My New Favorite Baby Carrier

Disneyland, 7.5 months old, December 2006

Our first baby carrier with LMS was a Baby Bjorn front carrier, which we liked, but once LMS got to a certain weight (15 pounds, I think?) it made my back hurt to carry her in it.

Seattle Space Needle, almost 2 years old, April 2008

At that point I started researching other baby carrier options and found the Ergo carrier. I really liked this one and wished I'd found it when LMS was a baby so I didn't need to find a new one several months later. The Ergo worked great with LMS. We used it front facing when she was younger, and then switched her to my back. I carried her on my back a lot when she was young (till about 2 and a half, I think?) and then off and on for another year or two when the need arose. I never did the baby carrier seat thing (we had her in a massive convertible car seat from the time she was born)- so anytime I took her with me, she was in the Ergo. I loved being able to keep her contained (no running off!), though as she got older I had to make sure I didn't stand too close to shelves in stores or she'd grab stuff off them.

image via here

While I was pregnant with TLM I decided I wanted to give the Moby wrap a try, so I found one on craigslist. I know lots of people love the Moby, but I've used it a few times now and I don't love it. I have a hard time keeping the fabric flat while putting it on, and TLM doesn't stay in place very well. All that fabric makes me really warm, even in winter. Since I don't love it, I'll most likely be selling it again on craigslist.

Mr M wearing TLM with the hood up at the Turkey Trot last month

When I was pregnant I also discovered the Boba carrier while at a local baby expo. It's very similar to the Ergo, but with a couple differences that I thought made it worthwhile to purchase it. The Boba can be adjusted to hold an infant- no special insert needed (which is the case with the Ergo). They both have pockets on the main portion, but the Boba also has pockets on the waist band. They both have hoods, though I've found the Boba hood easier to use than the Ergo hood. It's not a completely fair comparison yet, though, since I primarily used the hood when LMS was on my back in the Ergo and I have yet to be able to do that with TLM since he's still too small to be on my back.

There are three things I really like about the Boba that our 7-year-old Ergo doesn't have (maybe they do now, I don't know). The straps on both shoulders that you can snap around your purse strap to keep it on your shoulder are awesome. I could never keep my purse on my shoulder with the Ergo carrier on. The second thing I like is that the Boba has little foot stirrups that attach to the carrier to support the child's feet and legs once they start getting bigger. Mr M thinks it's asking to have the kiddo constantly kicking me, but he could do that without the stirrups, so that's not an issue to me. The third thing is that the neck support area at the top of the carrier body is adjustable, which is great for getting a snugger fit for smaller kiddos while still allowing for future use as the baby grows.

Both the Boba and the Ergo are adjustable- Mr M, who's over a foot taller than me can carry the kiddo in either carrier just by loosening the straps. Tighten them back up, and I'm back on kiddo-carrying duty.

I never got around to selling the Ergo on craigslist, even though I'd planned on it, and I don't think I will for awhile now. The Boba is constantly migrating between the car and the house, and there have been a couple instances now where the Boba wasn't in the car when I needed it. Ever tried holding a baby in your arms while pushing a shopping cart through the grocery store? I was so sore after that experience! So now the Ergo lives in the car for those times when the Boba gets left in the house.

So in my mind, the Boba has a slim lead over the Ergo, and they're both ahead of the Baby Bjorn, which is ahead of the Moby wrap. What carrier(s) have you used? Which is your favorite?