We recently took a trip to the Philippines and it was quite an adventure. My last trip was years ago, long before I had two kids in tow. Since luggage space was limited, I could only bring a few selected baby gear. One of the best things we brought with us was the BobaAir. This is a wonderful baby carrier for parents who will be travelling.I used the BobaAir from the get-go. I actually wore Little B in it while going through the security check point at the airport and had no problems. As soon as we were seated in the plane, I just folded it up and stuffed it in its built-in storage pouch. We had a very long flight, totaling 16 hours. During times when Little B got fussy, I just took out the BobaAir, wore him, and walked him up and down the plane aisle. My back thanked me for it.
There were moments on this trip when wearing the baby was necessary. Usually, I wear the baby for closeness, to help him sleep, or for convenience. We went on a few excursions where using a stroller (not that we had brought one with us) or carrying the baby were not options. My cousin took us to an eagle sanctuary in the forest and I could not have survived the walk/hike without the BobaAir. Wearing the baby instead of carrying him on one arm provided balance since the baby was at my center of mass. Although I sprayed Little B with an organic bug spray, I also sprayed the BobaAir with bug spray to protect him from getting bitten (mission accomplished).
As a babywearing parent who had a bad experience with my first carrier, I now own several carriers that I would highly recommend in a heartbeat. BobaAir is definitely one of them. This is the first Boba product that I have tried and owned, and I think it's fantastic. It's difficult to pick just one aspect of this particular carrier that I like since there are so many.
Favorite features
- Lightweight and compact
- Folds into its own storage pouch
- Front and back carry
- Has a pocket for small items like cell phone and wallet
- Straps are easy to adjust; the shoulder straps are the easiest to adjust out of all my carriers
- Made of nylon which is easy to maintain and care for
- Breathable fabric so baby didn't overheat (it was hot and humid in the Philippines)
The one thing I missed with my other soft structured carrier was the padded straps. The BobaAir does not have padded straps. It wasn't a problem or an inconvenience, just something that I noticed once in a while. The price point is $65, an excellent value for a carrier of this quality. Although this is not the only compact babycarrier, this is the first soft-structured carrier that can completely fold into its own storage pouch. I absolutely love that novelty.
Whether for globe-trotting or a quick visit to the grocery store, the BobaAir is a fantastic and useful gear for babywearers on-the-go.
A little about Boba
Boba is the brainchild of Elizabeth and Robert Antunovic. The company began as an idea in 2007 half way around the world in Europe where the couple was living at the time. Today, Boba is an industry standard which offers award winning baby carriers. The product line includes Boba carrier, BobaAir, Boba Wrap, and carrier accessories.Connect with Boba on their blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Disclosure: I was provided free products to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions expressed are my own.
