Manduca or ergobaby carrier

[KatnissMellark]

Can anyone recommend? Mostly for DH but I will also use, ideally for carrying around the house when baby is fussy amd also on walks round the park /shopping. We are medium height each and I -was- slim, DH a bit thicker set. Don't think DH can be doing with the faff of a fold/twisty soft sling thing. Advice much appreciated!

If you can afford it Tula carriers are amazing! I'm dying to buy one, they are so pretty aswell! We had a faffy wrap one with our first and to be honest it was really easy to wear and comfortable, but yes, it was a faff to get on sometimes and I had to put it on for my husband haha Still use it now though at almost 3 as a back carrier :D Just make sure that whatever you choose is ergonomic xx

How old is your baby? I've just got a Tula for my 13 mo and wish I'd bought it months ago, so comfy and easy to use. Friends who have ergos love them too, pretty similar design.
Have you got a local sling library? Worth trying before you buy as they're not cheap!

If you have instagram account take a look at wrapyouinlove account she does lots of reviews of different types of carriers xx

I'm 35weeks pregnant. Would ideally like something we can use from birth. I'll take a look at the Tula, thanks.

Hmm, not sure you can use the Tula from birth. They do baby inserts but still think you need to wait a few weeks. Maybe have a look at a Caboo?

Manduca for sure, they are great and at one point we had two, one for toddler and one for new baby. Really easy to adjust and all clips together, no noisy Velcro like my friends Ergo which always woke her sleeping baby up when she tried to take her out of the sling! (Also hear Tulas are great but not used one myself)

I loved my Manduca. It is really easy to use on the front or back, though I never managed to work it out sideways.

It is quite thick though so not sure about using it round the house as you would probably both get too hot. It might make sense to get a stretchy sling for inside? I had a moby wrap when he was tiny, but it is a faff to put on.

Bear in mind that having to move straps repeatedly for two different sized people would be a pain.

Love my manduca - still using at 18 months. Used a caboo for newborn stage but would use a normal stretchy wrap in future for me.

DH wears her loads in the manduca, wouldn't use a stretchy so used SIL's Baby Bjorn until we got the manduca. Best bits for us - structured waistband and cross over option for back straps. Not tried Ergo though.

You can use manduca from birth with the built in new born insert, assuming baby is not super tiny

If you can find a sling meet or library near you the best thing to do would be to go and try some out (as flibbertigibbetty says). We had a manduca which can be used from newborn. My husband and I both used it and found it good. You can cross straps at the back which made it more supportive for front carries than some other ones.

Love my ergo but it isn't easy with a newborn, you need the baby insert as well. I used Caboo from birth then ergo from 3 months.

I tried a Tula and hated it (don't believe the universal praise!), just not right for my petite build. We love our manduca, never tried an ergo as I read it isn't the best for smaller women either.

Manduca can be used from little without a Newborn insert, needs to be bought separately. I got mine at 3 months and still use it nearly daily at 1 year, It's also DHs favourite carried (I have 4 others )

I have Manduca and ergo and prefer the manduca, you need a sling library or if you can't find one a big John Lewis should have a good selection, not sure if they have the weighted baby dolls though.

Personally I would recommend tracking down your local sling library and hiring them from there for the first few weeks until you find one you both like. I hired the manduca when my DD was 6 weeks old, I liked it at the time, preferred a stretchy wrap though. Then I bought an ergo360 when my DD was a little older, happy with both and didn't find a major difference between the two. Ergo is good as you can back carry and side carry, but my DH struggles to do anything than front carry as he's quite tall and she sits too far down on his back.

Go to a sling library. I used a caboo for the first few months, then a connecta

This is a good online hire place apparently www.itsaslingthing.co.uk

We're getting a manduca, really easy to change the straps between me and DP and it fit him as well as me (he's 6 ft 3, broad shoulders but narrow waist so tricky with sizing).

I have just bought a Manduca. I love how easy it is to adjust, the comfort and I like that you can front, side or back carry.

You definitely need to go to a sling library. Slings are like bras, what is comfy and right for one person is not for someone else.

Some people dont like little babies in structured carriers. I started wearing DD when she was 5 1/2 months as I did not get on with a stretchy when she was little:

I love my ergo baby, but the infant insert is useless. Get a cheap stretchy wrap for tiny baby, then use the structured carrier when they're bigger.

We've got a solly baby wrap if that helps, super stretchy so easy to put on and gorgeous patterns. I think even with wraps though baby has to be over a certain weight to use them safely straight from birth.

Thanks jugoo, we're expecting a little tubster but I'll be sure to thoroughly research and follow the safety guidelines. A reminder never hurts though!

You do need to try them out, I ended up hiring and loving a toddler connecta when DD got a bit big for our Ergo and I never would have considered buying one normally. Second the recommendation for www.itsaslingthing.co.uk if you can't get to a sling meet in person.