Blend Review: Tencel Warp

Before we ran our black Tencel warp, we had a number of Prototype baby wraps woven and sent them out for extensive testing with Oscha customers.

We had no idea what to expect from this new warp but the overwhelming feedback from our testers was that it made for a strong, supportive and soft wrap, great from newborn to about 2 years old, depending on the weft used.

Tencel is an eco-friendly yarn, stronger and softer than most cotton. Composed of tiny fibers which are great at absorbing moisture, this a soft, breathable fabric which is not prone to wrinkling. Tencel uses less water and land than cotton in its production and doesn't collect as much odour or bacteria as other fabrics meaning it needs to be washed less.

Read on for a selection of customer reviews for our Tencel warp prototypes.

Shop Tencel items here.

Wrap Name: Nano Lavender,58% tencel, 42% hemp

Soft Touch Finished: Yes

Wrappee Age(s): 10 months

Which carries worked well & which didn't?:
We tried a FWCC, a reinforced kangaroo and a ruck tied Tibetan. The ruck was amazing, its by far the highest I've ever got Bailey, it held incredibly well and tightened easily, there wasn't quite enough length for me to do the FWCC so it was difficult to tie off but it was easy to tighten the passes, the kangeroo was rock solid too, the grip of the pattern combined with the strength of the hemp make this pretty much unbreakable! I didn't get chance to try with the toddler but it seemed very toddler worthy!

Unique Qualities:

What makes this blend special?

The silky feel was really unique, hemp always feels quite rough and sturdy, but this was like the feel of wild silk with hemp underneath for strength, when I stroked Bailey in the wrap it was so smooth to touch but it was rock solid.

This wrap would be best for …

6m- toddlers

Anything extra you would like to add?

Compared to a normal hemp blend this adds a new dimension of softness with a nice shiney silky finish.

Wrapping Qualities:

Cush:
A surprising amount of cush for hemp, the Tencel lends it a softness and a silky feel that give a nice feeling to the shoulders.

Softness:
I wouldn't say soft, it felt very smooth and silky thanks to the Tencel.

Malleability/Drape:
It didn't drape overly well, its more of a strong wrap than a floaty drapey one

Strength:
Incredible, absolutely fantastic for a long leaning baby to keep him nice and high and well cuddled up.

Grip & Glide:
The pattern, I think contributed most to the grip, although there was definitely some of the hemp. The Tencel helped with glide, but I'd be interested to see the effect of this blend in a less grippy pattern like Rei.

Stretch:
A small amount of stretch, the wrap squeaked a bit when tying it off.

Time to break in (estimated):
A good few weeks of regular wear I would say.

Wrap Name:Ancients of Gondor Steward, 52% Tencel, 48% pure bamboo

Soft Touch Finished:

Wrappee Age(s): 3 year old & 6 months

Which carries worked well & which didn't?:
FCC, kangaroo, robin hips carry and kangaroo on the back worked very well.

Unique Qualities:

What makes this blend special?

Tencel makes it so shiny and even if it is pretty thick thanks to pure bamboo it's still very breathable and airy (i wore it in very hot days for us here) and so strong!

This wrap would be best for …

Best for wrappees of all ages, easy to wrap my 6mo and comfortable with my 3yo.

Anything extra you would like to add?

It was the first time I had used a Tencel or pure bamboo blend but it felt way more comfortable than my SN Achernar, way more supportive and cushy than my Kasumi Aster and so soft, almost like a throw.

Wrapping Qualities:

Cush:
Very cushy on the shoulders, a pleasure to wear!

Softness:
Very soft and shiny. It felt almost like a throw.

Malleability/Drape:
Easy to tie and drape, it didn't move.

Strength:
Very strong, I didn't feel the weight of my daughters.

Grip & Glide:
Good grip even if the pattern isn't spread all over the wrap and a little glide around the neck in kangaroo carry (but my daughter moved a lot when I tied so it may have not being well adjusted and in spite of this it was still comfortable).

Stretch:
Little stretch, just what is needed.

Time to break in (estimated):
No breaking in needed!!!

Wrap Name: Zorro Aiko,49% Tencel, 51% wetspun linen

Soft Touch Finished: Yes

Wrappee Age(s): 2 & 7

Which carries worked well & which didn't?:
This worked well in all carries I tried (front cross carry, ruck tied in front, back wrap cross carry) with my 2 year old. It did feel diggy with my 7 year old in a ruck tied under bum, but that's hardly surprising!

Unique Qualities:

What makes this blend special?

I will be honest: I did not expect to love this wrap as much as I do. It's stunningly beautiful: the shine of both the tencel warp and the wetspun weft is captivating. I felt like I was wearing a wedding dress! The texture of the Tencel against the wetspun is like nothing else I've ever felt; I kept rubbing the wrap between my fingers to feel the smooth glide of the tencel against the textured wetspun. I've had other wetspun wraps before, and while I've liked them, I think this is an especially winning combination; the Tencel allows for more malleability than an OCC or cottolin weft does, especially at this stage of breaking in.

This wrap would be best for …

Older babies, toddlers, and preschoolers of wearers who appreciate a cushy, soft wrap with rock solid support.

Anything extra you would like to add?

This did wrap short for me, and I'm not certain if it actually measures short, or if it's a matter of the wetspun needing more breaking in. As I expected it would, it does wear comfortably in the heat (we did a hike in 85 F). I think this is a delightful easy-care option for those who have bigger children, picky shoulders, and don't get along with pure bamboo (pure bamboo hurts my shoulders and sags). I had concerns over Tencel pilling, but after a machine wash and a decent amount of use, it still looks like new! (Note: I did not tumble dry which may have helped.) I've tried quite a number of wraps over my years of wearing, and there is nothing I've tried that wraps and feels quite like this. While this doesn't trump my all-time favorite Oscha (Kasumi Orabel), it's a really outstanding wrap. Bravo, Oscha - I really hope this one makes the boat to a larger production release.

