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When we were preparing for the arrival of our son, three years ago, I never really got into the whole baby wearing thing. It’s not that I didn’t want my baby close to me, I just didn’t realize that there were many options beyond the BabyBjorn-like carriers. Being that he was my first, I didn’t mind carrying him around everywhere.
When we found our our second was on her way, 
I had read more about baby wearing and knew if I was going to get anything done with two kids, I’d have to look into options for carrying her around hands free. I have two reviews included in this write up. Both are carriers that I purchased. I’ll also list other types of carriers as well.
Baby wearing has tons of benefits, aside of letting you get things done, without having to put your fussy infant down. It’s a great bonding tool for you and your baby as well. Babies love the closeness of being snuggled up next to their mothers, especially newborns. Babies who are worn, also tend to cry less, and in my experience, this may be true. My son was horribly fussy for eight weeks. Fussy, actually doesn’t begin to describe it. He screamed every night for 3 hours. Whether this is as a result of him not being worn, I’ll never really know, but my daughter, who I wore regularly, was more mellow. That is of course, until you put her down, and even now, she’s still like that. Hell hath no fury! Baby wearing is also great for development. Because they’re close t you, they’re more comfortable with absorbing their surroundings. Of course, with attachment parenting, comes a longer streak of dependence on you. However, studies show that they become independent at an earlier age.
Finding the right carrier is crucial to making baby wearing work for you. If you have a carrier that hurts your back, or is uncomfortable to wear, it’ll just make you more stressed and less likely to use it.
Types of Carriers:
Wraps: When I first got a Moby Wrap, I was overwhelmed. It’s a bit of a learning curve, putting on, but once it’s on, it’s insanely comfortable. My daughter LOVED this carrier as a newborn, because she could sleep against my chest in the frog position for hours, and it never caused me any pain. The drawback to this carrier, is that the fabric can be a little heavy for hot summer days. However, if you were so inclined and handy, you could probably make one yourself in a stretchy muslin fabric and use it in the summer. I, sadly, can’t even sew a button back on my pants. For quicker use, put it on before you get in the car. That way, when you arrive at your destination, you have it all ready to go, and all you have to do, is slip the baby in. I don’t use it much right now, only because my daughter is a hefty 24lbs at 8 months. At her age, I’m not quite ready to wear her on my back yet, but she’s getting a bit too heavy to use the wrap to wear her in the front. The Moby Wrap isn’t the only type of wrap carrier. This is just the one I have.
The Soft Structured Baby Carrier: This is a type of soft structured carrier (another example would be the typical BabyBjorn). I purchased the ERGO Baby Carrier prior to flying down to visit Kathy last October. I knew with two kids, I wanted to streamline my travel process. A light stroller for my son, and a carrier for the baby. I knew it would be easier to carry her, and also less worry of people coming up with their germy hands and touching her. It worked like a charm. One of the other benefits of baby wearing. People have to get in YOUR personal space to touch your baby, and are less likely to do so. Bonus! I have to say, this is probably the most comfortable carrier on the planet and super easy to put on (just two clips and you’re done). Even at 24 pounds, my daughter is STILL super comfortable to wear. My main beef with this, is that she can’t face out in front of me. It’s either inward facing, or on the back. So she gets a bit more impatient in it now than she used to, but it is still worth every penny. It’s a lighter fabric and has plenty of ventilation, as well as a sun/rain cover for their head. I recommend this carrier to everyone.
- ERGO Baby Carrier
- Boba Organic Carrier
- Baby Bjorn Carrier
- Beco Baby Carrier
- Olives and Applesauce Carriers
- Action Baby Carrier
Mei Tai Carrier: A mei tai carrier is kind of a cross between a wrap and an Ergo. It’s generally a square piece of fabric with straps at the corners to tie together. The result is versatility, with different wearing positions, your carrier has a longer life. Mei tais have been used by Asian culture for years. There are tons of WAHM’s making Mei Tai’s and if you’re able to sew, you can make your own.
Ring Slings: Ring slings are a great option for quick and easy adjustment. These are more of a pouch type sling, with a ring that the fabric loops through for easy tightening. You can wear your baby as an infant in a cradle position, or on your hip. These are especially great for nursing in as well. The only drawback with ring slings, is the rings themselves. When choosing a ring sling, make sure the ring is well made and sturdy. There have been cases where the rings break, which could cause your baby to fall. SO be sure to choose one from a trusted company like:
Pouch Slings: Slings or “Pouches” are pretty similar to ring slings, just without the ring part of the sling. These are nice because they come in sizes for a more specific fit. They can be worn similarly to ring slings as well, and because they’re one piece, are relatively easy to get on and get a baby in quickly. I’m not personally a fan of them when a baby gets heavier. It doesn’t distribute weight very well, and you end up with sore shoulders (this may be because I’m already top heavy to begin with, so your mileage may vary). But it is nice because it’s not bulky, and fits in a diaper bag easily, making it perfect for quick on the go trips.
