Mar 25, 2014

Intelligent Design Replaces Several Mommy Must-Haves

In 2011, first time mom Laura Gravett was on a summer vacation with her husband and then 4-­‐month-­‐old when they found themselves ill equipped to keep the sun off their newborn. With limited resources on their city tour, Laura improvised and used her nursing cover to shade her baby. Back at home in the Atlantan suburbs, she, again, found herself improvising as she watched her little one kick the blanket off in the car, exposing baby’s limbs to a straight blast of air conditioning as she cooled down the car to a safe temperature on a quick ride in the 90 degree heat.

Her desire to keep her daughter both safe and comfortable, while not adding another unnecessary product to her diaper bag, pushed Laura to create an all-­‐in-­‐one solution. She needed something that could be safely used as a sunshade, blanket, and nursing cover without adding extra weight to her diaper bag. After trying several products claiming to deliver what she needed, she realized none were designed to do everything and thus fell short on their promise. She started researching and designing and, about 9 months later, the first PunkinWrap prototype was born. The only wrap specifically designed to be used as a nursing cover, blanket, and sunshade. The multipurpose design also makes it completely baby safe when used in any one of the many intended functions.

Gravett didn’t stop when she found the perfect multipurpose design. She was determined everything about her product would be safe and manufactured locally. Easier said than done. The path hasn’t been easy, but the patent pending PunkinWrap is made in the United States out of materials that are completely safe for baby.

The PunkinWrap is meticulously designed so that every piece of the product has multiple functions. Think of it as your Swiss Army knife of baby products. Every seam of the wrap is reinforced to ensure nothing comes unraveled. Strategically placed buttonholes allow for easy attachment to strollers, carriers, carseats, and more. The removable nursing strap attaches to the amply sized wrap to allow for discreet breastfeeding. The strap is easily removed so baby can be left alone with the wrap for tummy time, sun cover, or protection from a pesky draft.

The PunkinLinks allow the caregiver to easily clip the wrap to many different baby products. The PunkinLinks are also manufactured in the U.S.A., free of BPA, PVC, PET, and Phthalates making them the safest choice for baby. Extra links are included in every package so while two or three are connecting the wrap to the transportation device, a couple more can attach a fun toy or are most often used to keep baby occupied as they happily teeth on them!

Everything comes in the PunkinPouch -­‐ sized to hold all eight PunkinLinks, the nursing strap, and the PunkinWrap while the convenient ribbon ties keep everything secure. Even the pouch multitasks. When the PunkinWrap is in use, the PunkinPouch conveniently clips onto the stroller or diaper bag to hold a snack, wallet, sippy cup, etc.

The company had a “soft launch” as the website went live while Gravett was in labor with her second child last July – yes, she was in the hospital as her programmer texted “We’re good to go!” Since then, the PunkinWrap is available online at www.punkinwrap.com and in over 40 stores across the United States. Laura has been pleasantly surprised with the response of gift boutiques especially. “I designed the product with moms in mind – from the wider than normal nursing cover function to the ability to streamline into a smaller diaper bag. I wanted my ‘gift ready’ packaging to be attractive but had no idea how big it would be as a baby shower gift,” Gravett said. “I am thrilled that something I found so useful is generating such a positive response. I think I hear ‘why didn’t I think of that’ just as often as ‘I wish they had this a few years ago when my kids were younger’.”

The PunkinWrap is being shown at its second major trade show, the PBJ play.baby.juvenile showcase, at the Dallas Market Center this week. Gravett is excited to meet retailers in this new market and will be available in Booth #37, adjacent to the KidsWorld Studio on the 8th Floor.

Currently, the PunkinWrap is available in 10 modern fabrics and Laura intends to update those seasonally to stay fresh and fashionable. In addition, plans to expand the product offerings are already in place as the mom turned designer tinkers with her sewing machine and references notes from her six session sewing class!