If I could wear Em in a carrier until he goes to high school, I would. I can’t tell you the number of times that tucking our little guy into a carrier has saved our sanity. Baby wearing makes life easier. That’s all there is to it. Not only does it offer a convenient way to get your babe from point A to point B hands-free, but it means extra snuggles and closeness for your little and you!
We’ve tried just about every kind of carrier (wrap, sling, SSC, etc. – check out our post HERE on how to decide which kind of carrier is best for you), and have whittled the endless carrier options available into the three main reasons folks decide to buy a carrier: 1) to make it through the crazy-hazy newborn days, 2)for simplicity and comfort, and 3) for it’s versatility. To keep things simple, we’ve selected our favourite carrier in each of those categories for you below! There are certainly others available, but in our humble opinion, these designs rise to the top.
1.NEWBORN DAYS: if you’re looking for a carrier to support your squishy newborn, so you can soothe their cries and snuggle them hands-free… the Moby Wrap is for you!
AFFORDABILITY: The Moby Wrap is one of the most affordable carrier options at just under $70 CAD.
BLUEPRINT: The Moby is offered in a variety of fabrics (bamboo, thick cotton, etc), and is essentially one long strip of fabric. The strip is designed to be folded and wrapped just so, to wrap snugly around your little one, and keep them tucked safely against you. Moby provides some awesome videos here, that show you the wide variety of wrapping techniques you can use with the Moby to accommodate your little one. We found that the Moby best accommodated a smaller babe when you want a close snuggle, but many folks carry larger babes in them with success!
CREATIVITY: This carrier is extremely basic in design, yet very effective. It’s a great carrying option at a budget friendly price point!
2. SIMPLICITY AND COMFORT: if you’re looking for a fool-proof carrier, that’s designed to carry your babe with ease into toddlerhood… then the Tula Standard Carrier is for you.
AFFORDABILITY:Relatively speaking, soft-structured carriers (like the Tula) are at the higher end of the price spectrum. A few key factors drive this: they’re engineered to be ergonomically correct (good for your bod and your babe’s bod), they’re made with high quality material (carrier material, buckles, fasteners, etc.), there’s significant manufacturing complexity to ensure that you have a product that’s simple to use! That being said, the Tula is reasonably priced for a SSC, at just under $200.
BLUEPRINT: The Tula has some key specs that make it worth the investment:
- 45 lb weight capacity
- Front-inward, and back carry positions (doesn’t have front-outward carry option)
- Simple (one-handed) waist and shoulder buckles used to fasten. Check out a video of the Tula in use here.
- Single seat configuration
- Widest variety of carrier designs, and they’re seriously gorgeous – click here to check out some examples
- Rain/sun hood included, infant insert required for babies 7-12 pounds (although if we’re being honest… I used a receiving blanket as shown in this video and it worked like a charm)
CREATIVITY:
What makes the Tula different from other SSCs? It’s high weight limit means it has a long usable life, the simplicity of it’s design makes it comfortable and easy to use (even when you’re been up all night with your babe), annnnd it has the widest array of patterns/colours available… because who doesn’t want to look cute?!
3. VERSATILITY: if you’re looking for a carrier that you can use to carry your tot in every conceivable manner, and from birth through to toddlerhood… then the Lillebaby is for you!
AFFORDABILITY:
The Lillebaby falls in the soft-structured family, and therefore it’s in a higher price bracket, but it’s one of the lowest priced SSCs out there at $185.
BLUEPRINT: What makes the Lillebaby so versatile? Check it out:
- 45 lb weight capacity, but it also accommodates infants without an additional insert
- Front-inward, front-outward, hip and back carry positions (great versatility!)
- Double seat configuration (narrow for tiny babes and front-outward carry, and normal for once they outgrow the ‘infant’ settings) as well as included ‘harness’ for infants
- Several colours and fabric options – check out examples here
- Simple (one-handed) waist and shoulder buckles used to fasten. Check out a video of the Lillebaby in use here
- Rain/sun hood included, but can only be used when additional neck support is engaged (can be a bit constricting for older babes…but is just fine if they’re snoozing), no infant seat required, and in fact they recommend my ‘receiving blanket solution’ mentioned above!
CREATIVITY:
The main point of difference with the Lillebaby carrier is the ability to use it in all carry positions (front-inward, front-outward, back, and hip) and therefore its versatile seat configurations. If you want the ability to change up your carry style, the Lillebaby definitely delivers.
So, now that you’ve got a handle on Carriers, check out our Bouncer Gear Guide next!
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