No matter how cozy the seat you arrange, Babies like being held close to your arms because he likes to feel the warmth of his mom & dad. But constantly carrying babies by yourself may inversely affect your arm and shoulder. That’s why baby carrier comes in, to make the baby feel closer to you as much time as possible.
However, just buying a baby carrier will not erase your problems. Several will provide average facilities, but the best will provide the updated features as much as possible. This article will discuss those baby carriers that will provide the facilities you want while carrying your tiny one.
When do You Really Need One?
Getting a baby hauler isn’t a need always – you can use a stroller when you’re going out. But, it is the only thing that gives you a chance to do your own particular thing while your baby relaxes against you.
Most parents say that the hauler is their most loved baby product because they can keep their kids with them always even in crowded spaces like airports. It also gives your arms a break, and you will be able to do your daily work by carrying your newborn with you.
Most of the parents like to use that for infants. But some moms like to use it for their baby up to 4 years. It depends on you & your kid’s comfort. It’s also great to use if you like hiking and want to bring your child with you, even if your child is a little bit older but cannot hike.
The Market of Baby Hauler
There are several new entrances into the market each year, making it difficult to decide which one is suitable for your baby. Don’t worry.
Because we have reviewed 14 haulers to make your decision easier, from the established brand to newcomer & from the lower price range to higher. Price varies from $35 to $130 depends on the quality & brand. We have evaluated each to find out the safety, comfort, durability, reliability. So don’t hesitate to choose the best one for the baby upon our review. Before reading the reviews, please look at the below notes, which will help you select the best one for your newborn baby.
Features Essential in a Baby Carrier:
Design: The design is essential to ensure the proper hip & back development of your baby. You have to look at both the usability as well as comfortability.
Firstly, If you want it for infants (3+ months), you have to select a C spinal alignment design so that there will be a nice curvature in your baby’s back & legs will be tucked up when you put him into that type of carrier. This type of position is called the “fetal tuck” position. There are several benefits to this position. It helps to reduce pressure on the spine and hips. This type of carrier is tightly supported on both your and your baby’s back. He will in front of your eyes all the time, and you will be able to kiss his forehead when you wish.
Secondly, If you want support for your infant’s (6+ months) buttocks and hamstrings, that means the legs need to be dangling down below the carrier. It is the “frog-leg” position. We recommend you go for fetal tuck position for newborns & frog-leg position for toddler & bigger kids.
Versatility: The days are gone when a baby carrier can only support a single carrying position. So there is no need to buy twice for infant, toddler, big kid, and hiking (back). Most of them are now very versatile, allowing for various carrying positions. At the lower end, some have 2 positions, usually front-facing and back-facing. At the higher end, some have up to six positions, including back-facing infant (fetal tuck), back-facing infant (legs out), front-facing toddler, back-facing toddler (without as much head support as the infant position), hip sling, and back (hiking). The best one, also the expensive one, is more versatile and can carry from newborn until about 4 years old. We obviously recommend you to buy a versatile one because it will add great value to you, how?
You can use the same from his 3 months age to 4 years & you can also carry him in different positions with the same product.
Safety: There is nothing more important to consider than the safety of your kids. There are a lot of factors to consider. How is the stitching? Where the buckles attached? Where the zippers attached? What is the quality of the zippers & buckles? What is the quality of Velcro? Many manufacturers use lower quality connectors, zippers, fabrics, and stitching, Velcro. Do not compromise with the quality when the baby’s safety is the concern. The most important thing weight-bearing capability is related to safety. Safety also includes the baby’s position, fabric’s breathability, and the proper head and neck support.
Comfort: Comfort refers to the comfort of the baby and the comfortability of that person who carries the baby. This should be determined whether the baby will be happy or not. Padding should be present in the right places, along with the back portion where arms & legs meet. There should be less padding around the face & shoulder to ensure breathability.
Cost: Price varies from $25 to upwards of $200 for the higher quality & versatility. We have reviewed some of the lower price (with limited features, but good quality) and some of the higher price. Some are versatile, and some are of limited features depending upon the price.
14 Best Newborn Baby Carriers of 2022:
We have reviewed 14 baby carriers. First, we have reviewed 8 baby carriers of the best quality. Secondly, we have reviewed 6 cheap-rated baby carriers.
Best 8 Baby Carriers for Infants and Toddlers:
First, check Out the Baby Carrier Comparison chart and then find the reviews of the best baby carriers for newborn babies:
LILLEBaby Complete All Season: Best for all ages, from infant to toddler
LILLEBaby is one of the most selling baby carrier brands of recent times. This is not a much older brand, but it has already taken a good place in the market because of the beautiful design and high functionality. They make them in three series, the COMPLETE series, ESSENTIAL series, and the CARRY-ON series.
