When it comes to babywearing in Switzerland, one brand of handmade babycarriers is outstanding: Tragebaby. Their carriers are all handmade and therefor unique products. There’s a regular release day of their individual range and it’s always a surprise what beautiful carriers the Tragebaby team designed.
But it’s not also the uniqueness that attracts many babywearing parents but also the high comfort and the one and only size of LueMai and MilaMai. Both carriers are adjustable due to a second tunnel for the hip belt and a velcro to adjust the seat. There’s also a LueMai Simply for some years now but I’ll talk about this one later.
My first impression
It must have been back in 2011 after my second child was born and I’ve got roped into that babywearing thing. It was a time when WYIL wasn’t doing videos yet so very few were available. YouTube was pretty empty or at least lacking good videos. But I found some of Maria Lüscher, founder of Tragebaby, and those were quite helpful.
One day she presented a MilaMai with a lot of pink combined with a hint of orange, black and turquoise if I remember correctly. I fell in love and asked if I could buy it. It turned out being a prototype but she sold it to me. So, this MilaMai was one of my first baby carriers.
Rings make the Tragebaby carriers special
During the years, I’ve seen many carriers of Tragebaby and always owned some myself, or tried those of friends. The special features of their carriers are, above all: the rings (see picture on the right with purple strap). There are small rings where the back panel and the shoulder straps are sewn on.
This makes a very flexible angle for the shoulder straps so it fits narrow shoulders as well as broader ones. Another characteristic is the cord. Most straps and the belt are coated with it. I’ve seen some with jeans, once, too. The back panels are made of a double-layered wrap fabric. And not to forget the thick and comfy padding in the hipbelt that feels like an air cushion.
LueMai vs MilaMai – the differences
While LueMai is a Meh Dai type of carrier, MilaMai is a Full-Buckle. Thus, there are a few differences. The LueMai has two options for the head support: a smaller one to use for front carrying and a longer one, tucked into the smaller one that’s like a bag, to use for back carrying.
The MilaMai head support is a bit longer and can be rolled and gathered. If you prefer a buckled belt but straps to tie, it’s possible to order an additional belt for your LueMai to use it as Half-Buckle…
When it comes to the fit, both carriers equally fit from birth until around size 104 (15kg). The Milamai will fit slightly longer because it’s back panel gets up from 25-48cm while the LueMai will end at 47cm.
Also the seat can be extended from 32 to 44,5cm with the MilaMai and only until 37cm with the LueMai. But nevertheless, both carriers will fit until the end of babywearing days… I carried my 4 years old daughter in a MilaMai – no prob at all! See her in this picture:
How do they wear
When it comes to comfort, I hear a lot of parents say that they’d never wear anything else than their LueMai or MilaMai. But I also see parents favouring other carriers… And I’ve seen parents with very different sizes and figures loving their LueMai/MilaMai.
But to make a reccomendation: if you’re sensitive, especially with your shoulders, the Tragebaby carriers are a great choice. The well padded cord straps are very soft and comfy.
Considering your baby, both carriers are a great choice but I wouldn’t use them with too tiny babies. I’ve seen both with newborns and they looked pretty “lost” under the big panels. And they do miss a neck adjusting.
For tiny babies: LueMai simply
I can’t wait to try the LueMai simply with my 2 years old. Tragebaby says it fits from birth until around size 92 which we didn’t reach yet. This means she should still fit in. I will update this section with pictures and my impression soon, stay tuned, subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on my Social Media channels… 🙂
The LueMai simply is like its name says: the smaller sister of the LueMai. On top it can be used two-sided, so two designs in one carrier! The head support is quite similar to the one of the MilaMai. There’s only one tunnel. The hipbelt is sewed-on. The back panel measures 32cm in height and the seat can be adjusted from 24 to 44cm.
Conclusion of Tragebaby carriers
The Tragebaby product range is a sophisticated an unique range of handmade baby carriers that found a lot of adorers in the babywearing community. Yes, their price is higher than you might be used to but still it’s less than a stroller and above all you will pay it to use for several years and they will still fit and carry also your second, third… child. 😉
There’s a cheaper classic range but I’d go for the more unique models or even ask for an exclusive one. You can send in your own baby wrap and fabric to get converted into your very own, special carrier. The Tragebaby carriers for sure belong to the most fashionable carriers and are well-known for its high quality. You won’t be disappointed. Getting your own Tragebaby carrier is like getting a jewel for you and your baby.
More information: Tragebaby
Read on
