Becoming a mother introduces you to the world of baby slings and carriers. I’ve tried my fair share of them – the ring sling, the pouch, and a few types of structured carriers. It’s so important to find the right carrier as it really can make or break your day…and your back. Besides the essentials like diapers, the carrier/sling is the most important item I bring for each outing.
When I discovered I was pregnant with no. 3, I knew I had to find a way to carry baby comfortably while still having both hands free to hold onto the older boys’ hands when crossing the road. Having free hands was especially crucial as I pick the boys after school by myself everyday, and the carpark is big with everything from motorcycles to coaches going by frequently.
I knew I wanted something close to a sling style carrier as I like how cosy slings are for young babies with the cloth wrapped snugly around them, but I hoped for something that could give the double-shouldered support of structured carriers.
I drew up a list of requirements for my ideal carrier:
1 Comfortable and cosy for baby
2. Comfortable for me
3. Easy to use
4. Hands free
In the course of my research I stumbled upon the award-winning Baby K’tan and I was really excited because it seemed to fit the bill.
(Updated Mar 2015: Baby K’Tan won another award this year)
I was given the opportunity to review the Baby K’Tan Breeze, and after 3 months of use I can say that it definitely meets all my criteria! Here’s the low down on the Baby K’Tan sling, and the Breeze model in particular.
About the Baby K’Tan Breeze
The Baby K’tan carrier comes as two loops of fabric joined by a smaller loop of cloth. There’s also an extra safety sash to use for certain carrying positions. It’s a simple yet clever design, functioning as a cross between a sling, a wrap and a carrier. It is as light as a sling but you can carry baby in more positions, as cosy as a wrap but without all the fussy extra cloth dangling everywhere, and as comfortable as a structured carrier but without the bulk.
The basic structure of the Baby K’Tan
The Baby K’Tan Breeze is similar in every way to the original Baby K’Tan except that instead of being made entirely of cotton, each loop is half mesh, half cotton. I chose the Breeze in white to reflect heat since my aim was to have a carrier that was as cooling as possible.
Comfortable and Cosy for Baby
The Baby K’Tan Breeze is ideal for use in Singapore with our hot and humid climate (for those of you not from here, the temperature is around 28°C on average, going as high as 34°C on hot days, and our relative humidity is upwards of 80% on average, sometimes hitting 100% during the rainy season). We also have the problem of very cold shopping malls that over-compensate for the hot weather.
The Breeze gives me the flexibility to adjust the wrapping material depending on the weather and where I am. Outdoors I adjust the loops such that two layers of mesh wrap baby. On a cooler day, I use one layer of mesh and one layer of cotton. At shopping malls and supermarkets, I use two layers of cotton over baby to keep her warm and snug.
the cotton side
the mesh side – thin and cooling, but strong
There are no buckles or rings that get in the way, so the only thing that touches baby’s skin is the soft wrapping of the sling. I have many curious passersby asking me about the Baby K’Tan and gushing about how great the mesh fabric is. The most common comment I get when I wear baby is, “Wow! That looks really comfortable for baby!”
Comfortable for Me
That comment is usually followed by, “And it looks so comfortable for you too!”
This is so important. I used to be an avid user of the ring sling. But for all the things I liked about ring slings (it’s lightweight, folds small so its easy to put in the diaper bag, comfortable for baby), the key flaw was that the entire weight of baby was bourne on one shoulder. That resulted in poor posture and back aches. I liked how structured carriers distribute the weight across both shoulders, but it was bulkier and less cosy for newborns.
Baby K’Tan is like a dream come true in this area. You enjoy all the benefits of the sling, plus you get the comfort of even weight distribution across both shoulders! How great is that?
Easy to Use
Putting on the Baby K’tan is as easy as putting on a T-shirt. Just put the loops over your head like a necklace, put one arm through each loop, and you’re basically ready to put baby in.
Having used ring slings a lot previously, I can tell you that using the Baby K’Tan is a piece of cake. I know many people like the cosiness of slings but shy away from using a ring sling because of the difficulty they have in adjusting the cloth. As for baby wraps, even fans of it move to other carriers because there’s just so much cloth it becomes too hot for baby in our weather. It’s also a bit yucky that the ends touch the ground, especially on rainy days.
