I love this carrier. It's so worth the hype. The thing is, too, I don't know why I didn't try a fancier Bjorn before now: I have rocked the basic Bjorn (with no back support) for both my small newborn babies and just loved it. The "click" system is really the best out there and the straps hit me at a great place. But inevitably the babies would get too heavy and my back couldn't stand it. So, needing more support, I did my homework - I tried quite a few.
Lillebaby's straps hit in a way that still hurt my back, plus, it has an oddly large front pocket that dipped down and hit me while I walked. I will say the mesh was beautiful and heavy duty.
Beco Gemini, while I loved the cross-back straps, felt incredibly thin and unsupportive where baby sits.
Tula is nice and tons of fun patterns, but only for babies who can spread their hips to straddle you - at 3 months, my baby is not ready for that. And when I put in an infant insert, he just cried harder.
Ergo is fine, but again, that front pocket dipped down further and I felt it when I walked up stairs (I must have a short torso).
My husband finally asked, "well, does Bjorn make one with a waist strap?" Um, hello, why didn't I think of that. I went on their site and compared their different models. Living in the rainy Pacific Northwest, despite being more spendy, the different materials used making this "Outdoors" model appealed to us. It is AMAZING. The different fabrics are really far and away higher quality than the other carriers. I love how the buckles work; they're just well made and snap into place so easily. Yes, it's a tad more cumbersome to put on: You buckle on the waist strap, then sort of pull the carrier over your head like a sweatshirt. It was no big deal, and once it was on, the difference was apparent. The shoulder straps were well padded and hit in a great place. The ability to unzip different levels to elongate the carrier's support was really clever. The fabrics truly feel like a step above. And, on top of all that, it looks masculine enough for my husband to wear!
If you're on the fence, get it. You'll wear it every day for months and the comfort will be worth every penny.
| Product Dimensions | 13 x 4 x 13 inches |
|---|---|
| Item model number | 093025US |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Minimum weight recommendation | 8 Pounds |
| Maximum weight recommendation | 33 Pounds |
| Care instructions | Machine Wash |
| Style | Mesh |
| Batteries required | No |
| Orientation | Front, Back |
| Item Weight | 2 pounds |
