Manduca Sling and Soft Structured Carrier Review

I had the awesome opportunity to review not one, but two carriers from the Manduca company! The following is my review of the Manduca Soft Structured Carrier (SSC) as well as the new Manduca Sling - I loved both of them and I think you will too! I would also like to thank the Manduca company for allowing me to review these products for you!


Manduca Sling

The Specs:
*The Manduca sling is made with 100% GOTS certified organic cotton; it is a jersey sling where only the width has stretch.
*It is 5.50m/216.5inches long and 60cm/23.6inches wide.
*Tested and safe for babies from 3.5 kg - 15 kg (7.7 - 33 lbs) – for comfort fit recommended until approx. 9 kg/20lbs
*It is light and breathable with a weight of only 620g.
*Can be used for 3 layer front and hip carries. (NOT suitable for back carries)
*Contrast stitching along top rail.
*Comes in 8 different colors.

Manduca Sling in the PWCC with my 15month/24lb baby

A stretchy wrap with a toddler?! Better yet, a comfy stretchy wrap with a toddler?! Yes!
The Manduca sling is a stretchy jersey fabric that is weight tested up to 15kg/33lb. I have to say, I used the Moby Stretchy wrap when my youngest was a newborn and was not impressed and so I did not have high hopes for the Manduca stretchy wrap. Never judge before you try! My first impression was how incredibly soft and light it was, especially compared to the Moby (the Manduca sling seemed about half the thickness and twice as soft as the Moby wrap). My second impression - wow was the color beautiful and vivid! With the fabric being so thin I was even more apprehensive to try it with my 15 month, 24lb little guy. I first tried the recommended pocket wrap cross carry (PWCC) and was fairly impressed with how comfortable the wrap was...I never was particularly fond of the PWCC and so I decided to try the front wrap cross carry (FWCC) with the passes spread - I was amazed! It was so incredibly comfortable and my little guy fell asleep in 5 minutes. Normally I would lay him down being an afternoon on an 85 degree day but I wanted to give this a thorough testing. He slept for an hour in the wrap and it was so comfortable and supportive I didn’t mind in the slightest. While it was warm (come on, it was 85 degrees and sunny, anything is going to be warm!) but no more so than my lovely linen blend or all cotton woven wraps. After 10 minutes on a day like that I would have been sweating and taking him out of the Moby wrap - and that was when he was a newborn! He was well supported the whole time, he was very secure, almost weightless, and it was very comfortable for me as well. 

Manduca Sling in the FWCC with my 15month/24lb baby

This wrap is so light and comfortable that I found myself reaching for it in the coming days even over my woven wraps – my toddler even kept grabbing for it!

The other nice feature of the Manduca sling is the contrasting stitching along the top rail. This makes wrapping much easier because you can quickly tell which rail you need to tighten and helps the wearer keep them straight. It also looks pretty which is an added bonus. Due to the long tapers it also makes a nice small knot.

My only problem with the wrap is how long it is. Like the Moby wrap it comes in one size. I am 5' 4" and about 110lbs so I had a lot of tail left - I needed to wrap it around me twice to keep the tails from dragging. All in all, I love this wrap and I think it would be amazing for a newborn.

Manduca Soft Structured Carrier

The Specs:

*Outer material is tough canvas made of 45% organic cotton and 55% hemp
*Inner material is 100% organic cotton
*Suitable for newborns starting 3.5kg/7.7lbs to pre-schoolers up to 20kg/44lbs (approx. 5 to 6 years)
*Usable for front carry, back carry & hip carry positions with the option to use the carrier in backpack style or cross-straps.
*Integrated infant insert for newborns and infants
*Integrated back extension for older babies and toddlers
*Integrated head and neck support, can be folded away when not in use, hood positional using the adjustable band and button on the shoulder straps.
*Body panel width 350mm/13.8inches
*Body panel length zipped up 350mm 13.8inches; Extended 420mm/16.5inches
*Hip belt adjustable from 72cm/28.4inches to 140cm/55inches
*Padded waist and shoulder straps

*3pt safety waist buckle

 

The Manduca Soft Structured carrier (SSC) is one of the best SSCs I have tried. It is so incredibly versatile and really does grow with your child. One of my favorite things about this carrier is the patented zip panel.  This allows you to adjust the body height of the carrier making the transition from baby to toddler incredibly simple - zip or unzip and you are good to go! With a smaller baby you can unzip the panel to extend the back and fully support their head, when baby wakes up and wants to look around simply zip the panel up – you don’t even have to take the carrier off to do it. Being able to extend the back panel is also handy when you have a toddler who likes to lean – my tall 3 year old cannot lean out of the Manduca. It is also very “daddy friendly” and is actually my husband’s go to carrier for our 15 month old as well as our 3+ year old.

Another great feature of the Manduca baby carrier is the built in infant insert. It is suitable for infants up to approx. 4-5 months or until they can sit comfortably in the main body panel. When it’s not in use the insert simply rolls away into elastic bands (see photo). If you do not want to use the infant insert the company recently came out with the “size-it” which attaches at the base of the body panel and allows you to cinch the seat in until your baby has proper knee-to-knee support, it also gives the baby a little cushion to sit on.

  

The third cool feature of this carrier that is not common on most SSCs is the straps that unbuckle. Having this feature means that you are able to cross the straps in the back if you will be wearing your baby for a longer period of time or if you have back problems. The crossed straps help distribute the weight even better. Straps that unbuckle also mean that you can use this in a hip carry position to. I found this quite comfy (which is more than I can say for the Ergo carrier as the straps dug into my neck) and a great carry when you have a younger, curious baby who you do not want to back carry yet.

Crossed straps

Other nice features include perfect fit adjusters (PFAs) integrated into the straps which allow for small adjustment tweaks once the baby is in the carrier – this ensures a perfect and comfortable fit every time. This carrier also has a hood that neatly rolls away when not in use which doubles as neck support. The company also makes several accessories including suck pads and a pouch that can attach onto the waist band of the carrier.

My only complaint with the Manduca is that I have to have the waist belt cinched to its smallest setting to fit me – which is fine for front carries or back carriers with my 3 year old. However, I like to do high back carries with my 15 month old and I cannot cinch the waist or shoulder straps enough to do so which means he sits lower on my back than I would like. In all fairness though, every SSC I have tried is the same way. 

Manduca SSC with my 33lb 3 year old

Here in the states I know that the Ergo is very popular, however once the Manduca starts being sold more in the US and you try one you may just be ditching that Ergo! Comparing the two I found the Ergo to be much bulkier, especially with the front pouch. The straps dug into my neck in the hip carry position in the Ergo and the waist was uncomfortable and did not fit me on the smallest setting. The body panel of the Manduca is larger than that of the Ergo making it the better choice for older children as well. And let’s not even talk about Ergos bulky infant insert…the Manduca wins hands down for infants!

 If you are looking for an SSC I really don’t think you can go wrong with the Manduca – it is definitely worth the money!

Manduca SSC with my 33lb 3 year old

Can't take a stroller here!

She loves spending quality time with her daddy!

He's quite content in the Manduca!

Manducas come in many colors and lend themselves well to customization. This is mine I customized in my shop Paint Spatter Designs