Customer Reviews

Evenflo Snugli Comfort Vent Carrier, Navy

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this as a second carrier for my wife and I to use with our 2 month old baby girl. Our first carrier was the Ergo Baby carrier - a more expensive carrier that, quite simply, is fantastic.

We wanted another one that we could keep in the car in case we found ourselves out and about somewhere and forgot to pack the Ergo. This Snugli turned out to be the right choice.

Pros: This unit was the right price for what we needed: really inexpensive. Even with the low price it works well for what we need. It's compact, easy to use, and allows good flexibility: you can wear it in back or front and with the baby facing you or facing out.

Cons: It's functional, but not super comfortable. After extended wear you will feel it either in your lower back or neck. The straps are thinner than on the other carrier we use and can dig in after a while. They're also all nylon and not too comfortable if your arms rub on them walking around.

Bottom line: I like this as our secondary carrier for shorter use, but am very happy we invested in the Ergo for longer use. I have no problem recommending the Snugli for those looking for an economical option that gets the job done, but would have them look elsewhere if they want more comfort.

I couldn't ask for a better carrier. It works great and is easy for me to get baby in and out of. If I am careful I don't even wake him up when I take him out to lay him down. So far I haven't had any problems with it hurting my shoulders or my back.

I have come to the conclusion that there is a direct negative correlation between a baby's happiness and the comfort of the individual holding him. Each of my children were happiest (i.e., not crying) as babies when I was holding them and walking around or standing. This, of course, became rather back breaking, especially as they grew. Unfortunately, the minute I went to give my back a break and sit down, they would let me know their disapproval quickly and loudly. Same goes for lying down comfortably on the bed. A baby will only sleep on your chest if you are inclined at such an angle as to prevent any sort of restful sleep on your part.

When we purchased the Evenflo Snugli, I thought this axiom had seen its last. The Snugli would vanquish the happiness/comfort negative correlation and all would be well with the world. Alas, this was not to be.

As babies, my children loved to be carried around in the Snugli, especially my youngest son Ben. We would place him in the Snugli (a feat of Olympic proportions to do alone) and could almost guarantee he would be asleep in 5 minutes. But, as fate would have it, it would take about that long for my comfort level to begin its decline.

The Snugli is fairly well padded with a crisscross strap that goes over the shoulders and under the arms. The underarm straps are easily adjustable and hook/unhook to the main body of the carrier. Because the straps are wide and padded, I found they didn't dig into my shoulders as much as I thought they would. Unfortunately, there isn't much back support and after awhile, my back was really starting to ache. And of course, the baby slept on. However, this may be true of most, if not all, carriers.

There are six hooks/attachments to contend with when putting the carrier on and hauling your baby around. Two are for the underarm strap that secures the carrier to your body along with the over-the-head/around-the-back straps. After these are hooked, there are two sliding "clips" (not sure what else to call them) that fit into place on each side of the carrier to keep the baby from falling out and form the side wall between legs and arms. The last two are at the top of the carrier near to where the baby's head would be and give support for the baby's head and neck. For bigger babies or if you're wanting to face the baby forward, these probably shouldn't be used.

Perhaps the biggest challenge is actually getting a baby into the carrier by yourself. There are two options for this. You can either place the carrier on a flat surface, lay the baby on top and slide the clips mentioned above between the arms and legs. The challenge with this part is then holding the baby with one hand while the other hand tries to slip the straps over your head. Most of the time for me, this only succeeded in tangling the back straps. The second option is to put the carrier on first, attach the bottom hooks and adjust the fitting. The challenge with this method, however, is getting the baby's legs through the holes and then sliding the clips into place. This is more difficult than it sounds since babies (mine at least) have a tendency to curl their legs up to their bodies, forcing you to straighten out their legs and fit them through the leg holes. All performed with one hand, of course, since the baby isn't yet supported enough for you to use both hands. Simply reverse all this to take it off and...well, you get the idea.

