Mamalila Allrounder Babywearing Jacket Review

I'm just going to come right out and say it - the Mamalila Allrounder is the best babywearing jacket ever. Full stop. Period.

How can I say that, I hear you ask?

Because I've had mine for 11 years. And it's still going strong.

I don't use it for babywearing any more obviously, but, as my go-to everyday outdoor jacket, it's perfect.

The new ones are even better, so I reckon they'll last even longer.

There are over 300 reviews of it.

This jacket is loved by babywearers (and people who used to carry their babies) all over the world. Honestly, they must be some of the driest people on the planet.

I mean, when you get caught in the rain wearing this you'll feel like you've actually accomplished something.

You'll see going out in the rain as a personal challenge.

You'll be checking the weather on your phone actually hoping for wet days.

But then you do feel quite good when you get caught in the rain and you're nice a dry, watching the rain drops bead off your coat, don't you? There's a real sense of satisfaction there.

Anyway, I could wax lyrical about this jacket all day (did I mention there are over 300 reviews? I did? Oh, ok), but you can read all the technical stuff about it below, like what it's made of, how waterproof it is and how it works.

You'll read that the Allrounder is waterproof to a 10,000mm water column.

Nobody knows what this is or what it actually means except one person in the whole world. I heard that his name's Dave. He has some kind of degree in something. Although I can't think what in.

Leaks, maybe?

Not sure he'd be the most interesting person to meet, tbh. And that's coming from someone who did a PhD in peat.

Anyway, the only thing you need to know is that it means this jacket is really waterproof. Like, the rain beads off of it like a proverbial duck's back.

So let's get down with the nitty gritty, shall we?

 

 

Mamalila is a family-run company based in Germany.

(Ah yes dear reader, I see you raising that eyebrow. Your interest is piqued already. German brand, German quality, right? Well come a little closer, and read on...).

So take German quality, along with eco-conscious design and recycled materials, add babywearing into the mix, and you get the Mamalila Allrounder Babywearing Jacket.

Ta da! The best quality, most eco-friendly, cleverest babywearing jacket money can buy.

The original premise of Mamalila was simple - if you wanted to go outside in bad weather (and let's admit it, we get plenty of that in the UK) whilst babywearing, then you needed a jacket that would keep you and your baby warm and dry; and so Mamalila was born, with family and connectedness at the heart of everything they do.

 

 

The point of the Allrounder is that it is very good at solving a basic, everyday, babywearing problem - how to get out and about in all weather. Perhaps you don't have a buggy or pram, but you still need to get out to walk the dog, do the school run for an older sibling, nip to the shops, cure the cabin fever - things you can't really put off just because it's raining.

The beauty of this jacket is that it comes with both a pregnancy and a babywearing insert. It has to, obviously, as it's a maternity and babywearing jacket. Which means you can start using it throughout pregnancy, whilst front or back carrying a baby or toddler in any kind of baby carrier or sling (woven wraps, buckle carriers, stretchy wraps, meh dais, ring slings), and then even after your baby has grown, just as a regular weatherproof jacket. It's gonna last you forever.

 

 

Now it may be a technical, functional jacket, but it's still feminine, with a properly cut waist and cuffs. There are other babywearing jackets on the market, but we've found they don't have quite the same quality or fit as the Mamalila Allrounder.

It's well-made with huge attention to detail. It has a removable, adjustable adult hood, toggles at the waist, and toggles at the hood on the babywearing insert. Plus it's easy to use, with high quality YKK zippers, meaning the inserts zip in and out with ease.

As of 2022, it's been made from 100% recycled polyester.

 

 

For us, the Mamalila Allrounder Jacket has been an integral part of our babywearing journey for the last 11 years (I say us, because Hubs has the Men's Allrounder, which is the same quality and works in the same way as the women's, it's just that it's, you know, manlier. A man's jacket for manly men. More zips and pockets, the things guys like).

(Funny story about Hubs wearing his jacket - he was all wrapped up in it with our son on his front, walking through a shopping centre, but all you could really see was our son's head just poking out the top of the babywearing insert. All of a sudden a shocked and panicked old guy runs up to them out of breath and says "Oh my god!... I thought you were carrying... a head!! A baby's... head!!! Just a head!!!" Queue a reassuring & interesting conversation about baby slings and babywearing jackets. He still had to go and sit down though).

