The Best Baby Carriers: How to Choose the Right Baby Carrier

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If I were to only buy one product for my baby it would be a baby carrier. I would rather survive skipping the car seat and never bringing my baby in a car before I could survive without a baby carrier (obviously more true when I lived in the city but still I would make that choice). A baby carrier is how I have survived (and even thrived!) during the 1-2 transition, so it is about time I share my favorites.

Because of my work, I have had the chance to try a pretty good selection of baby carriers. [Note: since originally writing this blog post I also became certified as a babywearing consultant! I have updated the post a bit.] Some I purchased new, some I found on Facebook Marketplace, and some were gifted to me. None were gifted with an expectation of a post here and all opinions are my own- you will find I have critiques of some of the carriers that were gifted and my top favorite is one I purchased myself. I will, however, disclose which items were gifted. I hope the fact that I tried a few can help you make a decision. That being said, as I will discuss when I discuss the Ergobaby carriers we have, everyone’s body is different. Different carriers also work better for different recommendations. For example, babywearing while pregnant I now exclusively use my Onbuhimo. I hope this guides you in the right direction but the right carrier for you might be different than the right carrier for me.

Early Days Favorite: The Wrap

With my son, I didn’t really get into the wrap. I used it a few times but found it intimidating. With my daughter, however, it was a complete game-changer. She was born well below the weight minimum of any carrier and I felt more comfortable using the wrap than other carriers. I find the wrap gave a more snuggly feeling for a newborn and allowed me to do more with her in front because it feels less bulky and obtrusive. For the first 7 months, this was the carrier I used every single day. By 6 months I would say I was craving a more structured carrier for our adventure days but we were traveling at the time and I only brought a wrap for me. These days at 10 months, I only use the wrap if I know my baby will fall asleep quickly as I get uncomfortable with her back arching or moving around too much in it. It is what I will often choose though if she is tired and upset as it seems to calm her the best. Many, however, find they only use the wrap for the first 3ish months. My baby is pretty small which is why I was able to use it longer.

I have used three different wraps: the Ergobaby Aura wrap (purchased), Hope and Plum [homeandontheway for discount] (gifted 1 and purchased 1), and Sollybaby [AYELET10 for discount] (gifted and purchased). With my son I only had the Ergobaby Aura and it was the first one I used with my daughter. It is less stretchy than most which I found a bit less comfortable.

When my daughter was about a month old I got the Hope and Plum wrap. My favorite thing about this wrap is it comes in two sizes. If you are smaller most wraps have a lot of extra fabric. This takes care of that issue. This wrap has a higher weight limit than other baby wraps but, interestingly, I found it became less comfortable with my baby earlier than the Sollybaby.

The Sollybaby was the last baby wrap I got and has been my favorite since. It does have more extra fabric than the Hope and Plum but I find the material to be the most comfortable. It is lighter weight which is nice for summer and feels more secure with an older baby. It feels very stretchy as well and overall comfortable. The prints are also really pretty.

Ring Slings

I have a ring sling from Wildbird (gifted) but I never got into it. I do not think it is the right ring sling for my body as the ring is pretty large. I cannot specifically recommend a ring sling since I have not had great luck with mine. I do plan on trying some more though.

Soft Structured Carriers

At this point, I have tried several soft-structured carriers. The first carrier I got for my son was the Ergobaby Omni 360 (they had a Harry Potter line which is why we purchased both of our first carriers from them). This carrier never fit me well so I also got an older Ergobaby Performance used. The Performance is not made anymore but can sometimes be found in places like Facebook Marketplace. These were the two carriers we had when my son was little. My husband did well with the Omni 360 and I could tolerate the Performance but it was not the right carrier for me, as I discovered when I tried more later. I will discuss all the ones we have below, but first a bit about choosing carriers.

There are several things to consider when choosing a soft-structured carrier. For one, not all carriers do the same positions. My Ergobaby Performance does not do front-facing, for example, while the Ergobaby Omni 360 does. I very rarely forward faced my son and as a result, when choosing a carrier for my daughter I did not look for one that did forward facing. I found the ones that do not forward face generally feel simpler and fit better on my body than the ones that do. Another consideration is how the straps work. I have a couple carriers, the Wildbird Aerial and the Hope and Plum Lark, that cross in the back. We also have an Ergobaby Embrace that works that way. I found that can be nice for distributing weight and avoiding straps falling off your shoulder. Some, however, say it is harder to get your baby in the proper position with that design.

In all carriers, you want to make sure your baby is positioned correctly. Their legs should be in an M position. Most carriers these days support that M position but there are some, I believe the Baby Bjorn Mini is one, that still have the leg openings fairly narrow leading to more leg dangling. Most carriers have adjustable leg openings so you can widen them to fit your growing baby (you want the fabric to go to their knees).

The safety aspects can be remembered as the “ticks” of babywearing: tight, in view at all times, close enough to kiss, keep chin off (baby’s) chest, and supported back.

Below are the soft-structured carriers I have tried and my thoughts.

Ergobaby Omni 360 (purchased): this carrier did not fit me very well but my husband likes it. I found the design bulky and my shoulders seem to be too narrow for Ergobaby (straps fall off). This carrier does forward-facing as well as toward you in front and in the back.