The complete series includes the most versatile products. In complete series, they have some versions like the All-Seasons, the Airflow, the Embossed version. We will only recommend the Air-flow version if you live coastal area like Florida. Otherwise, we will always suggest you go for All-seasons because this is perfect for any condition. Here we will give a review of the All-season version:
Lillebaby Complete All season includes high-quality cotton fabric with highly breathable mesh fabric inside. It will give your baby a very soft touch. High quality inner and outer fabric makes it more versatile to use in different weather conditions. Suppose in the morning, then it’s ok with all types, but the weather may be warmer when you come back. So there is a chance that your baby will feel uneasy. For this condition, Lillebaby offers you a zip-down front section, which allows you to reduce the insulation & airflow to his back. Great design. Isn’t it?
While talking about comfort, let us clear that we are not satisfied as like Ergobaby in Lillebaby. That does not mean Lillebaby all season is not comfortable for you, In fact, this Lillebaby all season won “Most Comfortable hauler” by prestigious Cribsie Awards in 2013.
LILLEBaby all season is the most versatile present in the market, which will provide six carrying position. Fetal tuck, tuck with legs out, front-facing toddler and rear-facing, the fifth is hip sling style, and the sixth is a back carrier for the toddler. You can carry your baby from 7 pounds to 40 pounds, which means you are allowed to carry from 3 months up to 4 years in it. There is no need for an infant insert because it can make the’ seat more narrow while necessary. That’s a great advantage to get rid of this awkward infant insert.
We have checked all the six positions & all of them are highly supportive to mom & dad. The structure is well & much reliable. It’s very much easy to put on and take off, also easy to in & out your baby.
Lillebaby has a stylish and adorable sleeping hood, which also protects babies from the sun or wind. The hood is removable & you can easily put it in a pocket. This is the best considering all points of view.
Overall, Lillebaby is excellent, and this will give you 100% satisfaction.
Note:
LÍLLÉbaby Complete All Seasons’ recent modified version has much-improved with waist belt extension. So we think there is no need for a waist belt extension buckle anymore. You can buy it from here. If your child constantly soaks it, or if you are getting tired of smelling dirty, you can buy teething & droll pads for your baby. Check the current price of this teething and droll pad here.
Gemini performance carrier by Beco: Best for Newborn
“Happy Baby, Happy parents”- this is the motto of Beco Gemini, and you and your baby really deserve this.
Beco Gemini has a great back panel for a fresh take on breathable comfort and navy microfibre fabric shoulder straps. The design is less complicated. You can wear Beco Gemini as a crossed or backpack style. It reduces weight & maximize your comfort. Its 4.5-inch wide waist belt helps to distribute weight more evenly. The adjustable system of waist buckle is good enough as you can adjust in two directions. The adjustable range is also extensive, from 27 inches to 59 inches.
The slimmest padded streamlined panel fits a tiny newborn without an insert, where most of the others need inserts. This is much comfortable, especially for infants, because you can adjust seat width & panel height as your kid’s requirement. This makes this product a versatile & most convenient one.
The panel’s seat part has two flaps, creating a narrow seat for a young baby to face out position. We didn’t find any other except this, which fits infants very well. If you are searching for a carrier for your tiny newborn baby, this will be the best one for you, but we will not recommend that you go for this if your child is more than 20 months older.
It has a well-padded waistband, which provides much support while carrying. It will be a great deal considering the price and quality. Click here to check the current price.
Ergobaby Four Position 360 Ergonomic:
Ergobaby is one of the most reliable brands, and this Fourposition 360 is an award-winning product. A four-position carrier means you will be able to position your baby facing you, facing the world, on your hip & your back. So you can choose a suitable position anytime you want.
This is a very much comfortable one both for you and your child. In fact, we found that Ergobaby is much comfortable than LILLEBaby. Moms will also feel it a little bit more comfortable than other brands while breastfeeding. Its exceptional lower back support will give you much comfort.
Ergobaby four positions 360 is a versatile one but not the most versatile because it doesn’t have bucket adjustment to accommodate both newborn and toddler. You have to use an infant insert to carry your infant. You can carry from 10 pounds to 35 pounds in Ergobaby 360, which means you can carry from 6 months up to 2.5 years baby.
Do you want your infant to carry in this Ergobaby? You can, but you have to buy an infant insert to put your newborn baby on it. It’s safe enough, but we will not recommend using it until your baby is strong enough to hold his head high. By adding an infant insert, you will be able to make a four-position carrier into five positions.
Click here to check the price of the infant insert.
We found that ERGObaby 360 is lightweight, soft, comfortable for both baby parents & easily adjustable to your body. This includes a hood which will protect your child from sun & wind.
This is available in black and camel color. The price is good enough based on the super quality of Ergobaby 360.
