Product spotlight: Baby carriers 1.12.2021

emmylou78

Do you plan to baby wear when LO arrives? Have you already started looking at baby carriers?

Links to previous and upcoming topics 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mqlBWywDw6uR06rrrZZ0pQ5FdUpa5hMt4aB6jpO4ha4/edit?usp=sharing

grogu

So... I love carriers. 
My favorite for newborns is the beluga baby wrap. Think Moby but not as hot and has way more stretch. 

I also have a tula free to grow that my husband will use in the newborn stage. 

Ring slings are great for quick in and outs and nursing.

I have a few more but these are my favourites. 
We don't get the infant bucket seat so we use the carrier A LOT!

pickle-chips

Also a carrier fan! 

My husband's favourite was the Lillebaby Complete, which is a soft structured carried (SSC). It is good for 7lbs to 45lbs, so we were able to use from birth—no inserts or extra pieces needed. I liked this for longer outings, because it offers comfortable support. 

I had a Solly Baby wrap for BB2 and I loved it for the newborn stage. It was lightweight and very snuggly for baby naps while out and about and even just around the house. It would be comparable to the Beluga Baby wrap.

I also have a Sakura Bloom linen ring sling that I liked for once baby is a bit sturdier. I would typically use this one for quick errands. My husband really liked this ring sling for the newborn stage. 

I'm interested in an onbuhimo style carrier, which is a traditional Japanese-style waistless baby carrier. Has anyone used this style of carrier? Happy Baby is one I know of. Sakura also makes one.

ETA: The one thing I would say about carriers is, as with all baby things, there is no guarantee your kiddo will enjoy being in a carrier. Before spending all your money on every style, maybe try to borrow from a friend (maybe hard in COVID times) or a local carrier lending library (check your local babywearing Facebook group—you probably have one!).

claireloSC

We loved the K'Tan for the soft wraps. Worked well for my larger chest when DD was small. As she got bigger we went with the Beco Gemini which works well for smaller frames. Ergo seems like it would be good for husbands but not two petite women like us. I'm not planning on the bucket seat either so definitely want to invest in a nice carrier. And we have a toddler Kinderpack that we still use even though DD is almost 5. It has mesh so it's not as hot. We've gotten probably three + years of mileage out of it.

emily1052

I have a Moby and an Ergo!  Both were great!!  

cyanope

My babies basically live on me for the first year of their lives, so I’m a huge baby-wearer. 

I have the Solly wrap for the newborn stage. I had an Ergo (which I loved), but it killed DH’s back. With DS, we got the Lillebaby and I loved it. So did DH, so win win. 

This time around, I want to get a ring sling. I’ve been looking at the Wild Bird. Does anyone have any experience? 

hannelorre

@pickle-chips so true! My LO was never a fan of carrier. We had Moby wrap and something else (little more loops and such can't remember the brand now but it was British?) But mostly used lillebaby. She only let me carry her and then I threw out my back so it was over. 

I think the ring slings are SO beautiful but worried about spending that much money on something we may not use given our history... (the first two wrap we got as hand me down and bought lillebaby on Amazon sale...)

emmylou78

I loved the Moby wrap as an infant. I had the infantino but it wasn’t love. The buckles seemed clumsy. I bought into the Tula hype. I have an infant, toddler, and ring sling still for Tulas. I’m not sure if DH will be interested in baby wearing. 

Edit: it was infantino I had from babies r us, not the Ergo. 

emmylou78

Oh, the solly wraps look nice @cyanope! 

surrenderdorothy

I loved the Ergo. I am pretty tiny and it worked well for me. I liked that it had the hip buckle the the weight of the baby is one your hips and not your shoulders. My Ergo was an older model that could not be worn in your back. I’m planning to buy another carrier that can be worn on the back. Looking at the recs above LilleBaby looks like one to check out in addition to the Ergo360. DH used the Ergo with a special extender so he could fit it around his waist, however, he preferred the Baby BJourn. He is built like a linebacker and that fit him best. We live in the south and the Baby BJourn was mesh and very breathable. Great for the summer. 

