Registry – Baby Carriers and Baby Wearing Resources
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Welcome to installment five of our registry for working moms: baby wearing gear! Baby wearing is a must for urban moms and other moms who do a lot of walking — but which are the best? What accessories? And where should you find them? We’ve already talked about carseats and strollers, cribs and sleeping gear, and now: carriers for baby wearing. As I’ve mentioned before, I envision the entire series going through these categories (stay tuned!):
- Carseat — necessary from coming home from the hospital!
- Stroller — how many have you tried? How many do you keep? (e.g., big stroller, umbrella stroller, jogging stroller)
- Cribs and sleeping gear — crib and bassinet rocker, if necessary
- Baby clothes — daytime clothes, baby socks
- Baby wearing carriers — infant and 15-lb.+ options
- Baby toys — swings, seats, and other Big Things to register for (Exersaucers, etc)
- Essential books
- Diaper bag
- Nursing clothes
- Breastfeeding pillow
- And one final category: The Biggest Flops (stuff you hated).
Some of our favorite soft carriers for baby wearing as of 2021…
As for baby wearing… I nearly included this with my roundup on baby clothes, because what your baby is wearing will definitely affect which carrier you want to use. For my $.02: We received a Boba 3G as a gift and really liked it for both boys once they were over 15 lbs. The newer version has an infant insert, I believe, but I have no experience with that. When the boys weighed less than that, we used a Bjørn Air, which was also a gift; I also used a Maya sling for a bit when Jack was younger. (There’s a picture of me and Harry in the sling, below, but I’m not quite sure I had it on right that time — we just never got the hang of it this time.) Almost all of my friends loved the Ergo carrier the best.
One of the best tips we got was from friends who told us we could take a baby wearing class — we even found a consultant who came to our home for $100, brought a number of different types of slings and carriers, showed us how to put them on appropriately, how to make fit adjustments, and even some tricks on how to make them more comfortable for the baby. (For example, with the sling, she suggested that if the baby passed out on you, you could roll up a washcloth and tuck it into the sling to make a mini pillow for the baby’s head.) (In NYC ours came from a baby shop on the UWS that some friends recommended.) One thing she noted was that the Baby Bjørn is actually not the best for regular wear with babies — something about how it’s bad for their spine? — so once the boys got to the minimum weight for the Boba (or another soft carrier) we switched them to that. (But this Skeptoid post ponders whether that’s a myth.)
I never quite got the hang of breastfeeding in the carrier — I really believed I’d be doing it all the time with baby #2, and must have watched this YouTube video a million times trying to figure it out… but aside from one fairly memorable trip to the big Train Show where I walked around and fed Harry in the Boba (and realized afterward that using the hood would have been PERFECT for additional modesty), I never really did it. I was also never really comfortable cooking while wearing Harry — even prepwork like chopping seemed kind of precarious! — but at the end of the day I often did end up wearing him around the house while we got things ready for Jack. Harry liked the closeness, Jack liked that Mommy was more mobile…
Note that if you’re baby wearing in the winter, your coat should cover you AND the baby — you never want to risk the possibility that you’ll be all warm and snuggly while your kiddo is freezing. They do make blankets that go over the baby carrier like the Ergobaby Baby Carrier Winter Weather Cover – Black
Ergobaby Winter Weather Cover (which we used with our Boba 3G) or the Kowalli Fleece Baby Carrier Cover (Black)
Kowalli cover; you can also buy coats like the M-coat or Sweet Mommy coats that have baby pouches built in. For in-between weather where one minute you need a blanket and the next you don’t, I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: I love the ROSK Woobee blanket. (You can use it with a baby carrier as well as a carseat or stroller.) I also would wear some of my husband’s zip-up hoodies if it was slightly cool; they were large enough to zip up over the baby and me.
