For decades, the earliest moments of a child’s life have been framed almost exclusively around the mother.
Pregnancy, birth, feeding — the narrative has been clear, and understandably so. Yet over the past fifteen years, fatherhood in the UK has undergone a subtle but profound shift.
According to the Office for National Statistics, the time fathers spend on childcare has more than doubled since the 1990s. In households with children under one, paternal involvement in daily care routines has increased by over 40% compared to previous generations.
Modern fathers are not content to be peripheral figures in those early weeks. They want presence. Physical presence.
And increasingly, products are beginning to reflect that shift.
Among a new wave of independent brands responding to this cultural change is Kooden — a minimalist label built around a simple premise: making early physical bonding between father and baby more accessible.
The Science Behind Early Contact
Skin-to-skin contact is widely discussed in the context of maternal bonding. Less frequently acknowledged is the growing body of research highlighting its importance for fathers.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has reported that early physical contact helps regulate a newborn’s heart rate, temperature and cortisol levels. Meanwhile, research published in the Infant Mental Health Journal suggests that fathers who engage in consistent early contact report significantly higher levels of parental confidence within the first months.
The process is often described as “co-regulation”: the infant’s nervous system synchronises with that of the parent.
Put simply, proximity shapes attachment.
And yet, the baby products market — valued at over £1.5 billion annually in the UK — remains overwhelmingly mother-focused. Industry research suggests that more than 80% of babywearing products are marketed primarily to women.
There has long been a gap.
A Brand Born from Intent Rather Than Trend
Kooden was created by a small independent team who noticed that disconnect.
Rather than designing another technical carrier with straps, clips and instructional videos, the brand took a quieter approach.
The result is a structured babywearing T-shirt designed specifically for fathers during the newborn stage.
From the outside, it resembles a premium everyday garment. Internally, however, it incorporates reinforced support panels, tension-placed stitching and layered textile construction to hold a newborn securely against the father’s chest.
It is not marketed as a replacement for ergonomic carriers used for extended outings. Instead, its intended use is far more intimate: short periods at home, early soothing moments, those first weeks when proximity matters most.
The distinction feels deliberate — and refreshingly honest.
Thirty Days with Kooden
To move beyond branding, we tested the garment over a thirty-day period with a newborn in the first weeks of life.
The first notable feature was simplicity.
There are no complicated adjustments. No hardware. No rigid framework. The baby rests vertically against the father’s torso, supported by integrated reinforced fabric.
A common concern with any textile-based solution is durability. After repeated daily use and multiple washes, the fabric retained its structure. The reinforced stitching across load-bearing areas showed no signs of strain. The elasticity remained controlled rather than loose — an important detail when stability is key.
In practice, the shirt proved most useful for:
- Post-feed calming
- Settling before sleep
- Short periods of movement around the home
- Brief outdoor transitions
What was striking, however, was less technical and more emotional.
The infant settled quickly. The closeness felt instinctive rather than engineered.
And from the father’s perspective, the experience differed from holding a baby in the arms. There is something quietly powerful about having your child resting against your chest, heartbeats subtly aligned.
It does not feel like wearing equipment.
It feels like presence.
A Reflection of Changing Fatherhood
According to a 2023 YouGov survey, 72% of British fathers under 35 say they want to be “equally hands-on” during the newborn stage. Yet many report feeling underrepresented in the early-parenting market.
Kooden appears to understand this sentiment.
The brand’s positioning is restrained. There are no exaggerated claims. No suggestion that the product is essential.
Instead, it sits comfortably within a broader cultural movement — one where fathers are not supporting characters, but active participants from day one.
It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that the garment has increasingly been mentioned as a thoughtful gift for new fathers. In a market where baby showers often centre on the mother and child, acknowledging the father’s role carries symbolic weight.
In the Founder’s Words
Speaking about the origins of the brand, Kooden’s founder describes the idea with characteristic understatement:
“We talk a lot about the mother–baby bond, and rightly so. But fathers experience those early days as something transformative too.
I wanted to create something simple that removes friction — something that makes closeness feel natural rather than technical.”
He is quick to clarify the brand’s scope:
“Kooden isn’t here to replace traditional carriers. It’s for the early weeks, for the quiet moments at home. Those small, repeated interactions are what build the relationship.”
The team continues to refine the design with textile specialists, focusing on structural integrity while preserving the garment’s everyday aesthetic.
A Measured Verdict
It would be overstated to call Kooden indispensable.
It does not replace a fully structured carrier for long walks. It is not intended for every scenario.
But within its defined purpose — the early weeks, the short, intimate intervals that account for much of newborn interaction (studies suggest nearly 60% of early parent–infant engagement takes place at home) — it feels coherent.
The construction supports its claims.
The experience feels authentic.
The cultural relevance is undeniable.
In a market long centred on motherhood, Kooden poses a quiet but significant question:
What if the first moments were just as much a father’s story?
