Baby Carrier Bonanza
I've been asked to do a sling post for a while now, and I've never really gotten around to doing it before now. The last few evenings I've been slowly adding to my list, and pulled out some of my old photos, so I finally got my stuff together and actually got around to it.
By popular request, my personal babywearing review:
My first introduction to babywearing came via a box of gently used, newborn cloth diapers that I bought of Ebay. The mama who sold them to me sneaked in a ring sling. I started literally on day one with Tempest, and got my hands on new slings and carriers to test as often as I could. With shoulder, hip and back problems it was imperative that I found one that worked well for me. I had several custom makes, I won some in contests, I bought used, second hand, clearance and discontinued and went through a lot of different styles.
These reviews are limited by my own experience, and should probably be considered moderately outdated as I have zero introduction into the modern babywearing world.
Also, for transparency's sake, it's worth mentioning my size and any special circumstances that would affect my babywearing experience: I'm about 5'1" and extremely petite, large-busted and exclusively breastfed both my babies. Curtis is 6'4" and averages about 220lbs and I added in his thoughts at the end of each review, where applicable, as a few were specialty orders and couldn't fit anyone but me.
I'm going to be ranking each carrier in different aspects, on a scale from 1-5. 1 being poor, 3 being average, 5 being exceptional.
These are the criteria:
Portability - Ease of carrying the carrier. Does it fit in a diaper bag or purse? Does it have it's own carrying bag? Is it weigh your bag down? Will it never leave the backseat of your car?
Prep - A rank on how long it takes, or ridiculous it is, to prep the carrier for baby insertion.
Sharing rank - Ease of trade between parents.
Shame factor - The neutrality of the sling and whether or not you'll be embarrassed to wear it out in public because it looks like some sort of celestial Niqab. High scores can go to easily customizable carriers that have lots of options. Bonus points if you can send in your own fabric to have it made.
Flash factor - How easy is it to breastfeed in it without having to sit down, juggle the baby, take them out, hold your boob, etc...
Ideal age - Self explanatory. This doesn't count toward the final score and purely for informational purposes.
Versatility - How many different ways can you carry it? Ease of this counts toward a lot. If it has 17 different ties but it's not reasonable to do more than two, you don't get extra points.
Cost - Expensive ranks low, affordable ranks high. Value is also taken into account, so if it's expensive but has lots of options and is of high quality stuff... that counts for a lot.
Resale - Will people actually buy this from you when you're done?
And finally "Overall Rank", which is averaged from everything together.
Nojo
This was the carrier I received in the box of cloth. It was obviously very well loved, and well washed, so the siderail wasn't as stiff as it would be if it was brand new. In appearance and function it's almost indistinguishable to the Over the Shoulder Baby Holder, and is modeled after the standard adjustable sling design.
It prides itself on being an exceptional nursing sling, and having multiple carries including tummy-to-tummy, cradle, back, hip and facing outward. The photo above is demonstrating the outward facing carry, and I could never get this to work in such a way that the baby didn't start keeling over sideways toward my hip.
One of my major problems with this sling is that I had to pad it more than it already was because when pulled open, the inside was absolutely cavernous. It was like a circus tent, or a black hole. Babies got lost inside, possibly crushed down to subatomic particles.
It was a good starter sling, but there are plenty of carriers that are way, way better. This was like the Bjorn of ring slings.
Tempest in a Nojo at about 5 weeks old.
Curtis weighs in: I didn't like it. It never felt like it fit properly, regardless of how it was adjusted. I felt like I could never get either of the kids in a good, comfortable position.
Dad Rank: 2.
Portability: 2. Like most ring slings, this is bulky and hard to fold up nicely and fit anywhere other than the backseat of your car. It's not at all discreet, in fact I was asked to remove it on airlines because they imagined it was a "safety hazard" since it was so large and tent-like. It even got mistaken for a Hooter Hider more than once.
Prep: 4. You just have to put it on and tighten the ring, and that's pretty simple.
Sharing: 3. It could easily fit a variety of body types... as long as none of them were petite. If you're under 5'5 and skinny, this was not for you. The smaller, the worse.
Shame: 1. This thing looks like it came right out of the 80's. I never saw an attractive or interesting fabric pattern. It's always dots and stripes, which are really good at drawing stares.
Flash factor: 3. You can pull the outer edge up quite far (part of the whole cavernous thing) and easily cover your breast. Or your head. However, it's difficult to breastfeed in, so they cancel each other out.
Ideal age: 8+ months. This was impossibly difficult to use with a newborn, but once babies can sit on their own really well and have a good amount of growth on them, it got way easier.
Versatility: 2. Everything seemed "too big" about it, and all the carries were difficult to maintain without that obnoxious "leaning back" thing.
Cost: 5. It's pretty cheap, and you can get them at thrift stores because people don't generally want them over the more modern, popular brands. It seems to be averaging around 25 new.
Resale: 1. Good luck with that.
Overall Rank: 2.8
Baby Trekker
This is almost like a soft, oversized version of the Bjorn. It's another crotch-hanger style of carrier, but it's much larger, more heavily padded and easier to adjust. It has a pouch-like body with long, heavily padded shoulder straps covered in small metal rings. It's designed to either cross over your back (for more support) or go under your shoulders (less support) and is secured by clipping the metal rings into small catches stitched into the side of the pouch.
The body is shaped kind of like a fluffy triangle: widest at the shoulders and gradually thinning down to a section attached to the heavily padded velcro fastening waist strap.
This can be worn a number of ways, but unless your baby is very small or has abnormally short legs, they're going to be hanging straight down with all their weight concentrated on the padded crotch area. The crotch is thin and isn't designed to have full coverage over the butt and thighs, so it's almost impossible to direct baby's legs around your waist. I found this to be a huge pain in the ass.
Admittedly a Trekker is much more comfortable and easier to use than a Bjorn, and I'm pretty sure the risk of spinal and hip problems isn't nearly as severe, but it's still uncomfortable. Not only that, but for a short person like me, it isn't long before every step down the road results in a kick to the kneecap by dangling legs. After a while it sort of felt like it was less of a 'carrier' and more of a 'child half my size duct taped to the front of my body'.
In this image Tempest is in the trekker and zipped inside Curtis' coat. It was way too bulky to fit under my coat, but was perfect for Curtis'. Unfortunately I have none of her uncovered in it. The best way I found to carry it was to fold up the waist strap so I shortened the body, and poke Tempest out the top with her arms outside. This gave her more freedom and seemed to make the carrier less bulky, but you're not actually supposed to wear it like that.
Curtis weighs in: This one was nice. It was a little bulky, but I found it a comfortable carrier. Definitely not for a short person, though - it was easier for me to use.
