Thursday Thought: Boba (Wrap) & Beyond

by Tami Grosset

Recently a member asked about stretchy wraps, wanting to know the difference between a Boba (or Sleepy Wrap) and a Moby, or other stretchy wrap.

Rose at 5 months in a purple Boba Wrap, photo by Jenna Sparks Bradbury

Most stretchy wraps are made from 100% jersey cotton. The Moby is one of the best known and most widely available 100% jersey cotton stretchy wrap (SW). It is quite thick (think 2 receiving blankets) and has a good stretch. As with all SWs you can pre tie and then pop baby in and out as you need to however you may need to retie or adjust throughout the day as the wrap may start to sag from frequent popping. 

 


The Boba (which used to be called the Sleepy Wrap before rebranding) wrap has 95% cotton and 5% spandex which gives it a bit more stretch. You pretie it as you would all other SWs but you tie it much more tightly. Because of the extra stretch you get from the spandex you can tie it super snug (so it snaps like pantie elastic) and you can get baby in and out easily for a whole day without the wrap starting to sag. It also allows a user to not worry about getting the tension right for the size of child you're wearing. This is why the Boba is so highly regarded... If you tie it on tight it's going to work super well for any sized baby and no adjusting needed. Plus it's cheaper- the Boba Wrap generally retails for $60 and the Moby retails for $65 whilst other brands of SW might sell for around about $90.

 

Any SW can be a great carrier for a newborn baby but they don't always work for new babywearers! If you're considering buying a carrier as a gift for a new family it may be a good idea to gift them a gift card or invite them to shop with you at one of our awesome local babywearing boutique stores where the staff are well experienced and are expert at their stock. (See our list of local recommended retailers.)