Well, May is here in a few days and the average temperature rises up to 20°C, so this review may seem a bit pointless – but anyway, maybe someone is planning their summer holiday in Iceland or somewhere else around the polar circle and might appreciate reading an article about this babywearing gear. 🙂
Anorak/raincoat (placed over carrier)
I was not very excited about the babywearing anorak made by Almya, but I must say I really liked this raincoat, or better said anorak (I do not suppose it is perfectly waterproof) that you place over the carrier or a wrap from the Russian brand Kokon – it really is not a bad idea. If you travel light and like hiking, it will be perfect for such a purpose – you can pack it into a really small package that will not occupy much space in your backpack and will do a great job in case of unexpected change of weather.
I liked the system of fastening of the anorak, with the straps crossed on the wearer’s back. It fits nicely around the neck and you do not need to worry about the wind and rain getting through to your or your baby’s neck. However, I am not really happy about the fastening by Velcro here – a combination of a Velcro and a wrap/wrap conversion carrier has been, is and will be problematic any time, anywhere (and moreover, the Velcro tends to wear down after some time). As to the size of the anorak, it was almost too small for Emilka measuring 85 cm at the time of our testing; I will not lie, I would appreciate if it was a bit bigger.
Regarding the design of the Kokon anorak, my feelings are the same as in case of any product from this manufacturer (I have already commented on that in the article about the Kokon Chick carrier and the classical Kokon carrier with the cooling vent pocket)… To be diplomatic, it looks truly Russian (which is not a compliment from my side) and my husband’s first impression (who is not such a diplomat as me) was this (yeah, you are looking at the classical polyamide apron dress that cleaning ladies usually wear). Sorry, Kokon. 😀
Winter cover
So this is the real material for a tough Siberian winter! Although we tested it in spring, the weather was terrible and it was very cold at the time, so the cover came handy to us. It is extra-warm just like it is and moreover, you can make it even extra-warmer with a detachable insert.
The cut of the winter cover is similar to the anorak, but you can detach the hood and there are also two mysterious zippers on the sides of the cover. At first, I thought that these zippers serve for the wearer to warm her/his hands or to scratch the wearie’s back if needed, but then I finally read the instructions (yup, I am one of those who read the instructions ex post 😉 ). You can also use the cover as a blanket to cover your baby in the stroller and if you unzip the zippers, the baby can stick her/his arms out if s/he wants. This is obviously a very clever solution for someone who is not a full-time wearer and uses a stroller, too. For such parents, buying this versatile cover might be a better and more budget-friendly choice than to buy expensive winter babywearing clothes.
The system of fastening is the same as in case of the anorak, i.e. I liked it (except for the Velcro under the neck). However, I was unpleasantly surprised that it was too small for Emilka with her 85 cm; it was really tight mainly around her legs. Therefore, we could not test it for too long, although we felt very warm and cosy in it. From this point of view, it is better to buy a cover large as a military tent (which was something I reproached in the article about the Isara winter cover) in which even a big toddler will fit without problems… As for the looks, the Kokon cover is a tiny bit more bearable compared to the anorak – but I am sure that there will be many people who will actually like it. 🙂
Our thanks for the opportunity to test the anorak and the winter cover go to the group Nosíme děti (i.e. We wear our babies)!