Dad Rank: 3.
Portability: 2. It's extremely bulky, padded several inches high, and did not come with a carrying case. The straps sort of fly all over the place when you're trying to fold it up. It will not easily fit in a diaper bag.
Prep: 3. If you have any sort of shoulder difficulty, this isn't kind on you. To fasten the shoulder straps to the catches is really frustrating if you're not very flexible, and I found it easier to actually memorize the setting I needed it at, then fasten it before I put it on.
Sharing: 4. It easily fit both Curtis and I. The waist strap is velcro, which made it very fast and very easy to change sizes. I strongly prefer the velcro over a buckle: way better.
Shame: 1. Limited colours, no patterns and it has a frilly-looking pocket in the front. This carrier is another one that looks like it came out of the 80's.
Flash factor: 3. With a baby facing inward it's pretty easy to expose a breast to them without the world seeing, however, you can look in through the *side* which is totally uncovered.
Ideal age: 8+ months. It would not be easy to put a newborn in this at all. Your baby needs to have significant length before you can successfully carry them in this.
Versatility: 2. This is only good for two basic carries. Putting a baby on your back means they will be too far down to see over your shoulder, which makes most kids pretty unhappy.
Cost: 2. More expensive than a sling, but cheaper than an Ergo. I found it overpriced for what you got.
Resale: 1. Most people hadn't even heard of this, and it lacks features that would "grab" someone into buying it.
Overall Rank: 2.1
The Ultimate Baby Wrap
This is a standard wrap: 15 feet of thin black material that's a mix of cotton and lycra. The lycra blend gives it a little stretch in all directions, which makes it differ significantly from the woven wraps that don't have any give once you've tied them on. Don't make the mistake of thinking that all wraps are created equal: the fabric used really does make a huge difference.
I bought this brand new, and it came with a DVD instruction video as well as a carrying pouch made of the same material. It has a nearly-invisible pocket that wasn't very functional but did make an ideal landmark for finding the middle when starting your wrapping.
This was my #1 go-to carrier for Tempest. Its thinness made it very easy to put it on underneath a coat (like in the picture) and venture out into the bitter, bitter cold of the North where we were living at the time. It was the only carrier that could easily handle Tempest in a snowsuit without adding any extra bulk. Also, like all wraps, it had versatility limited only by your imagination. I very much enjoyed the fact that this had no buckles, straps, velcro or anything else to weigh it down. This was perfect for a little baby, especially a sleepy one, and was so comfortable and secure that I could bend over and fold laundry without ever feeling Tempest slip. It was an instant favourite.
The light stretch worked perfectly for Tempest, who was very long and wasn't that fat. Her weight was spread evenly around her body, and the wrap worked perfectly to give me very uniform support from shoulders, hips, butt, legs and across my back. The only thing I had to watch out for was the straps twisting as I crossed them around my back. When they twisted, you would immediately feel the strain. Sometimes that was a bitch to ensure, but once you got used to how to hold the fabric during tying it was fine.
Pictured: front carry while breastfeeding discreetly. My breast is completely hanging out of my dress in this shot, with Tempest latched on, and you can't even tell.
I kept this until I had Xan, and then realized that in no way could I carry him in it. He was a bowling ball of unbelievable fat, all of which was concentrated in his walrus-like gut. Since the wrap is made without any extra support in the middle, the extra weight there would end up straining against the stretchy fabric... which gave me a little *too much* give and ended up hanging down like a pendulous uniboob. This led to intense strain on my neck and back, and the constant pull of his weight would end up twisting and bunching the fabric around my back and shoulders. I tried every way I could think of to tie it and nothing worked: eventually (and quickly) it would start to loosen up from Xan's mass and hang down. I was forced to retire it.
Curtis weighs in: Once on it was very comfortable, it distributed the weight very evenly and was good for longer wear. However, not great for *really* long wear (several hours) because I found it would bunch up in places and start to strain my shoulders. I also found it a real chore to put on, and I never really got the hang of tying it quickly.
Dad Rank: 4
Portability: 4. Thin fabric makes it easy to fold into a pretty small square, and the carrying pouch was very unobtrusive.
Prep: 2. This is where it fails. It's not exactly fast to fold 15 feet of fabric, and the length of the learning curve varies for everyone. If you're the impatient type, this is not for you. It'll take you at least a week of pretty dedicated use to get the hang of it. Once it transfers to muscle memory, you're all good, and it IS worth putting your heart into it... but a baby carrier newbie is probably not going to enjoy this as a first step.
Sharing: 5. Easily fits both partners, even if there's a large difference in size.
Shame: 5. Curtis and I could both wear it comfortably and without drawing any attention. I would often put it on over top of a black shirt or dress and literally no one realized it. I was asked constantly if I had Tempest just sitting inside my top.
Flash factor: 5. That light stretch made it easy to bring the middle part completely up over a baby's head, which you could then tuck inside one of the shoulder straps. Nursing in it was 100% discreet, and easy.
Ideal age: Newborn+. This is an easy choice for all ages.
Versatility: 4. Like I said, the carries are only limited by your imagination -- BUT -- it definitely works better for a skinnier "Banana" baby. Superfats just weigh it down.
Cost: 3. About the same cost as a sling, and a lot cheaper than the higher end wraps. I still found it a little overpriced considering the material, and the fact that it frayed very quickly. The pocket was useless by a few months in: the stretch would strain the stitching and it ripped all the time, and I had to resew it often.
Resale: 4.5. It went fast and easily.
Overall Rank: 4.6
Over the Shoulder Baby Holder
I bought this sling on clearance after I'd heard some very good things about it, and it didn't disappoint. For a ring sling it was by far the easiest to use and the most comfortable. It still has the bulk of any padded sling, and was significantly more bulky and stiff than the Nojo (they recommend washing it a couple of times before use to ease that up) but it also stayed in place a LOT better. No matter how much weight I put in it, in any position, the rings never slipped... Whereas the Nojo I was constantly readjusting and feeling paranoid about the safety.
The pouch of the sling was much shallower than the others I'd tried, which made it far easier to carry a tiny baby inside and still be able to see them.
The ability to tighten the rails was a little uneven, and I found that sometimes the bottom would pull tighter than the top, and vise-versa, and that got pretty annoying especially for the upright positions like the hip carry. Even in their official picture you can see the woman leaning back a little to balance that out, and you'll find yourself doing that too, which causes a strain on your back. It's never a good sign if you're forced to lean all the way back while walking with your baby in a carrier.
My favourite position for this was the tummy-to-tummy for sleeping, with the top rail pulled up over them and secured tighttighttight. Another good one was to plop them in with their legs crossed and face them outward, but you had to be sure to center them exactly underneath your opposite breast, otherwise they'd start to tip over.
