Ergo vs Boba my Olympic 10 hr wear test results with Twins

[isislondon]

I went to the Olympics last weekend with my 9 month Twin girls. We could bring our babies in for free if they were in baby carriers & under 1 yrs old. They are 19-20lbs each ie over 8kgs each. I admit I have a slight bias towards ergo's as the ergo original carrier was my 2nd carrier after a cheap 3 way mothercare one which was agony for me & baby . It was so comfortable I wore it round the house to help my newborns drop off to sleep in 15 mins of being put in the carrier. It was ideal for discrete breastfeeding with a hood , which also stops the head bobbing around & protects from the sun. But then the London Olympics loomed & we had to get a 2nd one so hubby had I, could each carry one. We tried the Boba 2G. This was a 10 hr day out , with lots of walking & sitting around. The results of the test surprised me, Boba won the Gold Medal.

Although I preferred the look of the ergo, the Boba, which also had a hood & additionally stirrups (to rest feet when they get older), outperformed in comfort for wearer & baby. The ergo, after 4 hours, resulted in 1 baby squirming & whimpering so we had to keep taking her out. They were changed & fed throughout but the ergo twin was arching her back & neck whenever she was put in the ergo. We tried swapping them around which calmed the former ergo twin.

We noted, the ergo twin appeared to lean back & more of her upper body ie shoulders & head was visible above the back material of the baby carrier. The boba wentup higher so the back/ head had more support. The boba twin was more relaxed than she usually is during the day. We took them out to sit & watch matches & eat etc. The ergo twin began crying when we put her in the backpack towards the end of the day, so we had to carry her or hold her head. Back carry became impossible as the baby kept leaning back. It was possible either way in the boba. After 6 hrs, the ergo was really uncomfortable for me , with the soft padded area being uncomfortable front & back & on back carry the babies bottom half was bouncing off my arch in my back rather than being lifted by the carrier. Adjusting straps didnt help. I could barely walk home as my back felt strained.

I also had the ergo backpack with 3 x bottles , a rainmac & nappies & wipes. I had to give my backpack to my relative. My hubby was v comfy with the boba throughout the day. I swapped occasionally & the boba padding at hip level especially was so comfortable . We are both 5 ft 8. Oddly none of these probs occur at under 4 hrs use indoors & out with the ergo. I m now tempted to buy a 2nd Boba, perhaps 3G , as costs similar to the ergo, or a boba air for our cuba holiday. Or just keep the ergo for the more usual, under 4 hr use. I d recommend you try or hire your carrier before you buy. Has anyone else tried them?

[Northernlurker]

I'm past this stage now (dd3 is 5) but just wanted to say what an interesting and helpful post you've written!

[isislondon]

Olympic Tips for other Baby Mums
We found that cheap £2 ponchos were v handy for the short occasional rain bursts. Its v warm in between. Light macs that can roll up , hooded tracksuit tops with a tshirt under are good, so you can take off layers. We couldnt find baby milk in the Stratford Olympic Park. Best to bring your own, your allowed at present, up to 1 litre per baby. We bought more 5 x 500ml Hipp organic follow on pre prepared & security were ok. Nappies, a bib, & nappy bags. There are baby changing facilities in the event arenas ie basketball arena etc. Try those 1st as the large blocks of toilets near to ie the Athletics Stadium, didnt have changing rooms. The atmosphere is great in the games. The girls didnt cry once during the noise of the basketball & sat on our laps happily, smiling at everyone. We fed them there without hassle. Other spectators around us, were loving the babies & they showed them on the tv camera , with our flags :-) . Definately go with a comfortable carrier. We dressed them in layers in case it was hot. vest, tshirt & shorts, tracksuit. We also had a light mac material all in one romper suit . I didnt bother with my baby mac as it was quicker to put the poncho on & cover both of us, especially as the mac only wouldnt fully cover theyre feet & faces in the rain. Hope that helps.

