Which baby sling/carrier?

[WalkingBlind]

I have an 8 week old, he's a big lad. With my first I used a Chicco carrier that straps baby to your chest and I didn't like it at all, she was always kind of leaning uncomfortably.

I'm worried with a sling that I'll find it difficult due to him being such a big lad (and a squirmer). What did you use that worked well? I'd rather hear from mums than someone in a shop just trying to sell their stock

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Hello!

We've noticed that this thread is quite old now, and some of the product recommendations are a little out of date. We've spent weeks speaking to parents and testing different baby carriers. Here are our baby carrier reviews.

Hope this helps!

[LuckySantangelo1]

I have a ergo baby 360 which is still going strong with my little boy at nearly 11 months. Really comfortable and easy to use. And I have walked for miles with it on! My husband rates it too.

[Abby21]

I had close caboo for last baby and just thought it was ok. Want more of a structured carrier this time as caboo felt like was tugging me down when baby got bigger. Some I have seen suggested include ergo, tula and connecta I think x

[Artandco]

Boba 4g is worth looking at. Goes from newborn on front, to toddler on back as they grow. Very supportive and comfortable. Used until they were 4 years old on back if needed

[ProseccoPoppy]

I LOVE my Connecta. It's been fantastic for DD. The absolute best thing to do though would be to see if there's a sling library near you. That way you can try out loads and see what works for you both and rent a couple to try for a week. A sling library isn't usually brand affiliated so you should get good independent advice you need that as there are a lot out there and at first glance they don't look that different. For example I really liked a Manduca but DD wasn't happy in it. The Tula was great for both of us but the waist is very padded which means it doesn't fold down too well (I like to have the sling tucked into the change bag just in case). The Connecta was our ideal sling really and she is really happy in it! One thing I would say is s lot of the soft structured carriers like the Connecta and Tula are better from 4 months + due to the size of the front panel and the kind of head support. At your DS's age my DD was happiest in a stretchy wrap (we had a boba wrap which worked well but which she wasn't happy in from about 20 weeks as she couldn't look around as much as she wanted) so maybe get a stretchy wrap now and a Connecta or Tula in a few months time ? (You can sell the wrap on after you've done with it, good quality slings have a decent resale value and there are loads of fb groups etc). If she'll still let me carry her once she's 18 months+ I'm planning to get a toddler Tula as with a bigger kid I think the waist padding would come into its own. Hope you find the right thing for you, there are some beautiful slings and carriers out there.

[Dachshund]

Another with an ergo360 here and I absolutely love it!

[Bohemond]

Another with a boba 4g. DS has been in it from 8 weeks and it is still in twice weekly use for dog walking at 15 months. Very comfortable but, most important to me, very quick and safe to get him in and out of.

[FreeButtonBee]

I have an ergo classic. Didn't bother with the 360 as you're only supposed to have them forward facing for 30mins or so.

Love it. Ds is now 8 mo and still use it 3-4 times a week for long walks (I have 3yo twins so this means I can use single buggy plus buggy board rather than having a double).

I used a close caboo until he was 3 mo. It was great when he was small and sleepy but once he was a bit bigger, it wasn't supportive enough

[Gardencentregroupie]

I have an ergo classic. I still carry my 91st centile almost 2 year old in it. It was the best baby thing I bought. Tula slings are very similar though, and come in prettier designs.

It does depend on what you want though. A decent mei tai is easy to fold, usually cheaper than a buckled carrier like the ergo, and good from a very young age. A sling library visit is a good idea if you can manage it.

[Marzipants]

I have an Ergo Classic which is really comfortable for me but it's such an unbelievable pain in the arse to put on (and DD appears to hate it) that I never use it. Also have a Baby Bjorn (without lumbar support) which she loves but it's agony for me after about 10 minutes. Been wondering if it's worth forking out for something better so watching with interest.

[Quodlibet]

I had a close Caboo and a stretchy when she was little (liked both), a Baby Bjorn (awful, made my shoulders ache within minutes and it's not ergonomically good for baby), an Ergo Classic which was comfy although the back panel was always a bit deep for my tiny child (passed it on to my sister who loves it) and it's hard to do up behind your back.

Eventually I got on to woven wraps, and that's the best solution for me. However big/small/heavy/light/tall/short you and your baby are, once you've learned some basics of wrapping you can always get a comfy carry. I still carry my daughter if she asks at 2.4.