I almost never used it following Xan's birth because I found it a little too "much" for a newborn, and quickly developed other favourites. It was also hard to nurse easily in without having to lift the baby up and support them. However, it's still a go-to sling to loan out to people and it's a good introduction to the babywearing world.
Portability: 1. Bulky and does not have any carrying case. It will not fit easily in a diaper bag and will probably explode your purse.
Prep: 4. Easy even for a newbie.
Sharing: 3. This could be easily shared between partners of similar size and shape, but because it comes in different sizes you're SOL if you're extraordinarily larger or smaller than your significant other.
Shame: 3. It had a much better selection of fabrics, but none were anything I'd consider "gorgeous". Pretty average overall.
Flash factor: 4. With a baby cradled inside you can easily pull up the side rail and cover your entire breast: no one will ever know.
Ideal age: 3+ months. I find it a little much for a newborn, but once they've passed the floppy stage it's a lot easier to maneuver them.
Versatility: 2. This seemed to be stuck at a few front carries. While they boast both a hip and back carry... I've never known anyone who mastered this comfortably and easily.
Cost: 4. Mid-range price, and well valued. There really is a quality difference between this and other padded ring slings.
Resale: 3. Not much demand for it nowadays, but the name has permeated enough of the community that someone will buy it on familiarity alone.
Overall Rank: 3
As a postscript, I also tried the several varieties of unpadded ring sling including a Maya. I gave those away rather quickly as I found that the shoulder strap and ring were extremely uncomfortable by comparison to the OTSBH. I also found it slipped once the baby was big enough to weigh it down. The metal rings would loosen on thin, slippery fabric, and they often got very hot in the sunshine.
Unadjustable Pouch
Included in this category are a number of different brands and styles of slings, including the Hotsling which is a huge company founded by a friend of mine (who has since sold it and gone on to become a singer).
An unadjustable pouch sling is essentially a tube of fabric with a single seam. Sometimes they're larger on one end and smaller on the other (with the larger side made to be more "pouch like" for baby to sit in).
The most important part of buying a pouch sling is to get it in your size. I cannot stress this enough. This sling will be yours and only yours, and it needs to fit your body in order for you to get the best results out of it. Something too small will be tight and hurt both you and the baby, something too big will make you feel like you're hanging a boulder off your neck with a noose, but a well-fitted pouch will feel absolutely fantastic.
Most websites will have an easy-to-follow fitting guide that you should look at before you buy. Custom orders from WAHM's will need your shoulder to opposite hip measurement (over your bust), but some will require your whole body measurement: from the front of your shoulder around your opposite hip back up to your shoulder again. The more accurate the measurement, the more comfortable your pouch will be.
Most of these pouches are made of a thin, cotton or cotton-blend material and have a very lightly padded "rail" along the edges. Padded slinged like the OTSBH have abut 3-4 inches of rail padding, whereas these have about 1-2. The ideal way to wear these is to line up the middle seam underneath the breast opposite to your carrying shoulder, and plop the baby in with the bulk of their weight around that seam - this results in the best weight distribution. If the baby feels too loose you can do a "shoulder flip": take the upper layer of fabric on your shoulder and flip it down over your shoulder, onto your upper arm - this tugs the upper rail in a few inches and pulls the baby tighter.
I used a couple of these with Tempest, but didn't get into the nicer brands until I had Xan. I found them to be excellent with tiny babies, but not so great with bigger ones. The newborn phase is complimented very nicely with a a pouch, and I do think it's a necessary part of your newborn care. They're easy to wear, easy to learn, easy to nurse in and are generally light enough to carry around in your purse. Plus, they're adorable.
My only major complaint is that they can be a little uncomfortable on your shoulder if they're made of a fabric that has no give. You don't need one that's made of spandex (and quite honestly that would probably suck), but even a fleece carrier has a tiny bit of stretch to it. I strongly preferred my fleece over my Hotsling, even in the summer heat. It wasn't as hot as I thought it would be, and the stretch felt very cozy and never put strain on any one spot... whereas the cotton Hotsling would have pressure points where the edges of the fabric dug into my shoulder and neck. This only started to happen once the baby gets bigger; newborns were never a problem. Unfortunately, the most beautiful types of carriers - the silk - were often the worst for this.
Another plus about these carriers was that cotton fabric made it an ideal pool sling.
We could easily bring a baby into a pool without ever causing a ruckus from the lifeguards.
I have used a cotton Hotsling, a custom made fleece pouch, a Maya, a New Native and a denim sling. There's probably been more, but I honestly can't remember off hand.
Tempest in an XL denim sling that was purchased for Curtis.
Curtis weighs in: Fabrics that didn't have much stretch (like denim) were really uncomfortable. It didn't fit well against my body and it felt "gap-y" up in the top. It almost seemed to be made gender-specific: it would better fit someone with breasts. I would not wear this more than a few times.
Overall Rank: 1.
Nursing carry in the Hotsling.
The fleece pouch.
You can even get baby ones!
Portability: 5. This carrier is by far the easiest to carry around. They fold into small squares and are light as air. Fleece are a little bulkier, but still far from a hassle.
Prep: 4. This has a small learning curve. Just slip it on and it's done.
Sharing: 1. Unless you and your partner are exactly the same size, you're probably screwed in the sharing department.
Shame: 5. These come in a huge assortment of beautiful fabrics and prints, even designer and organic. Silk brocade is by far the most beautiful. If you're very adventurous, you could coordinate these slings with your wardrobe.
Flash factor: 3. Simple to nurse in, but not much coverage. You could walk around hands-free but it'll be obvious that your breast is sticking out
Ideal age: 0-5 months. I never had much luck with these in a baby big enough to fit a hip carry. It started to seriously strain by that point.
Versatility: 3. Lots of front carries, but impossible to carry on your back comfortably.
Cost: 4. The price varies considerably from vendor to vendor, and it depends a lot on the fabric choice. With that in mind, the prices are pretty fair.
Resale: 5. Everyone loves these, and they're easy to sell.
Overall Rank: 4.2
Mei-tei
(from an old DITL, ignore the text).
Included in this category is the Babyhawk, Kozy and the Frankenkozy.
All Mei-teis have the same basic design: a square of fabric with horizontal waist straps coming out the bottom, and diagonal shoulder straps coming out the top. You can carry easily on back or front with a lot of support. If the straps are long enough it's also really easy to share it between partners.
The frankenkozy I won in a contest was a custom make. I found the body too thin, and the straps too short. Curtis had no hopes in hell of wearing it, and I could barely keep it on. I ended up never using it.
The Kozy carrier I had before that I used quite frequently. I got it when Tempest was about one and a half and we used it constantly. It immediately became my new favourite.
