The Ultimate Baby Carrier!

Update on September 7, 2001 - Since I wrote this review 2 weeks ago, a recall has been called on Maya Wrap slings made between January and July, 2001. It seems that the welding on the 1/8" rings can come apart. No children have been injured and this recall does not apply to the slings with 1/4" rings. I did call my distributor and she replaced my sling without incident. If you have a recalled sling, you should NOT use it, and should contact Maya. For more information, check out: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml01/01225.html

I still stand by my review and despite this still think that the Maya Wrap is a great sling.


When I had my first daughter almost 2 years ago, I decided that I wanted to have a sling instead of another type of carrier. It seemed to be a much lighter, easier way to carry a baby. Unfortunately, I didn’t do as much research as I probably should have and I just bought really the only one that is mass marketed – the NoJo sling. Now, my daughter was not necessarily colicky, but she was VERY high needs. She would not tolerate being put down at all –ever – under any circumstances. As long as she was being held, cuddled played with, etc..she was the sweetest baby that ever lived. As soon as she left my arms though, it was as if a 9.0 earthquake had hit New England. She slept lying on my chest, I showered with her in my arms…you get the idea. I thought about putting her in the sling, but said “what difference would it make?” Finally when she was about a month old, I decided to try the sling out.

It made an incredible difference! H spent the whole day in the sling and I barely heard a peep out of her. She slept off and on, she ate when she wanted to, and all around she was a much happier baby. The best part was that I was also able to sit down. I was also able to use my hands and arms again. So, I was still taking a shower with her in my arms, but I was now able to brush my hair and teeth afterwards! I started to feel like a human being again.

So, H really loved the NoJo, over time however, I was less than fond of it. I am a short person, and found that I had to constantly adjust it to fit my frame. This was very hard to do –if not impossible – with all the padding. Also the plastic rings on it weren’t extremely comfortable and it was a little harder on my back then it had to be I thought.

When H was 8 months old I became pregnant again. Since I already had a baby, there wasn’t a whole lot that I really needed. But the one thing I did want was a new sling. So, I started to do research. I read and read and read and read…. Finally I decided on the Maya Wrap. And I have to say not only do I love it, but so does my new baby A.

A snuggles right in to the sling and loves it in there. She can sleep when we are out, but also likes to look out over the side and observe the world from safe in Mommy’s arms. But at the same time, I still have both my hands free, so that I can also play with H or even carry her also. Yes, you should see the people stare as I walk past with one baby in a sling and another toddler in my arms. But, I do it and I do it comfortably.

Some features of the Maya Wrap that I really like:

1) No padding - this makes it easier to adjust as needed. It also makes it more lightweight and easier to use. If she is asleep, I can easily slip it off and put her into her car seat or into our bed without having to take her out of the sling. Also, not having the padding makes it more lightweight. Right now in August it was 90 degrees here last week. My NoJo wrap was horribly uncomfortable in the heat. In my Maya it is still cool (or cooler anyway - no one is cool in 90 degree heat!). Also if you don’t have all the padding, you can fold it up and stick it in your purse/diaper bag when not in use.

2) Different Sizes – The Maya Wrap comes in 3 different sizes: Small (for people under 5’2”), Medium (for people 5’2” to 5’10”) and Large (for people above 5’10”). As I mentioned above, my NoJo is too big for me. Being able to get a small, has made a huge difference in my comfort with the sling.

3) Comes with an instructional video – You can buy a Maya Wrap in one of 2 ways. You can buy them on-line right from their website ( www.mayawrap.com ) or you can buy them from a distributor. I went through the distributor list at the website and found one right in my town so I called her. We decided to wait until A was born (so that my big pregnant belly wouldn’t be in the way), she then came out to our house with about 30 different Maya Wraps and worked with us. She helped us choose the right size and then gave us some tips on how to use it the most comfortably. She even got my husband to use it – and he never could figure out the NoJo. But after she left, and as A has gotten older we have had questions about how to use it and how to use the different positions to the fullest advantage. Well, in addition to having a detailed instruction book, it comes with a video to teach you how to do all the various positions that are possible. No more months of practice, or being scared to try a new position because the baby might fall out. Everything is very clearly spelled out.

4) Variety of Fabrics – Now I know that NoJo does come in other patterns, but every store I have been in only carries one – and it is the same one everywhere. There are 19 different Maya Wrap patterns –and my distributor had all of them. So I really had a choice. Unfortunately though (and this is the one con) basically all the fabrics had a southwestern/Aztec theme to them. This isn’t really my style, so I didn’t really love any of the patterns. I did choose one though (#61 at the web site) that I could live with –and I have gotten numerous compliments on it. But I do think they should expand their fabric repertoire a little bit. The slings are all made out of 100% cotton and are machine washable. The one thing that my distributor did suggest though was that I pre-wash it separately, because the dye can sometimes bleed when they are new. I did follow her advice, and have never had a problem with bleeding on other clothes.

5) Adjusts easily – probably one of the nicest features of the Maya wrap is that you can adjust each side of it independently of the other. So if it is a little loose in front, I can just tighten up the front. Is it too tight in back? Well, just loosen it up. This means that it is always in the perfect position for you and your baby.

I truly feel that a sling is the best type of carrier for a baby. It is very versatile and can be used in a variety of positions. It can also be used for years (the Maya Wrap can be used up through 35 lbs). H still likes to be carried in one, and often is. It weighs next to nothing so all you are really carrying is the weight of the baby. Your baby is also held right close to you all snuggled up where they can still here your heartbeat –helping to sooth your baby. The Maya Wrap is the ultimate baby carrier on the market.