[isislondon]

Thankyou
Also , we only chose the Ergo & Boba , because we wanted a carrier that lasted for up to 3-4 yrs, which they both do. We're hoping to try the new Boba 3G which is supposed to work with newborns without an insert. I still think the ergo was excellent under 8 months , & I wish I had it before I stopped breastfeeding as I could have continued as u can breastfeed on the move comfortably. I bought my ergo around 5 months, feeding was a little uncomfy after csec & trying to get body tone back. I m not sure if its possible with the boba 2G with the head , I think angled higher. Apparently the Boba 3G solves that issue. I'd love to trial it. There arent many situations where youd need to carry a baby for more than 6 hrs , so the issue may not arise for most baby carriers. We're planning a long haul 10 hr flight atlantic travel soon, so it may be an issue again for us. We are also attemping to bring our tandem icandy pear with us in the travel bag with car seats, so that will also be an interesting test.

[pootlebug]

I prefer the Boba too, but it really is very much dependent on the person or people wearing it and being carried in it. You may well find the Ergo works reasonably well again from about 15-18 months onwards, once they get over the 'leaning' age.

I don't love the 3g for newborn to be honest....the Manduca or Olives and Applesauce work better (I'd pick a Hop Tye or wrap over all of them ideally for tiny babies). The 3g doesn't support a newborn all that well, and then there is a stage around 2-3 months where they are too big to have it folded and too small to fit in it used as normal.

If your twins are tall and you still carry them a lot you may well find that you would be better swapping to a toddler or preschooler carrier as they get bigger - although the Ergo/Boba etc say they work until 3-4 years, in reality most standard sized carriers are not wide enough to really support their legs comfortably for that long and too short in the back for sleeping...although would be fine for short periods. My 4 year old fell asleep on my back in a for a decent period at the Olympics after an early start and a long day....she wouldn't have been able to do that in an Ergo/Boba etc.

[BeattieBow]

what is the difference between the Boba and the Ergo? I have a connecta at present (dd4 is 12 sees old) which is good - very comfortable. But I can see that dd4 will outgrow it at some stage. I met a friend yesterday who swears by her Ergo.

What is the difference between those 2 and the baby hawk which I have also seen recommended on here? (and interesting that babies are free at the olympics if carried, not that I have managed to get any tickets yet).

[PeapodPixie]

Having used the Boba 2G & more recently the Boba 3G too, I'd agree with both isislondon and pootlebug.

I do prefer both Boba's to the Ergo (Boba is a touch higher in the back panel, although similar width for thigh/bottom support) but in other ways, comfort can be very much dependent on the person or people using the carrier, assuming whichever carrier they choose they follow the basics, i.e. good padding in the shoulder straps and waistband (or wide straps), high/wide back panel (14-16") and ideally, baby facing-in, front or back carry rather than facing out/pulling away from your centre of gravity.

I do like the Boba 3G extras (bag clip on the shoulder, waist pouch, adjustments in the panel to support smaller babies) and I think the newborn position works well for some people, but my personal favourite buckle carrier brand for younger babies (0-24 months) is Beco .. Boba maybe more so from 4-5 months upto 2-3 years (+ my husbands favourite for comfort!)

Generally, I split my carrier 'wish list' into 2-3 categories ... 0-12/24 months & 2-4 years+ with most (good) brands covering the first 2-3 years and toddler/pre-school carriers (18"+ width/height) taking care of the later years.

I always say to friends - if carrying your little one is convenient for you (not forgetting lots of squiggy cuddles and talk time!) you should always be able to find a carrier that's comfortable for you and supportive for your little one ... for me it was one of the great 'off-the-shelf' brands in the first couple of years (Beco, Boba etc.) and more recently, a Toddler Tula and custom made pre-school carrier (my own choice of fabric and thankfully, not that expensive!)

Sadly, no Olympics for us :( but hopefully, lots of exercise carrying my DD2 around instead!!

