Using Woven Wraps
Choosing The Right Size Wrap
How do I choose the right size wrap for me?
It is important to understand that wrap sizes don’t work in the same way as clothes sizes!
Choosing the right size wrap can seem confusing at first, because we’re used to thinking of sizing in terms of clothing- bigger sizes for bigger bodies etc.
There is no one single ‘right size’ for you. Short wraps have a different function to long wraps (just as short have a different function to trousers)!
One person will ‘fit’ multiple sizes, and each size will allow them to tie different types of carries.
So you aren’t looking for the one, single size that will fit you, you are looking for whatever suits your personal needs right now.
Doing this is a simple 2 step process:
Step One- Decide what kind of length suits your carrying needs at the moment- is it short, mid-length or long?
Step Two- Work out which is the right size for you to use for that type of carrying.
We’ll explain how to do this in more detail below. Firstly though, we need to look at why there are so many sizes of wraps in the first place, and how they each have different benefits.
Why are there different sizes of wraps?
Think about prams, buggies and strollers. Some are lightweight and fold away easily, some are bulky but can go off road. Some can be used from birth, others are better for toddlers. You pick the one that suits your own needs.
Wrap sizes work in the same way. Imagine that each size of wrap is a whole different type of carrier, each with its own unique purpose. You can use every size of wrap in some way or another, but each one will give you different benefits and uses, so you just have to find the right size to suit your particular purpose at any given time.
There are loads of sizes, but we can simplify things by splitting them into 3 rough categories;
Short, Mid-length and Long. You can read more about the benefits of each length below.
Some real life examples:
Do you need lots of support for a small baby who might be wrapped for hours at a time? Maybe you’ve a heavy older child who needs carrying on a school run? Long wraps will do both jobs perfectly.
Got an independent toddler who just needs a few 5 minute rests during a shopping trip? Or a tiny baby who just needs carrying from the car park into the playgroup every day? A short wrap will pack away small when not in use and be quick to take on and off.
Want a wrap that can do most of the same carries as long and short wraps, but with a few tweaks and compromises? Mid-length wraps are great jack-of-all-trades carriers.
Now lets start choosing the right wrap for you!
Step 1:
Use the most appropriate age chart below to select which category best meets your needs.
Is it short, mid-length or long?
Step 2:
You’ve decided whether you want a long, mid-length or short wrap.
Now we need to work out which size of wrap is going to work as that length for you.
This is a fairly simple thing to do. By firstly working out what your ‘base’ size is for a long wrap, we can then work back and guess which length of wrap would suit you as a mid-length and short wrap too. But what does ‘base’ size mean?
Your base size is simply the length of wrap that you’d need to tie a front wrap cross carry. That is easy to work out if you already have a wrap, but if you don’t you can use our calculator and guide to get a good idea of what your base is likely to be. The average base size in the UK is around 6 or 7.
Once you’ve decided on your base size, you can use the chart to see what size you’re likely to need for mid-length and short carries too!
