like to try one or would like to purchase.
-Madeleine
