Organic Swaddle Blanket Review: Solana Swaddle Wrap

I had the chance to sample the 'Pure White' Stretch Organic Solana Swaddle Wrap and didn't expect to be wowed, but I was. I received the package and the simple white blanket was rolled in polka dot tissue paper and and tied with a silk ribbon around it. I must confess the blanket and packaging was so pretty, I didn't want to open it.

That's good if you're giving it as a gift, but not so good if you need to review it. So I opened it, washed it, let it line dry and attempted to swaddle my daughter's baby doll. Here's what I think:

Features To Love

• Soft, breathable, beautiful, lightweight fabric
• Comes with written and graphic swaddling instructions inside the blanket.
• The perfect thickness, almost like a jersey flannel sheet. I'd love a set of sheets in this fabric.
• The stretchy nature of the fabric allows for a tighter swaddle.
• Large size holds up to 20 lbs.
• Eco-friendly washing instructions (hand washing and line drying). I actually used the hand wash cycle on my washing machine and it came out fine.
• The blankets are handmade from cotton in the USA and certified 100% organic by Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).

Room For Improvement

• While the washing instructions are eco-friendly, line drying does mean you have to time the wash carefully and/or have a second favorite blanket. Also I did wish I could machine dry (or iron) the blanket to help it return to it's original wrinkle-free, fluffy state.
• I was not the expert swaddler when my daughter was born. That was my husband's job.

  So for me, the swaddling instructions could be a bit clearer. While the instructions told me which side of the baby to wrap first, I wanted the diagram to state which corner of the blanket by saying right or left and/or numbering the corners and telling me which number to use next. I didn't get my swaddle to look exactly like the photo on the instructions. My husband got it snug as a bug the first time.

The Bottom Line

This is a beautiful and functional organic swaddle blanket. It would make a lovely gift for a mother-to-be or parent of a newborn.

The Solana Swaddle Wrap is also quite large so once your little one outgrows swaddling, it could still be used as a blanket for a toddler. If you're looking for a certified organic baby blanket made without a lot of dyes, Solana Babywear keeps it sage and simple. Check them out.

More From Solana Babywear

After doing the review I asked Solana Babywear founder, Theresa Marcum to share more about her company.

What inspired you to create the Solana Swaddle Wrap?

I had a summer baby and all of the wraps on the market were heavy cottons and flannels - too hot in Arizona. I did some research and found that lightweight wraps are common in Australia, whose climate is similar to ours.

I also found in my research that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends to only swaddle in lightweight fabrics, no matter what time of year, to reduce the risks of overheating, which is linked to SIDS.

Since babies cannot regulate their own temperatures, it's important to swaddle them in breathable fabrics, which allow the air to flow around the babies body. So I found some beautiful fabrics and started our company 3 years ago.

Why did you feel it was important to create an organic version of the Solana Swaddle Wrap?

Organic cottons are the best and safest on our babies skin. I wanted to take our concept of lightweight, breathable fabrics, and make an organic wrap so that parents had another option for their babies. I found some beautiful cottons from companies in the USA - all of the fabrics I buy are certified by either GOTS or SKAL and are grown in India or Turkey - I then have them hand-sewn in Arizona.

Theresa also offered OBR readers 15% off of their entire order. Use the coupon code 'organic' at checkout.

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