It was also the only carrier that was easy to wear while pregnant.
I didn't get a chance to use it on a small baby until Xan was born, and then immediately noticed a problem:
If you tied it too loose the baby got lost inside, but if you tied it securely the baby's head was smooshed and Xan really did not appreciate the lack of adequate view. Without something for head support, it was not great for little ones. Thus, I was led to purchase my Babyhawk.
Muuuuuuuch better.
I love love love love LOVE my Babyhawk. Love. There is no other word to describe the affair I've had with it. I have used it with every age from newborn to 3 year old. I have learned every carry I could, all the interesting ties, and shown it to everyone I know. If I could have only one carrier: this would be it. On the plus side, the HUGE amount of colour/pattern combinations is endless. You can even get minkee. You can even send in your favourite fabric and they'll make it FOR YOU.
We had a custom order done, and other than the obscene amount of time it took (which I was told was NOT normal and I was offered a discount on future purchases as a result), it was a great experience. The woman who makes them has excellent customer service, as well. That's a huge bonus in my book.
It's only problem was once Xan got to get a little taller than the body...
It didn't hurt him, but the "help" we got from onlookers began to get seriously annoying. People would rush up behind us while we were walking around and grab him. CONSTANTLY. So, we had to get a Toddlerhawk.
The toddlerhawk is exactly the same as the Babyhawk, except it has a longer body and a higher headrest. In the future, I think I'd stick with a Toddlerhawk from the very beginning and just roll up the bottom to ensure a proper fit on a newbie. It has much more staying power than a Babyhawk does, but with all the same awesomeness.
Curtis: Love love love them. Comfortable and easy to put on. I didn't so much like the front carry, but I loved the back carry using the Santa Toss. By far my favourite carrier.
Overall Rank: 5! If I could give it higher, I would.
Portability: 3.5. No carrying case, and more hassle than a pouch. I found the easiest thing to do with it was to fold the body and tie the straps around it to create a sort of 'package'. I could easily fit it in a diaper bag, but it took up 70% of the space.
Prep: 3.5 - For new users, a mei-tei could be a bit of a challenge to learn, especially putting your baby on your back as a first timer. HOWEVER the learning curve is very fast and once you do get it figured out you'll be able to successfully get baby in and out in seconds.
Sharing: 5. Ideal for sharing between partners.
Shame: 5. Beautiful fabric and colour choices make this an ideal "show off" carrier. On par with the Hotsling as far as style is concerned. With the reversible option, you AND your partner can each get your own fabric choice in and never have to embarrass the other by wearing hot pink begonias when you're really into camo print.
Flash factor: 4. With the head rest there's ZERO flash, but if you decide against it you're probably going to be a little more obvious.
Ideal age: All. This and the wrap are the only carriers I'd happily and comfortably use from birth to "outgrow".
Versatility: 5. Front, back, inward and outward... I even devised a way to carry Xan in it with his legs crossed.
Cost: 4. You're going to pay for the good quality fabrics and the better options, BUT it's very worth it and there's an obvious jump in worth from the Frankenkozy to the Babyhawk that explains the $80 price difference.
Resale: 5. No problem.
Overall Rank: 5.
Ergo
Ergo is a backpack style carrier with flexibility. It has a sturdy, well-padded waist strap that's quite thick and goes right over your hips. The design of the waist strap is a large part of why this carrier is so comfortable for long-term wear: it takes weight extremely well and doesn't have any strain points. It fastens with both velcro, and threading through loops.
The body of the carrier is like a canvas backpack, but the bottom is a little pouchy and much wider than other pack style carriers like the Trekker, allowing baby's legs to be directed out toward your hips rather than hanging down. This makes it much less likely to feel weighed down and pulled by baby's weight. The straps come straight out of the top and come over your shoulders, connected to the body by being sewn in. You can adjust it by pulling on the buckle, almost exactly like a backpack strap.
The shoulder straps have a little buckle that fastens them together across your chest or back, this is particularly handy if you're wearing it on your back as it can take a lot of the strain off your shoulders.
I don't have any photos of my kids in this one, sadly. I won my first generation Ergo in a photo contest for LLL Canada when Tempest was around 1.5. As far as comfort goes, this one reigns supreme - it really is incredibly comfortable, particularly for long walks. It looks, and feels, like one of those awesomely ergonomic camping packs... and it kind of acts like it too. It's ideal application would be when you're carrying baby on a long walk or a hike through the forest, and we found it by far the best carrier to use in those situations.
BUT - all the bells, whistles, velcro and buckles made it a bitch to get on and off, not to mention to carry around with you. It's the heaviest carrier I've ever owned and took the longest to get on. While it was extremely comfortable, I found myself rarely taking it out of it's carrying pouch because I didn't want to face the trial of using it. If I was going on a trip where I knew I'd be taking my baby in and out frequently (eg. car rides, small baby that needs nursing frequently) it was my *last* choice. I had trouble using the back carry independently and it was incredibly hard to carry a tiny baby inside without buying their separate "insert". The carrier seemed to emanate a "super organic hiking" aura, and if you weren't very active with a lot of flexibility this was a bit of a monstrosity. I hated having to pull loose and readjust the straps every. single. time. I took it on or off.
Curtis weighs in: Overall fairly comfortable for both me and the baby in it, never any pinching and the straps never twisted or bunched. However, it was pretty bulky, especially in the straps, and was quite an ordeal to get on and off. I didn't use it that much because we got the mei-tei soon after and I liked that a lot better.
Dad Rank: 3.
Portability: 2. Even though this came with a carrying pouch, it was a bitch to lug around and this was one of the prime reasons why I didn't use it as much.
Prep: 1. By far the most complicated to get on and off.
Sharing: 4. The waist strap had to be on it's absolute tightest to fit me, and loosest to fit Curtis - neither of us were extraordinarily big or small, so it definitely has an "ideal range".
Shame: 3. The colour schemes aren't particularly awesome, but it's not an embarrassment either.
Flash factor: 2. I'm ranking this a 2 due to the fact that you kind of have to slip it off a shoulder to nurse, and it's not newborn-friendly.
Ideal age: 6+ months.
Versatility: 2. Tummy to tummy and tummy to back. That's it.
Cost: 3. I find this to be an expensive carrier, and although it is well crafted I wish it had more (or less, maybe) for the money.
Resale: 3. This doesn't go as fast as the hand made brands do, but the name is well known enough to garner attention.
Overall Rank: 2.8
Standard disclaimer: your mileage may vary. This review is only based on my own personal experiences, and my situations (chronic pain, super tiny, etc) gave me unique needs. Everyone is going to have their preferences and this guide is intended to be used as a helper to find what suits you best. In no way do I mean to say that any one carrier is absolutely, unequivocally better than another; everybody is different and your experiences will be based on your needs. Happy carrying!
