15 questions for Philipp from LIMAS
LIMAS is a manufacturer, which is gaining more and more popularity, especially in German-speaking countries. I also have all three carrying aids of the Hessian manufacturer in my assortment. I am therefore very pleased that I was allowed to ask Philipp, who founded the company with his wife, a few questions.
To get you in the mood for the interview, I've pulled out this short video in which you can see the LIMAS baby carrier.
Dear Philipp, you founded the company "LIMAS" together with your wife. But before we get to your company and your ideas, I would like you to introduce yourself briefly.
Hello dear ones, I am Philipp from LIMAS and I am very happy to be a part of our LIMAS workshop.
In 2014 your daughter was born. Did you know from the beginning that you wanted to carry? Did you perhaps already deal with it during pregnancy? Was one of you more skeptical than the other?
We already had the wish to carry our baby during the pregnancy. My wife Anna was more the driving force in the beginning. I still remember how in the evening, when our newborn was very restless, I found a used baby sling on Ebay Classifieds, which I was able to pick up immediately.
What do you see as the big advantages of babywearing? Are there any disadvantages in your opinion?
We dads can't breastfeed and carrying is sort of our breastfeeding. And I enjoy it very much when I go to sleep with my second daughter or when we explore the world together in the carrier when our feet are tired.
There are a lot of prejudices about babywearing. What was it like for you? Were you also asked whether "the baby gets enough air" or something similar? How did you deal with it?
Actually, I usually had the impression that carrying was perceived very positively. I think most of the time we made a pretty relaxed impression and prejudices could then be quickly eliminated.
Now, the market for slings and baby carriers has grown a lot in recent years. But even in 2014 there were already many different options. How did it come about that you still wanted to develop your own carrying aid? Quite provocatively asked: What does your LIMAS baby carrier have that other baby carriers don't already have?
The LIMAS is the only baby carrier with insertable shoulder pads. This has the advantage of meeting the individual needs of the wearer. In addition, the LIMAS grows with the baby and adapts to the baby.
Which of you had the idea for this? How did it come about that you decided to produce the baby carrier in "mass" and not just one model for you?
My wife Anna sewed the first LIMAS (LIMAS stands for Lili Marie Sauer - the name of our first daughter) together with her mother according to her ideas. Grandma sewed the next LIMAS for a couple of friends with a baby and that was the beginning until André from Helden-Tragen called and said that he had heard something about a LIMAS baby carrier and what it was all about and that he would like to order 10 pieces.
When we heard 10 pieces, we were blindsided and grandma was busy sewing. Even grandpa started to help and learned how to sew the whole stretcher. So it went on step by step until we looked for a sewing shop.
Is LIMAS your main job? Or do you do something else on the side? Was it like that from the beginning?
For a little more than 2 years we have been working full-time in the LIMAS workshop. There are 8 of us there now and we have created a space for our carrying room.
Were there any difficulties in the meantime or are there still obstacles that you encounter now and then?
To direct all steps in such a way that in the end a baby carrier can be shipped from Kelsterbach is not always easy. The designs for the fabrics are created. The pattern is sample woven. Then the yarns are dyed. Then the fabric is woven. Then cut to size. Then the LIMAS are sewn from the fabrics with all accessories parts. Then packed and shipped at our facility in Kelsterbach. Keeping this chain alive is a little adventure every day.
Where are the LIMAS baby carriers made? What fabrics are used?
We sew the LIMAS in the Czech Republic and recently also in Turkey. We use only organic cotton for the fabrics.
In the meantime, the LIMAS family has grown, both in the direct sense with you, as well as with the company. We now also offer the LIMAS Plus and LIMAS Flex baby carriers. How do you plan to continue? Do you already have plans for more baby carriers or other items for the store?
We are currently in the process of developing a carrying jacket and the LIMAS carrying sweats will soon be available in a new unisex sweater edition. With LIMAS, LIMAS Plus and LIMAS Flex, we see the babywearing family as complete for the time being - all good things come in threes. But only time will tell if this also applies to the number of children...
Then it remains exciting with you.
How do I actually know what is the right carrier for me and my baby? Do you have "test carriers" that I can try out for a few days or weeks and send back if it's not comfortable for me or doesn't fit well?
We ourselves offer to test the carriers at our Kelsterbach location. We don't have test packs ourselves, but these are available from retailers.
Is it also possible to have a LIMAS baby carrier sewn from your own sling?
Unfortunately, we do not have the time for that. Please excuse us. But there are already many beautiful slings that we would love to sew.
Are your baby carriers sold exclusively in Germany? Or do you also supply stores in other countries?
Most of the stretchers are sold in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. But there is also a lot going on in the Netherlands, France and Italy. LIMAS have also been shipped to Koh Samui and New Zealand. When a stretcher is shipped so far, I always like to ask by email how it came to LIMAS. Recently, a mom ordered a LIMAS who works on a research ship in Australia and got the LIMAS recommended by a friend from Germany. That was then very exciting to learn about.
That sounds really exciting. I think it's great that you are taking the time to do this!
As I could read in your blog, the name LIMAS is related to your daughter's name. Who came up with the idea? Were there any other suggestions that were in the room?
There were other names, but we thought LIMAS was the best. I don't really remember if it was Anna's idea or mine... probably both of us in the process...
Is there anything else you would like to tell about you, your wife or your company?
Every day we enjoy all the lovely people we've had the pleasure of meeting so far in the wearing world. On Friday we are going to the Tragenetzwerk Symposium in Wiesbaden. We are really looking forward to that.
If you have any questions or suggestions, we are always there for you. Best regards, Philipp and the LIMAS TEAM
Dear Philipp, thank you very much for the interview. It was very interesting to learn more about you and LIMAS!
You can learn more about the LIMAS company and the LIMAS baby carriers at www.limasbaby.de. You can also find more articles about the Limas baby carriers on my blog:
Note from 05.07.2022
For some time now, Limasbaby has been part of the Stokke company. At Stokke, there is a diverse range of baby equipment.
The Limas baby carriers have been changed minimally. However, they are still sold, now under the name Stokke Limas baby carriers. All models, the classic baby carrier, Plus and Flex are available here.
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