Composition: 100% organic cotton
Weight: 210 g/m² according to the manufacturer, 216 g/m² counted by us
Size: 5 (428 cm measured by us)
Rucksack carry, Tibetian knotless finish
Fidella is a German giant among the manufacturers of babywearing gear. We already had the opportunity to try the Outer Space Lilac ring sling thanks to the FB group Nosíme děti (i.e. We wear our babies) and the two most classical carriers from their portfolio – Fidella Fusion Toddler 2.0 and Fidella Fly Tai New Size.
Although, as I mentioned in the two previous articles, Fidella is known mainly as a carrier manufacturer, I was looking forward to testing the long wrap very much after my experience with the ring sling. The Fidella wraps are singular in one aspect – they are very wide, measuring about 80 cm in this dimension; i.e. maybe the widest of all the wraps that are normally available on the babywearing market (not speaking of HW or custom wraps, of course). If you have no idea, what a ‘wide wrap’ actually means, let me explain: the usual width of a woven wrap is about 65-70 cm; narrower and really narrow wraps are those with the width of 60 cm or less (the narrowest one I ever held in my hands was only 55 cm wide – in my opinion, it was more of a shawl than a baby wrap, in fact 😀 ). If a wrap is 75 cm wide or more, I nod my head in admiration. 😉 And Fidella with its 80 cm is really something to be admired.
Logically, one appreciates a wide wrap with a big wearie – you can make a super-deep pocket with such a wrap up to a preschooler’s chin without any problems. However, I feel there is a kind of discrepancy here – super-toddler width and unambiguously non-toddler weight (which is normal regarding this brand – I commented on that in the article about the ring sling). So, what should I say about you, dear Fidella?
Neptune is flannel-soft and pleasantly pliable, same as its violet sibling – as if it was made for tiny babies (however, I think one would have to fold it in half, otherwise the newborn would get lost in the extra width). The tying and tightening was easy, the wrap was sliding adequately and held in the carry at the same time (although it required two knots).
As far as the comfort goes… To be honest, I would not want to carry a 15kg wearie in it; even with Emilka’s 10 kg, I felt my shoulders after a while – Neptune is nothing to be wrapped in a single layer carry with a toddler. However, Fidella possesses something I personally call ‘vata-magic’, i.e. a property similar to the Vatanai wraps, that even very thin all-cotton pieces are surprisingly supportive, especially in multi-layer carries. It is certainly a kind of alchemy how to achieve such a property – the weave is dense while the wrap feels a little elastic in the carry, which makes it comfortable even with a heavier load (at least for me). However, ‘heavier load’ meaning 10 kilograms max or even less for babywearing sissies. 😉
On the other hand, the WIDTH! That is surely a thing! You can tie a rucksack carry with such a wide bedsheet that it really holds tight in its place and does not move an inch (this is ME, who hates this carry to the bone and does not use it ever, stating that!). To be honest, I have a big dilemma about Fidella wraps – supportiveness is not the greatest but everything else about them makes them ideal for toddler-wearing. Luckily, I do not like any of the Fidella patterns that much that I would be DISO about any of their wraps (although the Neptune’s colourway is really beautiful). But, what can I say… the WIDTH!!! 😀
I hereby want to thank the group Nosíme děti (i.e. We wear our babies) for the opportunity to test this wrap.
