Why are BabyBjorns so popular? And why do people carry their babies outward facing?

[Norwegiana]

I don't really get why Baby Bjorn is such a popular make of sling? Everyone I have met who has tried one says they're uncomfortable (actually two people say they are comfy, but the rest say it makes their shoulders hurt). As an experienced babywearer I have tried lots of slings and carriers (the Manduca being my favourite to wear on the back, on the front I prefer woven wraps). So I can't really critisise people when I don't know how it actually feels - but from what I've read, and what I can see, there are many much better (ergonomically) slings for baby and parent out there. It just looks uncomfortable for the baby to be hanging by the crotch, and I feel like saying something to every Baby Bjorn user I see, but obviously that would be rude.

Why are they so popular, and why don't people do a bit more research before they buy their sling?

We also have an ergo, still in use even 5 years on... (occasionally!)

I used a Coorie with DD and it was absolutely fabulous. She was snuggled up in it as a baby and then sat in it on my hip as a toddler. I think I carried her unit she was 2.5 or 3. Loved it and loved the way it was like I was hugging her as I carried her.

I look at people with a BabyBjorn and they look like they have a baby stuck to their chest - it looks uncomfortable and kind of daft.

"The bb is the quickest and easiest IMO to chuck the baby in and go"

Nothing is as easy as a coorie IMO :)

I borrowed a Baby Bjorn from my sil when ds was first born and liked it well enough. It's very comfortable as long as you make sure you adjust the straps so you're carrying the baby quite high on your front. You should be able to kiss the top of their head (imo), rather than having them hanging around your stomach.

But I wasn't able to use it for all that long and bought a Coorie fleece pouch which was great. I was still using it occasionally when ds was over 2. I'd have used it from birth if I'd known about it.

I actually bought a ring sling while I was pg but could never get it right. I think that's the big attraction of the Baby Bjorn - there's absolutely no trick to it (plus the most visible - an awful lot of slings are online only).

Oh, and I agree SoupDragon - definitely nothing is easy as a Coorie! If I was a baby that's how I'd like to be carried. They look so cosy.

I used the premaxx baby bag, you could bf with it too, very handy when in public! Great for new born and as a hip seat for toddlers, but not so good for the bit in between, my dh wouldn't use it though!

Well I'm not an experienced babywearer but I just found slings handy if I wanted to actually get anything done, especially with my second. I used a BB first time round because, I guess, it was what we saw in Mothercare. Also, if I'm being honest I assumed my baby would be happy in a pram and the sling would just be for DH posing in Waitrose. Ha. I found it uncomfy but DH liked it and beyond about 6 months DS started to get annoyed in it anyway.

I got a Moby with DD and I loved it. I know some people hate wrap slings but I (and judging by her responses DD too) found it really comfy and cosy. I was motivated to seek out an alternative to the BB out second time around as I knew how much I'd be using a sling. DH still insisted on using the BB though - Moby far too hippy for him

i have a premaxx for birth-about 5 months and a backpack for 8 months-proper walking baby age - getting baby in and out of a premaxx is the work of but a moment. all three slept in it happily - can't see the point in being able to see out for a small baby - i'd rather they slept.

imbetween is a bit dodge - i have a front carry two-shoulder weird one i can't find instructions for. never bought a BB but think they are v. cheap and widely available.

..and as my back is getting increasingly knackered, i am looking for a two-shoulder sling to do birth-8 months ...

one-shoulder sling fine whilst very robust.

Wasn't the Premaxx withdrawn for being unsafe though? WHich one am I thinking of?

Marshmallow - this is the list of carriers and slings that Which? tested - there are only two on there I'd consider "proper" slings (the close carrier and the Ergo) and both of those, TBH, aren't fantastic examples of "proper" carriers either. The close is a "hybrid" between a stretchy wrap and a ring sling, IMO bringing the downsides of both rather than the best bits, although I know people who have used them and loved them. The Ergo is probably a lot better than the bjornalikes, once your baby has grown out of the bjornalikes. Testing with similarly aged babies isn't going to give you great results because it's really best for 6 months+. And it's okay as SSCs go but it's definitely not one of the best ones out there, just well marketed (hence its popularity).

If you're looking at which kind of sling to choose I'd definitely suggest you see if there is a sling meet or sling library in your area and go along, see a few, get a feel for the pros and cons of each in a way which is difficult to do onthe internet.

I liked my BabyBjorn when DS was small because it was comfy and structured so didn't hurt my shoulders as for me, the weight was well distributed. I took back a whole bunch of slings before settling on the BB.

Beyond 7 months, I had a Moby Wrap which was great too.