Structured Backpacks: This is pretty self explanatory. Backpack carriers, generally have a frame and are a bit bulkier. They’re great for things like hiking or longer days where you might need more support and a child more comfort. I know men tend to prefer these as they’re a bit more masculine looking. Some of them are pretty swanky too. With pockets for holding things as well as sun canopies for coverage from the elements.
There are so many options for baby wearing, that there’s something out there for everyone. I’m a little remiss that I didn’t find a lot of these options with my son. My daughter loves being worn, and for me, I find that it’s so much easier when trying to wrangle a toddler. Not to mention, it’s been great for keeping her warm during the winter. There are even carrier covers, so that you don’t have to bundle them up in a heavy coat and take them in and out of a sling. I find that if I steal my husband’s jacket, I can zip it up over both of us, and this works perfectly, but it’s nice to know that the option is there.
Baby wearing tips:
It’s easy to get frustrated when learning how to wear your baby. Follow some of these tips and you’ll be a pro in no time:
- Practice practice practice. Practice with stuffed animals before your baby is born. Practice around the house when your baby is born. The more you do it, the easier it becomes.
- Read the instruction manual. As with any baby gear, reading the manual is essential. You not only want to get the most out of your baby wearing apparatus, but you want your baby to be safe.
- Check on your baby often. If you’re wearing your baby in a cradle hold, make sure their they have sufficient air flow. Also make sure their heads are tilted back enough to allow easy breathing.
- Invest in a good carrier. You want something that is going to be comfortable to wear, otherwise, you’re going to end up ditching the idea, more often than not. If your carrier is comfortable, you won’t notice that you’ve got a baby attached to the front of you. Unless of course, they punch you in the nose, or grab your hair.
- Invest in a few carriers. Depending on your activities, you might want to have a few different types of carriers on hand. Also, if both parents like baby wearing, you’re bound to have different tastes in carriers. Your husband/partner may not like wearing something pink and floral. Worst case: If you hate them, they retain value if they’re in god condition so you can get some of your money back on eBay.
Baby wearing resources:
- The Baby Wearer
- Dr. Sears: Baby Wearing
- La Leche League: The Benefits of Baby Wearing
- Baby Wearing
- Consumer Search Baby Carrier Reviews
Got any other tips or advice? A favorite carrier? As usual, leave ‘em in the comments.
Comments
12 Responses to “Baby Wearing: Baby Carrier Round-Up”
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I have had 8 or 9 carriers in the past 4 years. My absolute favorite is my Gypsy Mama Water Wrap. It’s a wrap like a Moby, but it is made with a lightweight material with built-in sun protection. It isn’t heavy or hot so you and baby don’t get excessively hot and sweaty (other than how hot or sweaty you’d be anyway.)
It is perfect for warm climates and summer babies. It dries quickly so you can wear it in the pool/ocean/shower and it’s pretty enough that you can get away with wearing it to a wedding.
the only downside is that because it’s so light and stretchy you can’t use it on land comfortably for much beyond 15-20 lbs. It lasted us 4 months before I had to switch carriers.
My second favorite is my Kozy Mai Tai. Very comfortable for bigger babies.
Great review! I have the Sleepy Wrap and love it and so does my little one. It is the only way I could get shopping done when he was smaller, as riding in the cart or carriage just meant he was going to test his lungs!
I also totally agree about keeping ppl out of your personal space! People are less likely to come and touch your baby if he’s that close to you.
I used the Mamma’s milk pouch sling with my son. What I loved about that one is that the sling comes in sizes, but each size is adjustable, so my husband who is a bit bigger could also wear it, and as my boy got bigger I could make a little extra room for him.
It also has a padded side so as he got bigger and wanted to look around, he could sit on my hip with legs dangling and he was supported under his butt and up the back and my hands where still free.
They also have a mesh/water version with SPF and a sun shade flap for the summer, much cooler for both mom and baby.
It was a life saver for getting out of the house and running errands and going for walks! The only reason I stopped using it is I’ve passed it onto a friend with a newborn who needs it more than me.
It’s only downside is that long use does pull on your shoulder a bit as baby gets bigger.
Easy to wash, easy to wear, quick to put in baby (with practice!) and it can also act as a breastfeeding cover.
