Moby wrap? Ergo carrier? Zolowear? Maya sling? Others?
Have you used one of these? Did you like it? Would you recommend it? Have you used more than one? how did they compare?
I have five kids and a newborn and need to be able to use my hands but my little one only wants to be held 100% of the time and that's just not doable with five other kids. I have a Snugli carrier but it hurts my back so I'm looking for something more comfortable for me and baby. Plus, I don't want to spend a lot of money as this is my last child. I'm actually looking for a used one online and these are some that I've come across.
Thanks!
2013-04-09T16:52:19Z
Thanks for all the details! All great answers and helped with my research. I still haven't decided which I will use yet, but I feel I know more about them.
mikah_smiles2013-04-08T12:07:11Z
Favorite Answer
I had a ring sling, Moby wrap and an Ergo when my daughter was a newborn. I intended to use the Ergo when she was older. I felt the ring sling was too unsafe, so I didn't use it more than once. I think my fabric was wrong, to be honest. With the Moby, it took me a while to become completely comfortable with it. I did enjoy using it, though it did have some issues. Tying it in public places was a pain, especially after diaper changes in public washrooms. The fabric is so long that it drags on the floor and gets filthy quickly. I wound up washing it a lot. The main issue I had with the Moby was that my daughter wanted to lie sideways in it. So even if I had her positioned perfectly, she was scootch over until her face was covered. I kept panicking that she couldn't breathe properly. I also found I had to keep retightening it after every half hour or so. Baby loved it, though.
After a few weeks of that, I switched to the Ergo with an infant insert. I loved it, baby was unhappy for the first week or so and then got used to it. I think the Moby held her closer to my body than the Ergo did. It's pricey, but I found it didn't aggravate my knees or make my back ache. The weight went into my hips. It also held her upright and she could look around as she got older. It is however hard to bend down in it, especially if you're a bit shorter. I found the Moby easier to do that in, while the Ergo was a bit more rigid. With five kids, that might be something you will need to do often. I also found it easy to wash. My daughter used it until she was around 12 months, when she decided being mobile was more fun than being confined in the carrier.
I was lucky in that I only had to pay for the Ergo (which I found on sale), and I suggest that if you can, ask friends and family to lend you a carrier so you can try it out for a few days before buying one. If I'd bought the Moby, I would have been very annoyed. As it is, I'm debating using it for future babies or not. It worked well, but I liked the Ergo better, because once it was set up, it stayed put. Also my husband used it quite a bit, too, when we took baby out on hikes.
I had both a moby wrap and a sling...the sling hurt my back. And the moby wrap was just too much work for me...all the wrapping and it was always getting bunched up. I only was able to use it around the house with no shirt on under it! Some people seem to love them though. Although I have heard that they are only good for young babies and start to sag and stretch too much once they get heavier.
Then I found a great carrier called a Beco Gemini! I love it so much! They are super comfortable and soft. Its a soft structured carrier similar to the Ergo I think but I haven't tried that one. Unfortunately its pretty pricey...around $130 or so. Totally and completely worth it in my opinion though! It can be used for front facing, hip carry and back carry too once baby is older.
For a newborn I like wraps over structured carriers like the Ergo. I used a Sleepy wrap, although they were bought out by Boba so to buy new you'd be looking at a Boba wrap. Apparently they are a 'bit of work', but I never took any longer than 30 seconds to get mine on, even the first time! Actually the first time I put mine on I thought "is that it?" because it was quicker and a lot easier to put on than I expected. My previous carrier had been similar to the Snugli and it took me longer to put that on and adjust it!
For an older infant I feel you can't go past a Boba. The Boba Air is NOT suited to newborns, it's intended as a lightweight emergency carrier to go in the purse. The Boba 3G is supposed to be suitable for newborns, but I've never felt comfortable with a baby that young in a structured carrier.
I used a boba carrier. Extremely good. I also have five children, with last on the way in August. My now 18 month old is still very clingy, and likes to still be carried in the boba carrier. It was great when he was a newborn - 8 months but after that it was too tricky to be having him on me everyday and he outgrew it. You hold newborn - 6 months approx on your chest, facing you; then it converts for older babies as a forward facing carrier, and then for toddlers onto the back.
The link here is for the cheaper version of te boba air, it'd $65 and I think it's only for little babes.
http://store.bobafamily.com/boba-air/
Go to the other products to find the boba carrier which is $120
For a long time now, moms have griped that convey their child utilizing a baby sling carriers has been creating strain to their body, particularly as the baby gets to be more established and heavier. This is a typical issue that put moms off purchasing baby carriers; on the other hand, the result has now been discovered because of an infant bearer.