How to Know Which Size of Kokadi Flip You Should Order - Detailed Product Review

One of the most frequent questions we get is "Which size of Kokadi Flip should I get?" (followed by "What is your newborn cloth diaper rental service?"). We can help you out with this, and if you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us! 

First of all, a note about this carrier. It is incredible and absolutely is my favorite, and we have tried many many carriers (Ergo, Tula, custom wrap conversion carriers, LilleBaby, Kinderpack, LennyLamb, Onya and so on). They all fit differently. 

I feel like the Kokadi Flip tends to fit petite people the best (but there are strap extenders available for those who need them). The waist band goes down to the smallest measurement I have ever seen which is great for moms with tiny waists because most baby carriers won't fit snugly enough on those who wear size 0-2. It also adjusts up to 53 inches, but the shoulder straps don't have as much length proportionately. That being said, I have fitted many people of all shapes and sizes in different carriers and have sold Kokadi Flips to many larger/taller people too when they decided that the Flip was their favorite carrier.

The Kokadi Flip also comes in three sizes, depending on the age/size of the baby being worn. All three sizes (Baby, Toddler, and Preschool/Toddler XL) are smaller than the corresponding size in a Tula or a Lenny Lamb. Those carrier brands tend to run really big in my opinion, and I am kind of short so they feel too big on me. Kokadi says on their website that the Baby size is good from birth through "about 18 months". Toddler size fits from 12 months to about 2 years, according to their website, and Preschool size from 2 years to about "the end of the natural gestation". 

The width of the panel (the part that goes across the baby's back) on the Baby size is 16.5 inches, on the Toddler size it is 18.5 inches, and on the Preschool size it is 20.5 inches. Each size up in carrier is basically just an extra inch on each side bigger, not a huge difference- but it plays a part in deciding which size you should order. 

If you have a newborn that you want to carry in a soft structured carrier, the Baby size Kokadi Flip is the better choice for you. I find that this carrier fits babies well from around 8.5 lbs. Kokadi says the Flip fits from birth, but some babies are itty-bitty at birth and they would be better off in a woven wrap or ring sling, honestly. The seat of the Kokadi Flip cinches in on all 3 of the sizes, so you can make the Baby size accommodate a newborns tiny seat size, as well as making adjustments to the top of the panel (via a piece of adjustable hidden elastic under the hood). I can still wear Caroline in the Baby size Flip and the top of the panel comes to the middle of her shoulder blades. She is 20 months old, currently wears 18-24 month clothing, and weighs 24 lbs. If I had a 4 week old baby and an 18 month old, this carrier could carry each of them perfectly. 

I usually wear her in a Toddler size, as you might remember from our previous Kokadi Flip Tutorial/Product Review blog post. The Toddler size fits really well from around 4-5 months old on some babies to past age 2. Starting around 6-9 month clothing is when I generally recommend it. The baby's weight doesn't seem to factor into a good fit in the Flip as much as the baby's height does because a shorter baby will be too low in the bigger sizes. Toddler size is an excellent choice if you have two babies of different sizes, for example a 5 month old and a 24 month old. 

Caroline also fits in a Prechool size now, so we are officially upgrading! Preschool size is a bit taller than the Toddler size, and 18 months old is the youngest baby I have fitted into a Preschool size Flip (probably because the official weight limit on the carrier is not that high!). Since Caroline is still only 24 lbs at 20 months old, I expect her outgrow the need to be worn before she outgrows this carrier! 

Pros: Adjustable seat- amazing! 
Lightweight fit and feel- amazing! 
Wrap conversion prints and colors- fantastic! 
Firmness of the waistband and shoulder straps- perfect in my opinion, not too soft/unsupportive, not too thick, just right. 

Cons: The upper weight limit on all sizes of the Flip is the same, 33.5 lbs, which is the ONLY thing that I don't like about it. I have personally used a Toddler and Preschool Flip to carry Pennie (our gigantic 3 year old) who is in 4T/5T clothing and weighs 36 lbs. She fits better in the Preschool size, obviously, but is technically over the weight limit on both of them. I sincerely hope that they test/certify these to a higher weight limit soon, because I know many people with older toddlers who love the fit and feel of the carrier!