The Search For The 'Perfect' Carrier Ends Here!

I have used MANY different types of carriers and have about 8 of them - from the Baby Bjorn, to the 'Most Comfortable Baby Wrap, Peanut Shell, Hotsling, The Jelly Bean, Ring Sling and finally I've 'graduated' to the Ergo. Indeed, how you carry your baby is of course a matter of personal preference; however, given that I've spent enough money and time on mine - I thought this review may help those who are sitting on the fence as to whether or not to go with the Ergo are you're simply confused with all of the options.

I bought this carrier because my baby loves to observe the world from mommy's/daddy's arms and quite frankly, he's getting too heavy for me to hold him for any extended period of time, especially with just one arm while I'm busy doing stuff with my other arm! At over 20 pounds, he has outgrown his Bjorn and is too heavy for his pouches/ringsling for me (I prefer to have the weight evenly distributed as opposed to on one shoulder).
I purchased the Ergo for the following features:

- You can hold baby in a number of positions including front, back, hip(as demonstrated by the manufacturer's DVD...in addition to some more creative ways as shown on some websites dedicated to the Ergo. The most important one to me (at my baby's weight and stage) is being able to carry him on my back so that I can have my hands free to do other things while he enjoys the view
- the thick waistbelt where the weight of the baby is carried (like a hiking backpack)
- the ergonomic position that the baby is in while in the carrier -- baby is in a seated position, with knees in line with bum as opposed to legs dangling from crotch (not good for the spine over extended periods of time)
- the sleeping hood option so baby's head does not lop around and baby can sleep comfortably without being disturbed

I absolutely love this product for the following reasons:

- my baby is very comfortable in it
- great design (kind of like a 'suped' up mei-tei)
- the way the carrier is constructed puts the weight of my baby on my hips and waist instead of my shoulders -- if positioned correctly, you can definitely feel the difference -- I can carry my baby (at 20+ pounds) comfortably in a pouch for 20 minutes before I can feel the 'burn' in my shoulder...in the ergo, I can go a LONG time and I really only feel the 'burn' in my quads.
- the sleeping hood which attaches easily

The Ergo can be improved in the following ways:

- the colours are not all that attractive; however, I believe the reason for the colors is that all natural dyes are used
- if you choose the black one with colored lining, lint is easily picked up on the black fabric...a little annoying if you're lint-conscious
- may not be suitable for small babies without good head control for certain positions
- you have to play with the straps a bit to get a good fit and a good feel for the carrier. Once you have the straps and waistbelt adjusted correctly, it will be VERY comfortable.

At the end of the day, I do wish that I had purchased the Ergo earlier instead of getting the Bjorn. They are both at about the same price point, but the Ergo is so much more functional than the Bjorn -- it's starts to dig into your shoulders after awhile - also the weight limit goes up to 40 pounds! I have carried my baby since he was about two to three weeks old in many different types of carriers. Now my baby's 9 months old and I'm happy to have discovered the Ergo so that I can continue to carry him comfortably for extended periods of time! I highly recommend this carrier for the reasons noted above.

** UPDATE ** per request of Advisor:

A great suggestion/question by an Advisor was:
'How easily can you get baby in and out of carrier?'

In answer to that question, I suppose we can add another item to reasons why I LOVE this carrier. Most carriers are marketed as 'easy to use' etc; however, you really don't know until baby is in it! Once you have the waist strap and the shoulder straps adjusted to 'fit' you, you just leave them as is and pop baby in & if need be, you make a few adjustments (just like pulling on straps of a backpack to bring it closer to your body). It's just as easy to get baby in and out as it is using a pouch/ring sling. In fact, I watched Youtube instructions on how to get baby in a back carry ALL BY YOURSELF - and it really is THAT easy! I was skeptical at first..but when I gave it a try -- all it took was that one try! What I do is I lay out the carrier on the sofa (like how you would when you take off your jacket - 'outside' of the carrier against the sofa) I then put my baby in a semi-seated position where his bum is a couple of inches from the top of the waist belt. Then, I sit on the sofa and snap the waistbelt on making sure that baby's legs are 'around' me and below the webbing but above the waistbelt. Then all you do is grap one shoulder strap, then the other and then buckle up the chest strap and voila - you get up and baby settles easily into the ergo seated position and you're ready to go! I've never been comfortable doing a back carry with my pouches or ringsling because I don't feel baby is 'strapped in enough'; however, with the Ergo - it's quick, easy and safe. As for taking baby OUT of the back-carry, you just sit down on the couch and unbuckle your shoulder strap and then your waistbelt and that's it. There are other ways to get baby in all by yourself...but this one feels the most 'secure' to me until my baby is big enough for a piggyback. One thing to keep in mind is to NEVER undo the waistbelt while baby is still being carried in the carrier as this is the part of the carrier that supports all of baby's weight and once undone, baby could fall. Hope this helps!