The Ergo - the Baby Carrier of My Dreams

For the first year of my sons life, I carried him in a sling carrier - a nice Heart 2 Heart sling. While he never loved the sling like some kids do, he tolerated it for errands, short walks, and hanging diapers on the clothesline to dry. As he got heavier and older, I simply couldn’t make the sling work for us.

I was interested in both the Sutemi Pack Baby Carrier and the Ergo Baby Carrier to replace our sling. Both carriers allowed the baby to be carried on the front (a plus, as I knew mine wouldn’t tolerate not looking at my face and I hadn’t yet mastered the Exorcist style head movements) or on the back. Both carriers looked to keep the baby in securely while still being easy and quick to use. Each had padded shoulder straps - the only slight difference between the straps in the Sutemi carrier crossed, while the straps in the Ergo were more like backpack style straps. Appealing to my sense of vanity, both carriers came in black. With both the Ergo and the Sutemi costing $75 from Peppermint.com with a free shipping coupon, there wasn’t that much that set one carrier apart from the other.

And the winner is...

Ultimately, I opted for the Ergo Baby Carrier. Reviews I’d read of both carriers seemed to indicate that men liked the cross straps of the Sutemi better, while women preferred the feel of the Ergo straps more. I eagerly awaited its arrival, hoping it would be just what I was looking for.

When my Ergo Baby Carrier arrived, I was thrilled. The carrier was well made with strong cotton fabric. The padding in the shoulders and waist strap was thick, yet wasn’t so thick that it would be overly bulky. The shoulder and waist straps were adjusted in a few seconds. A handy pocket on the carrier was big enough to fit a cell phone and keys, more than enough than we’d need for a simple walk. The design of the carrier also assured that while the fabric was thick, enough air could get through so that it wouldn’t be overly hot even in the middle of the summer.

Before my purchase, I’d initially been worried about the size of the waist strap. According to the maker, the Ergo carrier could accommodate waists from 27 inches to 45 inches. (An optional waist expander could be purchased, allowing the carrier to accommodate waists up to 54 inches) As my waist was only 25 inches, I worried that it would be too lose to be secure. My fears were unfounded, however. The carrier felt more comfortable with the waist strap situated on my hips, as opposed to riding higher up on my waist.

Unlike wrap style carriers or slings, I didn’t even need to read the simple instruction booklet before getting this carrier “up and running”. Less than a minute after unpacking this carrier from its travel bag, my son was comfortably positioned on my front. Unlike the sling, his weight (about 24 pounds) was distributed evenly, with the bulk of the weight on my hips. I could easily see how this carrier would easily work until its weight limit of 60 pounds.

No struggle!

My son was happy as a clam in his new Ergo Baby Carrier. Unlike the time spent attempting to arch his back to flip out of the sling or twist around to flip out on his face, he happily sat in his new carrier. Not worrying about him flinging himself out onto the floor, I really did now have two hands to get things done. His contentment in the carrier was in part, I believe, due to the security he felt. While I initially thought that the piece of fabric that could be used for head support while the child was sleeping would never be used, I was quickly able to see that he might eventually fall asleep in this carrier.

When it came time to taking my son out of the carrier, it was even easier than trying to free him from his sling. I simply undid the chest strap, slipped out of one of the shoulder straps, moved him out of the carrier, then unsnapped the waist strap. There was none of the previous struggle, and while his pants were forever rubbing on the sling having an almost adhesive effect, there were no acrobatics needed with the Ergo.

Putting my son into the carrier on my back was a bit more of a challenge - thanks in part due to his preference to being in the front resulting in him not being the most willing participant. Detailed instructions with pictures were included, however, which helped immensely. Carrying him on my back was as equally pain free as him being on my front.

Thankfully, unlike many carriers, the Ergo worked just as well with the baby in the front as with him in the back - even for older and larger babies. While it will eventually be impossible for my son to ride in the front when he’s a bit taller, until he feels secure on my back, the Ergo works like a charm.

Better than the Bjorn

While the Ergo Baby Carrier by itself could be used from children 5 months and older (once they had decent head support), an infant insert was available for purchase for infants who did not yet have head support. While the cost of the carrier and infant insert would run slightly higher than the popular Baby Bjorn carrier, the Ergo would be a better option for children younger than 6 months of age.

While both carriers look similar, the design of the Baby Bjorn forces the infant to sit with more pressure on his crotch. While not a huge problem for adults or older children, with an infants still developing and weak spine, major problems could develop with continued use. The Ergo Baby Carrier, on the other hand, featured a wider crotch to hold a baby in a more natural position, preventing too much pressure on the spine and pelvis. With the infant insert, unlike the Bjorn, young infants had no dangling legs or poorly supported spines.

In addition to the seat position, the Ergo also would work far better for babies and toddlers who weren’t extremely thin. Due to the straps and style of the carrier, the size of the baby is not an issue - shoulder straps could simply be loosened a bit to allow for a larger child, allowing for infinite sizing possibilities.

So Happy

I predict the Ergo Baby Carrier will be a thrill to use for a long time. Since the carrier is completely washable, I’m not worried about keeping it spotless, nor am I concerned that the sturdy fabric or straps will eventually give out. I’m trilled that we found a solution that works for me and my son. While I wish that I’d just gone the Ergo route from the start, the money spent is well worth how much help it will be.