Natural Birth and Baby Care.com

Infant Carrier Options

by Laura
(Peru )

I know that you love and prefer the Ergo and it looks fantastic and I've heard great things.

However, as I research online about it, it seems best for older babies, more than 8 months. You yourself mentioned you didn't use it for your children as young infants.

I have also come across a similar product, the Beco baby carrier. It is a little more, but it comes with the infant insert. I'm just wondering if there is any way you could compare these two products to give a more complete review. It's really confusing and every penny counts in our house. Thanks!

Answer:

Hi Laura,

I understand the need to pick out a carrier while watching the pennies. I also did a lot of research before getting my Ergo carrier.

Firstly - I did not "not use the Ergo" when my little ones were small babies - I didn't have the Ergo. I never could have purchased such a baby carrier with my first three. We lived well below the poverty line and I used a sling I'd been given as a gift :)

I didn't get the Ergo until Galen was around 7 months old. So I didn't have the chance to use it with a small infant. That's why I didn't use it - it wasn't because I think it's no good with small babies.

Ergobaby has a new infant insert that I think looks good, and I'll order that when/if we're expecting a new baby. I didn't like the look of the old infant insert so much, but the new one looks great.

Take a look at the new insert here

I give the Ergo a great review because it's really a great carrier. I wear it for hours every day - still - with Galen at 14 months old. I wear him on my back at home, and with the winter weather and heavy coats I wear him on my front while we're out and about.

In fact, Galen is usually on my back, in the Ergo, while I'm writing for this website :)

I've logged literally hundreds of hours in it. So that's why I think it's an excellent carrier.

Now when Galen was a baby, I used a Sleepy Wrap with him. I have a Sleepy Wrap review I'll post in the next few days. That was really great for a newborn. It's a wrap carrier so just a long piece of fabric, and I liked it because it was a bit stretchy and I could just snuggle him down in the carrier.

I preferred the Sleepy Wrap to the sling - but I'll be honest, once I got the Ergo, that's all there was for baby carriers. I haven't used my sling at all since I got it. The Sleepy Wrap is in the car in case I happen to forget the Ergo - but it hasn't been used since I got the Ergo.

I wouldn't mind trying the Beco baby carrier because I know a lot of mothers like that one. I compared the two carriers a lot when I was getting ready to invest in one.

But since I am very happy with the Ergo, I can't see spending so much on another carrier just to review it... I wouldn't say no to Beco sending me one for review comparison, but as that's unlikely to happen I probably won't be able to do a fair comparison. None of my friends have a Beco so I can't borrow one.

I can say, as I did above, that I prefer the Ergo over my sling, over the Sleepy Wrap, over my EllaRoo Wrap, and over my podaegi. I use it every single day and for hours every day. I'm sorry I can't give it a fair comparison - but I can say I'm sticking with it, and I'll use it with the infant insert for our next babe!

For reference: My ErgoBaby Carrier review