Product Spotlight: Baby Carriers

littlemarshmallow

This week’s spotlight is on Baby Carriers. Ring sling? Soft Structured Carrier? Classic Baby Bjorn? Modal/stretchy wrap? 

What do you like/dislike and why? What would you recommend?

Best for newborn? Infant? Toddlers? 

Recommendations for best for breast feeding while carrying, back carry, front carry, tandem carry, etc. 

Share your wisdom and your “I wish I had known”

Feel free to revive this thread as needed even after the week is over!

lizzie-weber

I absolutely loved my happy baby carrier with my first. Folds up teeny tiny to plop in my my diaper bag. They’re also really cute. I have a pretty olive green color. Loved the baby Ktan for when baby was teeny tiny.

maggiemadeit

I’m wondering if anyone has any recommendations for a carrier for hot weather? I feel like these summer babies are going to be sooooo hot in a carrier, but also my other 2 kids will be home all summer and I’m not going to have enough hands so will probably be baby wearing a lot! 

littlemarshmallow

I have a baby bjorn carrier and honestly hate it because there is no back support! I’ll be looking at another carrier for this one that is actually comfortable

stress_engine

There are mesh versions of a lot of the carriers, so I'd probably go for one of those. Maybe wraps will be lighter too? I was considering a mesh carrier, but there is a price increase for some of them.

@littlemarshmallow, curious if you tried a universal lumbar support attachment like the one from LÍLLÉbaby. Babybjörn was on my list, but I was also considering Ergobaby.

littlemarshmallow

@stress_engine I didn’t know support attachments existed! I’ll be looking into that for sure because I like the carrier itself I just hate how the only support for me is around my shoulders, nothing around my trunk

stress_engine

@littlemarshmallow, let us know if you think it helps! I'll add one to my registry just in case!

curlyandpreggo

Oh how I love baby carriers. I already have too many of them and I'm lusting after more for this new baby (but I REALLY don't need anymore). 

For the newborn phase I absolutely love my Solly Baby wrap. It's more complicated to do but the MOST comfortable once you get it down. Karrie Locher on Instagram has great tutorials (she also just said she's posting a pro/con list of all the different carriers she has soon so that could be really helpful in general). I also love that wrap carriers can be thrown in your diaper bag or stroller so you have the option of wearing baby. There are other brands of wrap carriers, but the Solly is oh so soft. They also make other brands that "simply" this type of carrier like the Baby K'Tan - We got one as a hand me down and I didn't like it quite as much. 

My other go to carrier when she got a little older that we still use is the Ergo Omni Breeze, which we still use to this day (my daughter is 16 months). I chose this one because it lasts through lots of stages (starting at 7 lbs, so newborn depending on how big your baby is) and was designed to be cooler than some of the other Ergo options. I've used this A LOT and if I was only going to get one, this would probably be it (though it would be really hard to give up my Solly those first few months). 

Other Carriers I have with some thoughts (like I said, I like carriers way too much and went overboard at some point):
- Bjorn Baby Carrier Mini: This is my husbands favorite carrier and can be used through the first year. He really didn't like most carriers that go around your waist and this is just on your back. I had some concerns about whether we could get proper hip position for my daughter, so didn't use it a ton myself. But it was pretty comfortable in the early months and I was glad to find something that worked well for my husband! (Also like @littlemarshmallow said, the back support is lacking in this)

- Regular Bjorn (it was a hand me down, but think this one): This was a hand me down, so I'm not sure if they've made some updates in newer models, but I felt that it was too bulky and structured so didn't really use it. My Ergo was just way more comfortable. 

- Ring Sling: My ring sling is another favorite of mine, particularly when 1) the baby gets to the stage where my want to look around more and 2) When you can hip carry them. This was so great to just throw in my bag and have as an option to carry her. Once I figured out how to wear it correctly it was very comfortable and easy to put on as well. I've also heard you can breastfeed in them, but never got around to trying myself. Lots of options, but I went with the Kyte Baby Ring Sling. 

-Lillebaby Complete: I got this one because I went through a phase where I was having some back pain and this looked like it might be more supportive than some of my other carriers. It was, but I wouldn't say drastically say. Overall I found it bulkier and less comfortable than my Ergo, but was helpful when I needed that little extra bit of support. 

(We also have a hip carrier (think a fanny pack with a seat) and a hiking backpack carrier, but I haven't used those enough to really have anything to say about them. That said, both of these feel like really good options in the toddler phase and I hope to start using them more - the hip carrier because there's a lot of up and down and the hiking backpack because she's getting heavier and that offers more support. I honestly just keep forgetting to use them)

@maggiemadeit I liked both my solly and my Ergo Omni Breeze for hot weather (My daughter was born in August, so definitely had the issue of heat our first few months - though at the end of the day you still have the body heat of the baby against you - only so much you can do for that I guess!) 

maple1422

I didn't have a carrier with my first. MAN was I missing out. Babywearing is the way to go. With our second I got the Infantino Cuddle Up Ergonomic Hoodie Baby Carrier. I liked this one more as baby got older and had really good neck strength on his own. We also have the boba baby wrap and I used this most when he was teeny. I could even cook dinner and clean the kitchen while breastfeeding in it. I've seen a few friends with other carriers that I might be trying out with baby 3. Mine worked ok, but there's room for improvement. Baby 2 would have moods where he just didn't want to be worn, so I'm curious if any other wraps or carriers would be more to his liking. They worked especially well if he was tired though.

https://www.target.com/p/boba-wrap-baby-carrier/-/A-85799717?preselect=14634296#lnk=sametab
https://www.target.com/p/infantino-cuddle-up-ergonomic-hoodie-carrier-fox/-/A-80236276#lnk=sametab

saltedcaramel518

I second @curlyandpreggo for the Solly Baby. I loved it. Newborns can get so snuggly in it. 

I also have an Ergo that I like for when baby is older. I don't remember specifically which one I have (I got it when my 7 year old was a baby). It has great support, and it never felt too complicated to get baby in/out. The only thing I would change is to have gotten one with some kind of cooling/mesh fabric, It can get hot. 

I want to get a ring sling for this baby.

knottie9925db1bad11b909

Personally, I swear by my soft structured carrier for its comfort and support. It's like a cozy hug for both me and my little one. Plus, it's a lifesaver for breastfeeding on the go! But hey, every mama's different. My friend swears by her ring sling for its versatility, especially during those early days with her newborn. And oh, the back carry feature on my carrier? Game-changer for grocery shopping! I wish I'd known about it sooner.

knottie9925db1bad11b909

knottie9925db1bad11b909 said:

Personally, I swear by my soft structured carrier for its comfort and support. It's like a cozy hug for both me and my little one. Plus, it's a lifesaver for breastfeeding on the go! But hey, every mama's different. My friend swears by her ring sling for its versatility, especially during those early  days with her newborn. And oh, the back carry feature on my baby carrier? Game-changer for grocery shopping! I wish I'd known about it sooner.

Ofc you can correct me if I'm wrong