Once he's in, however, things go much more smoothly. The carrier does enable you to adequately use both hands, which is probably the reason for purchasing this in the first place. Since the Snugli feels pretty solid, I don't feel like I have to constantly be checking things to make sure things aren't coming apart. We had the carrier for about 3.5 years and it seemed to hold up very well.

The carrier is designed for infants no more than 26 lbs. However, I wouldn't recommend its use for a child weighing more than 15 lbs maximum. I stopped carrying my daughter when she was about 1 year old and 18 lbs. She was definitely be too big for the carrier, not to mention my back. My 10-week old fit nicely though. He would sleep soundly while I puttered around the house. My recommendation though is not to wear it for more than an hour.

Easy to use and easy to adjust. Comfortable for me (5'6) and for my husband (6'1). I am top heavy (38G) and I find that after about 20 minutes, my back aches and I need more lumbar support so this will be my back up carrier once I find one with a good fit AND lumbar. My hubby loves it. Great carrier for the price.

BTW, My 4 month old is still getting used to it. She is not a sling or carrier baby, YET. She likes to see me and Dad so inward facing she would cry and strain head to see us. Now, she is strong enough to face out and we are teaching her to like it. - Have her sister (5) encourage her as we put her in, take her to mirrors so she sees herself and parent, and distract her with toys. She goes about 15 minutes before getting tired and bawling - but that is from bawling when we put her in 3 months ago. Use for quick trips to the mailbox or when I need to carry something up or down stairs.

By June, she should be comfortable and happy. Just takes patience teaching, like all else.

I've had some bad experiences with front carriers, but haven't tried one since my daughter was a baby in 2003. I've used a Hotsling since my son was born five months ago and I love it--it's really easy to use and feels secure, but I still don't feel comfortable enough to take both hands off my babe for more than a second when he's in it. It's also difficult to use in the colder months because sweaters and jackets affect the fit tremendously.

I picked this up because I wanted an extra carrier to keep in the car for spontaneous trips to the mall or downtown strolls, but I didn't want to spend another $40 on a spare Hotsling.

Out of the box, it took me only a moment to orient myself with how the carrier works, and I glanced quickly at the instructions to make sure I wasn't missing anything. I put it on and easily got my baby into it, and he seems to like it a lot (even though he looks kind of awkward just suspended there).

I found this to be more comfortable for me to wear than the Hotsling, since the weight is distributed to more places. Any sling is going to get uncomfortable if you wear it for very long, but I found that this one holds up longer than I would have expected, even without a lumbar strap.

This is a great value at $20 compared to other carriers.

I received this carrier as a gift when my first child was an infant. I did not use it much with her because I quite simply did not find it necessary. When my second child was born I certainly found it necessary to have an infant carrier that allowed me to keep my arms free to help my now preschooler. It allows me to hold my preschooler's hand while walking in parking lots and shopping while keeping my infant snug and secure. My youngest is now 14 months old and weighs 23 pounds and I still use this carrier weekly! I do not use it for extended walking but it works well even at her current size for doctor's appointments when I need my hands free for paperwork, shopping trips when my preschooler is sitting in the cart, and countless festivals. I have not noticed a significant amount of lower back pain with this carrier but I am also a physical therapist who is well versed in body mechanics and posture so it's most likely that I "adjust" as needed.

I find it easy to get off and on by myself and even to place my child in it while I am wearing it. Often, I unhook one side to take her out for a few minutes (such as as the doctor) while I continue wearing it, then put her back in with one side still attached. I don't find this difficult but it does take a very small amount of effort to orient the side latch correctly with the child in place while supporting her (again, very minor). I have tried other more expensive carriers and took them back to the store because I could not see what they offered for a greater price that the Snugli did not. I do not, however, wear this carrier more than an hour or two at a time so that may be the difference maker. I have recommended this carrier to friends and feel it is user friendly, supportive, comfortable, and accommodating to infants 8-23 pounds as that is thus far as much as I have tested it. I fully intend to use this carrier until my daughter hits the 25-26 pound mark or until she gets uncomfortable in it but currently it is still working great for us. The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is due to the 26 pound weight limit as I am sad my days of using it are coming to an end.

