Review Baby Carrier Edholm Uilenius' Scandinavian Pattern Collection

One of the few things I regret is not using baby carriers early since Maliq was a newborn, I've known about the goodness of baby carriers for quite a while even before I gave birth to Maliq. Babies especially newborns feel the comfort from the mother's chest, so having them wrapped up to us helps them calm down and that was one of the ways that I was able to do house chores in the early days, by putting him in a carrier. Yes, I did own a carrier in his early days but I gave up using it after a few tries as I felt uncomfortable and so was my son by the looks of it. It didn't quite hold in the right position so I always needed to be aware while using it, so I just gave up and stored it away, until I felt like I had to use it again, so only that time that it made sense to me, that carriers are like strollers, you need to invest on a good one if you're planning to use it long time. Keep on reading to know why I say so...

Before this, I used a non-ergonomic carrier because I thought it wasn't that important, all carriers looked the same and it's not like I'm gonna use it for long since I already have a stroller. Was I wrong to think that because at a point I realized that carriers play a big role even without you realizing it. Until now I still regret not investing in a good carrier before because I still remember the early days on how hard it was for me to do house chores when Maliq kept wanting to be stuck at me. The problem with the old carrier was that it didn't seem to fit properly and didn't hold right, especially when Maliq was still small, it didn't really manage to support him so I didn't want to risk it and put him in there a lot. So I stored it away until I had to use it again recently as now I'm active bringing him out alone and there are times where strollers are a bit of a hassle.

I tried using the old carrier out once with Maliq and after much hassle from a whole day out, I felt like I was beaten when the day ended. My body felt so restless and my shoulders and hips were in much pain but the good thing was, having Maliq in the carrier made him less fussy and quiet. So from there, I knew I just had to get a better one, this time a more secure one. To start, I remembered a few months back I attended an event with Arissa and I was attracted to Mummy Charmaine from Unison CA presentations on the PITTARii Wrap, a carrier which was fit for newborns and so easy to handle as well, she even showed us a demo on how to breastfeed on the go with the PITTARi, which really amazed me back then, so I headed down to their website store.unisonca.com and did a little bit of research.

After browsing deeply (I'm the type that takes time in making a decision) which was a week after, I finally decided which carrier was best for me and that was the EU SPC Baby Carrier. I was lucky I got to meet up with Mummy Charmaine again for this carrier which she showed me how to use it and I was in disbelieved the first time she showed me how to put it on because it was so simple, even to put it on alone compared to my previous carrier. I didn't even have to sit down to put it on and it took a few seconds only. Besides the product brief, she also shared her experience and knowledge about her parenthood which also amazed me. She has 2 children already and her body looks amazing, she says because she uses carriers a lot, which also is some sort of exercise. That actually boosted up my motivation to start using carriers too for now on. LOL...

Turns out, I really am turning to depend on carriers, I have been using this carrier for almost a month now and I'm not lying when I said I'm bringing it everywhere. The EU SPC Soft Structure Baby Carrier is actually a Japanese brand that is exclusively sold by Unison CA here in Malaysia. It may not be as famous as the brands you normally hear for a baby carrier but trust me it's a one of a kind baby carrier and you might find it interesting as well. 

Scandinavian Pattern Collection’s baby carrier is a designers’ series by the renowned Edholm and Uilenius, the renowned graphic designers & illustrators often engaged by UNICEF, Paul Smith, Absolut Vodka, Ikea, and other international brands. The EU SPC is the premium collection series of Lucky Industry Co Ltd, a combination of great quality and design. In Japan, it is also known as SPC Shoul Raku. Made of 100% cotton from Japan, it is comfortable for both adult and baby.

Sounds amazing right? So let's hear from my side and what I have to say about this carrier. I'll list down the features this baby carrier has below:

1. IHDI Acknowledges As A Hip Healthy Product

International Hip Dysplasia Institute (IHDI) acknowledges this carrier as a 'Hip-Healthy' carrier which is very important for a growing child. Mummy Charmaine explained to me why carriers need to be able to hold a proper posture for the child as it may affect them long-term if we don't really take much attention to this. And I see a major difference from the posture of my old non-ergonomic carrier to this carrier I'm using now. This carrier has my sons legs wide open while the old one made his legs kinda dangling without it properly open. It looks kinda tiring too.

