what should I look for when buying a baby carrier?

[polaris]

I have read the carrier review thread but still totally confused!

My LO is nearly six months old. I do have a cheap baby carrier that a friend gave me and he loves going out and about in the carrier and looking at everything that's going on. However he is fast getting too big for it and it is not particularly comfortable. Would love to get a decent baby carrier that I could use as an alternative to the pram but I haven't really got a clue where to start or what features I should be looking for.

Would be really grateful for any tips!

 

[lfernie]

I personally use woven wraps which are great for distributing weight and really versatile but I've also heard great things about mei tai's for older babies. Maybe find you local sling meet and you could try a few out? x

 

[Rachel_C]

I really like mei tais for Leyla - she's about 19 or 20lbs now and is light as a feather in our babyhawk or connecta. I've also got a preloved ring sling on the way for quick up and downs at home. I'd definitely recommend buying preloved. If you buy from somewhere with lots of enthusiasts, it's a great way to get a fab deal. Also I've found that the fabric softens after a while. We got the babyhawk new and it was quite a while before it was really soft. The connecta was preloved and was lovely from the start. I've never been to one but if you can get to a sling meet that would be a good way of trying out lots of options and you'll be able to get help making sure you're using them right too.

 

[sezzlebum]

have a look on the natural mamas forum if you want to look at different types/styles of carriers, loads of advice there

basically you want something that you are going to be comfortable in, i have 2 mei tais and love them the straps are padded on them and the weight is evened out

 

[boltonlass]

I have a moby which is great but i feel she is now getting a bit heavy for so have recently bought a mei tai and i love it. Also borrowed a summery woven so going to give that a try now. Can you get to a sling meet and try some different ones, ours has a sling library you can borrow them from for a month - great way to try out different slings.

 

[sweetlullaby]

I got my babyhawk mei tai this morning so have only just tried it out to go to the shop but im raving about it already!! He is so snug in it and it is amazingly comfortable and I had people comment on the pattern my LO is over 16lb at 4 months and it was like carrying nothing!

 

[celine]

I can also sing the praises of the mei tai, I have a baby bjorn which was great when he was small but now tbh the straps really start digging in, so I borrowed a connecta off a friend and LOVED that and now borrowing her babyhawk and LOVE that too