I can't live without my Ergo

I love my Ergo Baby Carrier! Yes it takes a little getting used to, at least as far as putting it on and getting the baby in when doing a back carry, but it is well worth the effort.

What is the Ergo Baby Carrier?
The Ergo carrier is a backpack type carrier without a frame. It is entirely fabric (except the buckles of course), which means it is lightweight and washable, and it can be stuffed into a diaper kit easily. It can be used as a front carrier, only with the baby facing in. It is NOT designed to be used as a forward facing front carrier. It can also be used for a side or hip carry. It can be purchased in an array of colors and there's even an organic cotton version. It is available online from the company in Hawaii, and many natural baby care stores carry it.

Features:
The buckles are easy to fasten and unfasten.
Belt and strap adjustments are easy to make and stay put.
The hip belt includes an elastic loop safety catch that will prevent the belt from coming completely undone if the buckle fails or you don't fully clip it in place when putting it on.
The chest strap keeps the shoulder straps from sliding down your arms. This strap is adjustable in length and height, allowing you to custom fit it for you.
Sleeping hood to help keep a smaller baby's head from flopping about during a nap.
Washable cotton fabric.
Optional infant insert.
Design is basic, construction is durable and comfortable.

My Experience:
I enjoyed my slings, never really got on well with my Bjorn (though my husband loved it), and adore my frame carriers. I'm not a big stroller user and wanted something easy to cart around but comfortable for the long haul. Once my little guy hit 20 pounds, the sling was a killer for longer outings. I also wanted something that was better for crowds than the bulky frame pack. When I found the Ergo, quite accidentally, I couldn't quite bring myself to shell out the money without a bit of research. I read many reviews (both here and elsewhere), so I knew of some of the troubles other users had. When I bought it, I decided I was going to fully commit to this carrier. I think this attitude helped me get past the slightly scary new user phase fairly quickly. It is worth it to practice over a bed, from a kneeling position, or with a spotter until you feel comfortable. I understand that some users will only put on the Ergo if planning on carrying the baby for 20 minutes or more. Not me. It goes on in a flash and I'll happily put my little guy in it for a five minute run down to the laundry.

The first time I used the Ergo, we were doing an art crawl in St. Paul. He was content in it for nearly four hours in crowded hot hallways, stairwells, and studios. I didn't have any soreness that day or the next. I don't leave home without it. I have occasionally washed my Ergo, generally to remove graham cracker gunk. It has handled this well. I even practiced karate while wearing my son. He liked to yell with me.

I'm not sure how much I buy into the claim that carriers like the Bjorn hurt a baby's spine. My son was always content in it and we used it for hiking before moving to a frame pack. It also seems that a lot of swings and saucer/walker contraptions use a similar crotch hold, and we aren't ending up with large numbers of children and teens with damaged spines. Still, my son and daughter have both been very content in the Ergo. Because it is designed to cup the baby's bottom, I do think it's more comfortable for the more aware older child. Both children have loved the fact that they could lean from side to side to see what's in front of me (this became a variation on peek-a-boo that he plays with his uncle and daddy) or arch backward, all without any risk of falling out. My son used to bring me his sling when he wanted to be carried around, once I got the Ergo Carrier, he started bringing it to me instead. That, to me, is the highest recommendation.

As for complaints that the baby can only see your back when riding on your back, the same is true for every frame carrier I own. The ones that elevate the baby will shift your center of gravity, upsetting your balance. They also increase the risk that you'll bean your child's head on a doorway. At over 6' tall, this is a concern for me. With the Ergo I know that if a doorway, tree branch, whatever clears my head, I'm not going to concuss the baby on board.  As noted above, children can lean to see what mom is looking at (art, action, whatever).

I found my back and shoulders got sore very quickly with the Bjorn. Because the Ergo is designed much like a frame pack, the weight rests on your hips, not your shoulders, and they're generally well up to the task. Serious hikers, and those who trek greater distances all use packs with this type of support design. It is more ergonomic for the person wearing the pack. The shoulder straps are there not to hold much weight, but to keep the weight from shifting around too much. The premise is the same with the Ergo Carrier. I know at least one reviewer must not have realized how this works and was both surprised and upset by this.

This carrier is appropriate and useful for a longer span than many carriers, which makes it cost effective in the long run. Our child had outgrown his Bjorn's height restriction by 5 months. We'll be able to use the Ergo for years if needed, since it works as a supported piggy back. This is good because I've found that even children who can walk, can't always walk the distances their parents need to go.

Update: When I first got the Ergo, my son was already too big to use the sleeping hood.  I've since had a second child and can speak to the parent of a new baby on the Ergo's utility.  Until baby is large enough to comfortably straddle your stomach, the Ergo is not going to be a pleasant carrier for him or her.  I didn't have the infant insert, so this may make a difference.  With child #2, I again used the sling extensively for the newborn and smaller baby stages.  By the time she was two or two and a half months old (before she was too heavy for the one-shoulder carry of the sling), we were able to transition to the front carry of the Ergo.

Of note, I can still carry my 35 pound 42" tall son in the Ergo comfortably.  Again, it's something of a piggyback assist.  At this point he can step into it if I crouch down for him.

I have not tried the hip carry technique because I've been so happy with the back and front carry.

The long and short of this carrier is that it is worth the money. It will serve you well if you are willing to make the effort to adjust to it so you are comfortable with getting it on and off. It's not effortless, but anything in life that claims to be, is lying.