{Disclaimer: We have partnered with Poe Wovens to bring you the following post. However, all opinions are our own!}
In November 2014 I wrote a post about my journey thus far in babywearing, highlighting my new found love for soft-structured carriers and ring slings. I ended the post with admitting that I hadn’t yet tried woven wraps because they overwhelmed me (the types, the sizes, the ties, where to start etc, etc) and I wished I had a close friend who could help me with them.
This post sparked a lot of conversation on the Facebook thread and in my local BWI group. It also was the catalyst for me to meet Nancy Sunderland, owner of Poe Wovens. You can’t talk about Poe Wovens without mentioning Nancy as she is the heart and soul of the company. She is the mother of five children, a United States Marine Corps veteran and a Certified Babywearing Consultant. After reading my post and the reactions that it was receiving, Nancy contacted me and offered to come to my home and help me with learning the basics of using a woven wrap. From there on, Caroline and I have modeled for Poe Wovens twice and I have been on Nancy’s tester list and so have been able to try several different wraps without buying them. I wouldn’t say I am an expert on woven wraps, but I would say I know Poe Wovens!
The Company:
I love that Poe Wovens is a Vermont based company and that all of Poe’s wraps are made in the United States. Nancy has big ideas for the future and would eventually like to have her wraps be made from top to bottom here in Vermont bringing jobs to the Middlebury economy. I also appreciate that part of Poe’s mission is to produce wraps that are made from natural and sustainable fibers, because if I’m going to be wrapping something around mine and my baby’s body I want to make sure that it’s of the highest quality. The Poe Wovens team is small but the customer service is top notch and they always go above and beyond. It also says something about the company that Poe has a program where you can pick 1 of 7 non-profit organizations to donate a woven wrap or ring sling to at a drastically discounted price.
The Product:
In the last year I have been able to try out the following Poe Wovens wraps: Herringbone Neige (Mercerized Egyptian Cotton), Herringbone Pear (100% Cotton), Herringbone Splendor (50% Cotton, 50% Tencel), Herringbone Violet (50% Cotton, 50% Tencel), Spangled Glory (50% Cotton, 50% Tencel), Spangled Pure (50% Cotton, 50% Mercerized Egyptian cotton), Recon (Mercerized Cotton) and Kerchief (100% Mercerized Cotton). Recon and Kerchief have yet to be released.
Each wrap is different but overall what I have appreciate about most of the wraps is how light and easy they are to wrap. I still consider myself a wrapping novice as I don’t wrap regularly and only know a few ties, but each time I have had one of Poe’s wraps in my hands I have had no trouble getting Caroline into a carry and then feeling she is secure. Even on the days where she is at her wiggliest or tries to pop her seat, she isn’t able to because of how grippy the fabrics have been. In the last year Caroline has grown considerably and in general Poe’s wraps have been perfect for the newborn stage and the larger toddler stage.
My favorite wraps by far though are Spangled Glory and the 50% Tencel Herringbones. Tencel is a pretty amazing fiber that is produced from eucalyptus trees, grown on farms. Its manufacturing requires only 154.7 gallons of water for 1 pound of fiber, and it needs about half acre for any ton. The fiber is soft and smooth and it has great moisture absorption, 50% greater than cotton.
After one wash all of these wraps have come out of the dryer being blankety soft, no need to break them in over a long period of time… it’s amazing.
And they are strong, holding a bouncing toddler with no sagging seat. The one wrap that I own is the Spangled Glory, because after testing it I just had to have it.
For me what sets Poe Wovens apart from what seems to be billions of other wrap producers (okay, I know there aren’t that many) is the pattern and style of the wraps. I appreciate and enjoy that for the most part, Poe stays with classic patterns that both men and women can enjoy. There are definitely beautiful wraps on the market that look like they should be framed and hung in art galleries, but those just aren’t for me. Instead, I prefer the herringbone, spangled and kerchief patterns. All beautiful, but classic and gender neutral. I also appreciate that Poe Woven is at a reasonable price point that I can afford and feel good about recommending to other moms.
Exciting things for the Future:
I’m sure Nancy has a list of exciting ventures she has in the works but what I genuinely can’t wait for is the release of Poe Wovens’ herringbone ring slings! Nancy has hundreds of ring slings being finished right now with an estimated release at the end of the winter/beginning of spring. I cannot wait to purchase a Violet Herringone Tencel ring sling, as I am expecting my second child in May and know that without using a baby carrier I won’t survive motherhood with two children. Nancy also has some awesome prints that will be released soon including Kerchief, Rainbeau (rainbow pattern), Tournesol (a flower print) and Recon (a pixilated camo print).
Something even more exciting in the immediate is that you can use the code, SUPER50, at check-out and save $50 off any order of at least $99 through Superbowl Sunday (February 7th)!
So in my humble non-expert opinion regardless if you are a novice like me or a super wrapping expert Poe Wovens makes an excellent product and you should try at least one (if not several) of their wraps out. I plan on using my Spangled wrap and Poe Wovens’ Ring Sling with baby #2 when he arrives.
