NIRMI - the "Pure"

In this blog post you will find out why there is only one model of the NIRMI baby carrier. The NIRMI “Pure” and why this is supposed to be good for the environment.

In 2018 we were traveling in the highlands of Mexico with our two little daughters (of course with a baby carrier). We visited a group of female artisan weavers and fell in love with their beautiful handwoven fabrics. We decided to support these women and that's how the first idea of ​​NIRMI was born. Our goal is to create products that parents in Europe and around the world use in their daily lives, while also showcasing the unique craftsmanship of women - Mexico is just the beginning. We drew inspiration for our first product idea from our own children and from the weavers themselves, who carry their babies and children in a sling on their backs. By selling the Impact patches, we want to support as many traditional textile artists around the world as possible to improve their living conditions and their self-esteem through recognition of their handicraft work and to offer their children future prospects.

Like them, we too want to offer our children and the children of our children prospects for the future. But we can only do that if we do everything we can to leave the earth better than we found it. We can learn a lot from the weavers in the highlands of Mexico. Above all, how to get by with little and how to appreciate what you have:

Photo: Cancuc community weaver with Huipil

They weave and embroider their huipil - the decorative blouse - themselves, it takes up to six months. They wear them on special occasions and also in everyday life and make sure that their clothes remain wearable for a long time. At NIRMI we take that as a role model.

Less is less

We made a conscious decision to only develop and offer one model: the NIRMI Pure. It is a practical full-buckle carrier in a subtle grey, which goes well with all the colorful patches. It grows with you - from birth to infancy. So you can get through your wearing time with a NIRMI. The Pure is only available with a patch and will be produced in limited quantities. After all, our corporate goal is to maximize our social impact, not maximum profit through mass production.

Photo: the "Pure" stretcher without a patch

New buying with meaning

We believe that buying something new should be something very special, something with a purpose. That's where our Impact Patches come in. With the purchase of a new patch you treat your NIRMI baby carrier to a new, unique look. And you help to preserve traditional handicrafts and to improve the living conditions of textile artists.

Regional natural fabrics

If we do take something from nature, then we want to do it as gently as possible. For us, this means relying on regional natural materials such as linen or wool felt, which require little water and chemicals in production. With this we also support local companies: The fabric of our carrier consists of about 100% European linen. We obtain this from the Vieböck linen weaving mill in the Mühlviertel, which weaves a uniquely soft yet stable linen denim in cross-twill weave especially for us.

Photo: visiting the Vieböck weaving mill

The qualities of linen

Linen is valued for its cooling properties. It absorbs moisture, so you don't sweat so easily on hot summer days or when hiking. Thanks to its temperature-regulating, quick-drying and antibacterial properties, it is also ideal for wearing in the cold season. Flax - the plant from which linen is made - grows in fields in Belgium, France and the Netherlands. Flax is particularly environmentally friendly because it is frugal, requires hardly any fertilizer or pesticides and no artificial irrigation systems.

A fabric that cleans itself

And the filling of the "Pure" is also pure nature: 100% wool felt from Austrian sheep, processed by the Haslach manufactory, a socio-economic company in the Upper Austrian Mühlviertel. Like linen, wool felt is temperature-regulating and antibacterial. It also has a dirt-repellent function and cleans itself, so to speak! 😎 Our wool felt makes our waist belt and shoulder straps firm and stable and is therefore still comfortable when your baby is bigger and heavier.

We also try to do without plastic for the remaining components wherever possible, without compromising on safety and comfort. All our belts and elastics are therefore completely plastic-free (made of cotton or natural rubber) and are made in Austria and the Czech Republic. Likewise, all our labels and textile labels are made of 100% cotton. Where there is no equivalent alternative yet, we prefer recycled plastic or polyester, such as sewing thread and buckles.

Photo: prototype of a bag with a patch

A life after end of your babywearing time

Of course we know that even the longest babywearing period comes to an end at some point and baby carriers often move on. To relatives, acquaintances and lesser acquaintances. With NIRMI, you too can change the design of your used carrier afterwards and customize the look by purchasing new patches and write your own impact story.

And so that you can continue to use your beloved patch, we are currently developing follow-up products, such as bags and backpacks, which we will make partly from NIRMIs that have been taken back.

With this exclusive insight we are already at the end of this blog post. And we've actually made it this far: we've discussed the topic of sustainability without writing "sustainable" once. After all, what we mean by it is so self-evident that it has to be the unspoken norm.