9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
Good carrier for baby but uncomfortable for this mom
Date of Review: Mar 16, 2007
The Bottom Line: It's a durable carrier, but hurts my back and shoulders, and wow is it expensive... not sure it's worth it.
After doing quite a bit of research about baby carriers, I was convinced I needed to buy the Baby Bjorn. It sounded great, looked easy enough to use, and the majority of users rated it highly. I thought we could use it during times when carting around a heavy stroller would be impractical: hiking, traveling, grocery shopping by myself, etc.
My daughter was the type of newborn who loved to be held, so when she was just three weeks old I tried putting her in the Bjorn for the first time. It was awful -- she screamed and screamed. Not only was she unhappy, but I wasn't able to adjust the straps to a position where the weight of the baby out in front didn't hurt my back. I thought, maybe the baby's just too young and I put the carrier on wrong... we'll wait a couple weeks and try it again.
The next few times we tried the Bjorn, my daughter was six weeks to eight weeks old. She tolerated being in the carrier just fine, but my back again ached after just ten minutes of use. Trying to adjust the straps and the plastic slider in back was difficult if not impossible to do alone. I wish the Bjorn had some type of waist strap to take the pressure off my shoulders and back.
I've found it a bit tricky to put the carrier on and take it off by myself; even adjusting the straps without the baby in it is hard to do without help.
I also didn't like the fact that my daughter's feet bumped up against my thighs with every step I took. Bending over with her in the carrier was a bit scary and difficult to do -- it felt like she was going to fall out.
The Baby Bjorn also very expensive.
I do like the head support the Bjorn offers, and the versatility of using it with the baby facing your chest or facing out. I also like the fact that the carrier is machine washable, and mine seems to have held up well after multiple washes.
All in all, I am glad I have a baby carrier... the Bjorn specifically, I'm not so sure... I wish I was able to test others on the market so I could compare them. The Bjorn has worked well in all the scenarios in which I envisioned using it (shopping, traveling, walking), but I wish it was more comfortable for me, and easier to put on and adjust.
