Choosing a Baby Carrier
Last year – my co-blogger Nikki wrote to you about the basics of babywearing in her Babywearing 101 post (You can find it linked HERE) and last month, I wrote to you about babywearing safety (linked HERE if you missed it). If you have read those posts, then you know why babywearing is so amazing and a little bit about how to do it but you might be wondering how to choose the right carrier for you. As a volunteer with Babywearing Connecticut (a babywearing education organization) I often have people come to a meeting and share with me that they really want to babywear but have no idea which type of carrier they should try. There are so many different types and brands of carriers out there and they go far beyond what you can find at Buy Buy Baby or Target. I personally did MONTHS of research both online and in person before choosing my carriers. Before choosing a carrier I think the most important place to start is to identify what your babywearing needs are. Do you need a carrier that you can put on and take off quickly? Do you have the time to learn a carrier with a steeper learning curve? Do you have twins and require a carrier that can accommodate two babies? How old is your baby? These are just a few of the questions that I would ask you if I were helping you decide which carrier to choose. Below, you will find some information on the most common types of carriers. I hope that it helps you get a better idea of what carrier to choose but I still highly recommend trying a particular carrier out in person before you buy if at all possible. All carriers fit differently and fit from brand to brand can be drastically different.
Woven Wraps: Babywearing has been around since the beginning of time – quite literally. I mean even monkeys, and many other mammals for that matter, carry their children. As the human species evolved women naturally found ways to carry their children that allowed them to keep their hands free so that they could gather food and do other daily tasks easier while still tending to their offspring. Across almost every culture you can find historical evidence of women using fabrics to help them carry their children whether it was a bedsheet or a fabric made specifically for babywearing. In this respect, I think it’s safe to say that the woven wrap is the oldest form of baby carrier and I would hazard to say that to pinpoint its birth would be very difficult. The modern baby wrap is thought to be credited to a company called Didymos (which still exists) and started manufacturing their woven wraps in the early 1970s. That said, there are MANY different kinds of woven wraps. They come in a multitude of colors, patterns, fabric weights and thicknesses, and of course different lengths and widths. In fact, I could write an ENTIRE blog post about wraps. Wraps are the most versatile carriers because they can be used for the largest number and variety of carries. They can also be used with newborns AND toddlers which is a feat that not many other carriers can accomplish well. That said though, your toddler will likely become too heavy for you to carry and or make it difficult for you to carry him or her in the wrap (since it’s easier for them to wiggle out of than other carriers) before they outgrow the limits of the wrap. Woven wraps can also be used with twins! The downside of wraps is that they have the highest learning curve of all of the carriers (but I promise they are easier to learn than you are thinking!). The other downside is that in the summer, wraps can be hot since many wrap carriers require multiple passes of fabric. If you live in a warm climate you can look into wraps with thinner weaves that are made with gauzy fabrics versus thick cotton ones. The downside of that is however that the thinner the wrap, the more it is likely to “dig” into you as your baby gets heavier. The thicker the wrap, the more supportive it tends to be so you really need to find a balance between thickness/breathe-ability and support. I live in Connecticut and I have a spring baby. I wore my son in a wrap almost every day for the first 6 months of his life during the heat and humidity of summer. I choose a cotton wrap which was thicker than some of the others that I considered but I loved the support and feel of the fabric. Although thicker, cotton breathes really well and although there were times that I definitely felt hot, I never felt as though I was sweating through the wrap. On that note, it’s also worth mentioning that wraps are one of the easiest carriers to care for. Wraps can be washed very easily. They can also double as blankets and nursing covers (among other uses) in a pinch! Woven wraps are also the least likely to be found at the big box stores which seems crazy seeing as they are the oldest type of carrier. So where would you find one? Well, besides the obvious (being Amazon) I highly recommend small babywearing stores. There are also many small online retailers and of course they can be ordered from manufacturer websites. There are hundreds of brands of woven wrap and my best advice is to choose one that you can try locally first if possible so that you can feel the texture and weight of the fabric before you buy it. If you hate the fabric that the wrap is made out of, I can almost guarantee that you won’t reach for it and it’s difficult to assess what a wrap will feel like looking at it online. The chart below may help you decide what your “base” size would be which is the size that you would need to perform a front cross wrap carry tied behind your back comfortably. This is the wrap configuration that you probably most often see when you think of traditional baby wrapping. You can find more info on that here: https://wrapyourbaby.com/what-size-woven-wrap-do-i-need/
Image Courtesy of Wrapyourbaby.com
Stretchy Wraps – These wraps have been around since roughly the -90’s… they are very similar to woven wraps but as the name implies have some stretch to them. The advantage of these wraps is that they are a bit more forgiving in terms of “sloppy wrap jobs” and can be used easily with newborns. The downsides of stretchy wraps are that they can be difficult to adjust due to the stretch in the material, are less supportive than woven wraps, and they can be used in fewer wrap configurations safely due to the stretch content. As with woven wraps, there is more than one brand available. Moby is the most well-known and likely among the most affordable options. That said there are also companies such as Wrapsody who make a “stretch hybrid” wrap which is in many ways a cross between a woven and stretchy wrap. To me these are a wonderful option but I have always found them to be a bit on the thin side and when they are thin, they tend to dig with heavier babes (at least in my experience.) This is another reason why trying before you buy is so important. In most cases, stretchy wraps usually only come in one size.
