Baby Carriers

[digitaldelay]

I picked up a $20 Baby Bjorn from WalMart. Apparently it wasn't comfortable enough for my wife. She pestered me until I got her the one all the cool moms were getting; a $140 Beco Butterfly I. She used it - twice. Now I have it for sale.

http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-...AdIdZ262397694

Jason

[OutsideFamily]

We have a baby bjorn "sport" which has a bit more support than the regular bjorn (have also used one of those). For around the house/yard, it works great, but we have an REI backpack carrier for any travel/camping. Full metal frame and detachable storage pack. I would deffinitely buy it again.

[bunduguy]

I'll second on the Ergo. Very comfy padding for baby and parent. Can be used front or back, and is very adjustable. Not sure about it's use on a bigger dude. I'm only 5'10" and 180lbs, and lots of strap left, but I'm not sure how much. But definitely worth a check out. We're still using ours and our son is 2 1/2.

[Paladin]

That just reminded of something...
I've heard the backpack style where the kid sits up high to be able to see around/over your head can be a bit of a problem when walking in a wooded area - the parent can sometimes misjudge how close that low branch is to the baby's head and the little one can get whacked.

It's a valid consideration, but a managable risk. I occaisionally make a mistake, but they both still have 2 eyes so...

[hoser]

We have the Bjorn, Ergo and a Kelty. If possible, I'd recommend to get all three in that order. Bjorn up to ~6months, Ergo up to ~18months and then Kelty backpack there on. We did a moderate amount of travel with these and just know, none of these are FAA approved for use during take-off and landing.

My sons like the Bjorn the most because they can see everything. I like it because I can see the baby. The major drawback, as mentioned several times, is back pain. But I was able to go 3-4 hours fine with a 3mo old... though you don't really want to keep them in there that long. I found it helpful to wear a backpack at the same time.

The Ergo is a step up in comfort for me but my kid don't really like it too much. It also doesn't go on/off as quickly or easily.

My toddler and I are very comfortable in the Kelty... the drawbacks are weight, bulk and getting in/out.

[Shagaroo]

We have the Infantino Flip Carrier. Wearable in 3 configurations. Baby front, facing parent. Baby front, facing out. Baby on back. We like it, and it is not absurdly priced. Well made.

[getout]

We started with the Infantino Flip Carrier which was really good when the little one was too small to hold her head up. Then we upgraded to two Keltys - the FC 3.0 and the TC 2.0. For less than a couple hours in the pack, the non-frame TC is my favorite because it's light, small, and fits tight against my back. For anything longer than that, the framed FC is the way to go.

[etbadger]

We used a Baby Bjorn for the first one for about 18mo as she liked to face forward and not doing so induced much rage. After 18mo she insists on walking or just sitting on my shoulders. Its a lot slower, but she sees a lot more of the interesting creepy-crawlies and 'texture' of where we are. Every flower must be sniffed.

Second is quite happy on Amy's back with an Ergo at first, now upgraded to a 'Kinder-carry' which is similar but with custom sizing on the straps and baby bag (Ergo strapping was too big for Amy and the bag area was getting a bit small).

We did try a frame carrier, with the REI house-brand being the lightest that fit well, and it works well for faster/longer hikes, but the clientele gets a bit rowdy and has easy access to my skull.

-e

[eric1115]

We got a Belle carrier for the front (made in Colorado, very comfortable for both baby and parent, controls movement well. My son rode in it until he was close to a year and a half (we preferred it over a stroller for out and about around town where the backpack is too much).

http://www.bellebabycarriers.com/det...orange_bl.html

We have a Vaude backpack that we picked up on sale from a local outdoor store for less than the Kelty one that everyone gets. We tried them side by side and this is an easy winner. Better construction, more comfortable, supports the critter better. I haven't gotten a chance to compare it to the Deuter packs. It's super comfortable. My son actually fusses when we get home or back to the truck and take him out. We started using this at around 6 months, and he's 18 months now, still going strong. He likes to get out and go at his own pace sometimes, but we're happy to have the pack for when it's time to move along.

http://www.vaude.com/epages/Vaude-de...ucts/175140100

Eric

[campingmom]

I loved the Baby Trekker. We used it with all three of our kids. It worked well with infants and toddlers. When they got to be more than about 30 pounds, we switched to a frame carrier for longer hikes. The Trekker is very comfortable for both the child and the parent.