Allegedly the Boba 3G is good up to 45 pounds (and has an option to wear the baby like a backpack that I’ve never quite gotten the hang of); now that Harry is about 23 pounds we stick him in the stroller anytime we can. Three other points: 1) If your baby is teething and gnawing like crazy on everything, you can buy teething pads for the straps; you can wash them more easily than you can the carrier itself. 2) In terms of which diaper bags (or regular bags) to wear while baby wearing, I preferred a backpack (like the Mosey) with the Bjørn, but a crossbody (like the LeSportsac Everyday or our beloved BabyCargo diaper bag) with the Boba, due to the strap placement. 3) If you’re traveling with a baby, please read up a bit on baby wearing in taxis — I know many moms who did it without a second thought, but The Car Seat Lady’s admonitions against it were enough to scare me.
Finally: I like to illustrate these posts with pictures of my kids in the products I’m recommending, and I have a zillion pictures of me baby wearing, but they’re all really poor… so here’s a collage, below. (I’m not even wearing makeup in half of them, I don’t think… fun…) Clockwise: 1) Harry in the Maya Sling. (I’m not sure I had it positioned correctly here!) 2) Harry in the Baby Bjørn. 3) Jack in the brown Boba, with the red fleece cover on top of him, with a sweatshirt zipped up on top of both of us for a walk. 4) Harry in the Baby Bjørn, with a silly but functional iPlay sun hat on. 5) Jack in the Boba, with the ROSK tied around the strap, with me wearing a regular winter coat (just worn open). 6) Harry in the Baby Bjørn. 7) Harry in the Boba, wearing a fleece jacket, with the red fleece cover on top of the Boba (me wearing another regular coat, just worn open).
Further reading:
- Babywearing International — check the site to see if there’s a local chapter near you.
- Forums at TheBabyWearer
- The Quest for the Best Baby Carrier [BabyGearLab]
- The Most Common Baby-Wearing Mistakes Parents Make [PopSugar Moms]
- The Latest in Strollers? Mom and Dad [New York Times]
- Unsafe Baby Slings [New York Times Motherlode blog]
- What’s the Safest Way to Take My Baby on the Bus? [Grist]
I have a Sollybaby wrap and a Boba 4G. The Sollybaby wraps like a Moby, but a) is not as long and b) is limited to front carry with a baby under 25lbs. I really like this for my peanut. The Boba I have does have the infant insert, which is a small pillow for a 7lb baby to sit on until s/he hits 15lbs. That said, I preferred the wrap exclusively until about 9-10lbs.
We used the BabyBjorn once LO reached the right weight, since we didn’t have a newborn insert. I think it was about 10-12 pounds. When he outgrew the BabyBjorn we chose the Boba Air, which I love. Like the Boba Kat mentions, it is both a front and back carrier, although I’ve used it exclusively as a front carrier until now. It is small enough to fit in my diaper bag – which is awesome, because I now always have it on hand. I took it hiking with me a few weeks ago and it was perfect for short half-day hikes. I could see the shoulder straps getting a bit uncomfortable for much longer than that because they aren’t well padded – but for our needs I couldn’t be happier. I wanted a Moby, but my sister talked me out of it because she didn’t care for hers. I didn’t have much call to baby wear in the early weeks, but I could see that it would be more useful with an active toddler and a newborn.
We used a Baby K’tan from a few weeks old (when we got it — wish we’d had it from the beginning) regularly until about 4 months/15 lb, and started using our Ergo 360 at about 2 months. Still use the K’tan occasionally.
The K’tan was amazing, a gift from g-d for getting the baby to take really long, restorative naps, plus it was soft so you could sit down or lie down while wearing it indoors. Once the baby hit 12 lb, it wasn’t great for walks because it has no hip strap — it can be hard on the back. We did legs out almost from the beginning in the K’tan, after researching a lot; our baby was MUCH more comfortable that way than in the “kangaroo” position, which he hated.
Ergo 360 is awesome because it can be front inward-facing, back, or front outward-facing. Baby loves all of them. The infant insert is really hot and we used it a grand total of twice. My one beef with the Ergo is it doesn’t fold up very small — no self-pouch or anything, or easy loop for hanging it up. K’tan is much easier to throw in your bag, but by now, with a 17-18 lb baby, it’s hard to use for any length of time.
