Ergo Baby Carrier – Camel
05/07/10
Product Description
The ERGO Baby Carrier’s ergonomic design supports a correct sitting position for the baby’s hip, pelvis and spine growth. Made of 14 ounce cotton canvas with 400 threads per inch cotton poplin lining and hood. 100% cotto… More >>
$90.00
Ergo Baby Carrier – Camel
I am a babywearer, mostly for the convenience of having my baby on my person instead of lugging a stroller around, but the bonding time is a great benefit! I suffered with the Bjorn all through my first child’s infancy, but found the back strain progressed to intolerable by the time she 12-15 lbs. I discovered the ergo during my second child’s infancy and used it with the insert. It’s certainly been the most comfortable carrier for me and my DD. Liked it too that my husb could quickly adjust it to fit himself as well. Yet I found it bulky both to wear under a coat and when just carrying it around (esp traveling). I ended up using the Hotsling when DD was old enough to sit up on my hip (early- like 3months); even got my husb his own. Sling folds up easily into diaper bag; can work under a coat; quick on/off; doesn’t emphasize my “mommy-pooch” like the ergo’s waist strap does! Now DD is 1yo and I’m back to the ergo for my back’s sake. I’m revisiting all the old feelings as well…bulky to carry, hard to wear UNDER a coat, hate the muffin-top the strap creates around my hips and belly. Am finding it difficult to quickly adjust from front/back to side-carry as well. Ah, the sacrifices…
Rating: 3 / 5
I bought the ergo baby carrier when my son was 8 months old as I’d seen it listed in Parenting magazine as a “best buy.” I will admit it took me a little bit of time to comfortably figure out how to shift my son onto my back and make sure he was properly in, but with a bit of practice, I figured it out. I have back problems and was concerned that carrying my son would be difficult, but this carrier puts all the weight on my hips and I can carry my son for HOURS. It has held up well and I now use it for my daughter who is 13 months. It holds up to a 40lb child (I think). I could still easily use it with my son who is 2.5 years and it would be like giving him a piggy back, only it wouldn’t pull on my back so much. The carrier is designed to having the baby on the front/side/or back. I don’t like it on the side as it pulls on my neck, but I do wear my daughter on my front if I’m going to be riding in a taxi or need to jiggle her to sleep on an airplane. I prefer it on my back as I find it more comfortable for me. I love that this carrier is so portable and light, unlike most backpacks.
Some babies who are use to sitting up high in a backpack may not like that they can’t see over your head, but if your child isn’t use to a backpack then they don’t know any better and will be happy just riding on your back.
The backpack has a pocket were I can stash some diapers and wipes and/or my wallet, so I don’t need a diaper bag if I’m dashing out for a bit. I do own the diaper bag that goes with this carrier (it will hook on) and I use that all the time, but I haven’t actually hooked it on to the back of the backpack.
If your baby is under 5 months, then there is an insert needed to carry the baby. I used my baby bjorn when my kids were little and even though we got the one with extra back support, I always felt their weight pulling on me. When I switched to the ergo carrier, I didn’t feel all that pull in my shoulders anymore. I would still recommend something like the baby bjorn for the tiny babies (so borrow one from a friend and then buy this one to use from the age of 5/6 months until whenever!)
Again, it took some PRACTICE to get use to putting my son on my back, but practice with a friend to make sure the child is safe and soon you’ll be slinging him on your back and trekking around in no time.
Rating: 5 / 5
When my baby was under 4 months old he hated the Ergo. He absolutely detested being smooshed awkwardly up against my chest, so we used an original bjorn carrier for his first few months. Then when my son passed the 15 lb mark and was able to straddle my torso we switched to the Ergo. It takes most of the weight off your back and it’s very easy to take on and off. Bottom line: There is no perfect baby carrier for all ages and stages of development; but I think the Ergo is the best carrier out there for older babies.
Rating: 4 / 5
We have a Baby Bjorn, a Snugli and an Ergo Baby. The Ergo Baby is the one we use, the other two we donated to the salvation army. We also had 2 slings.
The big advantage the Ergo has is the waist strap. This shifts a significant amount of weight to your hips. Otherwise the entire weight is held on your shoulders, which gets to be quite uncomfortable after a while.
By putting the weight on your hips, the Ergo Baby makes it possible to carry a child who weighs more and for a longer period of time. I wish we’d found this with our first child, as it would have saved us money (for the other ones we bought) and our aching backs!!!!
There’s also a couple of pockets – one with a zipper. Good place to put your cell phone, wallet, etc. The Snugli had a pocket with snap, while the Bjorn had none. The Ergo is not as sleek and attractive as our navy blue Bjorn. Our Ergo was a gift and it came in a pale turquoise. I think the black Ergo looks better, but it’s still not as sleek and stylish as the Baby Bjorn. Frankly, after a few weeks of a newborn crying at all hours, looking hip comes way down the list after comfort, convenience and sleep…. Just saying…
The only complaint would be that it takes some practice to use the side carry and rear carry positions. The DVD does show how it’s done, but it really helps to have someone who is familiar with the process or have someone spotting you the first time you use it in these positions.
If you’ve found this review helpful, please let me know!
Rating: 5 / 5
We have a number of carriers in our house, including a ring sling, a moby wrap, a mei tai and a snugli, but the Ergo has been the best for our baby since we got it at 4 months. We use it every day to calm him down for naps and for bedtime. We did not need the infant insert, but I have heard that you can use just a folded blanket for infants less than 3 months, instead of buying the infant insert. I have also heard that you can put them in straight up and down (instead of at an angle) if you prefer. I would like to try this for a newborn, but I used and loved the Moby wrap and mei tai with head support for the early months. For older babies, this is a wonderful product, and is good for babies up to 40 pounds.
Our baby weighs almost 20 pounds, and I have to be honest, I do have some back pain from wearing him on the front all the time. However, it out-performs most other carriers in terms of back support, and the benefits over all the other carriers are many:
*EASY to put on – quick for front carry; can even be buckled while baby is in your arms (with some practice). Flipping to back is a little more challenging, but still easier than others.
*comfortable in comparison to other carriers
*handy pocket is really helpful
*sleeping hood great for blocking out visual stimulation when time for sleep
*lots of padding where needed
The “chest” strap (ends up on your back if you are carrying on the front) is only hard to snap shut if it is very low, but can be easily moved.
Only two (very minor) complaints: it would be great if there were more padding around the bottom strap for when baby is on your back (post-partum moms don’t want their bellies split in two); suck pads sold separately are ridiculously expensive, but we ended up buying them because when baby sucked on straps, mold began to develop; on a similar note, not easy to wash product — they say it can only hold up a couple of machine washes, but we just did it by hand to avoid probs.
Rating: 5 / 5