DH also had a baby hiking backpack that he LOVED. We bought it on a whim for a hiking trip and used it almost nightly on our walks after our little guy turned 6 months. If you are a hiker, or like to attend festivals and outdoor events I highly recommend. I don’t know the brand off the top of my head but can look it up if anyone is interested.

Kenneylynn3

We only got the lillebaby all seasons. I love it. It has a zip down part where you have mesh, so it's breathable in the summer, back support, has huge versatility in carrying options (forward facing, front, back, hip, ect) and in size (7-45 lb). I only wished I could have had something for when he was super small (5lb 10 oz baby).

claireloSC

@hannelorre tons of carriers are on ebay super cheap, check it out!

shoogapoff

@cyanope My sister has a Wild Bird ring sling and really likes it. 

gingermama29

Several moms in my previous BMB swore by the tula. I've never tried it but I'm definitely thinking about it.

cyanope

@emmylou78, I am OBSESSED with the Solly. I have three, haha. In my defense, I got two during a warehouse sale (they are local to me), and the third one was given to me when one of my old ones got a hole in it. They sent me a new one, no questions asked. So, I am an even bigger fan due to their customer service. 

@shoogapoff, good to know! They’re pretty spendy, so I want to make sure they’re worth it!

pickle-chips

@cyanope I had the hardest time picking just one Solly wrap colour (I went with Fern, because I can't say no to green). I might get myself another one for this baby, since pretty much everything else will be hand-me-down from the older two. 

cyanope

@pickle-chips, I have a few things picked out for this go-round that I have always wanted but never got because they seemed unnecessary. Now, I’m like...this is my last kid. I don’t really “need” anything, so I’m going to get a few things I “want.” I say go for it!

hannelorre

@claireloSC thanks for the heads up! I've never used ebay before (I've done local pick up through FB marketplace etc) but looks pretty good! 

claireloSC

Oh funny! Maybe showing my age but I've been using it since like 2002 or something? It's totally safe, they give you your money back if there are any problems. I just got three things from eBay today including a new with tags Asos dress. @hannelorre and I'm watching a new carrier. I buy a lot of my textbooks for my masters program there too. 

cyanope

PSA:
If you were thinking about getting a Solly wrap, the “Woodland” print is on sale on Anthropologie right now. It’s normally $88, on sale for $69, plus another 50% off. The total sale price is $35. A normal Solly wrap is $65, just as an FYI. The other one is way more expensive because it was an exclusive anthro print. But, $35 is still an amazing deal! 

Anyways, thought I’d share! 

shoogapoff

@cyanope Thanks! I got one!!

claireloSC

Me too!

emmylou78

Thank you @cyanope! I bought one. 

bmo88

Do I love babywearing? Yes I do!!

I am a loyal lillebaby fan. I have 3 soft structured carriers (the organic is my favorite), a ring sling and a tie the knot (kind of like a shirt/boba wrap). Bought them either on sale or second hand. I wore my 3 year old quite a bit and still do at times.

litzi-2

Add me to the list of the lillebaby fans! I think I have the complete airflow in black. I used if for my first two and it was the only carrier they liked. It held up great structurally, but the black is so faded it looks pretty disgusting now (washing, sun, etc). 

cyanope

Yay, @shoogapoff, @claireloSC, and @emmylou78! You’re going to love it!

grogu

My beluga baby wrap just arrived today. I'm so excited 😃

claireloSC

@cyanope You're gonna have to teach me how to use it though!

cyanope

@claireloSC, there’s DEFINITELY a learning curve! Watch all the tutorial videos and practice a LOT before LO gets here. My biggest piece of advice: tie it tighter than you think you should! It loosens up a bit and baby will slip down past your chest if it’s not nice and tight. 

Clobert

Loved my moby for the newborn stage (I lent it out so I need another, maybe a dolly) and I had a beco gemeni but the snaps are worn out so l need to buy a new infant soft structured carrier.  I leveled up to a standard kinderpack when my toddler was getting heavy and I loooooove it.  

