This item saved my back and my time.

When I got this as a gift at my baby shower, I had no idea what it was, how to use it and how useful it would be. I soon learned that when you live in an apartment on the second floor and have to go up and down stairs, it is infeasible to lug the stroller out for a simple errand run.

The design of this item was perfect for my needs. I must admit that trying to scrub floors and do laundry while having a child attached to my chest was a challenge. However, as small as I was then (5'5", 120 lbs) I could still manage my daughter in this contraption until she was one year old and started to assert her own will. The strap that goes around the waist helps keep the weight distributed. I also had one without the waist strap and I walked like a hunchback for a week after using it once.

There were drawbacks that limited the use of this product for me. I would not face my daughter forward when she was younger because her neck was not stable and after that because part of her face was obstructed by the fabric. Additionally, even with the placement of the straps, my back still ached. That was just a reality for me because of my small size.