Baby carrier recommendation please

[tiba]

Our baby is 5 weeks and starting to look for a structured carrier for short walls in the woods and on the beach when we can't use the pram.
He's 5.5kg and have tried a stretchy wrap sling but didn't get on with it.

Currently looking at ones such as the baby bjorn or manduca (itl be worn mostly by dp and me occasionally )

ergo baby or boba 4G as structured carrier.

what stretchy wrap have you got ? I have close caboo which is a stretchy wrap but also has rings and I find if easier to use than other stretchy ones. might be worth a try if you have a sling library nearby

We have a manduca. I would highly recommend it's very comfy!

I have also had a close caboo and that was great for little babies but not great when they get bigger.

Become Gemini. Fantastic. Manduca and ergo also good options but I prefer the become because you don't have to do up a clip behind your shoulder blades which I found too tricky.

Sorry that should say Beco Gemini!

Big fan of our baby Bjorn and still use it now ds is 18 months, but everyone (parents and babies!) has different preferences. I'd try looking for a sling library somewhere local to you - they are fountains of knowledge about all the different kinds of carriers and for a small deposit you can hire one for a month or so to try it out. Saves any expensive mistakes!

Manduca / Ergo much better than Bjorn, for your back and cd.

(on the manduca / ergo you can cross the straps behind you like on the Beco rather than using the little extra buckle bit, I found this much comfier and easier to put on)

We love our mei tai. Used it for DD1 for over a year and DD2 is now 11 weeks and I still love it. Have tried a number of stretchy wraps/slings/caboo and didn't like any of them as much as my mei tai. It's a cheap MNS designs one but is doing really well and only cost £30 new! (If you do go with this one go with classic cut)

We have a beco Gemini and it's fab!

Try a Connecta at a sling library. They're soft structured buckled carriers which I personally think are better for little ones.

I liked the K'tan carrier and the Connecta Baby Carrier. Both very different though.
It's so personal to you and your baby. See if you can try a few different ones.

We've just bought the Ergo baby which seems good for walks out. Comfort and well supported, there is a newborn insert too. Look on eBay - we got ours with newborn for £50. Shame about the fabric sling, I couldn't for the life of me work it out with my boy at that age and nearly chucked it out but weirdly now he's bigger (10 wks) it's a lot easier to get on and him in snug. I've got funky flamingo - £20 off amazon. :)

I love my Manduca but it is bulkier that a connecta. I would avoid baby Bjorne as it does not follow the TICKS guidelines.

Definitely try some out at a sling library as it is personal preference.

Lillebaby or ergo360 (both v similar) are good for newborns up to toddlers

Tula! Such lovely prints and amazingly comfortable carriers.

Ergos are nice, but there are so many Chinese fakes around that may not be entirely safe that I would be very careful about where you buy them from.

Another vote for Manduca here, DS is a chunk of a lad - now pushing 12kg at 9m - and it's very sturdy and supportive but also comfortable. Have been able to breastfeed in it as straps are super-adjustable, this has been a godsend lately when out and about. Agree with a PP that it's bulkier than others. I have heard good things about Connecta for something a bit lighter.

We had a boba 3g from when dd was about 6 months and then switched to a tula, which I absolutely love

Lillebaby is really great, I used to get back aches when I used a cheaper Mothercare carrier, with this one I can carry DS2 (nearly 9 months) for much longer with ease. I looked at this one and the Ergo360, what put me off the Ergo was the Velcro belt, otherwise they're really similar.

I really like the Baby Bjorn Miracle but I've heard excellent things about the Ergobaby.

I loved our ergo 360.

Another vote for Tula!

Tula is great. Really comfortable & easy to use. Quite liked the connecta too but the Tula edges it for me as it is padded around where the babies legs emerge. Connecta would sometimes leave a small temporary mark. Which never seemed to bother the baby. It did bother me though!

Beco Gemini here too. Brilliantly comfy even with a heavy nearly 2 yr old in it.

A lot of them (eg ergo) don't have an outwards facing option, I wanted this option as have very nosy DC, and the Beco Gemini does have it. Bjorns have it too but the position is not so good for baby's hips.