By popular request, my personal babywearing review:
My first introduction to babywearing came via a box of gently used, newborn cloth diapers that I bought of Ebay. The mama who sold them to me sneaked in a ring sling. I started literally on day one with Tempest, and got my hands on new slings and carriers to test as often as I could. With shoulder, hip and back problems it was imperative that I found one that worked well for me. I had several custom makes, I won some in contests, I bought used, second hand, clearance and discontinued and went through a lot of different styles.
These reviews are limited by my own experience, and should probably be considered moderately outdated as I have zero introduction into the modern babywearing world.
Also, for transparency's sake, it's worth mentioning my size and any special circumstances that would affect my babywearing experience: I'm about 5'1" and extremely petite, large-busted and exclusively breastfed both my babies. Curtis is 6'4" and averages about 220lbs and I added in his thoughts at the end of each review, where applicable, as a few were specialty orders and couldn't fit anyone but me.
I'm going to be ranking each carrier in different aspects, on a scale from 1-5. 1 being poor, 3 being average, 5 being exceptional.
These are the criteria:
Portability - Ease of carrying the carrier. Does it fit in a diaper bag or purse? Does it have it's own carrying bag? Is it weigh your bag down? Will it never leave the backseat of your car?
Prep - A rank on how long it takes, or ridiculous it is, to prep the carrier for baby insertion.
Sharing rank - Ease of trade between parents.
Shame factor - The neutrality of the sling and whether or not you'll be embarrassed to wear it out in public because it looks like some sort of celestial Niqab. High scores can go to easily customizable carriers that have lots of options. Bonus points if you can send in your own fabric to have it made.
Flash factor - How easy is it to breastfeed in it without having to sit down, juggle the baby, take them out, hold your boob, etc...
Ideal age - Self explanatory. This doesn't count toward the final score and purely for informational purposes.
Versatility - How many different ways can you carry it? Ease of this counts toward a lot. If it has 17 different ties but it's not reasonable to do more than two, you don't get extra points.
Cost - Expensive ranks low, affordable ranks high. Value is also taken into account, so if it's expensive but has lots of options and is of high quality stuff... that counts for a lot.
Resale - Will people actually buy this from you when you're done?
And finally "Overall Rank", which is averaged from everything together.
Nojo
This was the carrier I received in the box of cloth. It was obviously very well loved, and well washed, so the siderail wasn't as stiff as it would be if it was brand new. In appearance and function it's almost indistinguishable to the Over the Shoulder Baby Holder, and is modeled after the standard adjustable sling design.
It prides itself on being an exceptional nursing sling, and having multiple carries including tummy-to-tummy, cradle, back, hip and facing outward. The photo above is demonstrating the outward facing carry, and I could never get this to work in such a way that the baby didn't start keeling over sideways toward my hip.
One of my major problems with this sling is that I had to pad it more than it already was because when pulled open, the inside was absolutely cavernous. It was like a circus tent, or a black hole. Babies got lost inside, possibly crushed down to subatomic particles.
It was a good starter sling, but there are plenty of carriers that are way, way better. This was like the Bjorn of ring slings.
Tempest in a Nojo at about 5 weeks old.
Curtis weighs in: I didn't like it. It never felt like it fit properly, regardless of how it was adjusted. I felt like I could never get either of the kids in a good, comfortable position.
Dad Rank: 2.
Portability: 2. Like most ring slings, this is bulky and hard to fold up nicely and fit anywhere other than the backseat of your car. It's not at all discreet, in fact I was asked to remove it on airlines because they imagined it was a "safety hazard" since it was so large and tent-like. It even got mistaken for a Hooter Hider more than once.
Prep: 4. You just have to put it on and tighten the ring, and that's pretty simple.
Sharing: 3. It could easily fit a variety of body types... as long as none of them were petite. If you're under 5'5 and skinny, this was not for you. The smaller, the worse.
Shame: 1. This thing looks like it came right out of the 80's. I never saw an attractive or interesting fabric pattern. It's always dots and stripes, which are really good at drawing stares.
Flash factor: 3. You can pull the outer edge up quite far (part of the whole cavernous thing) and easily cover your breast. Or your head. However, it's difficult to breastfeed in, so they cancel each other out.
Ideal age: 8+ months. This was impossibly difficult to use with a newborn, but once babies can sit on their own really well and have a good amount of growth on them, it got way easier.
Versatility: 2. Everything seemed "too big" about it, and all the carries were difficult to maintain without that obnoxious "leaning back" thing.
Cost: 5. It's pretty cheap, and you can get them at thrift stores because people don't generally want them over the more modern, popular brands. It seems to be averaging around 25 new.
Resale: 1. Good luck with that.
Overall Rank: 2.8
Baby Trekker
This is almost like a soft, oversized version of the Bjorn. It's another crotch-hanger style of carrier, but it's much larger, more heavily padded and easier to adjust. It has a pouch-like body with long, heavily padded shoulder straps covered in small metal rings. It's designed to either cross over your back (for more support) or go under your shoulders (less support) and is secured by clipping the metal rings into small catches stitched into the side of the pouch.
The body is shaped kind of like a fluffy triangle: widest at the shoulders and gradually thinning down to a section attached to the heavily padded velcro fastening waist strap.
This can be worn a number of ways, but unless your baby is very small or has abnormally short legs, they're going to be hanging straight down with all their weight concentrated on the padded crotch area. The crotch is thin and isn't designed to have full coverage over the butt and thighs, so it's almost impossible to direct baby's legs around your waist. I found this to be a huge pain in the ass.
Admittedly a Trekker is much more comfortable and easier to use than a Bjorn, and I'm pretty sure the risk of spinal and hip problems isn't nearly as severe, but it's still uncomfortable. Not only that, but for a short person like me, it isn't long before every step down the road results in a kick to the kneecap by dangling legs. After a while it sort of felt like it was less of a 'carrier' and more of a 'child half my size duct taped to the front of my body'.
In this image Tempest is in the trekker and zipped inside Curtis' coat. It was way too bulky to fit under my coat, but was perfect for Curtis'. Unfortunately I have none of her uncovered in it. The best way I found to carry it was to fold up the waist strap so I shortened the body, and poke Tempest out the top with her arms outside. This gave her more freedom and seemed to make the carrier less bulky, but you're not actually supposed to wear it like that.
Curtis weighs in: This one was nice. It was a little bulky, but I found it a comfortable carrier. Definitely not for a short person, though - it was easier for me to use.
Dad Rank: 3.
Portability: 2. It's extremely bulky, padded several inches high, and did not come with a carrying case. The straps sort of fly all over the place when you're trying to fold it up. It will not easily fit in a diaper bag.