I tried almost every sling in the world but those two were the best for me at different times in DS' life. And I found all other slings apart from the BB and Moby necessitated a trip to the osteopath.

So I guess sometimes it's availability and other times, it's just what suits individuals.

Oh oops, I missed the Kari Me, that is a "proper" sling, it's a stretchy wrap, again though not the best on the market IMO, a bit too stretchy. They also have the Manduca which I've not tried but is supposed to be very good, so would be surprised if that didn't get a good review.

no.

it is listed on other sites too as "The Baby-Bag meets all current safety and comfort requirements and even the most stringent safety standards of the 'Child Safety Assessment'."

I hated the coorie sling and all the one shoulder slings, even when DS was really teeny they gave me a sore neck on one side. I really needed the weight to be more evenly distributed.

Yes fuckity the Premaxx bag sling was withdrawn for being unsafe. You can't buy them any more.

Yep, EAP notice it's out of stock? They aren't manufacturing them any more IIRC.

Although you are correct there was no official recall in this country.

I loved my Baby Bjorn and the dc were happy as could be facing outwards. Bless them, they were looking at me all day every day, I thought they could do with a change of scenery. They had outward facing pushchairs too!!! What am I like???

BertieBotts, you said exactly what I think about this.

And you don't have to be a hippie to carry your baby in something other than a Bjorn. Yes, there are rainbow coloured woven wraps, but also a lot of stylish, simple, elegant, practical slings and carriers that would appeal to all sorts of people. Take a look at some of these Norwegian wraps, aren't they gorgeous? Nothing hippie about those! www.ellevill.com/users/ellevill_mystore_no/images/146_ellevill_she11_4.jpg

More here: www.ellevill.com/

Do you need to subscribe to Which to get the full reviews Bertie? We do, so can't tell.

The Manduca got 50%. Parents questioned sitting in an M position and said that their babies wanted to face out . They didn't like having to do up the shoulder buckle in a front carry (you don't have to- unlike ergos the straps cross). They also said that the waist buckle was stiff- fair enough, mine is.

Ergo got similar complaints about the legs being spread. .

I had a hand-me down Tomy baby carrier for first baby and it was OK. Then DS and I trialled a load of baby carriers as part of a focus group for a major baby equipment company who were developing their own b aby carrier and wanted to know the pros and cons of the competition. So all in all, I have used about 7 different carriers daily for a fortnight. I also had a Babasling which was torture.

In the trials, I loved the BB Active, so now have one for DC2. I find it comfortable and easy to put on; DH is happy to wear it (he has fairly pronounced scoliosis and is begining to have back problems because of this) and DD seems not have have any complaints. The back support is excellent and very good for taking the weight away from my abs after my recent CS. I also like the weather proof fleece cover.

I carried DS in the Tomy baby carrier most days for 6 months. There doesn't seem to be anything up with his hips/spine. He was breech so had them checked fairly often for his first year.

Yes you have to be a full member. All I can see is which slings were tested, and the price, not even the best buys.

That's rubbish that parents complained about the legs being spread and the M position, that's the ergonomically correct position! I thought they used experts to test their products? Otherwise what's so different about Which than any magazine which does testing? I've seen loads of parenting magazines do tests of different products and this sounds similar.

(On a tangent I'd be interested to see, then, why the rear facing car seats scored low, if you have the time and inclination.)

The baby bjorn isn't terrible, and it may not cause problems, but there are so many better and more supportive slings out there it doesn't really make sense to use it over one of them.

The babasling is an adjustable pouch sling but the adjustments are at set intervals. Great if you exactly fit one of the intervals, horrible and uncomfortable if you don't. I'm not a fan of one shoulder carriers anyway, although I know some people love them.

Oh, I did also see that all the testers' babies were 6 months or under, and most were under 4 months, in which case, there wouldn't be much difference between a BB and other type of sling, I don't think? The difference doesn't become apparent until babies are much heavier?

Bertie - the best buys were a couple of BB's, a Chicco, a close and a Mamas and Papas. None of the ones I'd buy in short! actually, that's not fair, I liked the Close with DD1 whilst I was getting my confidence.

Yes, reading about the M thing was what made me think the reviews weren't all that useful. Well, that and a glance at the Best Buys confirmed I had different views.

On the car seats, the BeSafe was a best buy. There are a couple of rear facing ones that have 'don't buy' status, but they seem pretty objective. It's mostly about crash protection. Eg they think that the Britax one is so often installed incorrectly that the crash protection is compromised (though it does say it's ok if it is) and the Chicco one scored very low for side impacts. I would place a lot more faith in it than the slings ones - it's not waffle about not liking facing backwards.

Ah okay fair enough. Thanks :)