The Carrier With A Soul

The boy is an active, I-love-to-run-around toddler now. There are days, we go to the nearest mall for window shopping with our friends and he just wants to run all around the mall and then sleep off – still bearable since the pram comes to our rescue. But there are other days we go street shopping and he insists on walking and I am scared to death to loosen my grip on his tiny hand. I prefer carrying him in such situations since there are road crossings and lot of walking in crowded streets involved. But carrying him for a long time and/or walking around with a sleeping toddler on my shoulder has become highly impossible since neither is he comfortable that way nor am I as my shoulder hurts long after that. This, along with a few other trips that demanded the little one to be carried around, urged me to look for toddler carriers.

I’ve been a huge fan of baby carriers even before the boy was born and this was on my list of must-buys. But I didn’t end up buying since my sister in law gifted me one when Adhrith was born and I looked no further. I carried him where situation demanded but not always because the carrier was not user friendly and I needed help every single time I used it. Anyway, the boy outgrew the carrier and I was scouting the net for a good baby carrier when I came across Soul Slings. One check at the site and I knew I was at a place where babywearing was taken to an entirely different level. They had ring slings (I so badly wanted one when Adhrith was born and I searched long and wide for one but sadly I couldn’t find any then), wraps, mei tais and full buckle – all in amazingly beautiful patterns and shades that you feel like buying them all! It is here that I learnt about the different types of babywearing products, uses of each and how it makes your life easier. 

I read more about Soul Slings and I found that they were open to product review. I sent them a mail right away though, I must say, I did not expect a reply.However, the next day I get a very friendly mail from Chinmayie, the founder of Soul Slings, asking for more details. A couple of mails and days later, the Soul Full Buckle Carrier came to stay with us for a month and we’ve had the most amazing mamma and baby time! It came in a small pouch, compact and folded nicely to fit in a bag easily (I was amazed at the ease with which it could be folded since my last one was quite bulky and so not travel friendly) and with an instruction manual that covers almost everything about how to wear your baby and the dos and don’ts.

The first thing you notice about the carrier is the soft material and the attractive design. Once you use it, you realize the ease of wearing- there is no fidgeting with the buckles, the strapping is as clear as it can be that you are least prone to making mistakes and there is no rocket science involved! With a Soul Full Buckle, you can either front carry or back carry your baby. For us, backcarry worked the best since this little one of mine is a toddler and he preferred piggybacking rather than being in the front. Backcarrying was a breeze with this beauty and from the first time, not even once did I require a help to back carry Adhrith.

We went everywhere with this beauty (yes, we ditched the pram :)) – malls, the streets of malleshwaram, chickpet, markets, grocery shopping, metro rides, long walks and we even cooked dinner together at home! At times, I carried him for quite a long time and yet never felt a pain or strain – not on my shoulders, not on my back. The boy was super comfortable perched up, I was happy to get occasional kisses and hugs and we had long random conversations while we walked, worked and shopped. We were stopped by strangers to complement us, to ask where we got it and how to buy it. At other times, we were the centre of attraction with people watching with open mouth while I strapped him on my back and the little boy waved at them. The boy even slept comfortably in this while I finished my chores/shopping and life couldn’t have been any easier!

When I started using the Full Buckle, I had strong resistance from people close to me, telling me how bad it is for me and how the little one should be running around now and not be carried around. However, I must say, once they saw how useful and travel friendly this has been, I’ve had the same set of people reminding me to take the carrier when we went out! The Soul Full Buckle is safety tested and certified, padded in the shoulder and waistband for maximum support and comfort and is budget friendly, especially as compared to other soft structured carriers in the market. It is lightweight and has adjustable shoulder straps and perfect fit adjusters thereby making it a one size fits all carrier for all babywearers. Also, there is a hood that can be strapped on if it’s sunny or the little one is fast asleep and you don’t want anything to disturb him. On the negative side, well, I am still searching for one!

The last one month was just like the days before Adhrith was born with my two hands free always, combined with the beauty of having Adhrith with me always. This beauty made me feel like a superwoman indeed! If you need more reasons, trust me, apart from the comfort and convenience, this is the best style statement for us, mommies. Now, after a month, I am more hooked to babywearing than ever before and I can’t wait to try out more options. If this is what babywearing is, then trust me, I am going to hold and snuggle my little boy as long as I can!

P.s: The Soul Full Buckle was sent to me for review. However, the views expressed here are solely mine.