[readingrainbow]

Do you have a sling library near you? That would be your best bet. I loved the look of the Connectas but when I tried it on - no way. Not for me. I then tried on a Tula and the heavens opened and angels sang. It was perfect. :) But it's a lot of money to buy before you try....

[jimpam]

Another vote for ergo classic. Tulas are also v good.

[trilbydoll]

Boba 4g here. Carries 2.11 dd1 on my back or 11m dd2 on my front or back. Useful to be able to carry either.

I'm really tempted by woven wraps but I have short arms and am ridiculously inflexible so I suspect it would end up just being an expensive scarf.

[badg3r]

I have a beco soleil. It's amazing. I use the pram about twice a month and the sling every day. DS is 16 mo now and it's still super comfy and in good nick. The main difference between this many most other structured carriers is that you can unclog the shoulder straps and choose to cross them over at the back which I found much more comfortable.

[badg3r]

• unclip, not unclog!

[WalkingBlind]

I wish I had a sling library (I didn't know the existed) unfortunately I live in the middle of nowhere and even the nearest city doesn't have any baby shops or sling libraries.

DS likes to look around already and moves a lot for his age. I'm going to check out the most recommended so thank you all, please keep commenting if you have something to add

Mainly need it for walking the dog as the paths aren't pram friendly (yep I live in the fields/hills lol) so want the most comfortable. I love the woven wraps but I can't imagine being able to fathom out a comfy way to wear it without assistance

[MangosteenSoda]

iAngel hipseat carrier. All of the Korean hipseat carriers are excellent and can be used for a long time. Not sure what size the baby needs to be to start using it. I got mine when my son was 12 weeks. The downside is that you can't fold it up small.

Also have an ergo which is good too and will be useful if I was to carry him on my back.

[Sothatsflatwhite]

Boba is amazingly comfortable and lasts ages

Sister has Ergo and says it's also brilliant. She has chunky babies

[BadgerFace]

I used a Caboo from birth and then switched to my Connecta at about 6/8 weeks for my second baby and my little one is quite petite. You can easily sell Connectas on for nearish RRP so I'd start there if I were you if you can't get to a sling library but I am a bit biased. Connecta are also relatively cheap compared to Ergo/Tula/Boba (which are all good brands).

The alternative is to try renting from an online site to try some out. It's a sling thing is a good website/library.

[CaptainWarbeck]

There are online sling libraries which will post out for you to try on loan I think, might be worth Googling.

We forked out for a boba wrap which DS hated, then bought a connecta at 4 months after trying it at a baby expo. DS is now nearly 1 and we still use the connecta every single day. He loves it and it's amazing for walks - easy to shove in a bag, easy to put on, can go back or front and has a hood which rolls down for head support or up for sun/rain. I can't evangelise enough about how a sling changed our lives! So worth it.

[ProseccoPoppy]

Ours is mainly for dog walking too!

Walking just in case it helps (sometimes I think it's hard to find out what sling libraries etc are out there as they're often open eg at children's centres etc a couple of times a month) this page might help locate one relatively close to you? www.thebabyslingboutique.co.uk/map/ Or as pp said postal hire. I didn't try their hire but did buy from It's a sling thing and they were great. Our local doula does home sling consultations which - especially with more than one little one - might also be worth considering if anyone near you offers that

[Artandco]

The ergo I tried but found it didn't go small enough at waist for me

Boba 4g also has foot straps for when they are older on back. Ours was use back packing with two under two for a few months and great. I found particularly handy having a sling even more when they were older also like 3 years, for the times you arrive late home off a plane for example and they are too tired to walk through airport, or to take for a day out at zoo or similar so you can carry at the end of the day when they are shattered. Far easier than giving piggy back with arms

[kate7590]

I have 2 Tulas! Big fan.
A baby size and a toddler size.

[WalkingBlind]

I've just found the "It's a sling thing" and now I can try one out! Thank you so much for your help

[ArriettyMatilda]

We have a connecta (both standard and toddler now dd is older) and a manducca. I only recently got toddler connecta and I'm astounded my how much more comfortable it is compared to the manducca for my two year old. I'd definitely try out the standard connecta first, they are so practical and comfortable. The manducca was comfortable when dd want so heavy but I find I can't get the structured waist band tight enough around me and I can get a better fit with the connecta.