All about our Onbuhimo style baby carriers, also called an Onbu.
Our Onbu carriers in general
The Wallypop onbu is a comfortable and quick option that particularly excels at back carrying. It’s also suitable, of course, for wearing a baby on the front, but it can’t be beat for its ability to get a baby on your back quickly and with little fuss.
An onbu is a square of fabric with a padded waistband, two shoulder straps, and two rings at the waist instead of a waist band. The shoulder straps are threaded through the rings and then tied.
The Wallypop Onbu features a separate, padded waistband made from two layers of canvas, a sturdy body made from two layers of canvas plus one or two decorative fabrics, padded canvas shoulder straps, and two medium-sized rings at the waist.
We sew our carriers carefully and thoughtfully. I do not use a “panel” design (where the front of the carrier is made of several panels and looks like a quilt block) because each seam is a potential weak spot in the carrier. Fewer seams = more safety. We reinforce all of our seams – topstitching around the perimeter of the carrier to give those seams extra support, and we sew down the straps in several places, ensuring that they will never pull loose.
And of course our Onbuhimos have passed ASTM certification to the high safety standards set by the federal government.
Why would I use an Onbu?
The onbu is not the world’s most popular carrier, that’s true. And it’s not for everyone. If you mostly carry a baby or toddler on your back, however, it’s definitely an option I’d recommend considering. Like I said, it can be worn on the front, but if you’re primarily a front carrier, there are better options, in my opinion. But if you’re looking for something fast and comfortable for back carries, it’s hard to beat an onbu.
Old Style vs New Style
We were already working on a few minor design changes when the ASTM regulation became final and mandatory earlier this year (2014). That new requirement forced us to choose one way to make Onbus from now on. The pictures below outline the main changes from the “old style” to the “new style” of Mei Tai.
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Sounds great! Would love to try!