Ergobaby Performance (purchased secondhand): I liked this carrier and used it with my son from when he was a few weeks old until I stopped carrying him regularly a bit after a year. It worked better for me than the Omni 360 but the straps still fell off my shoulder all the time. It does not allow for forward facing but does do back carrying.

Baby Tula Free to Grow (purchased): This is my go-to everyday carrier. It is comfortable, doesn’t fall off my shoulder, and is easy to use. I also love the linen material. It is a pretty carrier that blends in well with any outfit. My one complaint was their orange tag that very much doesn’t blend in. While writing this post I see they have since changed the tag to a tag that blends in, darn. Your gain, my frustration at having the old one. I also love that it has a small pocket in front. It does not forward-face (the Baby Tula Explore does) but it does back carry. I find it very comfortable in both front and back carry. My baby is comfortable in it too. We love this carrier.

Hope and Plum Lark (gifted): I love this carrier. It is based on the meh dai but with buckles. It crosses in the back which can be nice for weight distribution. I found this one was comfortable for longer into my pregnancy than my Baby Tula was. They have gorgeous prints and are a size-inclusive brand. It also feels less bulky than many other soft-structured carriers. I got this one when my daughter was already a year old but I anticipate using it a lot more with our next baby.

Wildbird Aerial (gifted): I like my Wildbird Aerial but I have found the waistband gets a bit hot. It is a very attractive carrier (I’d say even more aesthetic than the linen Tula because it doesn’t have a large tag sewn on or the black straps lining the straps) and I found it overall comfortable. It is a similar style to the famous Artippope carrier but more affordable. It is apron style meaning you basically put it on upside down and pull it up. The straps then cross in the back. It is a thicker waistband and as I mentioned, I find it gets a bit hot.

Sakura Bloom Onbuhimo (gifted): I reached out to Sakura Bloom while pregnant with my third because I wanted to try their Onbuhimo. An Onbuhimo is different than most soft-structured carriers in that it lacks a waistband. This is a great option for those who are babywearing while pregnant. It is traditionally worn on the back though I wear it more often in the front. I do find it puts more weight on my shoulders but it is so much more comfortable while pregnant.

LÍLLÉbaby All Seasons Carrier (purchased): We actually ordered this one last minute from Target because we realized we forgot a carrier when we arrived at my in-laws’ for the weekend. I ended up liking it though it isn’t the carrier I reach for. The back support is different than any others I have tried and quite nice. It does all positions and it has a nice zip down the front to give more airflow in warm climates. I did find it was a bit loose on my shoulders like the Ergobaby, however, it has an option of crossing it in the back which I believe would avoid that. I wish it adjusted a bit more for the baby’s seat, but overall it is a solid, affordable carrier!

Ergobaby Embrace (purchased): I have actually never worn this carrier but we got it for my husband and he loved it for our second when she was a newborn. Though she is still well within the weight guidelines (25 pounds) she doesn’t seem to like this carrier anymore. However, since he was not comfortable using the wrap this was perfect for him when my daughter was smaller. It has a bit more of the cozy feeling that the wrap gives than most soft structured carriers.

Amphibaby (gifted): This is a water carrier which is great if you want to shower with your baby or go to the beach. You don’t have to worry about it getting wet. Many carriers no longer hold the proper shape when wet so should not be used in water. We used this one for my toddler for a good portion of our Asia and Australia adventures this summer. I found that while it worked for him and is a good carrier, it is not what I would recommend as an everyday carrier, especially for a toddler. It is perfect though for wet situations. I also love how it has multiple pockets. We could carry water bottles and even our foldable travel toddler toilet seat.

Baby Tula Toddler Carrier (purchased): You probably have the sense by now that we are big babywearers. This summer we went on a 2.5-month trip through Asia and Australia and we skipped the stroller. My toddler was 2.25 at the time. We started out with the Amphibaby for him because I knew I wanted it for some water experiences and it meant we would bring one less carrier. However, it became clear we needed a different everyday carrier for my toddler that was more comfortable with all the walking we were doing every day. We got the Baby Tula toddler carrier and it worked incredibly well for my husband and son. It was more comfortable for a toddler and more comfortable for the wearer. Just like my Free to Grow (which I actually purchased after seeing how amazing this one was!) it is a beautiful linen carrier. The weight limit is 60 pounds and fits most children from around age 2 with a 2T pant size. My son at 2.25 was definitely at the very beginning of the sizing. Baby Tula also has a preschool carrier that goes up to 70 pounds.

Meh Dai

Another type of carrier is a meh dai. It is somewhere between a wrap and a soft structured carrier in that it has a front panel but you still tie it. I purchased the Hope and Plum meh dai and I love it. That one has a ring for the waistband and then you tie the rest of the carrier. It is very comfortable and can be a nice middle ground for someone wanting a bit more structure than a wrap but also liking less bulky fabric and more customizability.

Structured Carriers

We have only used one structured hiking carrier but we chose it after a lot of research. We purchased the Deuter Kid Comfort and have liked it. We do tend to opt for the soft-structured carriers more though.

I also was recently gifted the TotPack which is based on the old-style structured carriers. My toddler has loved it!

Babywearing Coat

I have this babywearing coat from Seraphine. I love it so much. Though it was pricey it has been one of my best investments for babywearing in the cold. You can remove the extra panel when not babywearing and you can remove the fluffy inner for a fall or spring coat.