Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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296 of 301 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A marginal improvement, but not worth buying if you already own the original, October 26, 2005
I was attracted to this carrier by all the rave reviews on Amazon. I like to hike, and live in a city where strollers are an inconvenience, so I thought I'd give this a try. I already have the original model, but this sounded so much better according to other reviewers. After using it for three weeks, my opinion is that this carrier is a slight improvement over the original when it comes to back support, but it's not a real carrier for truly active pursuits, and not worth the extra 90 bucks (or more) to buy it if you already have the original.
Problem 1
Although the lumbar support is a good idea in theory, I find that in order to get it to work, I have to tighten the attached straps to such an extent that my internal organs get squashed. I'm 5'9", 160 lbs, and I don't have a huge gut, but the lumbar just isn't tight enough against my back to provide support unless everything else in front is compressed to an uncomfortable degree, making it hard even to breathe sometimes.
Problem 2
An additional problem that I have found is that my child tends to sit considerably lower than in the original. He's 5 months old, and over 26 inches long, but unless I set the seat at the highest point (for children between 21-23.5 inches), he simply sits too low on my chest, and he still easily (and painfully) puts his little heels into my crotch on a far too-frequent basis.
Problem 3
The little flap at the front of the carrier, which can be folded down when the child is facing forward, constantly pops back up from the folded position to bop my kid in the face. There is no way to snap it or velcro it down, and the tensioner straps designed to aid in holding the child closer to your chest are insufficient to keep it lying flat once folded.
Problem 4
The shoulder straps are insufficiently padded, and as far as I can tell, have the same amount of padding as the original version. My kid is only 18 lbs, and after an hour or so, my shoulders sometimes get sore. I only wonder what hauling around a 25-pounder would be like.
Problem 5
The build quality on this carrier seems inferior to the original. On my second use, the red bracket that receives the red insert of the outer carrier partially tore free of the stitching, requiring me to take out dental floss and needle to stitch it back up.
Problem 6
Even when properly strapped in, I find that my son still bounces around and his back is too far from my chest for this carrier to be considered suitable for anything more "active" than a brisk walk. I have used it once to port him along for a mild hike, and felt that he simply wasn't sufficiently supported. I don't find this carrier's snugging system to be better in any way than the original.
Conclusion
Although this carrier is marginally easier on your back than the original, it is not adequate for more than extended brisk walks. If you don't have either carrier, it makes sense to get this one if you're particularly worried about your back or will be carrying a heavier child. If you're simply planning to carry your child around town for a few hours, the cheaper original model is sufficient. I am still waiting for a baby product company to offer a front-carry model for smaller children that incorporates backpack-style padded and contoured shoulder pads and a padded hip/lumbar belt capable of transferring weight from shoulders to hips.
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165 of 174 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Don't be fooled. Still no support!!!, December 3, 2005
I first purchased the original Bjorn and the weight on my shoulders was unbearable (8 pd baby). I returned it for this model with the lumbar support. There isn't much support to say the least. I still felt the weight on my shoulders after about 1 hr of wearing it. Although it wasn't as bad as the original. Overall it's great if you plan only on using it until your baby is 2-3 months. Once the baby get's too heavy you really start to compromise your back and shoulders. If you are into baby wearing then this will only last you very little and you will soon have to research other carriers.
The Good Stuff:
1. The carrier part is nice and thick and provides lots of support for the baby's back and head.
2. Easy to put on and take off without help.
The Bad Stuff:
1. Provides no back support for the person doing the carrying.
2. In order to get some back support you must tighten the lumbar very very tight to the point you can't breath!!
3. The shoulder staps are NOT sufficiently padded. The shoulder pain becomes unbearable after 1 hr for a 10 pound baby.
4. Forward facing - the fold down head support flaps back into the baby's face. You have to constantly fold it down.
5. Since the baby's legs dangle in front. You CANNOT sit comfortabley.
Bottom line - if you plan on wearing your baby for more than an hour at a time or past 2-3 months this is a complete waste of money. If you are looking to use it only on light errands and plan on transfering baby to a stroller in 2-3 months then it's ok (althought still expensive for such little use) After some extensive research and trying several carriers I ended up with the Ergo Baby Carrier. All the baby's weight is on the hips (the way nature intended!)not the shoulders. Not to mention the shoulders are very padded. And even now that my daughter is 14 months I can still carry her with no problem and no pain.
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45 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best thing for me - try it for yourself, April 13, 2006
I registered for and eventually purchased for myself the Active Carrier. I love this carrier. With a bad back, I find the lumbar support VERY helpful. I do have to tighten it up, but is far from cutting off my breathing. My little girl loves riding in it too. She usually falls asleep within minutes of me putting her in it.
If you aren't sure if you'll like it, go to babies R' us and see if they will let you try on the display model. They would at my store. LOL Throw in some heavy cans of liquid formula to see how it feels with weight. :)
Why I love this carrier:
1. I love giving my little girl kisses on her head when I am out running errands.
2. I love the attention she gets and the "oh isn't that cute" when I have her in it, while at the same time I love the distance those people keep since she's strapped to my chest (as opposed to my friend who has people leaning in on her stroller to get a closer look at the baby.) Ewww.
3. I love being able to use my arms when I shop or go out.
4. I don't feel lop-sided like I do when I carry around a car carrier. (I hate seeing guys lug around infant car carriers while their wives follow behind them with the diaper bag. The baby jerks around in the carrier with each uncomfortable step his/her parent takes.)
5. I really don't have any trouble sitting or even eating when I have the carrier on with her in it.
6. The lumbar support saves my back. I have degenerative disk disease and have had two herniated disks, but with this carrier, I have not had any problems even after a day at the mall (at least 3 hours of walking around with a 12 pound baby.)
7. It really is quite soothing to my little girl as she tends to sleep the entire time unless she's hungry.
The only thing I don't like about it is that it's getting warmer outside and with the padding I get a little sweaty where the carrier sits (the small of my back and my shoulders.) :(
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