Tag Togs Sa-Be baby wrap review

Tested by

Dad of two, Matthew, tested the Sa-Be wrap with his 4-month-old baby boy, on long walks in the local country park, as well as around the house, on public transport, and (when lockdown rules have permitted) his bustling local high street.

What are your first impressions of the Sa-Be baby wrap?

There’s not a lot to distinguish the Sa-Be Stretchy Wrap from similar products at first glance; it’s a wrap, like many others available on the market. As someone who’s never really gotten along with wraps, I was a little apprehensive – I’ve tended to find them awkward and uncomfortable when compared with carriers that come with straps.

When first trying it out, though, it quickly became apparent that it was a cut above other wraps I’ve tried in the past. It held my baby tightly while giving him room to breathe, and crucially, I didn’t find it slipping down my stomach within a few minutes of first putting it on. It was clear I was going to get along with the Sa-Be just fine, especially compared to some less than stellar experiences in the past.

How easy is the Sa-Be to put on with your baby?

I found the initial process of putting the wrap on mercifully simple. The clear instructions gave me a good idea of how to put the wrap around myself, and then carefully slide my baby in close to my chest.

Unfortunately, he is never very thrilled with the experience, but that’s more his personality than anything – he prefers sitting up a little higher so that he can see over my shoulder, so it took some persuasion to get him in place. Soon, though, he was nestled in comfortably, and dropped off to sleep.

I had a larger problem the next time I went to use the wrap. Having had a relatively easy time of putting it on the first time, I was a little more cavalier, and didn’t tighten it enough around my stomach. When yet again, my baby complained about being put into the wrap, I discovered that he was sagging more this time.

The wrap itself is easy enough to use, but it did lull me into a false sense of security as I assumed I’d mastered it before I’d actually learned to nail the delicate wrapping process.

If the thought of written or illustrated instructions worry you, there are slings on the market that have video how-tos, such as the ERGObaby Aura Wrap, £49.90. Just make sure you follow the T.I.C.K.S guidelines for safe baby wearing.

How easy is it to take your baby out?

If I’m honest, I have struggled to remove my baby from the Sa-Be wrap. Once he’s in, he’s in, and getting it off quickly, especially if he’s woken up with a start and wants to go to Mummy for some milk, proves difficult. There’s a lot of flailing around for all three of us as I try to spool out the extra fabric, so as to loosen its hold on my abdomen.

I can’t count this against the wrap, though, as its tight grip is exactly why I find it so comfortable when it’s actually in use. A less than simple dismount is a small price to pay for a winning hold.

How comfortable is your baby in the Sa-Be wrap?

My baby does not like coming down off my shoulder. He’s a particularly large and heavy boy, and he doesn’t love holding up his own weight, so he often feels like a sack of potatoes when we try to heft him around!

He is, therefore, not a tremendous fan of wraps or carriers. He’ll complain at first when slid into the Sa-Be, but this is more because he doesn’t like the position than that the carrier is uncomfortable. Indeed, it’s a testament to the comfort of the wrap that, once he’s tightly packed in and he relaxes a bit, he settles down and starts to enjoy himself. His protests aside, I think he enjoys it more than he cares to admit.

How comfortable is the baby wrap for you?

I’ve tried several wraps of varying qualities in the past, and this one is by far the most comfortable for me. It’s simple, it has fantastic grip, and it’s stretchy enough to provide adequate breathing space. The only challenge is remembering to make it as tight as possible so that the stretchy fabric keeps my baby’s weight higher on my back, but with practice, this hasn’t been an issue.

The Sa-Be has consistent 5-star reviews on the brand’s Facebook page, with many parents raving about how it’s so comfy to wear as the baby’s weight is distributed across the wearer’s back so evenly – even for those carrying children over the age of 2.

How many different positions does the Sa-Be offer?

There’s just the one recommended position for the Sa-Be, and that’s front-carrying, parent facing. It works well if you’re wanting to keep your baby – particularly a new baby – close to you, but it’s not suitable for world-facing and it does make it difficult for your baby to peek out if they’re hoping to get a better view of what’s going on. Having said that, the position is great for napping. If you want a baby wrap that offers world-facing, the K’Tan Breeze Baby Carrier, £50, is a good choice, although expect to pay more for the option.

The wrap also won’t support placing your baby on your back (you could try something like the Close Caboo Carrier, £55, for this), and as such, it’ll only be useful if you want your baby on your front, which does get more uncomfortable and unwieldy as they get bigger. That said, my chunky boy is particularly large for his size, but he seems comfortable and I’m anticipating getting a decent amount of time out of the carrier, even if I may explore back-carrying options as he gets bigger.