2.  Easy-Wearing Method

This is the ultimate reason why I love this carrier, it's just so easy to wear on your own. With just a few seconds, I have my son strapped safely to me without much hassle, and I don't even need to lay him down or have him on a high place for me to insert him in. Probably I'm so thankful for this because I had a hard time with my previous carrier which was such a handful just to get my baby in and out. This was one of my top priorities in a carrier as the main reason why I wanted one was to ease me when I'm out with Maliq alone. So I think I've made a great choice so far.

3. Baby's Hands Can Go Anywhere
Unlike some carriers, they go up to the neck which makes the baby's arms stuck at one place, and if they do come out at the neck opening, their arms must be really uncomfortable for the baby and it'll look like we're kinda torturing the baby. The difference with the EU SPC is that it's up until the baby's shoulders which allows a comfortable rest of their hands where ever they want their hands to be. So they have much more freedom and comfort while being strapped to us which is very important also to make sure they don't make a fuss as well.

4. Beautiful Designs
Come on, we're all ladies here and of course, we're attracted to beautiful things. You can admit that the design and the patterns are quite impressive for a baby carrier. They have 4 choices of colour to choose from, mine is the black one. I think all their designs are beautiful which makes me hard to choose which one is the nicest, but black is the safest colour for me. It's also nice that the design doesn't look too feminine too as husbands don't have an excuse to wear it as well. (I'm talking about my husband) HAHA...

5. Easy Folding and Storing

To be honest, this carrier is rather bulky and it does take space too, but it's normal for these kinds of carriers to be bulky. For me, I think the storage size is decent enough as it fits perfectly at the bottom of my diaper bag. I wasn't lying when I said I bought this carrier everywhere as with the right folding technique, it's bundled into a nice small rectangular pillow as you can see in the picture above. It actually comes with a travel pouch to insert the carrier but I don't use it since it's always stored in my diaper bag now.

6. Wide-Belted Waistband

My previous carrier didn't have a waistband belt so I was looking forward to this function from this carrier. Turns out a carrier this type is pretty basic to have a waistband because it helps to take care of our body to support our growing baby. Thanks for having this waistband, I don't feel much pressure on my shoulders like I used to. Also for extra safety, the belt has velcro tape and also a buckle to clip. The velcro adds as an additional safety feature just in case the buckle breaks. It's a good thing they have the velcro since it makes it easier to buckle the belt. The velcro makes sure the carrier stays in place before we could adjust the buckle to make it fit our waist.

7. Head Support

I love this function, I just love using it. The best feeling when wearing a carrier after a while is when your baby falls asleep. My son is not really the sleepyhead, but after some time he needs his power naps so he'll usually fall asleep about 10 minutes mostly when he's out with me. Having him fall asleep on my chest is a really nice feeling, it feels the warmth of the first time he was laid on my chest after I gave birth to him. So when he's asleep, it's good to have attached head support within the reach of a pocket. It helps to support the baby's head and also have him sleep more comfortably. It could be adjusted in three stages to fit tightly as the head-support hood’s strap is adjustable. 

8. Breathable Mesh System

I'm so thankful it has a breathable mesh inside and outside, as you know our country has quite the temperature. My son tends to sweat so easily and carrying him around outside for quite long could make him uncomfortable with the sweat on his back. But sometimes, it could be cold for him too when we are in malls, so we have different temperatures to deal with. The awesome part about this carrier is that with just a zipper you could choose to cover the mesh or to have it for different temperature situations. And there's no worry for a dangling piece of cloth because there's a pocket below to insert it in also.

9. Neat
Talking about dangling cloths, you won't need to worry about dangling straps either because they included a band at the end of each strap for you to fold them and tie them up neatly. So you'll have a neat and tidy look. Honestly, I don't really use them since it doesn't annoy me and I'm just lazy. HAHA... My husband on the other hand has an eye-sore for messy things, but I didn't tell him about this function because he'll start nagging and tells me to keep it neat but I know I'm so lazy. So just let him figure it out on his own.

10. Thick Shoulder Pads

I wasn't really a fan of the thick shoulder pads honestly, probably a habit I picked up from my bagpacks. I really hated thick shoulder paddings, but it came to my senses why thick shoulder paddings is a must for carriers such as these. After a while you're gonna feel the weight of the baby on your shoulders, with these paddings, it reduces the pain. The thick shoulder pads function to disperse the baby's weight on the parent's shoulders and throughout the waist. With the support from the waistbelt also, it helps a lot to make us feel comfortable.

If you are unaware, when babies get on carriers, they tend to suck anything that gets close to their mouths, so obviously, it will be the shoulder straps. To avoid the hassle of having to wash the carriers frequently, putting on these teething pads at each side is a big help. It saves you the hassle of washing the carrier and you'll know that you have clean teething pads for your baby to suck.

