NOTE: My review refers to the ORIGINAL Hip Hammock made by Nancie Swanke of Boise, Idaho. Playtex has since bought the U.S. rights to this carrier and I believe redesigned it in a few ways. Mine, however, is the original, made by Nancie herself in a lovely purple cordura exterior with black fleece inside.
Most baby carriers are either front or back carriers. The Hip Hammock (Playtex and original) is neither. Instead of sticking baby in front of you or having to twirl him/her somehow around to the back, the HH slings baby into the most natural spot -- mom or dad's hip.
OK, it's a little more natural for moms, because we HAVE hips, but have you ever noticed how, when a mom holds a baby on her hip, she sways her back to compensate for baby's weight? This can cause terrible back strain over a period of more than a few minutes. That's where the HH comes in.
The HH features a wide, strong belt that buckles around your waist. Mine has a strong plastic buckle that does up with a nice, loud "clunk." Once the waist belt is done up, mom or dad hoists baby into that nice, natural hip position OVER the belt.
Then, you pull the fabric of the HH between baby's legs and up and over the baby's back. Tough to describe, but look at the picture and it becomes clear enough.
Finally, there's a shoulder belt of the same nice, sturdy construction, which loops over the opposite shoulder (I believe the HH can be "worn" on either side; I put the hip part on my left and loop the shoulder strap over my right shoulder.
Pulling the shoulder belt on is not quite as easy as it sounds... you kind of have to have 3 hands - 1 to hold baby, 1 to push the buckle under your left armpit, and 1 to grab it and clip it into the other part of the buckle.
Otherwise, it's easy to get so focused on buckling up with two hands that baby is less than secure for a moment or two. Nevertheless, I seem to be getting the knack (I hold the buckle WITH my left armpit, if you must know, then snatch it out of there with my right hand... keeping my left hand securely on the baby!). (just checked, and apparently, you're supposed to buckle it up FIRST - doh!)
Still, the first few times you wear this, you should definitely sit down while putting it on, and have somebody with you for help (I'd recommend this for many types of carriers ... so it's not a HUGE drawback). I actually practiced on a big purple bunny rabbit we have at home, too. He's a lot more patient than Naomi. :-)
So.... what's it like to be out & about with the HH? Bottom line -- comfy! The HH really does do the job of evenly redistributing baby's weight away from your hip & back. I've been able to walk distances in this that I couldn't go with my Baby Bjorn or Babytrekker.
Baby seems happy, too. She can look around or just snuggle against my arm/shoulder. I'd imagine some babies don't like facing in this way, but with a younger baby, it's fine, and even an older baby can turn slightly forward for a great view.
With little babies, you have to keep a better grip, since they don't have strong head/neck muscles. You can let go a bit more with an older baby, although your hand should never be too far away, especially in case baby falls asleep, when he/she will need full support.
So the pictures that show this as being a totally hands-free carrier are a little bit tricky... it's not quite, and it depends on your baby (does he/she love to lean back and watch the birds and airplanes?). Especially with a little baby, you get an odd feeling of having one and a half hands. One totally free, the other only good for grasping things while propping up baby's top half.
I found this a little awkward while shopping in a store with high-up racks... I only had one hand for reaching, and it quickly got tired.
NEVERTHELESS... this is a tremendous, fabulous idea, and I'm so happy I heard about it. And because it features non-babyish fabrics, it's a product that dads can love, too, to make up for that lack of built-in shelf region at the hip.
The HH is also nice if you're planning on eating or drinking ; I find that in a front carrier, baby's head gets covered in crumbs, or salsa, or whatever it is that you're having. Off to the side like this, that's not an issue. :-)
(and more seriously, I'd never have a hot beverage with a baby in a front carrier)
When baby's not in the HH, btw, you can leave it on, rolled up around your hip like a fanny pack. This makes it easy to get in and out of the car, hauling baby into stores, malls, offices, etc. without the trouble of bringing the entire car seat (though I have a Kolcraft Universal Carseat Carrier (
review here) which has saved my back on many occasions.
I wouldn't recommend moms and dads sharing this hammock, though. The belts are easy enough to adjust, but once set, they will only fit one person and it would take quite a bit of fiddling to make it suit someone else. And you do want the belts snug enough that baby's not going to slip around.
You'll find a bit more variety of fabrics in the original Swanke version, if you can get one on eBay or elsewhere; in addition to the purple, there is a hemp one and a "people" fabric print, among others. If you're outside of North America, you can order one directly from her. Otherwise, if you want to buy new, you can go with the new, post-recall Playtex model.
One concern I have is whether the fleece lining gets too hot in the summer. I will update my review to let you know once I find out.
The main reason I went with the original over the Playtex is because I like supporting a person, especially a mom like Nancie, with a good idea like this one. But no matter where you buy it from, this is definitely a carrier I'd recommend you consider.
