Friday Review: Baby Carriers

I enjoy carrying Colin in a baby carrier. It allows me to be hands free when he jsut wants to be held or close to me. I own three different kinds and I am going to give you my pros and cons on them all.

Lets start with my least favorite first: the Baby Bjorn. I want to say I hate it, but it has come in handy every so often. It is fast and easy to put on so I use it for sporadic trips to the grocery. But that is about where it ends. With Colin being on the front of my body and there being no support around my lower back his weight really takes a toll on my back. There is a deluxe model that has the extra back support, but I was not aware of this when we registered. Had I known, we would have tried it instead and probably would have come out with better results. So remember that if you ever decide to purchase this carrier!
Baby Bjorn: Retail Price $79.99

My overall favorite (so far) is the Moby Wrap. With the ability to be used with a baby from preemie size all the way up to 35lbs, you have many options. This carrier comes in lots of colors and fabric types and has so many carry options. We usually do the Hug hold and Lotus hold but I am going to attempt the Sling hold pretty soon (I never noticed it in the instructions before but I am excited to try it!). There are about three other holds (or ways to carry) using the Moby Wrap including ways to carry TWINS (yes, twins!) and older children on your back. Colin always appears comfortable in this wrap and it never hurts my back. The fabric spreads wide across you back over both shoulder blades and around your lower back to evenly distribute the extra weight you are carrying.

The only downside I see for the Moby Wrap is the fact that the piece of fabric is nearly 6 yards long and it can be difficult to learn at first. I always put it on before leaving the house so that I don't have to try and wrap it in public while trying to not let it touch the ground at the same time. Don't be intimidated. I practiced before Colin was born and was a pro by the time he got here. I can do it pretty quickly now! You can find videos on You Tube that can help you out and my tip is always make it tighter than you think you need it. The fabric stretches and you want to make sure your precious cargo is safe!

Moby Wrap: Retail Price $39.99

My newest carrier and maybe my soon to be favorite is the Kokopax Classic Carrier. Before reading the price of this carrier, please note I did not but this for myself. It was a recent gift from a family member who was looking for a "big ticket" item to buy Colin since he has been born. But after using it I would totally pay the price tag myself.

There are not a lot of options with this carrier. In fact, there is only one: on your back. But since this carrier can only be worn on your back its features are made specifically with that type of carry in mind for your comfort. First, there is a kick stand to assist in getting your little gal or guy into the seat. Once he or she is in there you buckle them in for added security. There is a little ring in there so that you can attach toys if you choose. Once he/she is in there you hoist them up onto your back where you should have the straps and lumbar support already adjusted to your comfort and pull the kick stand in until it clicks. Good to go!

Why I love it? EASY! Colin loves it and is happy in it. I put it on in the evening while I am making dinner as this is is fussiest time of the day. He usually falls asleep in it, and then I lower him down with the kickstand out and let him sit in it asleep until I am done eating dinner. I really don't' even notice he is up there. It can be used for babies from 6 months to 2 years (35 lbs).

Only problems I see? It is huge and he likes to pull my pony tail. He is getting better at avoiding the pony tail, but the size hasn't changed. It is small enough to fit in the overhead bin on the airplane so I think I am going to use this for our trip to California and when we go to the San Diego Zoo. I am toying with the thought of not even bringing the umbrella stroller - since the only site seeing we will be doing is the Zoo and we already plan on using the carrier, why bring something else! I am not definite on this decision yet, but I am toying with it. On the downside, I think I will have to take him out before going through security b/c of the metal frame as opposed to leaving him in the cloth Moby Wrap and having both hands free the entire time.

Kokopax Classic Carrier: Retail Price $159.99

Research your carriers well and look for good back support! They can be expensive and you don't want to buy a ton of carriers you hate just to find the one you like. I suggest borrowing one from a friend that doesn't use theirs anymore to see if you like it before investing the money. If anyone ever want to try out any of mine for a few days before buying their own they are more than welcome to!

I will be able to tell you what I think of the hip/sling carriers in a few months as ML said if I give her some fabric I like her mom would make one for me. Her mom made her a really cute one for when Bates comes home and she tested it out on Colin last week. He didn't quite fit it yet, but he wasn't unhappy at all! He just needs to work on those muscles to hold his little torso up by himself better before he gets carried in one of those full time.

Next Friday: my favorite cleaning products.