Luluna Slings are a Polish babywearing brand. Many of their designs take inspiration from fantasy books, or mythical stories and creatures.
I'm not 100% certain where the naming inspiration for Safira springs from, but if I had guess I would suggest maybe the Eragon series of books. Luluna say that 'this is female version of dragon because it reminds us of motherhood. You have to be strong for your families.' I really like the idea of being a mama dragon sometimes, protecting my brood as they're my most precious treasure!
I love dragons, and so was very pleased to have the chance to test this thanks to Natalia organising a UK tester tour of the wrap.
For a full gallery of images, please click here.
The Basics
Name: Safira Rustical
Brand: Luluna
Blend: 40% shantung viscose - 60% combed cotton
GSM: 280 approx.
Size: 6
Price for a size 6: £127 - Though this is to be confirmed.
Initial thoughts of Luluna Safira Rustical
Like many brands the wrap comes with a branded tote bag - this is something I really like as they're so useful! It also came with safety leaflets and an instruction booklet.
I was number 6 on the tester list, and so I can't speak for how the wrap is loomstate as it had been washed and used prior to arriving here.
I've not had any previous experience with Shantung viscose, and I expected it to be a bit stiffer, but it was so soft and floppy I just wanted to snuggle up in it! The wrap feels quite light in hand and I think it would be a fairly suitable option for the UK summer. I only got one warm-ish day in which test it and found it was not too warm at all!
After I had appreciated the softness the pattern draws the eye, depicting a beautifully detailed dragon. The confetti shatung is visible, but adds a splash of colour to this wrap.
Testing
I tested this wrap with my one year old. We mainly back carry now, so all test carries were back carries. I tend to opt for triple layer carries if carrying for a while, with my favourite being a Charlie's Cross Carry.
Therefore, the first carry I tried on arrival was a Charlie's Cross Carry. I found it to be very spongey on my shoulders which is great as I have pretty picky shoulders. The wrap stayed put perfectly in the rings and getting mulitiple passes in to place wasn't a chore, though I wouldn't describe this wrap as having much glide.
Next up on my list of carries to try was Bean's Wiggleproof Carry designed by wrigglebeanmama on instagram. I actually managed to get it right this time round and truly experience the comfort of this wrap and carry combination. It also gave me the chance to see how the wrap looks with a candycane chest belt, and how that held. I can confirm it held really well and I felt it looked really pretty too! Whilst I'm not a big fan of the reverse side of this wrap on its own, I can see how it would be attractive for some, and works really well in this carry.
The final carry I tried prior to writing this review was a double hammock with Xena finish. I love how my rose gold rings add so much to this wrap. Again, I wasn't disappointed in the comfort offered by the wrap. However, I did find that there was a bit of a sag with this carry, but the spread shoulder straps offset any discomfort. I should probably add that I was wrapping a very reluctant toddler too, so that may have contributed to this!
Pros and Cons
What I love:
I love how soft this wrap is and Luluna are generally among the reasonably priced brands, so that is an additional bonus too! The pattern is beautiful and the idea of it resembling motherhood really speaks to me.
Wrapping wise, I love how spongey it felt on my shoulders and that it wasn't tedious to tighten. I'm not sure that I would enjoy it as much in a single layer carry with a toddler, but it is toddler worthy in multilayer carries.
What I didn't love:
I didn't much like the reverse of the wrap - I felt that the lime and pink confetti of the shatung viscose detracted from the beautiful pattern. However, I can see how for some that would be appealing.
I feel that it could be quite easily pulled, and hard to notice pulls, much like tussah which seems to have similar visual properties.
Summary
In summary, I did really like this wrap and will be sad to send it on to the next tester. I think it would be an amazing newborn wrap and works well for toddlers too. Visually the 'correct' side is beautful, but I'm just not sold on the reverse. However, the fact it wraps beautifully kind of outweighs this!
Gallery of images
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