How easy is the Sa-Be to adjust?

I find adjusting the wrap once it’s already on to be almost impossible without taking the whole thing off and starting again. The good news is that if I put it on right to start with, I don’t really feel the need to make any adjustments. The bad news is that if I’ve accidentally put it on too loose or too tight, my baby and I are going to be stuck that way until we’re finished with the wrap.

Is it easy for you to do other things while wearing it?

The Sa-Be makes multitasking a breeze. It’s lightweight, and because it holds baby so close, I don’t have to worry about his position. While bending down to tie my shoelaces or pick things up off the floor is always a challenge in wraps or carriers, I feel like he’s secure enough that I can move around a fair amount without him getting uncomfortable.

My wife did manage to breastfeed while wearing our baby in the wrap, which I felt was impressive considering how tightly the wrap grips everything. I don’t know if it was the most comfortable feed my boy had ever had, but it seems to work just fine.

How well does the Sa-Be baby wrap fit?

The Sa-Be fits as well as you let it fit. There’s no way it’ll be too big or too small as the wrap is very lengthy and can simply be wrapped around more times around your waist if you don’t need all of its length.

As long as you carefully follow the instructions for putting it on, you’ll have no problems with the wrap’s size. My wife and I both tried it, and found the Sa-Be comfortable and secure.

What age range is the Sa-Be suitable for?

According to TagTogs, the Sa-Be Stretchy Wrap is suitable right from birth up to 3 years of age (15kg). Bear in mind, though, that as the wrap is only designed to be front-facing, putting a larger child into it will be a strain on the back as they get bigger.

I can’t yet comment on the comfort of using the Sa-Be with a child that’s closer to the wrap’s upper age limit, but based on previous experience with wraps, I’m not sure how comfortable I’d be carrying my boy around in this wrap after he’s big enough to run around. This is, though, a personal preference based on prior experiences with my eldest child, and the Facebook parent reviews talk of carrying 16-month-olds and almost-2-year-olds with no bother.

Does the Sa-Be have any buckles?

None at all, in fact, the Sa-Be’s complete lack of buttons, buckles, and straps has actually been very welcome for me. I appreciate that there aren’t any fiddly parts to worry about, and I like that this wrap is relatively simple.

There’s no hard metal or plastic to press awkwardly against my baby and cause him discomfort, I don’t have to worry about accidentally pinching him with a buckle, and I don’t have to try and reach around behind myself to click something into place or connect up a button while also supporting his weight on my front.

Especially when my baby was in the newborn stage, I appreciated the wrap’s simple, soft, supportive design, and the fact that it kept him nestled against me in a way that felt natural and comfortable.

How would you rate the quality of the wrap’s materials?

I love the wrap’s fabric, it’s one of the Sa-Be’s best features. The TagTogs website describes it as being like T-shirt material, and I’d agree with that – there’s give, but not too much give. I’ve used wraps in the past that have been made from a variety of different material, but this is by far my favourite.

In addition to its grip, I also appreciate the fabric’s breathable quality. While it’s kept my baby secure and warm in colder weather, he hasn’t got too hot during warmer weather either – although it should be noted that he hasn’t had his first summer yet, and I anticipate that it might be a little less comfortable for either of us during a full-blown heatwave. The wrap does fine for a warm Spring day, but I suspect we’d both get sticky and sweaty if we tried it on a particularly hot day.

How easy is the Sa-Be to clean and keep clean?

Being essentially a large piece of T-shirt material, the Sa-Be is easy enough to clean. Small bubbles of watery puke, spit, and drool have come off easy enough with a wet wipe.

The lack of plastic or metal parts means that it can go into the washing machine without any problems, just like a T-shirt or dress. It can be washed with other fabrics at 40 degrees and can also be tumble dried, but based on the material I preferred to give it its first wash by itself to avoid colour run.

I also suspect, based on the jersey-style fabric, that if it’s put through the tumble drier too often it could end up bobbling. That said, it washes just fine, and you don’t have to be quite as paranoid as I am when it comes to using the washing machine!

What are the safety features of the Sa-Be?

This being a relatively simple wrap, the safety features boil down to secure stitching and tough, durable material. I do feel like, as with the comfort of the wrap’s fit, its safety will be entirely dependent on how securely it is worn. There’s absolutely the potential to make the wrap either too tight or too loose, hurting the baby or the grown-up. If the wrap is too loose, it puts a tremendous strain on the wearer’s back, which isn’t present when the wrap is nice and tight.