There is a customized version where Ergobaby will provide three positions. You can position your kid facing you in front & back and on the hip. This also allows you to use an infant insert. Quality is also good enough to save some amount of money.
Ergobaby 360 Cool Air Mesh: Best for Toddler
This is also one of the most functional, like Ergobaby four position, but more versatile in some points. All the additional features make it better for toddlers.
One of the great advantages of Ergobaby cool air mesh over four positions is the lumbar-support pad, making it great to transfer excess weight to hips, pelvis & knees. It is rectangular and works as a waist belt.
This design is also bulkier, making it feel comfortable when you have to carry your toddler for a long time. Extra padded shoulder strap evenly distributes your baby’s weight. It also provides great comfort to your baby for extra bulkiness; he may fall asleep for comfort. The fabric used is a cool mesh type, which really makes it feel perfect in warmer conditions, especially in summer.
Generally, it allows you to carry 12lbs to 35lbs, but you can carry your infant by adding an infant insert like Ergobaby four position, but it might not be suitable as like that, as this one is much wider. That’s why we put it downwards than Ergobaby’s four positions. If you consider this point, then you will not find any negative point for this. It’s cool & highly breathable, lightweight, and the extra padded strap will provide maximum comfort for you. Adjustable systems are also outstanding.
Thinking about positions? You can carry him in all positions by this.
Finally, it’s solid, durable, and long-lasting, so you can definitely buy this one for your little one, especially if you do not think to carry your newborn here.
Tula Ergonomic Baby Carrier Review:
Tula Ergonomic is one of the most stylish baby carriers. Let’s take a look at its’ key features that will attract you most:
• Quite comfortable
• Very lightweight
• Very simple in design
It will allow you to carry 13 to 45 pounds, which means you will not carry your infant normally, but you can add an infant insert, which will reduce more $40 from your pocket. So obviously, you can use the same product for your infant baby as well as the toddler.
The shoulder straps are highly padded, which ensures more comfort than other carriers. Leg supports are also soft-padded, which will give your child a soft feel. But this is not adjustable as Lillebaby. Thus it may be uncomfortable for your child if it’s not fit with his thigh. Also, as there are no cross-straps & lumbar support, it may cause back pain.
The hood is well shaped & easily removable, and quite easy to get it on and off. So you can easily protect your little one from the sun & wind while needed.
Overall, Tula’s ergonomic is not bad considering all points. It’s stylish, lightweight. Comparing with Ergobaby & Lillebaby, the price is a little bit higher.
BOBA 4G Newborn Baby Carrier:
BOBA is another known brand that is stylish, comfortable, and built quality.
It gives lots of support to your shoulder with its waistband and provides nice weight distribution around the body. It also has the adjustment of shoulder straps under the armpits, which helps you customize the fitting.
It has one advantage over Ergobaby. It includes an infant insert. It supports from 7 lbs to 40 lbs so that you can carry your newborn and the toddler in the same. This includes a stretchable & removable hood that will protect your child from sun & wind.
It also includes a little foot strap that supports the hanging legs of your child. The adjustment system is also very supportive, and the range of the strap adjustment is vast.
Considering your kid’s comfort, this product is good enough, but some parents said they were not comfortable enough to compare with the Ergo. But that just their opinion, we have found it much comfortable. But definitely, Ergo is the best if you are thinking about your comfort.
From the above points, Boba 4G is one of the best haulers in the market.
BABYBJORN Baby Carrier review:
The revolution of the soft infant carrier started with BABYBJORN. The trend was to use a soft & bulky one in the 1990s, but now those days were gone. But still, BABYBJORN remains in the market. The quality was good enough, but the price is reasonable than before. The BABYBJORN Original is very simple. It has no shoulder strap, no infant insert, no waist strap, pockets, or hood. So you can imagine how simple it is to compare with others.
The built quality of this product is excellent. It’s made from high-quality cotton, which will give you a feel of a soft touch. Shoulder straps are also good but using several hours may initiate pain in your back & shoulder. The market was taken over by the versatile ones around the last twenty years for the lack of features.
BABYBJORN allows you to carry your baby in two positions, baby facing in and baby facing out. Some pediatrician suggests using this for proper support for baby’s head, back, and neck.
BABYBJORN is trying to come out with more variations but not capable of reaching up to the level of Ergobaby or Lillebaby. But if you really want a simple one with good quality, definitely it will serve the best. It’s really stylish, well built & reliable.
Baby K’tan Original Baby Carrier:
Baby K’tan is a reliable brand, especially when you think of buying one for babies less than one year. When you are talking about the “Wrap” style, surely this is the best of this type. If you like wrap style but bored to cope with one-mile long fabric, it’s for you. We loved it for infant & younger babies a lot, but you will not get the necessary support from it for your toddlers. Let’s see some key features of it :
K’tan original’s double-loop design looks like a T-shirt. It distributes your baby’s weight evenly on the shoulders & back, so you will feel much comfort.
