Best baby carriers?

[NEAKT5]

I recently asked for some advice on the Ergobaby 360 carrier as it was my plan to buy that for DS2 as DS1 will be 18 months when he is due in December. We’re not keen on a double pram, DS1s travel system pram was expensive and relatively new still and especially since we both drive most places and it’s going to be winter, however it looks like the Ergobaby might not be the best for someone small like me (5ft) I’ve been told!

So I’m looking for some recommendations for a baby carrier, we have a mini babybjorn already that I plan to use again but wondering if it’s best to have another one to swap between for house and outdoor use.

What I liked about the Ergobaby was that you could get a rain cover type jacket for it and lots of good reviews on comfort. But it is expensive and worried it won’t be the right fit for me, DH is average height so likely no issue for him. I’ve checked for a sling library near me but they’re closed still due to covid!

I had a Beco Gemini and loved it. Used it for more than 5 years over 2 DC both from about 8 weeks to 3.5 years.

In the really early days I liked a stretchy wrap and carried on using stretchy one at home and Beco out for a whole after that.

Anything is better than a BB

I'm 5ft too and found the Beco Gemini very comfortable. I thought we'd struggle to find a carrier that both me and husband would be able to use because of our height difference but it was comfy for him too.

They're normally about £100 but we managed to get one at sale price about £70 from their website as we didn't mind which design we got.

I didn't try the baby bjorn or ergobaby one so I don't know how they compare.

Beco Gemini! I recommend this too. I bought it in ‘Cool’.
Im petite and found the Ergobaby’s shoulder straps just felt too thick and bulky on me. The whole carrier felt too bulky and like it was wearing me, rather than the other way round.

The Beco Gemini has padded shoulder straps, but they are thinner and it’s so comfortable and easy to use.

@DappledThings
That's impressive you used it for so long - I don't think I'd be able to wrestle my 2 year old into one anymore!

Did you use the back carry? I only ever used it on the front.

On the baby bjorn mini- I used one of those too and found it less than ideal as I couldn’t tighten it around the baby. It also hurt my back and neck as there’s no waist strap.

Another vote for beco. The gemini is often on offer with old patterns and try independent stores.

But I'd also say with your age gap that you may find a double necessary.

I used one like the tula- my daughter liked to be carried everywhere and this one was so comfy! She was never out of it and it was super easy to put on and take off

[quote MangoM]@DappledThings
That's impressive you used it for so long - I don't think I'd be able to wrestle my 2 year old into one anymore!

Did you use the back carry? I only ever used it on the front.[/quote]
Yes, back carry after about 18 months I think. They both loved a nap in it for years and it was really comfy even at their 3.5 year weight as a back carry.

I think recommended weight is 15kg and we pushed it a couple of kilos beyond that but still felt very secure and easy to carry

I back carried until about 2 but their heads rolled around too much so had to stop.

I'm a massive Tula fan, but maybe look up your area for sling libraries so you can try before you buy?

@DappledThings @MangoM oh I hadn’t even heard of that one it looks lovely actually! Will definitely look into that one thank you x

@Fkrkrodps I’m really glad I decided to post as it does sound like the Ergobaby is quite hyped up but doesn’t sound suitable for me!

I’ll definitely look into the Beco it looks lovely. Yes I found the same with the babybjorn, I didn’t know much about carriers at the time and to be honest I only ever used it for nipping to the shops and around the house! My DH did use it when we went for long walks at a lodge and he didn’t seem to find it as uncomfortable as me but maybe because he doesn’t know any different!

@Hercisback great thank you it’s looking like that may be the one to go for!

We’ve agreed that we’ll see how we get on without one as I really dislike the doubles, just personally with being petite and having a dog too I’ve tried with a family members and haven’t enjoyed it. But if we feel it’s necessary once baby is here and we can’t manage with the carrier and pram we would get one!