Am I the only one who did not end up using her carriers as extensively as I imagined? I have a K’tan and a Lillebaby and while I know how to use them and like them both, I really just don’t have a need for them. I realize that I am fortunate to have a good napper and generally happy baby, but I am kind of annoyed I spent all that money on unnecessary baby carriers.
I really liked using different carriers–I experimented with several.
I liked the moby wrap when our daughter was small–it was snuggly and could easily be adjusted for me or my husband. It didn’t have enough support and was kind of warm to wear when she got older. We also used the ergo first with the infant insert (she was under 7 lbs at birth) although I came to love the ergo much more after she was older–it really became my primary carrier. I carried her in it regularly up until she was two although I switched to the back carry around 16 months. We also bought a baby hawk mei tai–which I thought my husband might use when we stopped using the moby since it was more adjustable than the ergo and still had a waist strap. Unfortunately, we never really used it and it didn’t seem to support the baby’s weight as well when she got bigger. For shopping trips, I tended to use a ring sling which folded up compactly and could be adjusted in different ways as the baby grew. I could easily tuck it in a bag–unlike some other more bulky carriers. My husband’s primary carrier was a new native once piece carrier that was kind of a pouch-like sling. When my daughter turned one, we bought a backpack carrier by Kelty Kids but we never used it as much as I thought we might. It is useful for hiking and other situations where a stroller isn’t workable.
If I had to recommend just a couple of carriers I would recommend a ring-sling or some other smaller more compact sling because its so portable and an ergo because its versatile and comfortable even when the baby gets bigger.
I bought a Nesting Days carrier (sized to me) and a Moby (so either me or my husband could use it). Haven’t been able to use either of them yet, but I like that the Nesting Days one has some stomach support (you kind of wear it like a tight shirt, so no hands). I’ve tried it on once and it seems pretty easy to use, but I’m not sure how much babywearing I’ll be doing around the house – don’t anticipate going out much in the winter and it’s only for babies up to four months or so.
I never did much baby wearing, but for the toddler years, we have an Osprey backpack carrier that I love. It’s fabulous for hiking, the zoo (DD is up high and can see the animals without getting in and out of the stroller 8000 times), trips to the pumpkin patch and corn maze, etc. We use it more than I anticipated we would (partly because it was crazy expensive, so we are trying to get money’s worth).
With my first, I had an Ergo with the infant insert. I love the Ergo, but not the insert. We used it almost exclusively from 4-12 months, while our stroller collected dust. I loved the pocket, I would just through a few things in there, and keep my diaper bag at home or in the car, so putting it in the car was no issue. It worked well for both my husband and I, although we are pretty different sizes. I would like to buy something geared towards the first few months for my second, but all of the options seem to have a major flaw. Wraps seem complicated, and my husband and I could not use the same K’tan (we both baby wear a lot).
A question:
Has anyone tried a woven wrap? I think they are mostly made in Europe but are supposed to be more supportive and less hot than the stretchy-knit type wraps I’ve mostly seen and used with my daughter. I’m expecting again–due in February and might be in the market to try something new especially something that would be more wearable in spring and summer.
I liked the Boba wrap for the earliest times under 15 pounds. The stretchiness was good to hold them close when they don’t have much control of their head or anything else. I liked the more structured Bjorn for the in between stage when they are starting to be mobile and can hold themselves up. However, I feel like it’s not very comfortable once they start to get bigger and heavier. Once we got to around 1 year we upgraded to a backpack Osprey Poco and a Tula. If I had to only get 1, I’d get the Tula since it’s more versatile (front and back wear, I’ve used it in the same day with a 6 month old and a 3 year old), but the backpack was great for hiking and longer shopping trips. Also, the Osprey was camping-gear-like so my husband was more into wearing it. Not that he didn’t wear all the other ones, but I feel like he was more enthusiastically wearing it.