Lots of cool fabrics to match any style and great customer service from their website. http://www.mammasmilk.com
With kiddo #3 on the way I am looking over my babywearing stash once again. I have used ring slings, pouch slings, a wrap, mei tais, and soft structured carriers. I love them all for different reasons and at different stages. Etsy has some great mamas who make a variety of carriers out of their homes.
My all-time favorite carrier: the Becco Butterfly soft structured carrier. I have the Ergo as well, but it is a little bulkier than the Becco and I have a very short waist. My husband uses the Ergo more than I do!
Great article!
With three kids I’ve tried every kind of carrier and has as many as 8 at a time!
Now, I have three. A pocket sling for the newborn stage, a Snugli for the young infant (4-9 months) stage, and a Mei-Tai for 9 months and up.
All three are great for keeping strangers out of baby’s face, with the added bonus that the sling allows newborns to nap, the Snugli allows outward facing while front-wearing, and the Mei-Tai can be used for up to 35lbs!
Thankfully, I can sew, so I’ve saved myself lots of money, but if you’re interested in getting more “bang for your buck” you may want to try the babywearing section of the FSOT on DiaperSwappers!
Statia: you can wear the Ergo Baby carrier on your hip. I’ve done that with my son when he was your DD’s age and older and he loved it. It gives them more freedom to look around.
I have to try the wrap one next time around!!
We use an Action Baby Carrier (http://www.actionbabycarriers.com/) for our son who is now 20 months. I *love* this carrier because it is made in the US, affordable, comfortable for all of us. Most of all though, I love how I can use it to carry my son on my chest or on my back, *and* when I carry him on my chest he can face me *or* face out and see the world — he loves this and facing out isn’t an option with most carriers. We got it when he was 7 months old, and I wish we had it earlier (we used a Bjorn-like carrier first). Slings and wraps didn’t work for me as they hurt my back, but the Action Baby Carrier doesn’t!
The Beco Butterfly is my absolute favorite carrier. I also have an Olives and Applesauce full buckle carrier (sort of like an Ergo) that I really like. For the newborn stage, I think a ring sling or a wrap (like a Moby) is a good way to go. I originally had an Ergo, but I could never get comfortable in it. I prefer the Beco much more for that style of carrier.
We had a colicky baby so baby wearing was recommended. However, I never really found a carrier that I absolutely loved. I really liked the baby bjorn, but it’s not very cozy.
I had the peanut sling and did not like it. It hurt my shoulder and back. I also found it difficult to get my little guy in it which is no fun when you have a colicky baby.
We also used the Cuddly Wrap which is almost identicle to the Moby Wrap but the one we had was made of stretchy material. The stretchy, soft organic material was nice when my son was a new born but when he got bigger the material seemed to stretch too much and did not support him or my back the way I would have liked. I would recommend the Moby instead which is not stretchy. It’s not easy to learn how to tie it but if you stick with it you get the hang of it eventually. Again, not really fun when you have a colicky baby and you can never get anything done fast enough for him.
We used the baby bjorn original baby carrier a lot. It was great on my back until he was about 6 months old and then my lower back started to get sore after carrying him in it for a short while. So we bought a Baby Bjorn active carrier with back support (second hand) since we used the original so often. This worked for a while and then it too started to hurt my poor back…and my son is between the 25-50th percentile for weight so he’s not THAT big!!!
We were handed down a snuggli backpack carrier in the hopes that my husband (who has a better back than I do) could carry our little guy when we went hiking. Unfortunately, the frame seemed to small for him (he’s 6’2″) and one of the metal rods dug into his shoulder the whole time he wore it. He’s not one to complain, but he had to actually take it off on the way home from out hike because his shoulder was hurting so much.
For our next child I’m going to try an Ergo baby carrier. I’m going to borrow it from a friend first before I invest anything in it. Wish me luck!
@A: I’ve tried to wear it on my hip, but I’m not sure if I don’t have it lined up right, or I’m just too short, because the strap ends up digging into my neck. It’s not uncomfortable, mostly annoying. I also have the sport version, so maybe that’s why? I want to give the moby a go on the hip. I just have to practice.
The Action Baby carrier looks like one to try as well; however, I didn’t see anywhere on their website where it said that you could carry the infant forward facing.
Great round up!
I did make the body narrower than what she has… I checked the dimensions of the Babyhawk and some others and made mine pretty close to theirs, but with wider straps. 
I love my ring sling and moby wrap for the newborn stage, and I like the ring sling for short errands, but my favorite carrier is my mei tai. I made it from Jan Andrea’s tutorial, and it has gotten the most wear in my two years of babywearing!