Pictured above: Olives and Applesauce (O&A) Wrap Conversion Full Buckle (WCFB) carrier made from a Hoppediz Timbuktu wrap. It has an adjustable hood, but does not have the "infant insert" that O&A sometimes made. I have tried somewhere around fifteen to twenty different kinds of SSCs (soft structured carries), and O&A is my very favorite. Runners up are Nuzzle Me Creations or Dream Carrier. I was also very comfortable in the Beco Gemini (baby facing my body, not facing out as advertised, but that's for another review).
Almost every kind of SSC, if you wear the baby on your front, you have to clip a little buckle between your shoulder blades. While it is physically possible for me to do so, it isn't easy, and gets annoying. After spending hours and hours and hours wearing the Ergo Baby carrier when my son was little, I started hunting for an SSC that could cross behind my back. The Beco Gemini was the first I found that could do so, and it fit him when he was between the size of the Ergo and this O&A. This was the next one I found. I had my first O&A (pictured below), when he was nine months old. This is my second O&A. O&A still makes carriers, but they no longer make wrap conversion carriers. This one is 16 wide by 18 tall. My son is two years old in these photos, and as you can see, it comes up almost to his neck. He can work his arms out, but sometimes does not find that comfortable if the fabric presses under his armpits.
Pictured below: Olives and Applesauce Ava style (has the center panel) SSC made from Avocado fabric with Wonderland fabric accent piece.
It does have the "infant insert." Unfortunately, I don't have photos of the insert, but it is a small piece of fabric attached with velcro that could hold a smaller baby in the correct height position in the carrier. If I were to use it that way, I would recommend also putting a small blanket rolled up under the baby's bum, to support their body a bit more. The insert would primarily hold the baby in place inside the carrier - I wouldn't want it fully supporting the baby's weight as it is just attached with about three inches of velcro. There were a few height adjustments for the velcro, so you could move it up/down for baby's height. I received this carrier as a Christmas gift from my family when my son was nine months old. He did not need any of the inserts, and fit fully inside the carrier at that time, so I never tried the insert out. The insert is adjustable, but not removeable. I found that if I didn't need it, it kind of got in the way, because the little buckles that hold the top part of it in place, had a tendency to come undone, making the insert get squished funny inside the body of the carrier. The fact that they came undone by themselves so easily, would also make me question the safety of using them for a tiny baby. However, I used this when my son was older, and it is a fantastic carrier for his age/size and up to toddler.
To me, the number one selling feature of the Olives and Applesauce baby and toddler carrier, is the ability to cross the straps behind your back when worn with the baby on your chest. This is easier for most people than the strap and clip that goes between your shoulder blades - an awkward spot to reach. It can also be more comfortable because it distributes the weight across your back differently.
I have also worn it with the straps crossed over my chest with the baby on my back. This wouldn't work for a large-chested mama, but for daddies or small-busted mamas like myself, it was comfortable, and a nice variation when my shoulders got achy from wearing the straps the traditional way ("ruck straps" over and under the shoulders).
The waistband on the O&A is wide, thickly padded, and contoured like a small moon shape. The shoulder straps are straight (not contoured), lightly padded, and wider than most other SSCs I've tried. When it goes under your arm, it is soft and folds so it doesn't chafe.
The fabric O&As are made from soft cotton that isn't too thick or thin. They come in solid colors and the Ava style shown here that has the coordinating print fabric center panel. My only gripe with this design is the inside of the body and hood is the solid fabric, so if the hood hangs down on the outside of the carrier, you would see the solid color and cove up almost all of the print fabric. In my photos, I have folded and tucked the hood inside the body so as not to cover the print.
The wrap conversion O&A is the same fabric for everything, so you don't have the problem.
Overall, this is one of my three favorite SSC styles I have tried!