I hope the above is useful :)

[PeapodPixie]

P.S. forgot to say BeattieBow, Babyhawk mainly make mei tai carriers (great prints) but also, a buckle carrier version, Oh Snap which is suitable I think, from 4-5 months and a similar size to the Boba brand. I've read lots of good reviews, so definiely worth a look :)

[isislondon]

Yes, lots to consider on long trips with twins. You have to buy 2x of everything which can be an expensive if you make a mIstake. We can't really afford to buy a different type every year. I looked at the beco range & forum feedback. It wasn't as positive as with the boba etc. 1 model doesn't go up to 45lbs unlike the others. Also I can't remember if it's babyhawk or beco that doesn't have a hood. I can live without a pocket but the hood is great for getting them off to sleep & sun exposure. 1 twin keeps knocking her hat off. Oh baby babyhawk looked ok but haven't access to one to try. Don't know about many hours use. I don't like forward facing carriers because of the baby research on baby back & spine I read. Babyhawk Mei tai, I would be frustrated by having to tie straps & wrap around, which would frustrate me & worry me if id done it securely especially as they get bigger. Also apparently some carriers trail straps on the floor as you put them on which would not be hygienic in some toilets whilst travelling. I think the closest contender to the boba is then the oh snap which I haven't tried . So I just have boba 3G & oh snap to compare. Thanks for these suggestions. I'd ruled out some of those before ie oh snap as its not really suitable until they get to around 17-20lb it's so big , the baby would get a bit lost in .

[PeapodPixie]

Hi, the Babyhawk's don't have a hood (or the Beco Gemini's) but the Beco Butterfly does :) You can develop a good routine for handling the long straps on mei tai carriers but does take practice - good point about the toilets (or rainy conditions) for first time users isislondon!

DH emphasising here how much he likes his Boba!

[isislondon]

Just to update my post. I went to cuba with hubby & the twins & a boba 3G & the new boba air. We concluded that I love the boba 3G as I love the extra support & padding & lots of adjustability. Hubby prefers the boba air because the bottom lumbar support doesn't lean on the family jewels :-) in the front carry position & it's lightweight & folds into a small pouch that can fit in a changing bag, rucksack or hang off a pushchair so it's always available. Was great for the airport as they don't let you have the pushchair until you've gone through immigration & your collecting your luggage, even if its gate checked . This is important as we have 1 yr old twins who both way over 20lbs. Holding 1 or both + carryon luggage isn't easy so baby carrier s were great , & on the plane Both seated & getting on & off the plane, leaving you hands free. We left the ergo as the babies are quite tall & it doesn't come high enough on the back to support it well enough like the boba 2g & 3G & to a certain extent the boba air.

Only problem with the black 3G we have was it picks up lint (fluff ) very easy , so we d need a clothes brush to keep it looking smart , but the material is very high quality & feels like velvet even though its cotton.

Our top kit for holiday was :-

1. Boba (great also to relax an anxious baby or discrete BF)
   
2. Phil & teds traveller cot (good for protecting from mosquitoes , breathable & fits in suitcase & can be used as a small playpen)
   
3. Bottle brush, Milton sterilizing tablets, travel kettle ( if none provided).
   
4. Water filter any from £5.99 only. Wished we'd tried the new Brita tube filter as its more compact
   
5. Our iPod/iphone with babies favourite YouTube videos predownloaded (as virtually no wifi in most places in cuba). Our babies love the Talking ginger app.
   
6. Enough milk & nappies for the whole trip. It won't be easy to get anything other than Nestlé in cuba.
   
7. Anti mosquito , & Biting insect spray or patches, (we used natural ones ) if outside main towns in the countryside there may be other insects. + your cot sheet just in case or adult size & just fold it round (cheaper).
   
8. Remember to request skycots for the plane.
   
9. Simple plug adapters for European & American plugs as a lot of hotels have European but casas & houses are mostly American flat pins.