A NEW FAVORITE FOR BABY WEARING
If you follow any babywearing momfluencers, you’re probably familiar with the Joey from Hippie Joey Co.. When it first started popping up on my feed, my initial impression was that it looked comfortable and cozy, but I questioned it’s ability to provide adequate support.
If you’re not familiar, the Joey is an ‘assist’ versus a true carrier. It claims many uses - scarf, pregnancy / post partum support band, newborn pouch, nursing support, etc. It’s primary use (at least in my opinion) is to provide support in a front or hip carry. The tube of stretchy, soft fabric wraps around your babe and hugs them in close to your chest. It provides enough support that you don’t have to hold up the weight of your child with your arms, but you do have to keep an arm around them most of the time (hence ‘assist’).
I’ve had the Joey for a few weeks now and I find myself reaching for it way more than I was expecting. Here are some of the reasons I love it:
It’s SO cozy. Ivey has a tendency to struggle and fight carriers if he is overtired. No matter how grumpy he is, he immediately stills and calms down when I put him in the Joey.
It’s very compact. I chose the ‘Earth’ model which is the midweight option. It rolls up to about the size of a water bottle and it fits perfectly in my diaper bag for carrying on the go.
It’s very comfortable to wear. To me, it functions most similarly to a ring sling but its easier on my shoulder. The weight seems to be better distributed and there are no rings pressing into my clavicle.
It provides better than expected support. It’s made to fit very snuggly (to the point that it’s almost uncomfortable at first). The fabric is stretchy but its very tightly woven and it does a good job of hugging your babe tight to the body. It feels like a hug - and not the wimpy kind!
It’s easy to position your babe and you don’t have to fiddle or make adjustments to get the fit right.
The fabric feels really luxurious. Its supple, stretchy, and silky smooth. I love the way it feels against my skin and I’m sure Ivey does too!
Here are a few things that should be considered when purchasing:
While the Joey is supportive, it’s not the same as wearing a soft structured carrier or even a ring sling. It’s not the best for long carries and you really should keep one hand on your babe at all times.
Each Joey is made to order based on individual measurements. While this makes for the perfect fit, it may impact your ability to resell it down the road.
Since Joeys are made to order, the fulfillment time is 10 to 14 days. This is a big improvement from when I ordered a few months ago. At the time, the wait was 6 to 8 weeks. Make sure to account for this wait period when ordering. The Joey is worth the wait!
Before signing off, I should note that this isn’t a sponsored post and I’m not affiliated in anyway with Hippie Joey Co (though I would love to be!). I just really love this product and had to share!
Have you tried the Joey? Let me know below!