Hi everyone - What’s the best baby carrier you’ve found? I'm due any day with our first baby, and I would really love to babywear around the house or running errands. But there's such an endless variety of options and they can be pretty pricey, so I want to make sure I’m getting the best one. Any suggestions?
#1 Ergobaby Embrace Baby Wrap
#1 Ergobaby Embrace Baby Wrap
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I swear by the Ergobaby Embrace wrap carrier. It is so comfortable for me and baby, distributes his weight evenly, and is simple to put on and take off. I used to love the idea of using a wrap, because it's just so cozy, but now that I've tried the Embrace carrier, I realize how nice it is to not have to deal with a long stretch of fabric or complicated wrapping and tying. But it still has all the benefits of a wrap—it's snuggly and warm, spreads the weight through my shoulders and back in a way that's not straining—without the hassle. It's just a super simple 3-buckle process. The Embrace carrier has also grown with my baby so well. There are slightly different instructions for 3 different ways to wear the baby as they get bigger, so I've been able to use mine from when my daughter was a newborn till now (she's 18 months). I'm so happy I've gotten such great use out of it!
@Lyda Shelton, does it have some way to help hold up a newborn's head when they can't hold it up themselves? I'm also concerned about the hip position. Is it safe for a baby to have their legs out like that? Can it stretch out their hips?
@Kai Nichols, yes, the Embrace carrier has great support for newborn's neck to help them hold up their heads. If you bend over, you may need to hold your baby's head, but if you're just walking around, it will support her head so you can be hands-free. It also is encouraged to have the baby's legs in that position (the "M" shape), as it is most healthy for their hips and knees. If you watch the instruction video, it has great pointers on protecting those little baby joints.
My wife and I really enjoy the Ergobaby Embrace with our little 2-month old. Almost every time we get her snuggled in there, she falls asleep within just a few minutes! I know a lot of other carriers may take up a lot of space and be tricky to fold or store, but this one folds up nice and neat and can just slip into the diaper bag really easily. It washes easily, too, which is essential for baby gear. It's definitely a winning product!
#2 Bebamour
#2 Bebamour
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The Bebamour baby carrier is my personal favorite. It has 6 uses in one, so I've been able to use it with my daughter from when she was an older baby (I think about 3 months) till now—she's almost three! The top part is detachable, so... if you want to just use it as a hip seat alone, to rest your child on and save your back, you can do that, too. But I usually prefer to be hands-free, so I almost always leave the top portion on to give my daughter back support.Read more
The Bebamour carrier has plenty of storage space within the hip seat compartment, so when I take it on walks or errands, I rarely have to take the diaper bag along, too, which is awesome. There's also an ... optional hood cover for baby's head and mesh vent for her back, so it's been a great way to keep my daughter cool when we go out on hot days. Read more
My husband loves using the Bebamour carrier with our son. We initially bought it for both of us, but unfortunately, it doesn't adjust large enough to fit ... my frame. It seems like an awesome product! I just wish I was able to use it myself. Read more
#3 Infantino Flip
#3 Infantino Flip
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The Infantino Flip 4-in-1 carrier does a lot for its low price. We've been using ours for two years with my daughter, with all different ways of wearing (facing you, facing out, and on your back) and it's still going ... strong! I like that the material is so breathable and lightweight. After wearing it for too long, it does start to tire out my shoulders and back, but I don't usually have the need to wear it for more than an hour anyway. Read more
@Shelby Sangster, have you ever had issues with your daughter's leg circulation being cut off? When I wear my son in the Infantino, his little feet start to turn purple after a few minutes.
@Idelle Nash, I did notice that in my daughter at first, too, when she was very small. I just rolled up a towel underneath her, and that little bit of lift seemed to help her blood circulate better. Hope that helps!
#4 Baby Bjorn
#4 Baby Bjorn
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The Baby Bjorn is a great carrier, especially for smaller babies. We can still use ours with our 12-month-old, facing outward, but it doesn't work quite ... as well as it did when he was little, facing inward. It's nice and lightweight, and is really easy to figure out how to put it on. Read more
My favorite feature of the Baby Bjorn is that you can completely detach the front panel if you baby falls asleep and you want to lay her down in the crib for the rest of her nap. I will say, it doesn't wear ... well for longer than about 20 minutes—my back starts to hurt, and the strap connection in the back slides up and I can't reach it to adjust it back in place. Nice for quick walks, though!Read more
#5 ClevrPlus Cross Country
#5 ClevrPlus Cross Country
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We've found the ClevrPlus Hiking Backpack is a convenient, affordable baby carrier for hiking or camping—that is, if you just go on hikes now and then. It's lightweight, has padded shoulder and hip straps, plenty of ... storage, and fits an older baby up to a 4-year-old. However, if you are one who hikes frequently, you may want something more sturdy. After about 4 months of using ours, the frame broke, and it is now unsafe for carrying a child. I wish it would've lasted longer, but I'm glad we got some good use out of it!Read more
My husband and I tried the ClevrPlus because it seemed like the perfect carrier to take our baby in when we hike occasionally. It was almost just what we needed, but ... something about the weight distribution was off, no matter what we tried to adjust. The weight of our 10-month-old just pulled us backward in a way that I wouldn't feel safe trying to hike with it.Read more
#6 Nalakai Ring Sling
#6 Nalakai Ring Sling
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The Nalakai ring sling is a nice enough option, since it's a cozy way to wear a baby, and is super soft. My wife loved it at first, but then the softness caused it to slip ... out of the rings, so she had to constantly tighten it back up (defeating the "hands-free" purpose of babywearing). She still gets some great use of it around the house, but just has to adjust often. Read more
I had a similar problem with my ring sling. The ring also kept slipping on my shoulder, so it strained my back to wear it. Let alone the hassle of ... having to switch shoulders so they feel evenly sore. But I will say, it makes a great blanket! My son still loves cuddling in its silky softness—so there's a plus!Read more