Baby carriers... where to start? *pics*

[MamaNenwa]

Had an absolutely naff day in the hospital yesterday so treating myself to a few bits and pieces today. I've been looking at baby carriers, my parents swore by them and would live an alternative to a pram so I can potter about the house and go for walks a bit more freely.

I'm a bit torn between the wraparound and the more sturdy carrier. I tried a few on and absolutely loved the wraparound. Felt much closer and I got on well with the material. Didn't really like the sturdy carrier and it felt bulky and less close.

I've only tried these on with a baby doll so no idea what they are like with a real baby. My colleague made a comment 'don't bother with those stupid wraparound things they're too airy fairy and hard to tie' - not sure if he is correct or not.

Anyone mind sharing their experiences with me?

raining I think brands just see pregnancy as an excuse to whack their prices up. It's not on really. I can't believe how much maternity clothes cost compared to standard. Prams as well. I'm not poor but I would like a nice looking pram for less than a few hundred quid!

The Ergo is trading on its name now, it isn't the only SSC around. Actually you can get a far better selection in mainstream shops these days, which is helpful. Just be careful of all of the off-brands on amazon.

I think if you get the wrap and get involved in your local sling community you'll get a feel for what options are out there for later on, and there is always one or two sling-mad ladies who have loads so you can often find something to borrow or buy when they have finished with them.

Actually someone has bought us one of the generic buckle carriers this time, so I'll be interested to see what it's like and whether my dislike of them is actually justified or I'm just picking up some undeserved snobbishness really.

I did a wrap sling (20 quid on amazon) whilst DC was small because I preferred the close support and I found the width of the fabric straps across my shoulders to be most comfortable for many hours of wear. Then, at about 8m we went into a Connecta, worked really well to support the increased weight of dc. I'm still using it now at 2yo!

Prams as well you can get much cheaper second hand, especially if you research carefully what you want. Often people ditch the big pram once their child is happier to sit up and less likely to nap, or if they are expecting a second child and the pram doesn't convert. Actually I've found FB marketplace is a step up from gumtree etc as people have to use their real names - it might be worth having a look through a friend's account and then signing up yourself if you're serious about saving money. We got a Mutsy Evo (about £700 new) in excellent condition, just a few scratches on unobvious parts of the frame, in a much nicer colour than they do them this year for €150 which is about £120? And it came with the carrycot, two raincovers, buggy liner, bag clips, a parasol and a mosquito net - just stuff the previous owners had acquired which they didn't have a use for with any subsequent buggy, but would have all added up if we'd bought separately. Unfortunately they had lost the carrycot/carseat adapters, but we can get those for €40 new or €30 second hand so it's still much cheaper than we would have got in the shops.

For a budget option brand new with the features I wanted I was looking at the Joie Chrome. Defo worth checking out. We're going to hit summer sales in July ish as well. If you have amazon Prime, keep an eye out for Prime Day as they tend to have big brands discounted even for baby things.

They are currently selling ergobaby carriers at tkmaxx for £60

www.tkmaxx.com/uk/en/kids/baby+nursery/marine-blue-baby-carrier/p/72583336

I have one from a sling library but might buy one (I've seen them go 2nd hand for that sort of price!!)

Oh that's an excellent price!

I’ve just ordered a new Ergobaby 360 off eBay for £54..... am still waiting on it to arrive, should be next week.
Seems too good to be true- Fingers crossed it is ok!

Maybe a friend could check Facebook for you to see if there is any nearby.

Still some on there....

Unfortunately, Ergo carriers are frequently copied and manufactured in China. New ones at that price are highly unlikely to be the genuine article and possibly unsafe. There used to be a way of checking the serial number on the Ergobaby website as it was such a huge problem - not sure if that's still the case. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!

Oh yes :( lots of fake ergos on eBay unfortunately. If you've paid by PayPal and it's too late/you don't want to cancel you might be able to get your money back if it does turn out to be a fake. What's the seller name?

I find my ergo rather uncomfortable now and DS is only 6 months. :(