Prep: 3. If you have any sort of shoulder difficulty, this isn't kind on you. To fasten the shoulder straps to the catches is really frustrating if you're not very flexible, and I found it easier to actually memorize the setting I needed it at, then fasten it before I put it on.
Sharing: 4. It easily fit both Curtis and I. The waist strap is velcro, which made it very fast and very easy to change sizes. I strongly prefer the velcro over a buckle: way better.
Shame: 1. Limited colours, no patterns and it has a frilly-looking pocket in the front. This carrier is another one that looks like it came out of the 80's.
Flash factor: 3. With a baby facing inward it's pretty easy to expose a breast to them without the world seeing, however, you can look in through the *side* which is totally uncovered.
Ideal age: 8+ months. It would not be easy to put a newborn in this at all. Your baby needs to have significant length before you can successfully carry them in this.
Versatility: 2. This is only good for two basic carries. Putting a baby on your back means they will be too far down to see over your shoulder, which makes most kids pretty unhappy.
Cost: 2. More expensive than a sling, but cheaper than an Ergo. I found it overpriced for what you got.
Resale: 1. Most people hadn't even heard of this, and it lacks features that would "grab" someone into buying it.
Overall Rank: 2.1
The Ultimate Baby Wrap
This is a standard wrap: 15 feet of thin black material that's a mix of cotton and lycra. The lycra blend gives it a little stretch in all directions, which makes it differ significantly from the woven wraps that don't have any give once you've tied them on. Don't make the mistake of thinking that all wraps are created equal: the fabric used really does make a huge difference.
I bought this brand new, and it came with a DVD instruction video as well as a carrying pouch made of the same material. It has a nearly-invisible pocket that wasn't very functional but did make an ideal landmark for finding the middle when starting your wrapping.
This was my #1 go-to carrier for Tempest. Its thinness made it very easy to put it on underneath a coat (like in the picture) and venture out into the bitter, bitter cold of the North where we were living at the time. It was the only carrier that could easily handle Tempest in a snowsuit without adding any extra bulk. Also, like all wraps, it had versatility limited only by your imagination. I very much enjoyed the fact that this had no buckles, straps, velcro or anything else to weigh it down. This was perfect for a little baby, especially a sleepy one, and was so comfortable and secure that I could bend over and fold laundry without ever feeling Tempest slip. It was an instant favourite.
The light stretch worked perfectly for Tempest, who was very long and wasn't that fat. Her weight was spread evenly around her body, and the wrap worked perfectly to give me very uniform support from shoulders, hips, butt, legs and across my back. The only thing I had to watch out for was the straps twisting as I crossed them around my back. When they twisted, you would immediately feel the strain. Sometimes that was a bitch to ensure, but once you got used to how to hold the fabric during tying it was fine.
Pictured: front carry while breastfeeding discreetly. My breast is completely hanging out of my dress in this shot, with Tempest latched on, and you can't even tell.
I kept this until I had Xan, and then realized that in no way could I carry him in it. He was a bowling ball of unbelievable fat, all of which was concentrated in his walrus-like gut. Since the wrap is made without any extra support in the middle, the extra weight there would end up straining against the stretchy fabric... which gave me a little *too much* give and ended up hanging down like a pendulous uniboob. This led to intense strain on my neck and back, and the constant pull of his weight would end up twisting and bunching the fabric around my back and shoulders. I tried every way I could think of to tie it and nothing worked: eventually (and quickly) it would start to loosen up from Xan's mass and hang down. I was forced to retire it.
Curtis weighs in: Once on it was very comfortable, it distributed the weight very evenly and was good for longer wear. However, not great for *really* long wear (several hours) because I found it would bunch up in places and start to strain my shoulders. I also found it a real chore to put on, and I never really got the hang of tying it quickly.
Dad Rank: 4
Portability: 4. Thin fabric makes it easy to fold into a pretty small square, and the carrying pouch was very unobtrusive.
Prep: 2. This is where it fails. It's not exactly fast to fold 15 feet of fabric, and the length of the learning curve varies for everyone. If you're the impatient type, this is not for you. It'll take you at least a week of pretty dedicated use to get the hang of it. Once it transfers to muscle memory, you're all good, and it IS worth putting your heart into it... but a baby carrier newbie is probably not going to enjoy this as a first step.
Sharing: 5. Easily fits both partners, even if there's a large difference in size.
Shame: 5. Curtis and I could both wear it comfortably and without drawing any attention. I would often put it on over top of a black shirt or dress and literally no one realized it. I was asked constantly if I had Tempest just sitting inside my top.
Flash factor: 5. That light stretch made it easy to bring the middle part completely up over a baby's head, which you could then tuck inside one of the shoulder straps. Nursing in it was 100% discreet, and easy.
Ideal age: Newborn+. This is an easy choice for all ages.
Versatility: 4. Like I said, the carries are only limited by your imagination -- BUT -- it definitely works better for a skinnier "Banana" baby. Superfats just weigh it down.
Cost: 3. About the same cost as a sling, and a lot cheaper than the higher end wraps. I still found it a little overpriced considering the material, and the fact that it frayed very quickly. The pocket was useless by a few months in: the stretch would strain the stitching and it ripped all the time, and I had to resew it often.
Resale: 4.5. It went fast and easily.
Overall Rank: 4.6
Over the Shoulder Baby Holder
I bought this sling on clearance after I'd heard some very good things about it, and it didn't disappoint. For a ring sling it was by far the easiest to use and the most comfortable. It still has the bulk of any padded sling, and was significantly more bulky and stiff than the Nojo (they recommend washing it a couple of times before use to ease that up) but it also stayed in place a LOT better. No matter how much weight I put in it, in any position, the rings never slipped... Whereas the Nojo I was constantly readjusting and feeling paranoid about the safety.
The pouch of the sling was much shallower than the others I'd tried, which made it far easier to carry a tiny baby inside and still be able to see them.
The ability to tighten the rails was a little uneven, and I found that sometimes the bottom would pull tighter than the top, and vise-versa, and that got pretty annoying especially for the upright positions like the hip carry. Even in their official picture you can see the woman leaning back a little to balance that out, and you'll find yourself doing that too, which causes a strain on your back. It's never a good sign if you're forced to lean all the way back while walking with your baby in a carrier.
My favourite position for this was the tummy-to-tummy for sleeping, with the top rail pulled up over them and secured tighttighttight. Another good one was to plop them in with their legs crossed and face them outward, but you had to be sure to center them exactly underneath your opposite breast, otherwise they'd start to tip over.