The teething pad I own is the Buddy Buddy Teething Pad from Unison CA too. It is produced using 100% cotton, soft and has high water absorption. They have delicate choices of colour and unique patterns you could choose from that could enhance the baby’s visual stimulation. 

11. Attachable Pouch

To be frank, I don't use the pouch because I'm more dependent to my diaper bag where I have a place stored for everything. But if you think of it again, the pouch is an extra benefit for those who loves going light, where you can keep it's rain cape, your keys, your baby's stocks or etc. The pouch hangs perfectly at your waist area so it'll be easy for you to reach inside. I think I'll probably use the pouch if I go to the park or do outdoor activities which tends me to move a lot and go light.

12. Attachable Rain Cape

As mentioned, this is one of a kind carrier, I've never really heard about a carrier having a rain cape so I didn't really think I'm gonna use it anyway because in my mind I'll just be using it indoors. But it proved me wrong again, having an attachable rain cape is actually very practical in our kind of climate. I realized this when we wanted to go to the night market and it was raining a bit. Having this rain cape covered my son entirely until his feet gave me peace of mind that he won't be soaked in the rain and get a fever. From there, I bring the rain cape everywhere too, just in case I come to a situation like that again.

13. Japanese Safety Standard

Above all, I think this is the key feature of this carrier, it is SG certified (Japan Consumer Product Safety Association), which is to be the most stringent in the world. Their company focuses on the raw material, accessories, inspection, and safety system to provide a well-designed and manufactured product.

• Material
• A third party is hired to inspect each production focusing on colour fastness, tear strength, formalin, etc. Inspections are also made in each step, fabric, material, factory, warehouse, and office.

• Accessories
• Lucky Industry uses the most reliable, safe, and efficient buckle in the baby carrier industry, the YKK which standards are the strictest. They spent almost a year studying the accessory and inspecting its performance. In addition to their research, they inspect each buckle 5 times, material purchasing, during production, after production, and packaging. 
• Sewing
• Believe it or not but this carrier is sewn by experts who have been sewing baby carriers for more than 10 years.
• Inspections
• Lucky Industries seriously controls quality from purchasing the cloth stage. They also inspect at the sewing stage and product test in the sewing factory, and at the independent inspection factory.
• Safety Belt
• As you see there's a mini safety belt in the harness, it's to avoid any slip outs from the sides especially when your baby in the piggy-back carrying position. 

My Thoughts

After almost a month using the EU SPC, I could say it is worth the investment, this carrier is one of a kind especially with its raincoat and all. You can also see clearly that it's made of good material so it should last long enough, probably up until I have my 2nd child I could still use it. For now, I'm enjoying the use of the carrier since it's made my life so much easier especially when I'm out alone with him. I don't have to worry about him making a fuss as once he's laid on my chest he'll be fine, no matter where we are. I make room in my diaper bag to always carry this around, this is how dependent I have become on this carrier. It also helped solve my hip pain problems by always carrying him around in my arms. It really does get tiring after a while. My son is also able to stay longer in the carrier and I don't feel sad he's all wrapped up either since he looks comfortable.

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A post shared by Bonda Maliq | MY Blogger (@miracikcit) on Sep 18, 2018 at 7:19pm PDT

But there are still a few things that I wish they had another option, which is more breathable head support just like the body. With a cloth hood, it's good that it totally covers the head but it could be rather hot for the baby to keep it covered if it's not in an air-conditioned place. My son's sweat is no joke. 

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A post shared by Bonda Maliq | MY Blogger (@miracikcit) on Sep 1, 2018 at 6:05am PDT

Overall I would recommend this carrier to my family and friends and to you too. It may be a bit pricey but it is really worth the investment. Besides, I think this carrier has a more affordable price compared to the well-known brands we usually hear about. Just keep in mind that this carrier also helps to keep your baby's posture right and your baby safe too! That's most important.

Product Deets
Product: Edholm Uilenius' Scandinavian Pattern Collection (EU SPC) Baby Carrier
Price: RM599
Variation: Beige, Black, Ivory, Purple
Purchase: store.unisonca.com

Product: Buddy Buddy Teething Pad
Price: RM60
Variation: Blue, Purple, Beige, Saxe, Red, White, Pink, Blue
Purchase: store.unisonca.com


More Info
Website: unisonca.com
FB Page: facebook.com/unisonca
Instagram: instagram.com/mysuppori_unisonca

Till then peeps!