@idontevenknowanyonecalledblurb @OatyBarKid oh that one looks lovely too! It’s funny how just looking online doesn’t show you all the options like this. Thank you x

Have found this one on Amazon which is only £58 is this the right one?! It’s £105 on their website or £75 for an open boxed one so just want to make sure it isn’t a rip off version!

Another vote for Tula but also a sling library so you can try different options.

@DrCoconut thank you it looks very comfy, the only thing for me is the fun designs I’m much more a dark clothing person haha! Unfortunately there aren’t any operating near me due to covid at the minute.

@DappledThings Can I ask if you had the cool version or the normal version please. I can see both are roughly 50/60 on Amazon just now (I think the right one I attached an image above) and not sure what would be better. Thinking of comfort for us both!

There are places that do online sling hire of your local sling library is still shut. Babi Pur is one but there are others. I've had Connectas, both the baby and toddler size, and they are great. They are now rebranded as Integra but they are effectively the same slings. My 3.5 year old still goes in the toddler one sometimes. One thing I like about the Connecta/Integra is that it folds up really small so you can shove it in your backpack or under your buggy in case you need it.

@bluechameleon oh I didn’t realise I’ll have a look thanks. My only thing with the hiring is that I can’t test it yet as I don’t want to carry DS1 whilst pregnant plus he’ll be heavier so won’t know what it’ll be like for a baby and I may end up having another C section and won’t be wearing baby for the first 6 weeks anyway it would be my DH using it first and I like to be prepared and have things there ready to use!

I’ll have a look at that one too thank you.

[quote NEAKT5]@DappledThings Can I ask if you had the cool version or the normal version please. I can see both are roughly 50/60 on Amazon just now (I think the right one I attached an image above) and not sure what would be better. Thinking of comfort for us both![/quote]
I had the normal one. Not sure how much difference the mesh bit makes but this country tends to be colder more often than it's hotter so I'd stick with the normal one!

[quote NEAKT5]@bluechameleon oh I didn’t realise I’ll have a look thanks. My only thing with the hiring is that I can’t test it yet as I don’t want to carry DS1 whilst pregnant plus he’ll be heavier so won’t know what it’ll be like for a baby and I may end up having another C section and won’t be wearing baby for the first 6 weeks anyway it would be my DH using it first and I like to be prepared and have things there ready to use!

I’ll have a look at that one too thank you.[/quote]
Yes, I can see why you want to be prepared in advance. Just so you know, you don't need to wait 6 weeks after a C section to carry your baby, I did so after about a week each time. I used a Close Caboo when mine were tiny, I'm not sure a more structured carrier would be very comfy straight after the surgery. They are a great option for the first couple of months because they are really easy to use, and you can get them cheaply second hand then sell them on afterwards. I think I paid about £25 then sold it for £20.

@bluechameleon oh that’s really helpful thank you. I know they say nothing heavier than baby but I wasn’t aware that a carrier would be okay at that stage! I have heard of those ones too actually, I’m going to have a look as that may be a good idea for the early days.

I haven’t made a decision on the section or vbac it’s such a difficult choice!

We were given both the ergo embrace and ergo omni 360.
The ergo embrace was fantastic the first 9-12 months and I really recommend if your petite. Soft thin straps and buckles easy, comfy indoors as well.

The ergo omni 360 I’m not a huge fan of. It wasn’t good at all when Ds was smaller as I found it too bulky. I do now use it as he’s 1 year, but I’m using it because we have it rather than because I particularly like it. I think I might buy a Tula toddler soon (Ds is 15 months)

If you can find a sling consultant near you they'll have a weighted doll that you / hubby can try out with. What I found comfy for first 3 months though wasn't the same as I found comfy later. I loved the stretchy straight away and buckles later on.
Our local sling group does a hire subscription so you can keep switching as the baby grows which is really helpful. If you are in London I can point you to them!
I also wore within days after my sections. I actually found it easier to get on the bus with baby in sling than manoevering the pram on.