Customer Reviews

Ergo Infant Insert - Camel

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I think this item is unecessary. I returned the one I ordered because my son was too large for it (at 3 weeks old ... ), and after chatting with friends who have the Ergo they also mentioned that a blanket can be used if needed in place of the insert. I'm happy with the seller and would purchase from them again, however the item didn't seem useful once I had it in hands.

As much as we love the Ergo Baby, this insert thing just confused us. It doesn't really fit very well and is hard to get in place. It's very floppy / flimsy and really doesn't provide any support for the babies head (which is why we thought it would be good to have)

Plus you only use it for about a month or two.

We ended up using a lightweight fleece blanket about 2-1/2 foot square.

I don't think you need this.

This insert is required for putting a small infant into the Ergo carrier. It is wonderful to be able to use the Ergo with a tiny baby. However, while this item is handy because it is perfectly sized, it could be eliminated in favor of a folded blanket with some stiffness to it, if you want to save the money. As long as the shape, size, and stiffness approximate a quilt of the dimensions of this insert, your baby will be fine -- I've tried it.

Just watch the DVD that came with the ERGO baby carrier and you should have no problems. Here's a breakdown of what I did.

1.) Put the ERGO carrier on but just the waist belt. DO NOT PUT ON THE SHOULDER STRAPS TILL LATER!!!

2.) I would swaddle my baby and than put her in the insert. Reason for this is once she fell asleep I can just lay her in the crib without waking her. One more thing...The top of my baby's head would be leveled with the top of the infant insert allowing her to have head support. She would pretty much look like a taco.

3.) Next I would pick her up and hold her head at my heart and her feet at my right side hip. Next you have to put the shoulder straps on while you hold your baby. After about 3 times I was able to complete my routine in about 30 sec.

4.) After she's in the carrier I would make little adjustments for comfort.

As you can see I did not have to hold my baby over my head like one of the reviewers stated. Not rocket science people just watches the DVD. Oh and my daughter was about 90th percentile in weight and high 80's in height.

My baby is only 2 months old (weighs 14 pounds) and the infant insert is already so difficult to use. As a petite woman, it is difficult to lift the baby entirely over my head so that I can slide him inside the infant insert... and when I do, the infant insert keeps folding up or his legs keep getting caught, which requires me to do it over. I had to do this so many times that my baby even threw up. It may be easy to put the infants in if they weigh less than 7 pounds because they are small but I had difficulty putting my baby in even when he was a newborn at 8 pounds.

I did a lot of research on carriers before my son was born and i registered for the Ergo Baby with the insert. I received the Ergo as a gift, but bought the insert on my own. Well, thank goodness I did so - my 3 month old LOVES IT and has loved it since he was 2 weeks old!!! I have gotten so much use out of it - it is a must for getting anything done around the house. And a few minutes in this carrier, and my son falls right to sleep. The infant insert can only be used in the front position, so I can't speak to the other positions just yet, but he just loves being close to me and hearing my heartbeat while I work around the house. I've also used it for breastfeeding - it does require a little adjusting to get the positioning down, but it is possible. All in all, I LOVE THIS THING and it is worth the cost. The quality is excellent.

I'm writing for both my Husband and I - I rate it a 4 and he rates it a 2 so we agreed it's an overall three.

Pros: Our baby sleeps instantly in this carrier. Regardless of all else, I love it for this. I actually found it pretty easy to use but I have been carrying my other child in this carrier since she was 6 months (and for a 6-mos old, both of us rate the ergo a five-star carrier) and I still do today (she is 2.5) so maneuvering it was pretty easy once I watched the instructional video on their site. I didn't have to buy a new carrier. It's ergonomically fantastic and fits my body better than most carriers (I am short and short waisted) and I walk a lot up extremely steep hills (San Francisco) while pushing my toddler in a stroller.

Cons: Contrary to what I think, my husband finds it difficult to use. As a result, he cannot easily transfer our sleeping newborn to the crib or sleeping area from the ergo without waking him. He also feels as if the baby is slipping out in the infant insert. I have not found this to be true but no body wants to worry that their carrier is not secure. Finally, he feels like we could have just sewed one of these up ourselves. I have to tease him about that as we own no sewing machines and neither of us can sew anything but a button but I will let him have his point because it sounds like a lot of other folks found simple, free (blankets) products to use instead of the insert. As a final point - this is not what I select my carriers for but I know other moms who do - if you are looking to nurse while the baby stays in the carrier, this is not easy to do with the ergo infant insert.

Synopsis: The ergo is a fantastic, comfortable carrier that easily grows with your child and allows for long distance walking with comfort. However, the INSERT for infants can be a challenge to use and its design is more like an afterthought rather than well crafted like the carrier itself.

Positioning an infant in the Ergo Carrier with the Infant Insert is totally awkward. Their butt should be in the center, their head should be in the center but their feet should be off to the side? Totally awkard. We've tried our baby in it twice and we just can't find a position that looks comfortable. Sure she sleeps fine, but her position always looks so awkward. In summary, AWKWARD!

The Ergo infant insert is really hard to use. I felt like it was hard to know if I had it on right, no matter what I did though I never had a problem with my baby falling out. Something that attaches to the carrier would be easier so you'd know that it's on the way it's supposed to be. The Ergo is a very forgiving carrier in that you can have the straps so many different ways and it still works but using it for the first few times with an infant I was concerned about having it right. The other downside to the design of the infant insert is that it's basically like wearing a thick blanket so on hot summer it can be very uncomfortable, like walking around with a sauna attached to your chest. Also confusing was the discrepancy between the DVD and the printed instructions on when you're supposed to use the insert. I was very relieved once I got past the infant insert stage and love my Ergo without it. So does my baby!

I don't know what I would have done without my infant insert, especially that first month. One of the few ways I could get my daughter to stop crying and fall to sleep when she was a newborn, was to put her in the ergo using the insert and walk around our home. Yes, it is a pricey item that will only be used for a short time but it's worth every cent. I've since bought 2 more for friends, and they rave about it too. You could try the blanket thing, but word of warning a blanket won't provide your baby with the correct head/neck support that the insert does.