BourbonBiscuits

Can anyone shed light on the differences between solly and moby? I had a moby with DD that I hated - it was so thick and not stretchy enough. The solly *looks* more breathable and stretchier, but I have no idea.

pickle-chips

@BourbonBiscuits yes, the Solly is lightweight, very breathable and oh so soft. I personally didn't have a Moby, but compared notes with a friend who had a Moby. She also didn't like the Moby because she got way too hot and sweaty in it, even with her winter baby. But because the Moby is thicker, I think it has a higher weight threshold? Solly wraps can be used up to 25 lbs and can only be used with baby facing inward. 

cyanope

@BourbonBiscuits, I can confirm that the Solly is SO much more lightweight than the Moby. And much stretchier. 

alexa_94

I have a LÍLLÉbaby complete all seasons that I really like and a stretchy wrap. I don’t care for the stretchy wrap though and have thought about getting a soft structured carrier or ring sling. 

claireloSC

I hadn't seen this new kind of Ergobaby before, it looks pretty nice for the newborn stage. No insert! https://www.target.com/p/ergobaby-embrace-baby-carrier/-/A-77404629

loloyoyo26

Ok- I’m bringing this back up because I think DH and I are 99.999999% sure we will do without the infant bucket seat.  I did baby wearing with DD, and I plan on trying with DS. 

 I had a Moby and then an infantino SSC I got at a second hand kids store.  I practiced a lot for DD and even got to the point that I could wear the Moby pre-wrapped then pop her in then tighten up rails, etc to get it into place.  Unfortunately, she was born at the end of May and a chunk.  So the Moby didn’t last long.  My BMB was all about Tula’s but I didn’t have the budget for that and couldn’t find one second hand.  I researched and started learning carries with a linen wrap, but got overwhelmed with choices then found ring slings.  That’s when I just ended up getting the infantino, lol, but I really didn’t like it.  

So here’s my question- anyone have any input on or suggestions for brands to purchase a linen wrap or have input on choosing that over a structured carrier or ring sling, etc? I say linen but I guess I really mean for it to be a non-stretchy woven wrap.  

fitmomma1989

@loloyoyo26
I use a Solly for infant stages & then have a standard Tula and a toddler Tula. I love the look of the ring slings & bought a couple of the Wild Bird ones & after being so used to the Solly/Tula found them incredibly uncomfortable. But, I know many women that LOVE them. They are also very affordable. Do you have a local baby wearing chapter in your area? Many have lending libraries and you can try out different brands  
Wild Bird does have a FB group with lots of discussion and you can buy/sell on there! 

Also- if you do decide to splurge on a Tula, just know that they hold their value. So, once your baby outgrows it .. you will likely be able to sell for close to what you purchased it for! There are several buy/sell Tula groups on FB that you could browse & sometimes they have good sales on their website!

pickle-chips

@loloyoyo26 I have both a linen ring sling and a SSC. I’ve got a Sakura Bloom linen ring sling and a Lillebaby SSC. If I had to pick just one, I’d actually go with the Lillebaby. 

My pros for the ring sling are: breathable, lightweight, can shove in a diaper bag, fast off and on, and easily adjustable between wearers (DH and I were the only ones that used it, but still), easy breastfeeding access! 

My cons for the ring sling: it took a loooong time to break the linen in, the learning curve was pretty steep and I didn’t feel comfortable/confident using it in the newborn stage, it hurt my shoulder if I wore too long (I have bad shoulders from rugby/volleyball), once my kids got older (9months+) they would both try to kick themselves out of a good seated position. It’s kind of annoying to wear with a backpack style diaper bag. 
I liked the ring sling for quick errands around town, if I was in and out of the car. 

BB1 about 3 weeks old

My pros for the SSC: very comfortable and supportive, even weight distribution, great for longer carries, easy to use, I always felt confident that baby/toddler was secure, adjustable between wearers (but can be a bit fiddly). 

My cons for the SSC: a bit bulky (you can’t really toss it into a diaper bag), harder to get off and on by yourself (but totally doable!). Slower baby loading.
I like the SSC for longer outings, vacuuming/chores around the house once baby was too big for the Solly wrap, errands, pretty much anything! My husband overall preferred the SSC as well, but he loved the ring sling for the newborn stage. 

BB1 about 7 months old