2.3 year old, are backpack carriers an option?

[FayeFruitLoop]

Will he be too heavy for one? Getting frustrated pushing buggy all day when he only sits in it when I need him restrained. Thinking I could swap changing bag & buggy for one on my back? Plus a folding scooter perhaps to get anywhere quick

But I'm overweight, he's tall/heavy and I don't want to cripple myself... Thoughts? Recommendations?

DD is 21mo, ENORMOUS and goes in a Rose and Rebellion soft structure sling in a back carry. I think she weighs about 2 stone. I can usually do about an hour at most with her, but DP who has a bad back can't carry her at all any more.
I am pretty fit, but no gladiator!
There are rucksack type carriers of course, but there is a lot more intrinsic weight to those.

Thx for the reply. I don't think id need to carry him for more than an hour tbh... He only really needs something for long days out and the journey home or when I don't trust him not to dart off somewhere and want him contained for his own safety, like on escalators, crowded tube stations etc

Do you think a back carrier would just be a heavy bag to carry in comparison to the annoyance of pushing a stroller?

DS had been poorly for the last week so I've been slinging him quite a lot, he's just turned 3 and is fairly hefty.

Something like a Mai tei might work for you as you can fold it small and shove it in your bag when you're not using it. I used ours a lot when I was pregnant cos it was easier for DS to mainly walk then just go up when he was tired rather than him walking and me pushing an empty pushchair.

I'm on my phone so can't link but try searching for sling libraries local to you. You should be able to borrow something for a couple of weeks and see if you get on with it.

My dd is the same age as your DS and I front carry her in a Boba - she hates being back carried. She's also tall (but so am I)

A good toddler sling sounds like just what you need. There are plenty of soft structured carriers you can roll up and carry in a bag. Tis the way forward with toddlers! Ds2 is 2.8 and I just have a short wrap now. I even carried dd in it age 5 on a long day out when she was shattered so she could have a rest.

Have a look at this there are loads of options available to you and if you can get to a library, get some real life advice and try a few things I'm sure you'll find something that works for you.

I used a backpack carrier for DD when she was 2. She was fairly chunky, though o was quite fit at the time. But only for walks in the countryside. I'd never use one in place of a buggy for getting round town - they're far harder work, and a lot more hassle getting the child in and out of.

A scooter is good though for a 2-4 year old who won't walk very fast.

My v chunky 2.3yr old goes on my back in a Toddler Tula.

It's v comfy and gets rid of the pushchair tantrums!

Thx for the suggestions! A sling library sounds a great idea and there's one pretty close to me so will check it out, how do libraries work, can you hire as long as you need or do you just hire to trial them??

A woven sounds handy as could pop in bag but wouldn't a toddler look silly in one? I'm not sure iv ever seen one in one perhaps?

Ah iv googled the Tula and Mai tei suggested, their beautiful!

How do people go about protection from toddler accidents with the carriers? He's potty trained but sometimes gives little warning and gets caught short... I'm envisioning a puddle down my back?

With libraries you generally borrow something for a couple of weeks to see if you like it or not. There are loads of FB groups that still second hand slings which are worth looking at once you know what you want.

With regards to accidents I've always just hoped for the best and luckily so far have never had wee down my back

Boba 4v is good as soft structured so can go in bag, but also has toddler leg supports in a loop part ( you will have to look to understand)

My eldest is 4 and weighs about 18kg, I carried him in it fine last month through heathrow airport when he fell asleep on plane late at night ( whilst his younger brother was wide awake and skipping along happily singing at 1am!)

I have not had wee down my back if you forget about the leaking nappy incident but have had plenty of vomit . I figure I'm easier to clean than a pushchair.

At easier to clean than a pushchair and leaking nappy comments!

Can anyone post a link or give a name of a fb group where I might be able to source one? eBay and gumtree are coming up about £50 ish and I don't have that before Xmas!

There is a fb group called affordable slings somethingoranother....for sale or trade i think bit tbh for a decent toddler carrier you won't get much below that at all. You might get a wrap a bit less.

I carry my 3 year old (18kg) in a MacPac framed backpack. We got it to give DH support to carry the dc too, as he has back problems.

The Suppori doesn't look that great. Looks OK for short carries but would have the same issues as any ring sling or other hip carrier with the added downside that it doesn't look at all resizeable.

I would stick with a backpack style one. And agree around £50 is a fair price TBH :( Look on facebook selling groups and perhaps the natural mamas forum, but I wouldn't imagine you'll get one for much less. And watch out on ebay there are often fakes, especially of the big brands like Ergo.

Ah ok guess we might have to wait till after Xmas then as I don't want to spend that much on something we'll only use a handful of times so need to get it right so we can have one we can use regularly

I did have a babasling which looks similar to suppori but I found that too heavy at about 13 months...

Yep. Messages deleted, I reckon they were on a bit of a marketing kick TBH! Bumping every sling thread going.

Weirdly you might find the babasling is OK for an interim one now he's older and more likely to hold on a bit. But I'd wait until after Christmas, unless you can find a sling library near you to borrow a few to try out, because I agree long term you need a two shoulder one. If you buy a good brand, most hold resale value, so you needn't worry about losing money on it, just the payout upfront which is a killer.