The trick to avoiding problems comes down to wearing the wrap properly – as long as the instructions are carefully followed, all should be fine. The wrap itself provides a good, solid, comfortably position for the baby, with plenty of bum support and that coveted ‘M’ shaped leg position to promote healthy hips.

How does the Sa-Be compare to other TagTogs carriers or wraps?

TagTogs offers 2 other wraps:

• The Mei Tai is a wrap that functions a bit more like a carrier, with a front panel made of sturdy fabric that supports the baby’s weight, and two stretchy shoulder straps which the wearer loops around their arms and across their front before tying at their back.
• The Baby Pouch/Toddler Sling is a cross between the Mei Tai and the Sa-Be, with a large panel at the front to cup and secure the baby in place, but with two long stretches of fabric on either side which the wearer loops around themselves to secure the baby.

All TagTogs wraps can be made to order in a variety of custom colours, and both the Mei Tai and the Baby Pouch have some colourful patterned fabric options.

How well does the wrap work on public transport?

There’s no difficulty getting on and off buses, trams, and trains with the wrap. Because it’s hands-free, it’s easy to handle paying, beeping cards, finding a seat, and holding a hand-rail.

We did have one bus driver who, upon seeing the baby in the wrap, politely asked that we remove him and put him in the buggy which we also had with us, for his own safety in case of a sudden jerky stop. I can’t really argue with the driver’s logic, and I’d recommend sitting sideways if your baby is in the wrap in case of an accident, but otherwise, I think there were no issues with wearing the wrap on the bus.

How does it compare to other baby carriers or wraps you have used?

I have to admit that there has been one carrier in the past that I’ve got on better with – one which more closely resembles TagTogs’ Mei Tai wrap, albeit with buckles. Of all the other wraps I’ve ever tried, though (and I’ve tried several without much success) the Sa-Be has been the most comfortable and easy to use so far.

Admittedly, I’m not the biggest fan of wraps in general, but the Sa-Be has shown me that they’re not all as uncomfortable and fiddly as I’d thought.

What’s in the box?

• 1 x Sa-Be stretchy wrap
• 1 x paper instruction booklet

Can you buy any additional accessories for the Sa-Be?

There are no accessories that are designed specifically to be used with the Sa-Be, although TagTogs does offer a range of accessories to fit with the Sa-Be lifestyle. These include baby bags which are made from soft material and designed to fit well with any babywearing solution, washable, reusable baby wipes, sandwich and snack backs, sandwich wraps, and (a recent addition to the company’s offerings) facemasks.

What would you have wanted to know about the Sa-Be before you bought it?

The most important thing I’ve learned from the Sa-Be is that I can actually get along with a wrap without too much trouble. This is a first for me, so I can’t anticipate how fans of babywearing wraps will feel about the Sa-Be, but considering the relative ease I had with it, I expect it’ll rank highly among anyone’s list of wraps.

The only other thing that I wish I’d known is that, while the instructions are simple enough to follow, I needed to follow them as carefully as possible to prevent an early mishap in which I left things too loose. The wrap is surprisingly stretchy, so it’s important to wedge the baby in tightly when wearing it.

Who would this wrap be most useful for?

Anyone who wants to keep their baby close while out and about, who wants to wear their baby on their front, and who wants a relatively simple wrap experience that doesn’t come with a lot of complicated bells and whistles.

Is the Sa-Be worth the money?

The Sa-Be costs either £34 for a single-colour wrap, or £37 for a wrap made from 2 differently coloured strips of fabric. This is hardly the world’s most expensive baby wearing solution, and considering how well I got on with it, and the fact that it can potentially be used until my baby is 3 years old, I’d say that it’s excellent value for money. It’s very similar price-wise to the Izmi Essential Wrap, £34.99 and AmaWrap Baby Sling, £39.99, but significantly cheaper than the We Made Me Flow Life-Active Wrap, £65.

How does it compare to similar baby wraps?

Where can I buy the Sa-Be baby wrap?

It is available from TagTogs.

MadeForMums verdict:

The TagTogs Sa-Be stretchy wrap is one of the best wraps that I’ve tried, at an affordable price, and with a variety of customisable colours to suit both your needs and your style. It’s relatively easy to put, on provided you follow the instructions, it’s comfortable for baby and wearer, and it has a large upper weight limit. Yes, it can be difficult to learn to put the wrap on at first – as is the case with most wraps – but once you’ve got the hang of it it’s a really handy piece of kit.