- Keep baby cool
- Have head support for baby when he is sleeping
- Easy on shoulders and back (my husband has a bad back)
- Does not irritate baby’s thighs even during long wear
- Easy to adjust (even getting the easy Bjorn on while my baby is throwing a fit annoys me so I don’t want to fiddle with something hard)
- Good for long wear

On a separate topic, how do you deal with wearing your baby during hot sunny days? I use the stroller a lot just because I can shield him from the sun. I don’t see how this is possible with any carriers which is concern for young babies where using sunblock product is not recommended.

Thanks!

He really likes our cheapo Snugli front carrier. You can do a front & back facing carry and also a backpack carry (facing the adult’s back) like the ergo. It’s lasted us through three kids! And it’s the only one that Dad likes — he likes the buckles rather than relying on knots or a ring.

I used a ring sling for the first two, and the third really likes a Moby Wrap. Maybe I’ll get some use out of the EllaRoo that I never really used with the first two. The handiest thing about the ring slings (made by my mom)? I can just leave one in the car and adjust it to any of the kids if I have to carry them. Or we’ve used it as a blanket in the park when we’ve had an impromptu picnic.

To the poster who said you shouldn’t pay more than 40 dollars and on e-bay no less – that has to be some of the worst advice I have ever heard. There is a reason even work-at-home moms have to charge the prices they do. It’s labour intensive to sew slings and Mei Tais that are SAFE. I mean this is your child you are carrying around. Buying from a reputable company (even work at home moms that are well-known in the babywearing community are reputable) will ensure some novice isn’t using craft rings when creating that cheap ringsling or is sewing the panel of a mei tai with the correct number of panels/stitches.

I have a rather large collection of carriers. My daughter is turning 3 in August and I STILL wear her daily. Mostly now in our Babyhawks, Kozys, or Didymos wraps (real wraps that you tie, not ringslings). I do still keep our ringslings in the car along with a kozy and a wrap for emergencys but at toddlerhood mei tais and wraps (woven wraps that is) are your most supportive option.

I never got into soft-structured carriers like the Ergo or Beco, but some people like them because they have snaps and buckles.

Bjorns aren’t generally the greatest option for mom or baby…the weight distribution has baby hanging from their crotches, legs dangling, and away from mom or dad’s centre of gravity. Traditional baby carriers make the baby and carrier an extension of mom or dad, thus making carrying a toddler MUCH easier.

Some other links that may help you:
http://www.sleepingbaby.net – great work at home mom makes VERY affordable ringslings (she has a discount section for fabrics she manages to get cheaply). She does a pleated shoulder, I find it comfy but not everyone does.

http://www.comfyjoey.com – great pouches and the owner is really wonderful to work with.

http://www.upmama.com – wonderful ringsling / pouch hybrid, makes the learning curve of ringslings much easier and the sling is very poppable. It’s a bit tricky to learn how to thread it properly though, but Corrinne has great instructions on how to do it on her site.

And my personal faves although the links have already been posted); Babyhawks (I own 7), and Didymos wraps (I own 6 in different lenghts and fabric weaves). I should mention all of my Babyhawks are reversible, so you could get a manly pattern on one side and a girly pattern on the other. They even have camo and snow camo lol.

Try to get to a local babywearing groups where you can actually TRY some of the carriers. My daughter liked being ‘arms out’ when worn, so it made using a large-bodied Mei Tai like the Kozy somewhat tricky. It may take you, your hubby, and your baby a few tries in different carriers (and different carries, my daughter loved being on my back but didn’t like any of the buddha or cradle carries) to find one (or two, or three) that works for your family!

http://regallager.com/products/pt/metro.aspx

Now that I am having #3 I am blown away by the variety of choices out there. When my first was born it was SO unusual to see babies in carriers, people were always stopping me to ask about my sling. Now it seems that they are much more common (which I am SO glad to see!)

I have a borrowed Bjorn. I don’t like those types of carriers, but dh is excited to try it out and I think it will probably work well for him. I also have an Infantino I was able to find at a cosignment baby store for a great price so I figured I would try that out for the first few months. They don’t seem practical for very long, but since I am use to ring slings and the design seems like it would work well for a tiny baby and it was cheap, I figure those will work for now.

I really want to try out a Babyhawk Mei Tai! If I can find one to try and I like it, I will invest in one of the customs when baby is a few months old. They are pretty!

But don’t buy before the baby! And try them out! Don’t buy one cause it’s pretty!

I think everyone here has had great advice.

For itty bitty baby up to a year or so, I loved my Hotsling. It’s sized – so no adjusting. Baby can lie down, sit up (like a joey) or straddle your hip. It rolls up into a tiny package that fits easily in a handbag or diaper bag. It’s rather feminine in style, though.

For a year up to three or four, we use and love the Ergo. We don’t use it often any more, but my skinny three-year-old still fits in it for hiking. The adjustments are fairly minimal — waist and shoulders.

In general, a carrier is awesome to have for second or successive babies. I don’t know what we would have done without ours!

I have a 7 week old boy who is pretty big. So far we are using a Moby Wrap and loving it. It is a great way to go hands free and his head is well-supported and doesn’t go bobbing around. It is not that complicated to wrap, once you get the hang of it, but it does take a few minutes to do.

We also have a water wrap from Gypsy Mama. We love this one!! We take our little one into the shower and he totally relaxes! The steam clears his stuffy nose and we are able to suck out his nose without him even waking up. (We use the nose frida, thanks to the review here on Thinga…)

We are thinking about getting another wrap/carrier once he gets bigger, so I was glad to read all the comments.

Thanks….happy baby-wearing!