Sakura Bloom Scout Review

Today I’m sharing a Sakura Bloom Scout review (and a $20 off coupon code!).  I have completely fallen in love with this carrier and use it nearly every day!  There are a lot of baby carriers out there so let me tell you why I think this one is extra special.

If you’ve been around here a while you know I love babywearing and have had a variety of carriers since my oldest was born 8 years ago.  When I was pregnant last year with baby #4 I didn’t plan on getting a new carrier – I felt like the ones I had were great and I was happy with them so no need to buy anything new.

Howeverrrrrrrr…

This was my first time having a baby while also homeschooling my other kiddos.  I realized pretty quickly that I was going to be doing a lot of sitting and babywearing while we did school and while my main old carrier (a Lillebaby Complete) is good for when I’m up moving around, it’s not all that comfortable while I’m sitting down becuase it’s so big and bulky.   Soooooo despite not thinking I was going to buy anything new I started looking around at options.  I disovered the Sakura Bloom Scout and after some research decided this looked like a much better option for my current needs.  I ordered one to give it a try and fell in love.  It’s PERFECT!

The main thing I was looking for was a carrier that was comfortable while sitting down but also plenty supportive while up and about.  The Sakura Bloom Scout fit the bill exactly.  Its a very trim carrier that feels almost like a wrap but has the ease and support of a soft structured carrier.

What makes the Sakura Bloom Scout unique?

The waistband fastens with rings (like what a ring sling has) instead of a buckle.  I was afraid that might be harder to use than a buckle but it honestly takes maybe 10 seconds more than a buckle – very easy to use.  Plus it is less bulky and more aesthetically pleasing than a plastic buckle.

The panel has ties built in that you can cinch up to make it more narrow for a smaller baby.  Other carriers I’ve used have had adustable panels too but they required extra attachments or were, again, bulky.  This is barely noticable.

The straps are padded and comfortable but it is a much less bulky padding than my former carriers.  When I sat down in those other carriers the padding was all up in my face but the Sakura Bloom straps lay much more slim on my shoulders.

(Sakura Bloom Scout on the left, Lillebaby Complete on the right)

Some of the Sakura Bloom carriers have leather on the straps.  I don’t own one that has leather – I love the look of it but I was afraid it would be more bulky or stiff so so far I’ve stuck with the no leather strap options.

The chest/back strap (depending on how you wear it) also fastens with small rings instead of a buckle.  Like with the waistband I feel like this elevates the look quite a bit.  And also like with the waistband, this was easier for me to fasten than I expected.  I showed in the video below how I adust the back strap (it can be tricky at first becuase it’s different than using a buckle carrier!).

There is a hood included that’s not attached to the carrier.  You can fasten it to the loops on the carrier but since I rarely use the hood I’ve left mine off.  It’s nice not to have it dangling off of the carrier all the time like my other ones!

How do you use the Sakura Bloom Scout?

The Scout is a little different from other buckle carriers I’ve used.  You put it on apron style and adjust the arm webbing to tighten it.  I showed a demo of how I put it on in the video below.

What I love about the Sakura Bloom Scout

In addition to all the great features I listed above, here are some other things I love about it.

• It’s so comfortable!  I was worried I’ve be sacrificing comfort when I gave up all the padding and buckles of my old carriers but this one is just as comfortable or maybe even more comfortable than my others!
• Because it’s so trim and doesn’t have lots of buckles, padding, accessories, etc. it packs up pretty small.  I’m able to easily fit it in the top of my diaper bag.
• It’s just so pretty!  My old carrier was a bright, raccoon print.  I thought it was super fun when I bought it but it was kind of loud and didn’t match my clothes.  My Scout is so streamlined it almost looks like part of my outfit when I wear it.  I’ve worn it to more formal places like church and funerals and did not feel like it looked out of place.  It’s definitely more aesthetically pleasing than the ones I’ve owned before.  Is that the most important feature of a baby carrier?  Definitely not, but it’s for sure an added bonus that I’ve enjoyed.
• It’s so streamlined compared to my others.  I don’t have bulky shoulder pads in my face when I turn my head, I can sit down without the waistband digging into my lap, there aren’t a million straps dangling everywhere.  It’s much more like a woven wrap in it’s sleekness (but with the ease of use of a buckle carrier).

Sakura Bloom also offers free virtual fit checks.  I haven’t used that but I think it’s a great service that they offer so that you can get feedback and help as you’re learning how to wear your child.

What I dislike

The only thing I dislike (and it’s so minor) is that the hood straps don’t really have a place to attach when you’re front carrying.   When you’re back carrying you can loop the straps through the chest strap to secure them but when you’re front carrying unless you are incredibly flexible (and could loop them around the back strap) there isn’t a place to attach them if you’ve got the hood up other than tucking them around the shoulder straps.  I almost never use the hood so that doesn’t really make a difference for me but it does seem a little silly to leave that out.

Final thoughts

If you’re in the market for a baby carrier, I don’t think you can go wrong with this one!  It can be used pretty much from birth to toddlerhood (7 pounds to 45 pounds), it’s comfortable, it’s easy to use, and it’s gorgeous.  A total winner!

Sakura Bloom Coupon Code

Make sure you grab your $20 off coupon code to use when you get ready to purchase your Sakura Bloom carrier!

Video Review

Here’s a YouTube review and quick tutorial I did so you can see it in action

(my Sakura Bloom Scouts were purchased by me and I was not paid to write this review – I just love these carriers and wanted to share plus pass on the coupon so you can save money on yours too!)