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Finding a good baby carrier is like finding a good man...

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It takes a lot of time and you have to go through a lot of bad ones. Before I had a baby, I thought the simplest way to figure out what kind of gear I would need was to read reviews on sites like Baby Gear Lab and Baby Center (if only parenting were this simple.) As ergo was consistently named one of the best carriers, I felt fortunate when my sister-in-law re-gifted me her never used ergo carrier. Unfortunately, my baby did not feel the same way. I quickly discovered why the ergo was never used by my sister-in-law. Whenever I put my baby in the ergo, he cried. Not cute little kitten squeals, but full on pterodactyl type shrieks. So desperate was my little one to escape from the ergo that he would arch his back and use his feet to launch himself off of me in some kind of deranged baby suicide attempt. There was nothing ergonomic about the ergo for my baby or I, so we moved onto the baby k’tan. I loved my baby k’tan – it was soft, comfy, easy to put on and oh so cuddly. It rem...
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Finding a good baby carrier is like finding a good man...

By

It takes a lot of time and you have to go through a lot of bad ones.

Before I had a baby, I thought the simplest way to figure out what kind of gear I would need was to read reviews on sites like Baby Gear Lab and Baby Center (if only parenting were this simple.) As ergo was consistently named one of the best carriers, I felt fortunate when my sister-in-law re-gifted me her never used ergo carrier. Unfortunately, my baby did not feel the same way. I quickly discovered why the ergo was never used by my sister-in-law. Whenever I put my baby in the ergo, he cried. Not cute little kitten squeals, but full on pterodactyl type shrieks. So desperate was my little one to escape from the ergo that he would arch his back and use his feet to launch himself off of me in some kind of deranged baby suicide attempt. There was nothing ergonomic about the ergo for my baby or I, so we moved onto the baby k’tan.

I loved my baby k’tan – it was soft, comfy, easy to put on and oh so cuddly. It reminded me of my baby being back in the womb. However (and this is a BIG however), as my little 6 pounder turned into a 16 pounder, I soon found that the k’tan pulled on my shoulders way too much leaving me feeling like I had a broken back. The baby k’tan is great for newborns, but by the time my baby was 3 months it was time to retire the k’tan.

Next up, the baby b’jorn. The b’jorn offers great back support, a must have when carrying around your little free weight, because of its back shoulder straps that wrap around each of your arms. The b’jorn is also easy to put on, even while holding baby, which is not as true of other carriers (ergo, k’tan and beco – I’m looking at you). Unfortunately (there’s always an unfortunately, right?), the b’jorn is a bit controversial. The b’jorn is one of those dreaded “crotch danglers” you read so much about. Some people think the whole crotch dangler fiasco is a farce, others think ergonomic support is important. Me? I’m stuck on the fence.

My solution: I use the b’jorn for short outings like running to the store for a gallon of milk, but not for long trips. The b’jorn also tends to be my husband’s carrier. (Yes, we have a carrier for my husband and a carrier for me. Sound excessive? Maybe. But it saves you a lot of time readjusting strap sizes, especially because straps on carriers are not the easiest to adjust.) Since my husband carries the baby a lot less than I do, I figure we are minimizing the negative effects of the bjorn.

Finally, the beco butterfly. The beco butterfly is probably my favorite carrier. It has a chest pad that evenly distributes weight across your body minimizing the damage on your back and shoulders. I believe the beco butterfly is an older model that is hard to find, but my friends swear by the beco gemini. The beco gemini has straps that can either go straight over your shoulders or cross over your body in an ‘x,’ allowing you to decide how you would like to distribute the weight.

In sum, the koo review recommends the baby k'tan for newborn infants and the baby b'jorn and the becco for older babies, but stear clear of the ergo.

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