Wrapping Qualities:

Cush:
The cush was delightful! My shoulders haven't been this comfortable in ages, and I say that as someone with a mostly wool stash! That being said, I could tell that the cush all came from the wetspun, not the tencel, and I would not enjoy this warp paired with a non-cushy weft (i.e., no regular linen).

Softness:
The Tencel was so soft! The wetspun will need more work to reach the full soft potential that I know is there. Still, I would find myself picking up the wrap to hug randomly, sort of like one would with a favorite teddy bear.

Malleability/Drape:
Decent - I think this will improve as the wetspun continues to break in.

Strength:
Splendid - my 2 year old felt weightless! While my go with my 7 year old wasn't the most comfortable, the wrap still did do a decent job of supporting his weight in a rather unsupportive carry.

Grip & Glide:
This was on the 'glidier' side which is my preference. The wetspun and the Zorro pattern provided a bit of the necessary grip. I'm uncertain how this warp would perform with a weft with a lot of glide (such as bamboo or superwash), especially when paired with a pattern without much grip.

Stretch:
I did not note any stretch, which given that I'm carrying bigger children is ideal.

Time to break in (estimated):
Probably a few weeks with regular use, up to a few months with more limited use.

Wrap Name:Rei Rowan,60% tencel, 40% Superwash wool

Soft Touch Finished: Yes

Wrappee Age(s): 4, 2, briefly tried with a newborn

Which carries worked well & which didn't?:
Multi layer carries like double hammock worked best for my heavier kids. A ruck worked well for short trips, but was alittle diggy. Front wrap cross carry with spread passes was diggy during a short shopping trip with my 2 year old, but front wrap cross carry with a newborn was lovely and perfect.

Unique Qualities:

What makes this blend special?

The combination of superwash wool and tencel makes for an incredibly soft, light and moldeable wrap. It reminded me of the old Egyptian cotton/viscose bamboo blend, but softer, lighter and abit cushier. It is also very shiny!

This wrap would be best for …

Newborn to 24 months

Anything extra you would like to add?

This wrap is incredibly soft, smooshy and fluid. It felt like I wrapped my newborn nephew in a cloud. It reminds me of the Egyptian cotton/viscose bamboo blend in terms of softness, floppiness, and moldability, but it's more silky soft and has more glide. It has the most shine in a wrap I've seen.

Wrapping Qualities:

Cush:
It feels cushy in hand, but does not have a lot of Cush when wrapped. Even in a multi layer carry, it got diggy with my older kids. With a newborn, it felt like I was wearing a cloud and the baby was weightless.

Softness:
This wrap is incredibly soft and fluid. Kitten belly soft. I couldn't feel any wool prickle, it's silky smooth like butter.

Malleability/Drape:
It's very fluid and molds to you and your baby. Very easy to tighten and get snug passes, but is very comfortable and moves with you. No restriction of movement.

Strength:
I would say it is a medium strength wrap, best for smaller and lighter babies. It didn't sag, but required spread passes (fwcc) or multi layer carries even for short trips with my toddler.

Grip & Glide:
The wrap has a lot of glide. Very easy to get multi layer passes in place and tightened, this would be great for someone learning to do multi layer carries. I wouldn't say it's grippy, but the passes stayed in place no problem with proper tightening.

Stretch:
This wrap has a good amount of stretch, making it very easy to move around in and not restricting for wrapper or wrappee, but it still feels very secure.

Time to break in (estimated):
None

Wrap Name: Sono Celadine, 100% Tencel

Soft Touch Finished: Yes

Wrappee Age(s): 22 months

Which carries worked well & which didn't?:
DH worked well, ruck was ok, fwcc worked well

Unique Qualities:

What makes this blend special?

The shine is incredible! Wraps like a glove without much work. Definitely wash first, as I said, to give it more grip and get rid of some of the slip.

This wrap would be best for …

Squish to about 25lb toddler

Anything extra you would like to add?

I think if this were thinner, it wouldn't be good for long, but I actually loved it once it was washed and it's something I could consider buying. I think a gripper pattern would just seal the deal, as Sono was a little slippery and Tencel needs some grip to it. I'd love to try Tencel with lambswool or pure bamboo or even tussah silk. Something that would add some grip to it.

Wrapping Qualities:

Cush:
Once washed, it was quite cushy. Before washing it wasn't quite so much

Softness:
Very soft! Super soft and lovely to touch

Malleability/Drape:
Very nice drape! Bandagey, floppy, felt like a very well loved wrap

Strength:
Strong enough for my 22lb toddler for an hour without hurting my shoulders.

Grip & Glide:
Decent grip, although I think in a pattern like starry night or zorro it would be much better. Glide- it has a LOT of glide. So much that I was actually nervous to wrap with it before I washed it. After I washed it, some of the slipperiness went away and it had a bit more grip and I felt safer.

Stretch:
This one didn't stretch as much as I expected! I didn't notice her sagging at all after an hour in a DH. I have tried several other tencel wraps and they usually do have a bit of stretch, so I was surprised that this didn't stretch much. It was bandagey, as I mentioned above, but it stayed out once it was there.

Time to break in (estimated):
No time at all! Just wash and wear. Although I do recommend a wash first.