I used the Ergo (with large infant in a warm bear suit in winter–no insert) and then toddler Tula. Couldn’t get the hang of Moby and hated the wrapping and knotting. Preferred straps that were adjustable. Soft structured is great for the airport.
I really wanted to comment here and now I finally have time! I wore my first mostly while traveling, but I have worn my second often. I’ve used many babywearing devices at this point:
– Moby (Stretchy Wrap): Soft and secure if wrapped correctly, but super hot and not supportive beyond ~15 lb.
– Ergo Sport (SSC): Used this until my older daughter was about 18 months. Lightweight version of the ergo. Much more comfortable than the original, in my opinion, and much cooler.
– Woven Wraps: Got into wovens when pregnant with #2. I love these and have used them for a year and half now, with both my older and younger kids. They are so supportive, flexible and pretty. There is a learning curve, though.
– Ring Slings: I have a love/hate relationship with them. I had a linen sling that I used when my baby was tiny, but she never felt secure. I always had one hand on her. That being said, it was cool and easy to nurse in. I just got another woven wrap conversion ring sling, which is really nice for quick ups now that my youngest is one. Not great for long-term wear but good to use around the house.
– Kinderpack with mesh (SSC): My favorite SSC by far. Has a mesh panel for cooling and the infant version has an adjustable seat so no infant insert required. Downside is that they’re very hard to get and come in multiple sizes (which is a bit confusing).
Dislikes:
I did not like the Boba 3g or the Beco Gemini. Ring slings are tough if your little one wiggles but they have their place. Anything with an infant insert is a big pain.
I agree with the Boba wrap or a similar stretchy wrap for the early months. It was invaluable to me in the first few weeks when our daughter needed to be walked to sleep, and it was comfortable for me to stand or sit with her in the wrap while she napped. Around the twelve pound/three-month mark, we started looking for a soft structured carrier. We purchased the Lillebaby Complete Airflow, and so far, I highly recommend it. We chose the Airflow primarily for the breathable mesh and the lumbar support. I’ve ended up using the carrier quite a bit for walks/hikes in our local parks. Our daughter is now seventeen pounds, and I can still comfortably wear her in the Airflow for over an hour of walking over easy terrain. The lumbar support is terrific. We have only used it in the inward-facing infant position, but look forward to trying the other positions now that she is more reliably sitting up on her own.
I love the Bjorn One. Once our daughter got to 11 pounds or so, something with a waistband was a must. She’s now 16 months, 20 lbs and 31″, and we still use this several times a month–sometimes inward facing like for a newborn, if she’s particularly tired. I haven’t practiced enough to feel comfortable getting her on my back on my own, but it can be done.
I also have a Baby K’tan–it’s the kind of thing that I wouldn’t buy again, but since I have it, we use it occasionally. It didn’t feel secure when she was an infant, but was nice when she was several months old. We used it when we were out and about, and she was tired and needed to be snuggled into napping.
I’ve tried out a variety of carriers.
Cheap-o Infantino SSC: Made my back feel horrible. I got it free, and gave it away.
Seven sling: This is the one that they always offer free for shipping. It was great for practicing babywearing with the cat, but couldn’t get the human baby situated and didn’t feel secure.
Baby K’Tan: Reasonably quick to put on, but still didn’t offer as much support as I felt I needed.
Ergo: Now we were getting somewhere, but it still wasn’t quite right.
Lillebaby: Used this pretty exclusively until she was about a year old. I liked that we could carry her front-facing, since she is very curious and always wanted to look forward. I know it’s not as good for their hips, but she was happier. My husband could wear the same carrier. Great back support.
Kinderpack: I’ve been using this to back carry since she turned 1-ish. It’s my favorite so far, but they’re notoriously hard to come by. Great support, has a mesh panel for warmer weather, range of sizes means that you can get something that fits you (straps) and the baby (carrier). If, that is, you can snag one in a stocking.