I almost never used it following Xan's birth because I found it a little too "much" for a newborn, and quickly developed other favourites. It was also hard to nurse easily in without having to lift the baby up and support them. However, it's still a go-to sling to loan out to people and it's a good introduction to the babywearing world.
Portability: 1. Bulky and does not have any carrying case. It will not fit easily in a diaper bag and will probably explode your purse.
Prep: 4. Easy even for a newbie.
Sharing: 3. This could be easily shared between partners of similar size and shape, but because it comes in different sizes you're SOL if you're extraordinarily larger or smaller than your significant other.
Shame: 3. It had a much better selection of fabrics, but none were anything I'd consider "gorgeous". Pretty average overall.
Flash factor: 4. With a baby cradled inside you can easily pull up the side rail and cover your entire breast: no one will ever know.
Ideal age: 3+ months. I find it a little much for a newborn, but once they've passed the floppy stage it's a lot easier to maneuver them.
Versatility: 2. This seemed to be stuck at a few front carries. While they boast both a hip and back carry... I've never known anyone who mastered this comfortably and easily.
Cost: 4. Mid-range price, and well valued. There really is a quality difference between this and other padded ring slings.
Resale: 3. Not much demand for it nowadays, but the name has permeated enough of the community that someone will buy it on familiarity alone.
Overall Rank: 3
As a postscript, I also tried the several varieties of unpadded ring sling including a Maya. I gave those away rather quickly as I found that the shoulder strap and ring were extremely uncomfortable by comparison to the OTSBH. I also found it slipped once the baby was big enough to weigh it down. The metal rings would loosen on thin, slippery fabric, and they often got very hot in the sunshine.
Unadjustable Pouch
Included in this category are a number of different brands and styles of slings, including the Hotsling which is a huge company founded by a friend of mine (who has since sold it and gone on to become a singer).
An unadjustable pouch sling is essentially a tube of fabric with a single seam. Sometimes they're larger on one end and smaller on the other (with the larger side made to be more "pouch like" for baby to sit in).
The most important part of buying a pouch sling is to get it in your size. I cannot stress this enough. This sling will be yours and only yours, and it needs to fit your body in order for you to get the best results out of it. Something too small will be tight and hurt both you and the baby, something too big will make you feel like you're hanging a boulder off your neck with a noose, but a well-fitted pouch will feel absolutely fantastic.
Most websites will have an easy-to-follow fitting guide that you should look at before you buy. Custom orders from WAHM's will need your shoulder to opposite hip measurement (over your bust), but some will require your whole body measurement: from the front of your shoulder around your opposite hip back up to your shoulder again. The more accurate the measurement, the more comfortable your pouch will be.
Most of these pouches are made of a thin, cotton or cotton-blend material and have a very lightly padded "rail" along the edges. Padded slinged like the OTSBH have abut 3-4 inches of rail padding, whereas these have about 1-2. The ideal way to wear these is to line up the middle seam underneath the breast opposite to your carrying shoulder, and plop the baby in with the bulk of their weight around that seam - this results in the best weight distribution. If the baby feels too loose you can do a "shoulder flip": take the upper layer of fabric on your shoulder and flip it down over your shoulder, onto your upper arm - this tugs the upper rail in a few inches and pulls the baby tighter.
I used a couple of these with Tempest, but didn't get into the nicer brands until I had Xan. I found them to be excellent with tiny babies, but not so great with bigger ones. The newborn phase is complimented very nicely with a a pouch, and I do think it's a necessary part of your newborn care. They're easy to wear, easy to learn, easy to nurse in and are generally light enough to carry around in your purse. Plus, they're adorable.
My only major complaint is that they can be a little uncomfortable on your shoulder if they're made of a fabric that has no give. You don't need one that's made of spandex (and quite honestly that would probably suck), but even a fleece carrier has a tiny bit of stretch to it. I strongly preferred my fleece over my Hotsling, even in the summer heat. It wasn't as hot as I thought it would be, and the stretch felt very cozy and never put strain on any one spot... whereas the cotton Hotsling would have pressure points where the edges of the fabric dug into my shoulder and neck. This only started to happen once the baby gets bigger; newborns were never a problem. Unfortunately, the most beautiful types of carriers - the silk - were often the worst for this.
Another plus about these carriers was that cotton fabric made it an ideal pool sling.
We could easily bring a baby into a pool without ever causing a ruckus from the lifeguards.
I have used a cotton Hotsling, a custom made fleece pouch, a Maya, a New Native and a denim sling. There's probably been more, but I honestly can't remember off hand.
Tempest in an XL denim sling that was purchased for Curtis.
Curtis weighs in: Fabrics that didn't have much stretch (like denim) were really uncomfortable. It didn't fit well against my body and it felt "gap-y" up in the top. It almost seemed to be made gender-specific: it would better fit someone with breasts. I would not wear this more than a few times.
Overall Rank: 1.
Nursing carry in the Hotsling.
The fleece pouch.
You can even get baby ones!
Portability: 5. This carrier is by far the easiest to carry around. They fold into small squares and are light as air. Fleece are a little bulkier, but still far from a hassle.
Prep: 4. This has a small learning curve. Just slip it on and it's done.
Sharing: 1. Unless you and your partner are exactly the same size, you're probably screwed in the sharing department.
Shame: 5. These come in a huge assortment of beautiful fabrics and prints, even designer and organic. Silk brocade is by far the most beautiful. If you're very adventurous, you could coordinate these slings with your wardrobe.
Flash factor: 3. Simple to nurse in, but not much coverage. You could walk around hands-free but it'll be obvious that your breast is sticking out
Ideal age: 0-5 months. I never had much luck with these in a baby big enough to fit a hip carry. It started to seriously strain by that point.
Versatility: 3. Lots of front carries, but impossible to carry on your back comfortably.
Cost: 4. The price varies considerably from vendor to vendor, and it depends a lot on the fabric choice. With that in mind, the prices are pretty fair.
Resale: 5. Everyone loves these, and they're easy to sell.
Overall Rank: 4.2
Mei-tei
(from an old DITL, ignore the text).
Included in this category is the Babyhawk, Kozy and the Frankenkozy.
All Mei-teis have the same basic design: a square of fabric with horizontal waist straps coming out the bottom, and diagonal shoulder straps coming out the top. You can carry easily on back or front with a lot of support. If the straps are long enough it's also really easy to share it between partners.
The frankenkozy I won in a contest was a custom make. I found the body too thin, and the straps too short. Curtis had no hopes in hell of wearing it, and I could barely keep it on. I ended up never using it.
The Kozy carrier I had before that I used quite frequently. I got it when Tempest was about one and a half and we used it constantly. It immediately became my new favourite.
It was also the only carrier that was easy to wear while pregnant.
