Boba 4G Carrier

Carrier: Boba 4G Carrier
Weight: 7 to 45 pounds
Cost: ~$125
Website: www.boba.com
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Bottom Line: My new favorite long term carrier, replacing the ERGObaby Original. Extremely comfortable and convenient. Unfortunately, isn’t ideal until around 4 months and babies can’t face forward.

Pros: I already own an insane number of carriers and I have to say, I think this one is my favorite. I’ve been using it consistently for about 4 months so far with my third child (from 3.5 to 7.5 months of age — see K’Tan for newborn stage) and it has all the benefits of the Ergo, which was my previous favorite carrier, plus some extra features that are really nice, if not necessary. Like the Ergo, it is very, very comfortable for long periods of time, it’s easy to use, the baby can nurse comfortably in it, and baby can ride on my front, back, or hip (I never use the hip position, though I really should try given the frequency with which I carry my kids on my hip). It has small pockets for holding items such as a cell phone, a method for rolling up the extra strap length, and is really convenient for toddlers that like to go in and out frequently. I don’t have to remove the carrier when there isn’t a child in it. Instead, I just let it hang down. However, in addition to sharing these features, the Boba also has a hide-able/removable hood and foot straps (which I haven’t tried yet, but seem like a nice addition). The straps are slightly easier to use than the Ergo, because they are adjustable from both ends so you never have to pull or loosen from an awkward direction. Also, the Boba comes with it’s own removable infant insert, so even newborns can ride in it without having to purchase something extra.

Cons: I had some trouble with the infant insert and I still preferred to use a different carrier during the newborn stage (typically the K’Tan or Moby). Somewhat unexpectedly, I liked the Boba better around 1 month than 2 months. There is very short period of time at which I found it really awkward to use. Around 2 or 3 months, my baby’s legs were not able to froggy out of the carrier, so I still had to use the insert, but he didn’t really want to “sit” on the little insert seat like he was supposed to. Instead he kept trying to stand up and I would need to bounce to get him to sit down again. Around the same age, he was tall enough that it was getting harder to nurse him in it comfortably while he was on the infant insert. However, by about 3.5 or 4 months, he could spread his legs wide enough that the insert wasn’t needed anymore and his legs could hang out the carrier. From that moment on, we’ve essentially never looked back. Despite owning close to 10 carriers, the Boba is really all I use. I keep a back up in the car, but I still try to remember to bring my Boba with me when we leave the house. Another disadvantage of this carrier is that baby can’t face outward, unlike the Beco Gemini. However, I still prefer to own a separate carrier for the newborn stage anyway, so this isn’t an issue for me personally.

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