Baby Carrier Reviews
Written at Two Months
So far, my overall opinion is that I prefer the ring sling if I'm going to be out in public for a shorter period (under three hours) and in just one place (like dinner out with Josh) and need to look cute. I prefer the Moby if I'm going to be running lots of errands (I can put it on at home and just get Marion in and out of it as we go around), or if I need to have her on me most of the day around the house (I can wear the Moby for longer periods of time with less discomfort.) I tend to wear the Moby around the house and the Zolowear out in public (but that's just a very basic generalization.)
Written at (almost) Four Months
Even as Marion has gotten bigger, I still find myself consistently reaching for the Moby wraps. In fact, I bought two so I would always have one clean one. The ring sling gets very little useage now, mainly because it seems I just can't quite get it to carry comfortably and correctly for more than a short period of time. Also, Marion's new "trick" right now is standing up when her feet are on a hard surface, so if she goes in the sling in a froggy carry, she immediately launches herself upright. We've had a few near misses :). We're using the Mei Tai more and more as she gets older, and I can only see that continuing. Especially as summer gets here and it gets too hot for the Moby. I will say I ordered a cheap(ish) Mei Tai and I think that has a lot to do with the comfort level. As much as I don't want to, I think I'm going to have to suck it up and order one of the expensive (but beautiful) BabyHawks. The Baby K'tan and the structured carrier get used a little bit, but just see a fraction of our total carry time compared to the Moby.
Ring Sling
Zolowear - Bliss Blue Paisley
A Woman's Work
$90.00
Size Large Pros- Super fashionable
- Variety of ways to carry her
- Easy to get off and on
- Pocket on the tail end is a great place to stash keys and a pacifier
- Machine wash/dry
- Easy to cover her head (either with the tail or extra material from the body) so she can be really private
- Ring slings in general are fairly inexpensive and you can get them from a variety of places (like etsy, ebay, WAHMs etc.)
- Lots of fabric options
- Josh and I can wear the same size sling (even though he won't use it)
- Easy to learn how to wear it
- Even though there are a lot of carry options, you still put the sling on the same way for almost all of them
- You can do a back carry with it (with a toddler according to instructions)
- Tested to carry even over 35lbs
- Can be used for newborn and up
Cons
- Kind of hard to adjust - I feel that sometimes I can't get it tight enough
- I can't wear it for too long without getting some back pain (two, three hours is max for me)
- Every time I put it on - I feel I put it on differently (in terms of where it fits on my body, how tight it is, how she fits in it.)
- This particular sling was expensive
- Every time she comes out of the sling and goes back in, it needs to be readjusted
- If she's facing front, sometimes I feel that the top rail is choking her (probably more my problem with how I have her seated in the sling than anything else)
- Because the weight is distributed across one shoulder/top of one arm, I find that if I have the rings across my right shoulder, anytime I reach with that hand or extend my arm and shoulder (my dominant hand) I disturb the position of the sling and have to fool with it (so I don't use it when I'm doing housework.)
Moby Wrap
Moby Wrap - Black
Target
$39.99
One Size
Pros- Super, super, super comfortable to wear, both for me and for Marion
- I can wear it all day without it causing back pain
- Machine wash/dry
- Affordable
- Variety of carries
- Works for a back carry
- Once I put it on, I can leave it on and take her in and out without adjusting it each time (which is perfect for running lots of short errands)
- One size fits everyone
- Really easy to get her in and out of it
- Lots of pretty ones available on etsy and other such sites
- Easy to use while I work around the house since the weight is over the top of my shoulders and the material doesn't bind my arms in any way
- Holds up to 45lbs
- Can be used from the moment they are born
- I love this one so much that I now have two so I always have one clean one
Cons- Not really fashionable, it pretty much covers up everything you're wearing
- Harder to learn to use - it can take a while to learn how to wrap it since the material is so long
- If you carry the baby for a while, the material can stretch out
- Because it's so much material, it can get hot wearing it for a while
- The fabric can get twisted easily when you put it on which can make it uncomfortable to wear
Soft Structured Front Carrier
Chicco You and Me Deluxe Infant Carrier
Babies R Us
$99.99
One Size Pros- "Manly" carrier - this is the only one Josh uses
- Can be used for babies over 7 lbs
- Lots of good lumbar support and good weight distribution
- Easy to put on and take off
- Now that Marion is a bit bigger (over 3 months and 12lbs) Josh is using it a bit more and says she seems to like it
- Since I don't use it, when she's in it, she knows Josh is carrying her and so she doesn't expect the same kind of sensations she gets when I carry her
Cons- Only up to 26lbs
- It says it can be used for 7lbs and up, but we found that for a newborn, her head was too unstable for Josh to be comfortable carrying her in it
- Only two carry positions - facing in, facing out
- This may be true only for Marion, but right now (6 weeks) she doesn't like her legs just dangling there - she prefers to be curled up. So she won't stay in it for very long without fussing because of that.
- She's 3.5 months now, and doesn't mind her legs dangling. However, Josh says now that she's learned to push off with her feet and is trying to stand up, he has to be careful that she doesn't stand on any surfaces (like countertops) and try to launch herself out.
Mei Tai
Cuddling Baby Mei Tai - Tropical Splendor
Etsy
$29.99
One Size This carrier is taking some time to get used because it's really not the best carrier for lotus styled (crossed legs) holds. It really does work best for legs dangling, which didn't fly with Miss M until she's gotten a bit older.
Pros
- By far the easiest carrier to get off and on
- You can get these at a ton of online stores in endless prints and fabrics, so you can always find something stunning
- Really really easy to learn to use
Cons
- Not able to use this with an itty bitty (at least not our itty bitty)
- Because it's just four straps, it doesn't offer a lot of support and weight distribution. Not too much of a problem with Marion being small, but as she gets heavier, I'm sure I'll notice it more.
- So far, we haven't done any different holds except tummy to tummy with legs out (but you can do different carrys with this, we just haven't done them yet.)
Pouch Sling
Hotslings - Stretch Solstice Sateen
Babies R Us
$47.99
Size 4
Pros- Super cute patterns
- Affordable
- Multiple position carries
Cons- I ended up returning this since the sizing was impossible for me - because I'm so short and busty, I just couldn't get it to fit right
Hybrid Wrap/Sling
Baby K'Tan - Pink
Target
$39.99
Size M Pros- If you don't like fooling with all the fabric in a Moby, but you like the carries you can do with it, this is the perfect hybrid sling
- Since it's not a great fit for me, we have a very specific use for this, but it works great for that one use. It's the only carrier that Marion will consent to be cradle carried in.
Cons- I just need to stop buying fixed carriers and stick with adjustable ones. I have the same problem with this I have with the hotsling. According to their sizing charts, I need a large. But I (thought) I knew better so I bought a medium. The medium fits across the bust (barely) but when M is in it for more than just a bit, she starts to stretch the material out and it feels like she ends up at my knees. A small would solve the too-long issue for me, but it wouldn't fit across my chest.