Review: Lila Hemp Indio

Let me just start by saying purple is my favourite colour.  Somehow, my stash ended up very pink for a while and I had to fix it!  In the babywearing groups I'm in, there is a LOT of talk about Didymos Indios and their awesome wrapping qualities.  I'm also a huge fan of hemp!  Soft, supportive...  It's a great blend for toddlerwearing as well as comfy enough for little squishes.  I had a hard time picking between Lila and Flamenco hemp Indio, but due to the pinkish nature of my stash, I took a chance on Lila.  There's not a lot of information and reviews of Lila out on the web, so hopefully this will be helpful to someone out there!

When I bought Lila, I had already gotten three other wraps of various blends and thought I knew what a "crunchy" new wrap felt like.  Everyone talks about how cardboard like Natibaby linen blends are and I had found my Notes pre-order to be very easy to break in.  Warm wash and dry on low had done a lot for it, I hadn't even felt the need to steam iron it!  Even freshly out of the bag from Wrap Your Baby, it hadn't felt too crunchy.  It wasn't quite as easy to wrap with as my 100% KoKaDi had been, but it was still very workable and comfortable.  KoKaDi wraps are exceptionally soft even before washing, so I didn't want to compare my Merlin (hemp/cotton blend) to Lila right away.

My sweet husband had bought Lila for my birthday and it arrived about a week before then.  I had originally told him I wanted him to put it away and make me wait, but I just couldn't!  We had ordered it from Heart Hugs and I am super impressed with their customer service!  It shipped the next day and arrived two days later.  She had put a handwritten note attached to the decorative string tied to the box, which she had wrapped in crepe paper.  I was very impressed!  When I opened the box and had my first feel of Lila, I finally understood why people say an unbroken in wrap is like drapery.  It would make very good drapes or upholstery!!!  I am a very tactile person and was immediately put off my the Indio texture.  It was the most BEAUTIFUL colour in real life, but I was starting to feel like I had made a mistake in picking her.  Luckily I knew I should take a few weeks to fully make a decision and popped her in the wash to start breaking her in.

The first woven wrap I had ever used was KoKaDi Erna, a buttery smooth 100% cotton.  It was very easy to wrap with, not grippy at all.  Even my Nati linen could be considered smooth to wrap with, but has enough grip to hold where I wrap it.  So when I first wrapped with Lila, the grippiness was quite different for me!  Like the texture, I wasn't sure I liked it at first.  As time goes by and I work more and more with her, I find that the grippiness is a huge bonus!  When I finish my carry, I don't have to worry about constantly re-tightening and adjusting.  This baby sticks!  The grippiness makes it a perfect rucking wrap with my seat popper.  However, if we're doing our favourite hip carry (Poppins hip carry), I find it to be a bit hard to adjust and tie behind my back.

Since I am going to be a full time toddlerwearer in the next week, I am very particular about the comfort and support qualities of the wraps I buy.  I love cush, enough support for single layer carries to discourage sagging...  Shorties (wraps in a 1-3 size length) are also my go to right now, so I purchased a size 3.  I am currently wrapping a 27 lb 33 month old and a 16 lb 11 month old.  I loved the weight of my Merlin, but knew Lila would be a bit thinner when I bought it.  That didn't make me any less anxious when I felt how thin she was after I had washed her.  I have quite picky shoulders and many times ruck straps cause me some discomfort.  Erna was starting to get diggy and I was looking to avoid that!  Lila definitely surprised me!  Her first test was rucking my toddler to the county fair and I was pleasantly surprised.  Even in the heat, she was cool and breathable due to her thinness and airy weave.  But the best part was she was SUPER comfortable on my shoulders!  Not diggy at all, yet thin enough to not be a massive amount of fabric bunched up on my narrow shoulders.  Lila is the first wrap I reach for when my P needs some uppies and always goes to town with us just in case I need to contain her in the store.

All in all, I would highly recommend Didymos's Lila Hemp Indio for someone looking for a simple, stunning, and supportive wrap.  Shorty or full length, this breathable and airy wrap is sure to impress anyone wearing their toddler or infant for any length of time.  I am truely feeling the Indio love and hope to expand my collection thanks to this amazing wrap!