 

 

The pic above is me and Baby Bean all wrapped up in a black version of the jacket. The jacket in this picture is now 11 years old, and it's good as new.

The new version is even better - the hood for baby is much bigger and has a better fastening system around baby's front.

So why am I showing you a jacket that's 11 years old, and not the new babywearing coat, I hear you ask?

Because Hubs won't buy me one!

Kidding. I can buy whatever darn coat I so choose thank you very much.

It's because I don't need a new coat! This one will last as long as I can fit into it! It’s a testament to the quality (remember that bit about Mamalila being German?).

This coat has seen us through 8 years of babywearing. I used it through 2 pregnancies and I've carried 2 babies whilst wearing it (not at the same time, though this is possible, you just need an extra babywearing insert). It kept us dry and warm all those years. We run fairly warm, but the fine layer of internal fleece lining has been enough to keep us toasty roasty, even on the coldest days.

It's the perfect jacket for autumn, winter and spring in the UK.

The zips are really high quality and always work. They don't get caught or stuck.

The toggles which snug the coat in at the bottom and at the hoods work every time.

The seams don't leak (Dave made sure of that, what with his 10,000mm watery thingy-majig and all), even when it's hammering down so hard you've forgotten what colour the sky truly is.

Every time you wear it, it does exactly what you want it to, and performs as well as you need it to. Which is what you need, right? I mean, you've already gone to the effort of getting your baby in the sling, you don't need a coat that takes an engineering degree to work out how to use, and then performs less than perfect when you're out in the rain.

So it's a clever jacket that works really well.

 

 

It also looks really good too. I love that it doesn't look like the bulky cagoule I wore in primary school. It has a tailored look - it cuts in at the waist and out to skim the hips. Even the cuffs are cut with attention to detail. Small things, but when you wear a coat every day, these small things matter.

I wore this jacket when pregnant, when babywearing, and I now wear it on it's own (well not completely on its own - that would be both awkward and uncomfortable for anyone who saw me and would require too much explanation, and I'm not good at coming up with excuses on the spot).

It looks absolutely awesome every time. The thin, mouldable outer has a really high-end look and feel, so it's just smashing on its own.

Yes it's a considered purchase, most definitely. But one that's absolutely worth it. Don't take my word for it though. Read the reviews from people who've bought it and use it (there are over 300 of them here).

Here are your key takeaways:

- it's really well (and consciously) made (in BSCI and GOTS certified factories),

- it works really well,

- the eco credentials are through the roof,

- it's won loads of awards,

- it'll last you forever,

- oh, and did I mention that it's German?

That's all you really need to know.

Babywearing outdoors mit der Allrounder - das ist fantastisch.

Anyway, get your techy specs on, here are the tech specs.

 

Key Features of the Mamalila Allrounder

• Excellent eco credentials - made from 100% recycled polyester.

• Made from a light flexible fabric with a soft fleece inner.

• Waterproof to 10,000mm (thanks Dave!) with FC-free coating (Bionic Finish Eco©).

• Windproof & breathable.

• Gradually folding baby hood with integrated head support.

• Comes with a maternity insert and babywearing insert (which can be used on both the front and back) included.

 

Customer Photos

Here're some pics of customers wearing their Allrounder jackets. I love the first one - even animals are amazed by it! Just look at that cute little guy with the red coat. It's like the Allrounder comes with a secret canine behavioural control device (it doesn't).

"Milo would you look at the jacket she's wearing!"

"I know, Buddy, I can't take my eyes off it! It's amazing! It's the most incredible thing I've ever seen!"

"Whoa, even more incredible than Bonios?!"

"Yes, Buddy, even more incredible than Bonios."

The 3rd one is cool too; Sarah here is on top of an actual mountain. In the Swiss Alps. With a baby snuggled up in the Allrounder! Now that's outdoor babywearing! I thought I was cool making it to the top of Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh... way to make me look bad, Sarah, jeez.

 

 

 

 

So that's the Mamalila Allrounder Babywearing Jacket. I bet I had you at fabelhaft.

I hope you found this article helpful. Please get in touch or email me - beth@lovetobenatural.co.uk - if you'd like any further info on babywearing outdoors, babywearing in general, or advice on any products at all.