butterfly vs gemini vs manduca

[scottygirl5]

Hi guys. Posted a little while ago looking for advice about a new sling and it seemed that a SSC would be the way to go. Having looked into it more I think the butterfly, gemini and manduca all look good but am unsure which to go for. Local sling meet/library only has manduca so can't try the other two out to compare. What do people think?

The weight limit on the manduca and butterfly seems to be higher than the gemini but the gemini and manduca both allow hip carries. Butterfly seems easiest to use for a back carry. The becos come in prettier colours .

Any advice welcome!

I like my Beco. Comfy and easy for back carry. Also has an intrinsic insert for tinies.

And it's v pretty

Due to sleep derpivation, I thought your title was baby names

I mean, butterfly is cute but gemini and manduca are just plain wierd!

heehee to baby names! wicketkeeper do you have the butterfly or gemini beco?

I have only tried a Gemini briefly and didn't love it that much, but have the other two in the sling library I run so will try to sum up differences:

• On any SSCs, I wouldn't pay too much attention to upper weight limit unless it's very low. They tend to grow out of it when their legs are too long to be comfortable before they hit the maximum weight, in my experience.

• The Manduca you can cross the straps over your back in a front carry. I find this a) easier to fasten, and b) much comfier, than wearing it like a backwards rucksack, which is what you have to do with the Beco and many other SSCs.

• The Manduca is wider, and because of the extending back, is also taller....this means it will last longer comfortably than the Beco. I could put my 2.5 year old in the Manduca (although my first choice would be a specific toddler-size SSC) but wouldn't put him in the Beco any more.

• The Beco is very easy for back carries with the internal harness. Some people love it and some people find it unnecessarily complicated. Depends how confident you can get about putting them on your back tbh. I wouldn't recommend back carrying with either until baby is around 6 months (sitting unaided) so you have a while to get used to the carrier first etc.

• Beware fake Becos on Ebay....I've seen a few. Buy from a reputable retailer or someone who knows they have a real one 2nd hand.

• The Beco is a little less padded, so packs down a little smaller. Some people love the more padded waist, some don't....just personal preference really.

• You can face them out on the Gemini, but since the phase where you can do this is so short (your baby will quickly get too heavy to do it comfortably, and you can't do it from newborn because of lack of head control) I wouldn't worry about that as a feature. I've carried two children from birth to toddler without them ever needing to face out.

• I've never found a SSC ideal for a hip carry tbh (except the Scootababy, but that isn't so good for anything but hip carries) so I wouldn't worry too much about that feature.

I have the butterfly. I wasn't bothered about being able to do front facing front carries so didnt bother with the Gemini.

Thanks for the responses. pootlebug, are there other SSCs that you think are better than these ones? My friend has a manduca which she likes (though is adjusting to it as finds it much less comfortable than the moby she's been using) but I'm a bit of a babywearing novice so don't know what other SSCs would meet my needs.

Is it from newborn or from bigger? To be honest there isn't really one SSC I'd rate above the others. They all have pros and cons, and it is especially difficult from newborn.

Some other alternatives are the Boba (the 3g version is from birth, the 2g from about 4-5 months). I like how it is thinner than the Ergo/Manduca but still very supportive, and it has foot stirrup things that keep it supportive for a bigger child longer than most other standard sized carriers. Can't cross the straps on the back like the manduca though. I haven't tried out the 3g with a tiny baby though....it looks okay but not ideal. But then I don't love SSCs for tiny babies in general to be honest.

The Ergo is good for 4-5 months + but I think the infant insert bit isn't great at all, especially in hot weather.

The Connecta is less structured than other buckle carriers. Can be used from newborn without the need for an extra insert thing - because it is softer you can cinch in the bottom of the carrier to make it narrower. But it won't last as long as say the Boba or Ergo or Manduca for carrying a bigger child.

From newborn, in an ideal world I'd suggest buying a 2nd hand stretchy, then selling it when baby gets to 4-5 months and buying a SSC instead. It increases the range of SSCs that will work easily without them having to be newborn-suitable, and is comfier and cosier than a SSC for a tiny baby imo. But I do understand that some people would just prefer buckles from day one because they don't like the idea of a wrap, and the newborn-suitable SSCs will do the job. Another possibility I love for a newborn is the Hoppediz Hop Tye - more shaped than a wrap, but still very snuggly, but still no buckles.

FWIW when my sister had a newborn I got her a Connecta and a stretchy, to cover all eventualities!

I liked the fact that the Beco had more padding on the straps compared to the Connecta. Meant it wasn't just as small when folded up to keep stowed in my bag, but I thought it would be more comfortable when carrying (I got it when DD1 was almost 2).

Thanks guys, all helpful. DD is 4mo and we already have a stretchy loaned from a friend. Think a manduca sounds like the right choice as size doesn't really matter (though might work towards having more than one!). Thanks again!