Customer Reviews

BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Air - Gray/White, Mesh

5 star:		(71)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Over the course of three children we have had FIVE carriers: Two slings, a Baby Bjorn, a Snugli and the Ergo Baby.

The Bjorn is definitely the best looking and easiest to use. The clips and connectors are very intuitive and it's easy to get smaller infants into it.

The "Air" version is identical to the "Original" but with much more breathable fabric. Unfortunately this doesn't address the biggest shortcoming of the carrier.

My big complaint is that when the kids get larger (or if you wear it for more than ~10 minutes at a time) it really starts to kill your back. This is because the design keeps all the weight on your shoulders. It's like wearing a backpack BACKWARDS!

The "Active" and "Synergy" versions have wider straps with a center buckle and a lower strap "lumbar" strap which provides additional support over the "Original" While this distributes the weight better, it doesn't put it on your hips. Oh, and it also makes it a lot more fiddly to put on.

If you backpack, you know what I'm talking about. A lightweight pack is fine for lugging 10 lbs of books to class, but if you want to be able to hike for an hour with 25+ lbs you have to shift the weight to your hips.

If you only plan to use this when grocery shopping and think you'll give it up when they're 6 months old, this might be for you. If you think you might want to go to the park and hang out, or use it even when the kid starts to crawl, then the Ergo Baby is probably more your speed. My wife can take our 25 lb 1 year old for 20 minute walks around the neighborhood in the Ergo Baby Carrier.

p.s. this is coming from a guy who is 6', 180# and fit. My wife is smaller and far more critical of the ergonomics of this carrier.

If you've found this review helpful, please let me know!

I'm a bit compulsive so we own quite a few carriers. For the purposes of this review, I'll skip slings, and stick to backpack style shoulder strap carriers. Specifically the Bjorn line and the Ergo.

Ergo: The most comfortable of the bunch! While it can get a little toasty for both you and baby on warm days, both wife and I felt that we could wear it just about forever. Unlike most backpack carriers, the Ergo has a waist belt on which most of the baby's weight rests. Those of you who've used a hiking backpack know exactly how much this helps. For those who don't, there's a padded band that sits just above your hips. When worn correctly most of the baby's weight is distributed across your hips greatly reducing the stress/load on your shoulders and back. Unfortunately for us, our little monkey recently decided that she must face out, and the Ergo only allows them to face in. So it's been sitting in unused in the closet for several weeks.

Bjorn Air/Classic: Smallest, lightest and easiest to use. We have the "Air" model, and the special fabric actually does work to keep you and your baby cool. It's my preferred carrier for quick jaunts and hot days. But the wife and nanny will wear it only if they have to. It is by far the least comfortable carrier we own. The shoulder straps are unpadded and relatively thin so they really dig into your shoulders. I find it merely a bit annoying, but the wife says she can't wear it for more than 5 or 10 minutes before it really starts to hurt.

Bjorn Synergy/Active: Basically the Air/Classic but with wider, padded shoulder straps and a lumbar support piece. While a little more comfortable than the Air/Classic, it is still a far cry from the comfort of the Ergo. While the lumbar support is okay, the fundamental problem remains: all the weight is still placed on the shoulders.

Bjorn Comfort: The newest Bjorn, and by far the most comfortable. It has very wide and nicely padded straps, and like the Ergo, the Comfort has a padded waist band! While it isn't quite as comfortable as the Ergo, it comes close. I have used it for multi-hour walks with no back or shoulder discomfort. And unlike the Ergo, baby can face in or out.
A couple minor complaints. First it is quite bulky. Given the way its constructed, its actually much bulkier than even the Ergo, so it's not the easiest thing to stuff in a bag/under the stroller. Second is that as of yet you cannot buy additional bibs. One bib is included, but given how much we use the thing it's nice to have a second (note the Bjorn bibs currently sold are NOT COMPATIBLE with the Comfort). Plus while it doesn't seem as warm as the Ergo, you and baby will be plenty sweaty on hot days.

All these carriers seem very well made, and with the sole exception of the Air, I feel will last a long, long time (while so far so good, I have some reservations about the long run durability of the fabric shoulder straps of the Air). Currently we mostly use the Comfort, but I still bust out the Air on hot days or for short jaunts and all in all we are quite happy with the carrier situation. But we still have hope that one day our little one will deign to face in so we can bust out the Ergo again.


---ERGO---
Pros: Most comfortable
Cons: Baby can only face in. A little warm on hot days.

---Bjorn Air/Classic---
Pros: Easiest to get baby into/out of. Air is fabulous for hot days. Smallest and lightest (great for packing).
Cons: Least comfortable. Some concern about durability of Air fabric.