With the K’Tan’s two loops, all these problems go away. You don’t need to adjust the length of the cloth, and there isn’t an endless amount of cloth to deal with. The extra sash used for certain carrying positions is not that long, and when not in use it folds into a bag to store the carrier (nifty eh), and is small enough to stuff into your handbag.
The Baby K’Tan stretches out a bit after some use, but like a pair of jeans, it shrinks back to size after throwing it in the washing machine! It’s also dryer safe so you can have it washed and ready for use very quickly.
There are a variety of carrying positions, and most require little (if any) practice at all. My favourite is the ‘hug’ position that I used from when baby was a month old (see this video for instructions to adapt this position for a newborn). Now that Alyssa is more aware and wants to look out I’ve been using the ‘explore’ position too. I’ve also tried the outward facing ‘adventure’ position which, unlike other outward facing carriers, provides a seat for baby rather than dangling her from her crotch.
She sleeps very soundly in the ‘hug’ position
Enjoying the view in the ‘explore’ position
Hands Free
I can firmly attest to this. I find the Baby K’Tan Breeze wraps baby tightly to my body and provides enough head support for me to walk without needing to give baby extra support. This completely frees me to hold the hands of my two older boys when crossing the road or walking in the carpark. In fact, at the end of each week when the kids bring home their sleeping stuff from school, I carry baby, my diaper bag, two large duffel bags with their pillows, bedsheets and blankets, and still hold onto my boys’ hands. No sweat.
Me doing fake jumping jacks with the kids at their sports day (you really shouldn’t be jumping when wearing baby in any kind of sling!)
Downsides
The main downside about the Baby K’Tan is that you have to make sure you get the right size since the cloth comes pre-looped. It needs to be snug enough so that baby is held close to you when carried.
[Updated Mar 2015]
Baby K’tan used to only show US sizes in their sizing chart. When I bought my first Baby K’tan carrier I mistakenly thought they were in UK sizes and bought the wrong size. Baby K’tan has since updated their sizing chart to show both US and international sizing.
As the sizing matters, you may not be able to share the Baby K’Tan with your partner if he is a lot larger than you. This isn’t really a problem for me as I have always been the one to sling the kids if they have to be carried for a longer time.
The other downside I found is that it’s a little hard for me to position baby to breastfeed in this sling. However, that’s just me. I personally know someone who breastfeeds her kid in the K’Tan while walking! What I do is I just take baby out before breastfeeding, No biggie. [Update Oct 2014: I’ve since learned how to position baby to breastfeed her and it’s quite easy. The best positions are to cradle her with her legs sticking out, and in the hug position!]
Verdict
I would highly recommend the Baby K’Tan as it’s comfortable and easy to use, and I’d recommend the Breeze model in particular because it’s perfect for our Singapore weather. It’s a product I wish I had when my older kids were babies as it would have saved me a lot of back aches and shoulder pains.
I had wanted the Baby K’Tan to replace my sling for when baby was small, and move on to my usual structured carrier when she gets heavier. But I might consider using this when the time comes as the K’Tan is comfortable and can carry kids up to about 16kg.
Sound asleep, wrapped up and cosy
— GIVEAWAY —
The Baby K’Tan Breeze is not available in Singapore, but Baby K’Tan has generously provided one white Baby K’Tan Breeze in size M worth US$59.95 to giveaway to a reader!
To qualify for the giveaway, please do the following by 1 Sep 2014*:
1. Like the Baby K’Tan Facebook page
2. Leave a comment below with your name, email address, and share which feature of the Baby K’Tan Breeze you are most attracted by!
Spread the word!
*Winners will be chosen at random.
— UPDATE —
You have been heard!
The White, size M, Baby K’Tan Breeze for the giveaway has already been shipped to Singapore so the size cannot be changed.
But for those of you who are not a size M, Baby K’Tan has kindly agreed to give a 20% discount exclusively for Unlikely Lady of Leisure readers who use the code ULL20*. The discount code can be used if you purchase the Baby K’Tan baby carrier directly from their website here.
Happy shopping!
*The code is valid until 31 Oct 2014.
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I was provided the Baby K’Tan Breeze for review. All opinions are my own.
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