The new Diva Milano Essenza line was delivered to our store today, and I was eager to test one out to compare with the Diva's I've come to know and love. The Essenzas are woven in India rather than Italy, and are considerably less expensive then the original line. I was curious whether the difference in price would impact how they felt and how well they would wrap.

Upon opening the boxes up, my first thought was that these wraps are more dense, a bit thicker then original line, and not quite as soft--which I expected. They're still soft, just not "Diva Milano soft."

After a wash and low tumble I was ready to get some stats and take one for a spin. These new Divas are narrower than the originals by about 2 inches. They're also much more textured, as compared to the smooth, flat feel of the original Divas. Although this wrap is brand new, it seems quite a bit grippier, and not as moldable.

I weighed and measured both an Essenza line wrap and a standard all cotton Veneziano and got the following stats:

I was really excited to see how this carrier would feel when wrapped. To me, these Essenzas wrap much differently: the grip is significant, so I had to work a little harder to tighten the passes, but once my little one was up it was solid. My nearly-3-year-old weighs around 34 lbs, but the support felt wonderful. The Essenza line also has more cush then the original line, surely due to the extra density and thickness. I did notice that the woven wrap had some wrinkles post-wash, but they ironed out pretty effortlessly, so that was good.

I'm happy to have a beautiful and comfortable wrap to offer to people on a budget that isn't another stripe. The colors and the design are lovely, and I can't wait to see how the wraps break in over time.

-Maggie

Purple Elm Baby