While the Snuggli at first seems great (it's structured, making for easy-in and easy-out... and our new baby could even stay asleep for both processes), it quickly is outgrown by both baby and adult. It's also seems at twenty dollars to be a good price, but probably really isn't a great value in the long-term... especially if you're paying the full price.

After a month, our newborn (who quickly advanced to the top percentile in height and weight) really no longer fit the Snugli. The armholes were too low. She also would not have had enough head control to fold down the top (and even so, if you watch the clip on the Snugli website, they have you still buckle the baby's arms in under the folded down top -- which must be uncomfortable for the baby, who doesn't look happy in the carrier!).

In addition, as soon as my baby was around 10 pounds, I would say that her weight distribution in the Snugli started to become an issue for me (a 5'9" 145 lb. mom). I carry my baby daily, and even after short trips with the Snugli (such as a ten-minute wait at the bus stop for one of our older children), I would have severe back-pain. I will add that I have a preexisting back condition (a herniated disk)... but I am still able to carry my baby (now at over 20 pounds) successfully for several hours using our other carriers (a Moby wrap and a Kelty "Country" back-pack carrier).

Since our back-pack carrier is presently adjusted for dad, I get the most use out of my baby's Moby wrap. Here's my comparison of those two carriers to the Snugli. Both the wrap and the Snugli are worn in front... and I like knowing how my baby is doing (dad just asked for a mirror... without one you have to look at reflections in windows). Also, our baby was born during the summer, and the ventilation of the "Comfort Vent" Snugli then seemed ideal over the wrap (the backpack also has good ventilation, but can't be worn until a baby has good head control). I did, however, find it necessary to drape a flannel blanket over her Snugli as a newborn, to prevent the possibility of sunburn (not necessary in the covered up newborn carry in the Moby wrap). A wrap for newborn use would certainly be a better for winter months for added warmth... though yes, wraps are a bit more difficult to use, and it's harder to get the baby into and out of without waking the baby or requiring some readjustment of the wrap. The Kelty and the Moby also have higher weight limits (especially considering the Snugli weight limit really is lower than it's rated for). I'll give an update later about the "Scootababy" structured hip carrier, (we just bought with some Amazon Christmas gift cards and that presently has a five star rating with fifteen reviews... it hasn't yet arrived but is much anticipated!).

So I enjoyed the use of the Snugli for the VERY short time we used it. I'm happy, however, that I didn't buy the product, but received it instead as a gift.... and that my friend didn't even pay full price, since she spied it at a garage sale for ten dollars. In fact, I see dozens of these at gently-used consignment stores, which is where ours is headed, unless I just drop it to the thrift store... so I wouldn't advise paying full price, even at twenty dollars.

I am glad we purchased this carrier. We have used it quite a bit for the past few months and are quite satisfied with it. The biggest advantage is the price! Of course, the ease of use adds to the pros. I am a petit woman (5') and even I am able to carry the baby in this comfortably.

The issues I have are that when we fold the front flap, it is still a little high and touches our baby on the chin. She is already about 23 1/2 inches tall. Also, when put front facing, she tends to tilt a little in the front, but that could be totally because I hadn't tied her correctly, as my husband doesn't seem to have that problem. After carrying her for a half hour, my back does get a bit sore. Also, because I am petit, and she is a taller baby, she hangs a little lower.

All in all though, this is a handy item to have and for the price, it's a great buy!

Great bang for your buck. Compared to all these expensive ones out there, this one does the trick and is very affordable and easy to use. I love it!

Mom@ppines

Compared to the Parents of Invention Ultimate Baby Wrap, it is way easier to get my 3 month old baby into this carrier but when I go for my daily walk with my son, my back gets sore within 10 minutes of walking. My husband prefers this carrier but I do not.