Today let’s talk about this less explored option of a carrier, ‘Onbuhimo’.
When people have to decide on choosing a carrier for themselves, Onbuhimo is not even considered as one of the options. I have been wanting to try an Onbuhimo since a long time and even I was skeptical whether to go for it or not. But when Soul had discounts on their Onbuhimo recently, I grabbed one and we are loving it 🙂 So, here in this post I am giving you reasons why you should opt for an Onbuhimo.
What is Onbuhimo?
The word Onbuhimo is a Japanese word inspired by their way of back-carry, which almost translates into ‘back-carrying without a waist belt’. Japanese children were back–carried almost all the time while their parents were working.
Onbuhimo is a waist less buckle carrier, it means it has only Perfect Fit Adjusters (PFAs) at the top of the shoulder straps and no belts at the waist. You wear these just like a back pack. The entire weight of the baby will fall on your shoulders. It is recommended for children over 80cms in height, who have sufficient torso control to support their heads and can sit up independently. The absence of a waist belt makes this carrier the best to be worn during pregnancy or by people with a big stomach :D. I would recommend this carrier over any other carrier specially for babywearing dads.
Why prefer Onbuhimo over back carry in a full buckle?
Yes, we can back carry in a full buckle too, but there are few points to prefer Onbuhimo over a full buckle when it comes to back carrying.
- High carry: The baby in back carry using a full buckle will be quite low and will not really get to see above your shoulders. Whereas, Onbuhimo is designed to carry the baby higher, thus offering a better view and comfort to the baby.
- Waist buckle: Even when you back carry in a full buckle, you need to fasten the waist belts too. Onbuhimo has no hassle of a waist belt. Very suitable for pregnant ladies.
- Compact: If you have an older toddler, who prefers to walk mostly and be carried less, in that case carrying a toddler SSC will be a hassle as it will take quite some space in your bag and might not be used at all. Whereas, Onbuhimo folds to be very compact and can be easily popped in and out of your handbag according to the toddler’s preference.
- Cost: For parents with older toddler planning to buy a carrier, Onbuhimo would prove to be more cost effective compared to a full buckle.
Whom would I recommend Onbuhimo to?
- Pregnant ladies
- Babywearing men in the family
- If planning to babywear an active older toddler.
- When you need to wear your baby and continue working around the house.
- If you are fashion conscious and are wearing a beautiful outfit, Onbuhimo is the carrier you should go for as a full buckle will hide your outfit or might even crease it.
How to wear your baby alone in an Onbuhimo.
It might look difficult to wear an Onbuhimo by yourself but it certainly is do-able. It is just like how you would wear your heavy backpack.
- Make the baby sit on a flat surface and place Onbuhimo under the baby.
- Loosen the shoulder straps.
- Lower yourself to the level of the baby, wear the shoulder straps and lift the baby up. Make sure there is enough fabric under the baby’s bottom to make a comfortable seat.
- Bend forward a little, place your hand below your baby’s butt and give him a slight push if required so that his shoulders are above your’s.
- Fasten the chest buckles.
A major complaint we get to hear from people using Onbuhimo, is pain in the shoulders. The trick to solve that would be wearing your baby higher, baby’s shoulders to be higher than the wearer. Also, moving the chest buckles lower to a comfortable level.
Wash Routine:
Soul recommends to spot clean the carrier when it gets dirty. Otherwise, the carriers are hand and machine washable. Use a mild detergent and shade dry.
Safety:
Soul carriers have been ergonomically tested and are safe for carrying your little ones. While carrying in an Onbuhimo, make sure to follow the height and age recommendations.
Link to purchase:
You can buy it here
My thoughts:
I had gifted this gorgeous blue ‘Tano’ Onbuhimo to my hubby for this Father’s day, and it proved to be an appropriate and useful gift. He loves back carrying our baby and hasn’t touched our full buckle since then. And I have never really worn her around the house, but now I am wearing her regularly in our Onbuhimo and interacting with her along with doing my chores. It has really been helpful to me that way. Our daughter who just turned 16 months old, is a little short of the recommended 80cms height requirement but she still enjoys being carried in it and I am sure we are going to use this carrier a lot in the coming days.
Hope the post could help you understand this awesome carrier a little better, do give it a try if you can. I will be back with another post on such awesome baby products until then, happy babywearing 🙂
My Baby Diaries 