---Bjorn Synergy/Active---
Pros: More comfortable than Air/Classic
Cons: Still no waist strap!

---Bjorn Comfort---
Pros: Comfort (almost as good as the Ergo)
Cons: A little warm on hot days. Can't purchase replacement/extra bibs. Bulkiest of all four carriers.

We own the Baby Bjorn Active Carrier, and we all love it! However, it is too hot for summer heat, so we opted to purchase this item--the Baby Bjorn Air Carrier. Without the lumbar support, all of the baby's weight is on the shoulders, and my husband could feel a huge difference. We didn't know Baby Bjorn had a new "Air" carrier, the Synergy, until we visited their website. It is made out of the same fabric as this one but is designed like the Active Carrier. So we are returning this one for the Synergy. Your lower back is well-worth the extra money! One less trip to the chiropractor or massage therapist will make up the difference!

I purchased the BB Air from another retailer after I realized that our Original BB was way too warm for summertime use. Consequently we now have two BB's, the Original and the Air. This product keeps both the baby and the wearer cool and comfortable. My husband and I have not experienced any back pain while carrying the baby in the BB Air. We use it nearly every day and wear it for extended periods of time. It also fits a variety of heights comfortably, I'm 5'6 and my husband is 6'2. I've had numerous people in malls and busy stores comment on how quiet and content the baby seems in the Air carrier. I appreciate that I can run errands or do housework while keeping the baby close and happy. When Autumn returns, I'll be switching to the Original BB and anticipate enjoying it as much as the BB Air.

i received this bjorn as a gift and though i don't live in a particularly hot climate, i've found it to be a wonderful item. my daughter was born in winter and i've had no problems carrying her for up to an hour at a time. initially i was a bit wary as this model lacks the lumbar support panel that the Original carrier has, but i've had no back/shoulder pain and my baby is 95th % for weight! i enjoy the lighter mesh fabric and it's really comfy for baby.

I have given this gifl to 3 new parent couples, and everyone loves it! The dads really like being able to care for the babies, and after giving the navy blue one to my daughter, we learned that the gray one is better, because it does not show "spit ups", and is a lot cooler for Dad's to wear. Also, the size adjusts for men and women, so it works for both parents. My son in law grouted his shower "wearing" his daughter, no problem!

The BabyBjorn is definitely easy to take on and off, especially when baby is asleep (without waking baby up). We bought the Air model because we live in a warmer, more humid area (Houston, Texas). After further investigation, it appears that the Active model has lumbar support added in. That is our only complaint about the Air model, is the shoulder straps are difficult to adjust to various parent frame sizes. By "difficult to adjust", I mean - you have to take the carrier off, adjust the clip that fits between your shoulder blades, put the carrier back on, and check to see if the weight is distributed properly. If not, you have to take it back off, and try again. Not that big of a deal if only one person is planning on wearing it - once you get it set, it's done. But if you're frequently trading off "wearers" as we were (our baby had reflux), it quickly became a hassle - either you spent the time to adjust it every time, or you just wore it in an uncomfortable configuration.

The "built-in storage bag" is not very well thought out - while every part of the carrier does fit in the storage bag, the result is a blobby round bag the size of a small soccer ball...be better off just stuffing it in a gallon-size ziploc bag.

All in all, I would recommend it based on the ease of taking the baby out and putting the baby in. But for extended wear or multiple "wearers", I would probably investigate other options.

With my firstborn, I went through several inexpensive carriers, never wanting to pay the high price of a Baby Bjorn.

With baby carriers, you get what you pay for. All the cheap carriers ended up on ebay or at Goodwill.

My incredibly frugal sister-in-law SWORE by her Baby Bjorn, saying it was the best money ever spent on a baby item. So I put one on my registry when I got pregnant with my second. I chose this version because we live in the desert southwest.

I put my 5 week old son in this carrier for the first time yesterday. Within 10 minutes he was fast asleep. I wore the carrier for an hour, doing chores and playing with my 4-year-old. My infant son never woke and my back never hurt (which is amazing considering I'm recovering from a c-section). Neither baby or I ever felt hot.

Five Stars! A must-have for a new Mom (and money well spent).

I got this on sale even though I'm not due until the end of December. I had the original one with my daughter and while I absolutely LOVED it, she'd get quite sweaty in the summer (She was born Dec 12 05 so when she was about 6mos was summer time). This always distributed the weight pefectly, even for me. I'm a 5'9" overweight woman - last weigh in was 249lbs - and it was still very comfortable.

I found this carrier very comfortable. It is very well made compared to another carrier I tried. Easy to latch and figure out too.