The SUPPORi Baby Carrier: Lightweight Babywearing At Its Best … PLUS Your Chance to WIN ONE too!

Throughout the past few years of embracing motherhood, I have experimented with many baby carriers.  I have tried the ring slings (both plastic rings and metal rings), the soft structured carriers and also just plain using no carriers at all!  Recently I was approached by SUPPORi Malaysia to test and review the SUPPORi Baby Carrier.  Here are my thoughts and views on this carrier, PLUS don’t forget to read till the end for your chance to win yourself one too!

SUPPORi Malaysia products are distributed by Unison CA.  The SUPPORi Baby Carrier originates from Japan and aims to provide a simple-to-use baby carrier that is lightweight and effective.  Indeed, the first thing I noticed when I received the SUPPORi was how small and light it was.  I was apprehensive as to whether it would be able to support baby’s weight!

See? It fits into this nice little plastic pouch (which comes with the carrier by the way), and is so flat and nifty that it can easily fit into your purse or your diaper bag.

I soon learned though that the SUPPORi Baby Carrier is very strong and can definitely support baby’s weight.  It is made from triple plied thread and it proven to be safe and strong.  It is able to support the weight of a baby up to a maximum of 15kg.  The recommended age for use of the SUPPORi Baby Carrier is that the baby must be able to sit upright on his/her own (about 4-6 months old) until 36 months old (15 kg/33 lbs).

As you can see, the SUPPORi is made from a very holey fabric, or mesh, and that means baby will be kept snug and cool even when in the carrier.  You know how some baby carriers tend to cover the baby entirely and in our hot tropical Malaysian weather, we sometimes worry if baby might be too hot in the carrier?  Well, no such problem with the SUPPORi because it will totally be a cool experience for baby.

Plus…the mesh fabric is actually stretchable, so it will conform to baby’s body and the wearer’s shoulder so a good fit is attained.

When laid flat, the SUPPORi Baby carrier looks like this:

It is actually a loopy piece of fabric which you can just wear over your body, and then fit baby in it.  No buckles, straps and rings needed.  Well, that means though that the SUPPORi is not a one-size-fits-all product, and it is essential that the baby wearer get one in his/her size.  Yes, the size of the SUPPORi baby carrier is determined by your height and underbust measurement.

Source: Suppori Malaysia Facebook page

I had a few teething problems when I first started using the SUPPORi, but later I found out that the smaller stretchable part on the carrier needs to fit on my shoulder.  This was me during our recent trip to IKEA in Damansara.  She wanted to be carried, so the SUPPORi came to my rescue.

And this one was taken just recently.  I discovered that the SUPPORi felt better when it is supported on my left shoulder with baby on my right hip.  See how she wanted to help me take a picture too? 🙂

One thing to note however, is that the SUPPORi is NOT meant to be a hands-free baby carrier.  In fact, it is recommended that the SUPPORi is used with one hand supporting the baby.  As such the SUPPORi is not really suitable for long-term use, but more for short-term use, such as a quick run to the grocery store or bookstore, or simply to carry baby around the house.  For long term use, a soft-structured carrier would be more feasible.

With that being said, I still love it that the SUPPORi is super light!  It weighs only 80 grams, which is actually lighter than an iPhone 4!  It adds virtually no additional weight to my bag and yet I can just whip it out whenever I need that extra support to carry baby.  It does not allow me to breastfeed though, but it does keep baby nice and cool.

Another thing I noted while using it was that my baby tended to want to stretch herself out of it.  It could be just my baby though, seeing that she is very active, but this resulted in the fact that I needed to take her out after half an hour at the most.

Trendsetters would also be happy to note that the SUPPORi Baby Carrier comes in a myriad of colors to suit your varied tastes.  The solid colors are priced at RM179 and the multi-colored ones at RM199 each.

So how do you decide if you need the SUPPORi Baby Carrier?  If you’re looking for a lightweight carrier/sling to be used on short-term basis in the tropical hot weather (like Malaysia), then yes, the SUPPORi is your choice.  You’ll be pleasantly delighted by how this little item packs a big punch.  Actually I think I’m going to try carrying my baby in it the next time I hit the pool! 😀

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The SUPPORi Baby Carrier

Pros

• Lightweight and easy to carry around.
• Strong and safe for baby.
• Mesh fabric allows for permeability, which keeps baby cool in our hot weather.
• Many colors to choose from
• Easy to wear, no buckles, rings or straps to adjust.
• Easy on the shoulders and back.

Cons

• Not a hands-free carrier.  Recommended to use with one hand supporting baby.
• Baby tends to want to wriggle free, as opposed to a soft-structured carrier (this is in my case only, some babies do not wriggle in the SUPPORi).
• Does not serve as an aid in breastfeeding.
• Not for long-term use.

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WIN a SUPPORi Baby Carrier!

One (1) lucky reader will now have a chance to be in the running to walk away with a SUPPORi Baby Carrier in a SOLID COLOR of his/her choice.  All you need to do is:

1. Visit the SUPPORi Malaysia Facebook page, and LIKE it.
2. Vist the Unison CA Facebook page, and LIKE it.
3. In the Comments section below, tell me why you would like to win a SUPPORi Baby Carrier.  Please leave your Facebook profile link too.

At the end of the giveaway, I will randomly select one (1) winner.

This giveaway is open to all readers with a valid Malaysian shipping address ONLY. You have until 12:00noon Sept 15 2014 (Malaysian time) to submit your entry.

Before entering the giveaway, please take some time to read the TERMS & CONDITIONS of this giveaway.

(Note: For the purpose of this review, I was provided with a SUPPORi Baby Carrier in my size.  Thanks to the folks at Unison CA for this opportunity!)