Babywearing | The Search for the Best Baby Carrier

Like many things in my life, I research and over-analyze everything to death.  I spent months when I was pregnant trying to find the safest, best and perfect baby gear for Ke’alohi.  One of the things that I spent some time looking up was baby carriers and since she has been born, we have had three baby carriers; the Baby Bjorn Synergy, the Baby K’Tan and the ERGObaby Carrier.

From the second we got pregnant, the only thing that Lucas wanted was the Baby Bjorn.  He could go on and on about how amazing it was and it was the best baby carrier on the market.  This was the carrier we started with and was predominantly used by Lucas and me on occasion when Ke’alohi was a newborn.  The things I liked about it was it was very simple to put on, the baby could face out once they had head and neck control, the fabric was super breathable and it was easy to adjust between Lucas and I.  The things I didn’t like about it was the way she was supported on the bottom and how even with the lumbar support, the weight on my shoulders was still painful at times.  All in all, it was great when she was small and newborn, but as she got heavier it was harder and harder for me to use it.

Right after we had Ke’alohi, my Aunt Lisa sent me the Baby K’Tan and to be honest, beforethat I had never heard of it.  At first it looked pretty confusing but in reality it was actually very similar to the Moby Wrap but it was put together for you and all you had to do was slip in the baby.  It turned out to be my “go to” carrier when Ke’alohi was a newborn.  The things I liked about it was that it instantly put her to sleep, there were eight different ways I could wear it and it created a warm little nook for her to stay close to me.  Thing things that I didn’t like were how warm I would get in the summer wearing her with the fabric and how it has different sizes so Lucas and I couldn’t wear the same baby carrier. In the end, I thought it was a great option for when she was small but I don’t think I could make the whole summer wearing her in sunny California.

Lastly is the ERGObaby; we’ve had this since Ke’alohi was 3 months old and I still use it most days when walking the dogs or going grocery shopping. Really, this baby carrier should be my favorite solely based on the fact that this company is based out of Hawaii.  I was always intrigued by this carrier but didn’t really understand until after having Ke’alohi how much diverting the weight of the baby from your shoulders to your hips would help when “baby wearing.”  This carrier is by far my favorite of the ones we got and I am so happy we purchased it.  The only two downsides I have found are that under 4 months of age, a newborn insert should be used and I’ve noticed that the straps on the carrier are thicker than other carriers out there.  In the grand scheme of things, both of those reasons are completely outweighed by all the things I love about it.  The thing I love most about it is that most of her weight is on my hips and not my back and shoulders.  The other small things I love that I find I use all the time is the little pocket in the front of the carrier which is perfect for a cellphone, money and keys so that when I wear her, I don’t have to bring a bag with me if I don’t want to and the color options for the ERGObaby carriers are so cute!  There are a couple different types of ERGObaby carriers out there and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed with it if you do get one.

Do you have a favorite baby carrier?