Best baby carriers - what would you recommend?

[sdurham]

Hello,

We've been given a classic style Baby Bj?rn but our little one really doesn't like & - having done some online reading - I'm wondering if it's because of the way her legs hang & perhaps she isn't properly supported (?).

I'm really interested in hearing what other slings/carriers parents use and any recommendations for carriers which properly support the baby. There are so many options on the market, it's a bit overwhelming!

Cheers :)

[Lochie]

A manduca sling was kindly recommended to me on this forum. It's one of a handful of things I would happily shell out for baby-wise. Really comfy for me and baby (now 15 months). I had the baby bjorn and would never go back!

I have used the manduca for long journeys without pram and it really is comfy

[Anna M]

I had a baby bjorn for my first, and I didn't really like it as I found it a strain on my shoulders. I had an ergo for my second, and absolutely loved it. I could wear it all day without it being uncomfortable. You absolutely can't turn the baby to face outward in it, which may have been useful when he was a bit older, but you can put it on your back which he liked when he was older (although I haven't quite figured out put him on like that very well on my own.) When he was teeny he even breastfed very discreetly in it which was useful with a rampaging toddler.

[gebbjane]

Pop and see emily at the south London sling library, there you can try out differnt slings and get great advice.which is what I did loaned a couple and then I settled on the ergo in the end which i love.

[MichelleT]

Another Manduca fan here

[canela]

I really loved the long wrap around ones, that are just a very very long piece of material, as you can use them in lots of different ways and they adapt completely to your body shape. can use from tiny baby up til a couple of years, depending on weight. can seem a bit intimidating at first but after a couple of days you can tie them one-handed.

enjoy your choice. there really are loads of good ones out there!

[jenc]

Another vote for the Ergo, I used it every day with my daughter when she was tiny and am doing the same again with my son, it's really comfy. One of the few baby things that's worth every penny in my opinion.

[sdurham]

Great, thanks all! I'm interested in the Manduca & Ergo designs as they seem less 'faffy'.

Gebbjane - thanks so much for the tip off re the south London sling library. Just googled it and plan to visit soon!

[Strawbs]

Ergo defo. There is a trick to getting it on solo but once you have mastered it it is easy x

[mrsbee]

I've used both a wrap sling (hugabub) and a manduca and love them both.

The wrap for when they babies are really little and then the manduca once they get to six months and I've used it up until they are more than 2.

[Norfolkvillas]

Another vote for the Ergo. I got it when my first was 6m old and loved it from the start. I didn't think I would like the newborn insert when my littlest arrived, but I surprised myself by liking that too. There is a small period between about 3m and about 6m when they are too small for ergo-without-insert, but too big for ergo-with-insert - or maybe that's just my daughter being particularly long.

The ONLY thing I don't like about the Ergo is that it makes me look / feel like an American footballer....

[Dog-Kennel-Hill A.P]

Is there a 'sling library' around here? I know there's a Greenwich/lewisham one. I recently went to a one 2 one session-the lovely lady had LOADS of slings for me to try but I specifically went to learn how to carry my son on my back, he's 8 months, so wish I'd done this earlier, think I'm using a didymos wrap, I love it. She runs a drop in session where you can rent a sling for 2 weeks.

[newtoedf]

I've used a fair few with my two, I much prefer carrying to pushing a pram and found it much easier to keep up with an active toddler with a newborn when I was wearing the baby rather than pushing him around. I have found that different slings/carriers are better for different stages/ages and activities:

Baby bjorn (handy round the house but not good with a heavy baby as well as baby support issues described above).

Coorie (a kind of thick fleece band which is easy to use and good for popping on and off quickly.)

Moby wrap (really comfortable and easy to tie once you are used to it but I did get fed up of all the material in the summer).

Woven wrap (better than a jersey wrap when the baby is a bit bigger as it is not so stretchy and the more independently-minded child finds it harder to escape!)

Manduca - I'm still using this with a hefty 2.5 yo because the weight is so well distributed.