Rose & Rebellion - Buckled Carrier

I am a big fan of 'babywearing' and have mentioned in a few posts about our babywearing adventures so far.

I recently reviewed a stretchy wrap by SnugiWraps but as Emma has got bigger and a lot more wriggly the wrap isn't as secure for her as it was when she was a newborn. I was therefore hoping to switch her into  buckled carrier, similar to the Ergo that we use with Daniel (but that Emma is currently too small for).

I was thrilled when the team at Rose & Rebellion sent me one of their funky carriers to use and review with Emma. Rose & Rebellion carriers are probably one of the brightest and quirkiest makers I have seen - there is a wide range of designs to choose from and even better, each carrier is made here in the UK! They state on their site that 

'We truly believe that the quality of our products is unrivalled, and take great pride in every Carrier that leaves our HQ. Through every stage of production from the initial cutting of the cloth to the final closing of a seam, your Rose and Rebellion Baby Carrier will have been checked and rechecked to ensure that when it arrives to you it is of the very highest quality.

The carrier unclipped (the rectangular item is a sucking pad I purchased separately)

Well, I can agree that the quality of the carrier we received was second to none, and was as good as that on the more well knowncommercial brands. The material is excellent quality and soft and supple. The stitching is perfect. We were sent the 'Having a Giraffe' design and I love it. People comment in general when you are carrying a baby or toddler in a carrier but the comments about this were more 'wow - love that design' rather than 'oh, is it not heavy to carry your son like that'. It has been without a doubt one of the most commented upon baby items I have. The picture above shows the carrier with all buckles unclipped. The rectangular item on the left is one of two sucking pads I bought separately as it was clear Emma was going to suck the straps - more on these later.

Superb stitching quality

So.... the boring but essential bits. The carrier states it is suitable from 3.5kg - 20kg. I tested it with both Emma and Daniel (Emma weighed at the time just over the 3.5kg and Daniel around 11kg). This is a buckled carrier which means that it fastens with a series of buckles. There is a chest strap that is adjustable and the shoulder straps themselves can be crossed (although I personally don't find this a comfy carry position nor an easy one to achieve when using on my own). There is a thick waistband and the strap system that is used is really good as the whole carrier is adjustable in a number of different places, meaning that it will suit most baby shapes and sizes; male and female. Both Damian and I have used the carrier. It is usually set up for me to use, however it took about five minutes to loosen the various straps for Damian to use comfortably with Emma. The carrier itself is really lightweight, and interestingly is reversible to a plain black side (although I didn't use it this way - preferring instead the giraffe printed side!). There is also an integrated sleep hood that also tucks away into the plain black side when not in use.

So.... that's the technical bits.... how does it fare?

Well... I have to say when it first arrived I wasn't too sure if it would take the place of my beloved Ergo.... I was a bit unsure about the sleep hood - it looked a bit fiddly to fasten. We have had the carrier for around a month now and it's been used very regularly in lots of different conditions - short walks, long outings, hot weather and rain etc. It's had a fair testing from both Emma and Daniel.

First use and Emma was happy and content

 
Firstly, when it arrived I had a quick look through the really helpful instruction leaflet that came with it (I find with carriers the instructions can often be a bit lacking but these instructions were actually quite good and useful) and fastened it all up, adjusted the straps etc and popped it in the car for next time we were out. The first time I used was for a short walk from the car to the jo jingles class we go to.  It was quick and easy to fasten, and Emma was happy and content in it.

I've since used the carrier for short and longer trips out, trips where she has been in it for a few hours and she has dozed off, snuggled up against me, and trips where it has just been easier to have Emma in the carrier whilst I hold Daniel's hand.

I have also had Daniel in this carrier, although he much prefers the ergo baby carrier. I don't think this is a reflection on this R&R carrier, more that Daniel sees the ergo as his and the R&R as Emma's carrier... which is fair enough. 

I didn't find that either Emma or I got too warm in the carrier when it was a particularly warm day, and equally the panel covers her enough to offer some warmth and protection against cooler weather - it's been quite a good time to test this carrier given the changeable weather we have had recently.

The carrier is really easy to fasten together on your own, the picture here is of me fastening the 'chest strap' across my back when carrying Daniel over the weekend - it is really easy to do on your own. I have had Daniel on my back in this carrier, although as I was in the house on my own I wasn't able to get any pictures. I don't back carry a lot at the moment as Daniel much prefers being on my front and Emma is a little small for back carries yet. However, it was easy enough to get Daniel on my back, although I would recommend having someone to hand the first couple of times; I can easily get him on my back but its the getting him back out again that is often tricky for me! That said, Daniel was happy enough on my back and it was comfortable enough too.

Sleep hood is up in this picture

The R&R has also been used by my husband when we walked in the Bramhall parade last weekend. A few adjustments to the straps and it was fine for him. I am around 5 foot 1 and my husband is 6foot, so you can see the carrier is comfortable on both heights.

Damian also quickly put the sleep hood up on the carrier this day as Emma had dozed off - she had a good snooze and poked her head out the side when she woke up. Despite my initial thoughts, the hood is really easy to fasten up and does a brilliant job of offering her some darker space if she is sleeping but also protection from the sun on hotter days.

 
All in all I really love this carrier. It is comfortable to wear and is my carrier of choice with Emma. What I love about Rose & Rebellion is that the designs are so funky - there really is something to suit everyone. The carrier we have is exceptionally well made and you can tell they use top spec materials. It has withstood lots of dribble and milky sick and is still looking good. The next test in a month or two will be a machine wash - I don't like washing carriers too much so have been sponging this one clean where it has picked up the odd mark.

Having two children under two means I need something that is versatile for use with them both - I don't want to be having to carry two separate carriers for each child when I am out on my own. I love that it is easy to use with either of them - just a few small changes to the chest and arms straps to use with Daniel and we are away.

 








Both children are comfortable in it and have fallen asleep in it, and importantly, it has been comfortable for me to wear with both a four month old and a 20 month old.


My hubby quite likes it and my mum has even said she would happily use it with Emma should we be out somewhere that isn't pushchair friendly (I'd have Daniel in the Ergo).

The Rose & Rebellion carrier retail at 79.99 and can be bought from their online shop here. All carriers are reversible to a plain black side (although I suspect most people use is print side out!) and all are made in the UK.

There are a range of additional items you can buy for your carrier. I bought the Little Suckers as Emma was sucking away on the straps - these are well worth the 9.99 price tag and fit easily to the straps of the carrier with two snaps and wash really well too.

  ***Please note I was sent a rose & rebellion carrier in exchange for a fair and honest review. All words and opinions are my own***