I didn't get a chance to use it on a small baby until Xan was born, and then immediately noticed a problem:
If you tied it too loose the baby got lost inside, but if you tied it securely the baby's head was smooshed and Xan really did not appreciate the lack of adequate view. Without something for head support, it was not great for little ones. Thus, I was led to purchase my Babyhawk.
Muuuuuuuch better.
I love love love love LOVE my Babyhawk. Love. There is no other word to describe the affair I've had with it. I have used it with every age from newborn to 3 year old. I have learned every carry I could, all the interesting ties, and shown it to everyone I know. If I could have only one carrier: this would be it. On the plus side, the HUGE amount of colour/pattern combinations is endless. You can even get minkee. You can even send in your favourite fabric and they'll make it FOR YOU.
We had a custom order done, and other than the obscene amount of time it took (which I was told was NOT normal and I was offered a discount on future purchases as a result), it was a great experience. The woman who makes them has excellent customer service, as well. That's a huge bonus in my book.
It's only problem was once Xan got to get a little taller than the body...
It didn't hurt him, but the "help" we got from onlookers began to get seriously annoying. People would rush up behind us while we were walking around and grab him. CONSTANTLY. So, we had to get a Toddlerhawk.
The toddlerhawk is exactly the same as the Babyhawk, except it has a longer body and a higher headrest. In the future, I think I'd stick with a Toddlerhawk from the very beginning and just roll up the bottom to ensure a proper fit on a newbie. It has much more staying power than a Babyhawk does, but with all the same awesomeness.
Curtis: Love love love them. Comfortable and easy to put on. I didn't so much like the front carry, but I loved the back carry using the Santa Toss. By far my favourite carrier.
Overall Rank: 5! If I could give it higher, I would.
Portability: 3.5. No carrying case, and more hassle than a pouch. I found the easiest thing to do with it was to fold the body and tie the straps around it to create a sort of 'package'. I could easily fit it in a diaper bag, but it took up 70% of the space.
Prep: 3.5 - For new users, a mei-tei could be a bit of a challenge to learn, especially putting your baby on your back as a first timer. HOWEVER the learning curve is very fast and once you do get it figured out you'll be able to successfully get baby in and out in seconds.
Sharing: 5. Ideal for sharing between partners.
Shame: 5. Beautiful fabric and colour choices make this an ideal "show off" carrier. On par with the Hotsling as far as style is concerned. With the reversible option, you AND your partner can each get your own fabric choice in and never have to embarrass the other by wearing hot pink begonias when you're really into camo print.
Flash factor: 4. With the head rest there's ZERO flash, but if you decide against it you're probably going to be a little more obvious.
Ideal age: All. This and the wrap are the only carriers I'd happily and comfortably use from birth to "outgrow".
Versatility: 5. Front, back, inward and outward... I even devised a way to carry Xan in it with his legs crossed.
Cost: 4. You're going to pay for the good quality fabrics and the better options, BUT it's very worth it and there's an obvious jump in worth from the Frankenkozy to the Babyhawk that explains the $80 price difference.
Resale: 5. No problem.
Overall Rank: 5.
Ergo
Ergo is a backpack style carrier with flexibility. It has a sturdy, well-padded waist strap that's quite thick and goes right over your hips. The design of the waist strap is a large part of why this carrier is so comfortable for long-term wear: it takes weight extremely well and doesn't have any strain points. It fastens with both velcro, and threading through loops.
The body of the carrier is like a canvas backpack, but the bottom is a little pouchy and much wider than other pack style carriers like the Trekker, allowing baby's legs to be directed out toward your hips rather than hanging down. This makes it much less likely to feel weighed down and pulled by baby's weight. The straps come straight out of the top and come over your shoulders, connected to the body by being sewn in. You can adjust it by pulling on the buckle, almost exactly like a backpack strap.
The shoulder straps have a little buckle that fastens them together across your chest or back, this is particularly handy if you're wearing it on your back as it can take a lot of the strain off your shoulders.
I don't have any photos of my kids in this one, sadly. I won my first generation Ergo in a photo contest for LLL Canada when Tempest was around 1.5. As far as comfort goes, this one reigns supreme - it really is incredibly comfortable, particularly for long walks. It looks, and feels, like one of those awesomely ergonomic camping packs... and it kind of acts like it too. It's ideal application would be when you're carrying baby on a long walk or a hike through the forest, and we found it by far the best carrier to use in those situations.
BUT - all the bells, whistles, velcro and buckles made it a bitch to get on and off, not to mention to carry around with you. It's the heaviest carrier I've ever owned and took the longest to get on. While it was extremely comfortable, I found myself rarely taking it out of it's carrying pouch because I didn't want to face the trial of using it. If I was going on a trip where I knew I'd be taking my baby in and out frequently (eg. car rides, small baby that needs nursing frequently) it was my *last* choice. I had trouble using the back carry independently and it was incredibly hard to carry a tiny baby inside without buying their separate "insert". The carrier seemed to emanate a "super organic hiking" aura, and if you weren't very active with a lot of flexibility this was a bit of a monstrosity. I hated having to pull loose and readjust the straps every. single. time. I took it on or off.
Curtis weighs in: Overall fairly comfortable for both me and the baby in it, never any pinching and the straps never twisted or bunched. However, it was pretty bulky, especially in the straps, and was quite an ordeal to get on and off. I didn't use it that much because we got the mei-tei soon after and I liked that a lot better.
Dad Rank: 3.
Portability: 2. Even though this came with a carrying pouch, it was a bitch to lug around and this was one of the prime reasons why I didn't use it as much.
Prep: 1. By far the most complicated to get on and off.
Sharing: 4. The waist strap had to be on it's absolute tightest to fit me, and loosest to fit Curtis - neither of us were extraordinarily big or small, so it definitely has an "ideal range".
Shame: 3. The colour schemes aren't particularly awesome, but it's not an embarrassment either.
Flash factor: 2. I'm ranking this a 2 due to the fact that you kind of have to slip it off a shoulder to nurse, and it's not newborn-friendly.
Ideal age: 6+ months.
Versatility: 2. Tummy to tummy and tummy to back. That's it.
Cost: 3. I find this to be an expensive carrier, and although it is well crafted I wish it had more (or less, maybe) for the money.
Resale: 3. This doesn't go as fast as the hand made brands do, but the name is well known enough to garner attention.
Overall Rank: 2.8
Standard disclaimer: your mileage may vary. This review is only based on my own personal experiences, and my situations (chronic pain, super tiny, etc) gave me unique needs. Everyone is going to have their preferences and this guide is intended to be used as a helper to find what suits you best. In no way do I mean to say that any one carrier is absolutely, unequivocally better than another; everybody is different and your experiences will be based on your needs. Happy carrying!