Image Courtesy of Mobywrap.com
Ring Slings – Rings slings (in their modern form) came onto the babywearing scene in 1981. A Hawaiian couple developed it and early models consisted of a scarf and two wooden curtain rings! Today’s rings slings feature metal rings although you can find sling rings in a variety of sizes. The size of the rings generally speaking should correspond to the weight of the fabric that the sling is made of. The more slippery the fabric is, the smaller the rings should be. Ironically I actually own a sling that was made with the wrong size rings. The result is that the fabric tends to slip and it isn’t as supportive as it could be. It does its job but it’s not the best one I have tried. A ring sling is similar to a woven wrap in that it consists of a non-stretchy fabric. Instead of being tied however, the fabric is threaded through two rings (not unlike those cool belts that you might have worn in the 80’s and 90’s). A ring sling is worn over one shoulder and can be worn either in a front carry or a hip carry. (It is possible to back carry with a ring sling but it is only recommended if you are an advanced wearer). As with wraps, there are MANY different ring sling styles and manufacturers. Some feature padded shoulders while others feature a simple gather and yet others still have a pleated shoulder or hybrid combination of a pleat and a gather. As with any other carrier, trying on different types of ring slings is important. While your first instinct may be to think that a padded shoulder is best, I have found that in some instances, the padding actually makes it uncomfortable. The shoulder of a rings sling should cup your entire shoulder and distribute your baby’s weight not just on your shoulder but evenly across your back and avoid pressure on your neck. It takes some practice to learn how to adjust a ring sling properly but once you get it down ring slings are awesome for quick up and downs. The biggest downsides to ring slings are that 1) they put most of the pressure of baby’s weight on one shoulder versus two so wearing for long periods of time can be uncomfortable with a bigger baby and 2) due to the spread of the sling over the shoulder, it can limit some of the movement that you have on the side you are carrying on. Nevertheless though let me assure you that this is definitely a handy type of carry to have and it has been a go to staple for me personally.
Sakura Bloom Ring Sling – Image Courtesy of Beantreebaby.com
Soft Structured – Soft structured carriers officially entered the scene around 1969. The first one was called the Snugli but they have come a long way since then. Many were designed using backpacking packs as inspiration and these carriers really shine when it comes to ease of wear and support when it comes to carrying heavier children. Soft structured carriers are also often referred to as “buckle carriers” because they consist of a panel and padded straps held together with buckles and webbing. At first glance they look similar to a backpack. Most soft structured carriers can be used with baby on your front facing you and on your back but some can be used front facing out and on the hip. It’s important to check the carrier’s specifications to know what the carrier you are considering is designed to do. Popular mainstream brands of soft structured carriers include Baby Bjorn, Ergo, Lillibaby, and now Tula but there are many more brands out there than that – Kinderpack, Becco, Soul, and Lenny Lamb just to name a few. Each carrier has its own unique features and each has a different weight minimum and maximum so be sure to check that before you decide. Keep in mind that some soft structured carriers have adjustable “seats” so that they can be used with very small infants but many require infant inserts to support a small baby inside. As a result, some soft structured carriers may not be ideal for very small babies. Carrier inserts can be a pain to work with and hot in the summer. Luckily – many brands are creating models that have the adjustable seat feature (but those that do not feature this are not bad carriers – just different.) Soft structured carriers have the shortest learning curve of all of the carrier choices. It’s also worth noting that there are also soft structured carriers out there specifically designed for carrying twins (at the same time) so if you are a twin mom those are options worth looking into!
Standard Tula – Image Courtesy of Beantreebaby.com
Meh Dai – Meh Dai’s originated in China. The best way to describe them (in my opinion) is that they are almost a cross between a woven wrap and a soft structured carrier. Meh Dai’s feature a fabric panel with long tie straps (not unlike a woven wrap) that are tied around the wearer’s body to secure the carrier. The basic difference between a woven wrap and a meh dai is the panel. With a woven wrap, you have to create the panel/seat with your wrap technique whereas with the meh dai it’s already there for you. This makes putting the meh Dai on quicker and for some easier however it can be limiting in terms not being quite as adjustable as a woven wrap. Overall though a meh dai is a wonderful choice.
BB-Tai – Image Courtesy of Beantreebaby.com
*Note: There ARE other types of carriers other than what I have discussed here in this blog post but for simplicity I have stuck to the most common ones.
I hope that reading this post has helped you narrow down what type of carrier would most fit your needs. Interested in more info about the history of carriers? I found much of the information that I shared with you here on Gentle Parenting and Hybrid Rasta Mama (linked). I encourage you to do some research (and again if you can please try before you buy!). Don’t be afraid to go beyond the “mainstream” brands and don’t be afraid to experiment. Seek out a local carrier lending library and most important of all – have fun and snuggle your baby! Happy Babywearing month.