ERGObaby Original Baby Carrier

Carrier: ERGObaby Original Baby Carrier
Weight: 12 to 45 pounds
Cost: ~$115
Website: store.ergobaby.com
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Bottom Line: My previous favorite long term carrier (recently replaced by Boba 4G). Extremely comfortable and convenient. Unfortunately, not great for newborns or small infants and no forward-facing option.

Pros: I LOVE my ERGObaby Carrier. It was one of the first carriers I purchased and it was my favorite for carrying babies over about 4 months until I discovered the Boba 4G, which is only very slightly better in my opinion. The Ergo is comfortable and cozy. The baby is well-supported on the front and the back. (I personally never used the hip carry once I figured out how to get my kids on my back.) If the child wants to get down for a little while, it’s easy to take them out and put them back in. I simply let the carrier hang down either my front or back and it’s out of the way and not touching the ground. The clips are easy to use one-handed and yet still have a safety mechanism in case one fails (which it never has). While I wouldn’t have considered it on my own, my first child figured out how to nurse in it by the time he was 7 or 8 months old. My second child started nursing in it with my assistance right away, which is completely private with the right nursing shirt. I still regularly carry her in it for long walks (~2 miles) even though she’s now 18 months old and over 20 pounds. It has head support that is easily stowed away when not needed and can be adjusted to support a sleeping child’s head even while on my back. I comfortably carried my son in it until he was over 2 and at least 30 pounds, which is pretty impressive considering I’m only 110 pounds.

Cons: My main problem with the Ergo Carrier is that it can’t be used on newborns and small infants, so it’s not the only carrier you’ll need. (For the newborn stage, see K’Tan or Moby.) I don’t think my son really fit comfortably in it until he was about 5 months old and my daughter was probably even older. However, were it designed to hold a newborn (such as the Beco Gemini), I don’t think it would be as good a carrier for larger children. I know ERGOBaby sells an infant insert which I haven’t tried due to mixed reviews and the fact that even without an insert, it seems unnecessarily bulky for someone that small. Another limitation is that babies are unable to face outward in the ERGObaby carrier, which was no big deal for my kids, who preferred facing inward for nursing access anyway, but might be a bigger issue for other children. It is also fairly expensive, but well worth the cost in my opinion.

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