It’s made of 100% high-quality cotton, which makes it highly breathable. This soft fabric will give your child a warmer and cozy feel.
You can carry her in six different positions. This ergonomic position will give your child a healthy development. The weight limit is 8 pounds to 35 pounds.
This offers multiple carrying positions without any wrapping and buckling and will not irritate with one-mile long fabric.
It comes in different sizes, which you can select before purchase.
So definitely you can choose this baby k’tan original for your baby less than 13 months.
The list of the best quality baby carriers ends here. These are of the highest quality with more features. However, if you think that these above-listed carriers are more expensive according to your budget, please see the below reviews. We have gathered some best budget carriers for you. Take a look:
6 Cheap Baby Carriers:
There are actually some good haulers which you can get by spending less than $50. Some are even less than $30. We know that parents always look for a great carrier within their budget, maintaining quality standards. So we have tried to some good-quality carriers within budget. Take a look at below reviews:
Infantino Flip Advanced 4-in-1 Convertible:
Infantino is a bestselling brand with a very lower price. They have several carriers. Among them, Infantino flip advance 4-in-1 convertible is bestselling.
You can use this one for newborns as well as the toddler. It has two seat plans. You can select either narrow for infants or wide for the toddler.
It allows you to carry your child in four ways:
• Facing-in narrow seat
• Facing-in wide seat
• Facing out
• Back carry
The fabrics are of average quality and machine washable. Infantino offers this with an adjustable seat & leg.
Infantino Flip Front 2 Back Hauler:
This is another one by Infantino. This offers you three carrying positions: facing in, facing out, and backpack.
This will fit children from 6months up to 15 months. It comes with breathable mesh fabric, which ensures a baby’s comfort even in warmer conditions. It has adjustable lumbar support, which helps to reduce pressure on the shoulders. The extra padded shoulder of this will provide you much comfort.
The fabric used here is also of average quality & but considering the really great price.
Infantino Cuddle Up Ergonomic Hoodie Carrier:
Infantino provides this with a hood. The removable canopy hood shades your little one from the sun.
This comes with a comfortable M position seat plan and two sitting positions. A sitting plan supports your baby from knee to knee. You can carry your baby facing in position & backpack system.
The adjustable shoulder straps and wide waist belt will give you support while carrying. A wider strap belt will transfer the weight to your hips to not feel much pain on the shoulder.
You can carry from 14-38 lbs in this. It will not be suitable for the newborn. But if you want this from 8 months, baby, to toddler, you can buy this ergonomic one.
Boba Wrap Wrapping type Baby Carrier:
Boba wrap is the ideal example of a wrapping type. You may think that wrapping type is difficult to handle, but a little bit of practice with wrap instruction will make you perfect.
This comes with 95% cotton and 5% spandex fabric, which will give your child great comfort. This is really soft, stretchy, and free from any harmful dyeing materials.
You can carry her facing in position & feel your baby’s voice & heartbeat.
Here you will not face any adjustment system. It will give you complete hands-free support while adventuring.
We will not recommend you to buy this for toddlers. This is suitable for infants up to 15 months.
Infantino Swift Classic: Cheapest Ever
Infantino smartly designed this one as the lightest & most compact one in the market.
Its’ padded back straps provide proper weight distribution, and padded head support is also present. The adjustable fit side straps ensure your comfort while carrying.
The fabric is of average quality, but it’s great comparing the price. You can use this for your younger baby less than 1.5 years old.
You can carry your child in two positions, facing in & facing out in front—no scope for back carrying.
However, it’s not great, but comparing the price, it’s really a good one.
Infantino Sash Wrap and Tie Baby Carrier:
Infantino sash is a stylish one which is totally buckle-free & wrap-tie design with three ergonomic position includes hip-hugging. You can also use it as a facing in and as a backpack.
It has a detachable hood that protects your child. It also provides a natural seating position, which will make her feel more comfortable.
The body fabric is made of 100% cotton, but the hood is made of 80% Polyester & 20% cotton.
The depth of the sitting panel is suitable for children for more than 9 months.
If you want to carry your child in a hip-hugging position, this will be a good choice for you.
Care Instruction:
All of our reviewed carriers are machine washable, but frequent washing may loosen the strength. So, it’s better to wash only when needed. Please avoid strong detergent, optical brightener, chlorine to maintain seem strength. Always try to air dry, do not put them in a dryer.
You will get a care instruction with every baby carrier.
We hope among these fourteen products, you have got the details of the carrier you want to buy for your baby. Buy the product of your choice, carry your baby with minimum effort, and enjoy every moment of your parenthood.