Guys, firstly,  before I get into this Ubuntu Baba review, I wanted to let you know I’m changing The Peanut’s nickname to The Potato because honestly that’s what she gets called at home and it’s more fitting. Also, I really love potatoes.

Anyway…

In the last few months of my pregnancy I was researching baby carriers quite hectically. You see with The Munchkin I had a long stretchy wrap like the Noonoo Pie but I just didn’t have lus for the endless wrapping. It also got rather hot in summer so was very impractical for us this time around.

Read more: Why a baby carrier will save your sanity

I joined the NINO Babywearing SA Facebook Group, and whittled the list down to either a Lyssa Love Mei Tei or an Ubuntu Baba soft structured carrier. And the Ubuntu Baba won out and I’ll tell you why.

Ubuntu Baba makes life so much easier

Let me tell you a story quickly. Do you remember how I said in that first week of life, The Potato and I were regulars at our local Pathcare? Well, I basically went alone. This was not something I wanted to be doing just a week after having a c-section. I have never been more thankful in my entire life for a product like the Ubuntu Baba before. It made a really stressful situation bearable.

There are very few things in my lifetime that I have felt was worth every penny of the price but this was definitely one of them.

One of the reasons I chose the Ubuntu Baba carrier was  because I could use it for my newborn. Which is definitely something I needed with a busy toddler to contend with too. The carrier has a draw string at the bottom that you can tighten to make the seat smaller for little newborn legs. Which makes this carrier ergonomically safe for baby’s hips.

It has a handy pocket in the front, which meant that I could put in all the things that I needed to be easy to reach inside: house keys, cellphone, bank and medical aid cards.

Magic sleeping dust

We had to go back every second day and every time I put her in the carrier and she slept through the entire trip (which took between 2-4 hours depending on how full it was). Because aside from being made from organic hemp, which makes it really cool for the summer months, it’s also infused with magic baby sleeping dust. And because baby is in an ergonomically safe M-shape it means she can stay in there for long periods of time if she needs to be.

So often when she’s struggling to fall asleep, I’ll pop her into the carrier and she will be gone within a few minutes. MINUTES! I’m not even joking about how much I love this thing.

When she’s in it, it means that I have my hands free and I can do other things like write this blog post or do the laundry or most importantly eat!

Easy to use

Another reason that I chose this carrier is that it is super easy to put on. There are 3 buckles: One that clips around your waist and then one on each end of the shoulder straps that clip under your arms. Done. It takes me less than 2 minutes to get her in. With the stretchy wrap it took me 10 years and then I had a screaming baby to contend with. 

This carrier also feels much safer than a stretchy wrap. I’m not scared she’s going to fall out because she feels so secure against me. I’m not saying that stretchy wraps are not safe, just that I wasn’t the best at tying it securely.

The Details

The Ubuntu Baba comes in two sizes: Stage 1 (newborn to 12kgs/14 months) and Stage 2 (9months to ±3years).  We got the Stage 1 for obvious reasons but I don’t think we’ll upgrade to a Stage 2. We still have our Ergo carrier which can be used for a toddler and back carrying which fulfills that need.

While the price seems a bit steep, it’s worth every cent. Like I said there are very few things in my life that I believe is worth the price, but this carrier saves my back, arms, time and sanity. And it keeps The Potato close which she seems to love.

I love that it’s made of organic hemp and the hood is lined with silk which means The Potato is hella comfortable in it. Which is evidenced by how quickly she falls asleep in it and how long she stays in it for without complaining. The hood keeps the sun and wind off her face without overheating her.

But it also needed to be comfortable for me seeing as I was the one that was going to be doing the baby wearing. The padded shoulders and waistband seem to help with this. I mean, a week after my c-section and I was wearing it!

So the TL;DR nitty gritty:

Price: Stage 1 – R1250; Stage 2 – R1450
Buy: online on the Ubuntu Baba website.

The customer service is excellent! Owner, Shannon McLaughlin offers a lifetime guarantee as well as a 30 day money back guarantee. She is such a pleasure to deal with and is always on hand if you need any help getting the fit right on her Ubuntu Baba Facebook Group (where you can also score second hand carriers).

Bonus: Super fast and FREE door-to-door delivery!