Carrier questions

cutcopypaste · January 2012

How many wraps/carriers do you have? What are they and what do you use each one for? I have a moby and really like it but am looking to get another carrier. I'm leaning towards a ring sling although still not sure. I have seen the babywearing guide but I'd also like to know what you personally find the most useful.

TiffanyBerry · January 2012

Baby K'tan - like a Moby, but partially pre-sewn. Like it for a little one, but DD didn't really like being worn early. She only wanted to be upright, facing out, to see everything!

B'jorn - hard on the back, bad for babies hips in a crotch dangle, but the only thing that DD would go in for the first two months I carried her, and then facing out.

Catbird Pikkolo - once she could mostly sit up and I could put her on my back, this SSC was mpthe only carrier I used for ages. I'd put her on my back when we went into a store, or whenever I needed to have her contained. Comfortable and convenient!

Sherpani backpack-style carrier - very adjustable and comfortable, but I never really liked the crotch dangle.

Woven wraps - I now own four of them, not buying the first until DD was about 14 or 15 months. It's all I use these days, and I love them!

numeria11 · January 2012

Here's a response I posted recently to a similar question:

If I had to pick just one it would be either my Ergo Sport or my Ring Sling because they are still the things we use daily. But if I coud I would say get those two and a Moby or Mei Tai. You can get all of them pretty reasonably used on The Babywearer, and for slightly more than the price of one Ergo new you might be able to snag all three if you look hard.

So here's what I have:

Moby - Awesome for the newborn stage -3 months (not super easy to put on but easy to get the baby in once you have it one). You can get them dirt cheap on Craigslist or most consignment stores (10-20 bucks maybe)

Ergo Sport - Great from about 4 months - the toddler years. Fantastic breathable fabric, great for a hot climate, easy on and off especially when they are still on your front. It takes a little practice when you switch them to the backpack side but still easy. We use ours still regularly, it's great since it puts the weight of the baby on your hips not your shoulders. I can still easily where DD in this for over an hour no problem.

Boba - great for bigger kids (9 months and up if your kid is huge like mine, otherwise 1 year and up) slightly higher back that the Ergo but I dont like the shoulders as much (harder to get a comfy fit for me) and the fabric is less breathable than the Ergo Sport. Not good for little bitty kids under 9 months, unless you are going to narrow down the leg spread on the leg openings. Same set up as the Boba though for weight distribution so good for long walks etc.

Mei Tai - I have a Kozy but I heard awesome things about BabyHawks. They are sort of the happy medium between a woven wrap and a structured carrier (ergo etc). If you get one with a padded waist it can be used well into the toddler phase. They are great because you can do a high back carry with your LO so that they can look over your shoulder when they are on your back so they can still see what's going on. Much easier to get on and off for a newbie vs. a woven wrap and easier to stuff in the diaper bag.

Ring Sling - great from the little baby phase all the way thru the toddler phase. The weight distribution isnt great since it puts it all on one shoulder and across your back but it's fantastic for quick ups and downs when you are carrying around a toddler or for nursing a LO. We still use our Linen RS regularly and love it, its aways with us and the few times I forgot it I kicked myself.

Woven Wraps - I have 3 of these and I want to love them, I see how they are great for some folks and I can see how they would be way more useful because of their versitly but my DD who will let me carry her in anything else gets really frustrated with these. Part of it is I think I started trying them when she was a little too old and between her just not having the patience for it and me being new to it we just cant get a good fit. So we have ours stashed away for the next kiddo. That said I wouldnt recommend them for the person who just wants a quick on and off or a easy learning curve.

blu-eyedwife · January 2012

Moby - I use this for around the house or walking the dog (because it's the warmest.) I like it for home use because it's so comfortable - like wearing a t-shirt.

Pikkolo - This is DH's carrier. He loves it and wears it everytime we go out as a family.

Babyhawk - This is my "going out" carrier. It goes on so quickly and easily it's the one I wear when we go on errands, go out to eat, go to playgroups, etc.

Babybelle - This is our "warm weather" carrier because it doesn't get as warm as the others.

Kelty - We haven't used it yet since he's not old enough, but this is for summer hiking and camping.

C-Charm · January 2012

I have an obscene number of size 4 and 6 woven wraps. I have a size 3 woven wrap. I also have a chopped woven wrap that's between a 3 & 4-- I split it with someone after we ordered it from Europe in a co-op.The size 6s are from when I first started babywearing when DD was a wee one. I only use them for teaching/demos now.

I have 2 mei tais--one Babyhawk that's out on loan and one DIY mei tai that is toddler sized.

I have 3 regular ring slings and one water ring sling.

I have a Bjorn that I've never used, but keep around for teaching purposes (to illustrate how narrow the seat is as opposed to the wide seat that you get with other carriers).

______

My default carrier is a size 4 or smaller wrap.

I use a ring sling for quick errands like running into the post office to retrieve a package. Ring slings also in handy when I anticipate that my toddler will want up/down a lot.

Finally, the mei tai has been hand this winter because it's difficult to wrap over both our coats---especially in the morning when I head to work and DD is still sleeping as I head out to the car (just like Melpatbat said).

Yikes! I just remembered that I have a Bali Baby Breeze wrap that I use for teaching/demo purposes.

NYGirl02 · January 2012

I have a moby. Love it. I use it when running errands because I can put it on under my coat before we leave. I also use it anytime I'm going to be sitting somewhere for a while...like church. Use it around the house also. It's just so darn comfy.

Ergo performance with the insert. Love it for dog walks. LO can stay swaddled also. So if she is sleeping when the dog starts going nuts to go outside, it's quick to get in. Also has a pocket for keys and cell phone. I wear it under my coat usually, but can easily be used outside my coat. DH also likes this one.

Maya Wrap (ring sling). Just not loving it so far. I want to like it because it seems like it would be so easy to nurse in, and pop her in and out of.....but it's not working for us yet.

I want a mei tei. I'd like to try a high back carry with it when LO is fussing and I want to get things done without having her in front of me. I thought of this when I was attempting to take down christmas decorations last week. Not sure if I will invest in one or not, though.