Hellobee

I have the Beco Butterfly and I love the way it fits. The only negative is that the black material collects lint and dust like no other!!! I would recommend buying any color other than black if possible. I constantly lint brushed it and it started to get annoying after a while. But other than that, I loved the way it fit and the way it looked. I used to get compliments all the time on it while walking on the street.

We have the ergo and I love it! LO was super fussy yesterday so I carried her around in the ergo at home. Cooked, cleaned, did laundry. It keeps her calm and happy.

Have you heard of the Mamas & Papas Morph one?

I LOVE my Beco Gemini! I mostly bought it because baby like to face out. It’s also pretty easy to put on and super comfortable too!

I also have an old version of the Ergo that my cousin gave me. I didn’t like it though baby couldn’t fit in it for a while (he was too small), and like you said, felt a little bulky and was hard for me to buckle!

@wendy — nope i haven’t! is that supposed to be a good one?

We really like our Bjorn comfort carrier. It’s a lot more supportive than the others, supposedly, and also still lets baby face out.

I been searching also and I am thinking about getting this one. The reviews I read have been great reading the Mamas & Papas Morph. Easy to use, breathable and forward facing. The thing I really like about it is that when the baby is sleeping you can attach the front of the carrying pouch without having to take the baby out when the baby has fallen asleep.

I had a baby bjorn active and liked it, but DS was in the 90% for height and weight and it didn’t take long for him to get too heavy for me to carry around in the bjorn. I sold that and bought a Boba and LOVE it. I tested out the Beco Butterfly II and Beco Gemini at a local store that offers free one week rentals, but wasn’t a fan of either. The Boba is easy to use, comfortable, and the material isn’t too heavy for use in the warmer weather. DS is now about 23 pounds at 9 months and I can carry him for over an hour without discomfort. There is also a local company called Nuzzle Me Creations (they are on facebook) that make similar soft sided carriers with lots of customizable options, which I would be looking into if I didn’t have and love the Boba.

i have the beco gemini but haven’t had the chance to use it yet.

I thought the Ergo was the way to go, but now I am trying to decide between it and the Beco Gemini. I’ve read multiple times that a lot of dads seem to prefer the Ergo (perhaps because it’s not as ‘short’ as the Gemini?). I’ll be doing most of the baby carrying, since I work from home and would prefer to carry the baby during walks… but if we plan a trip out, my husband would be carrying the child, so that’s why I haven’t made up my mind. I also prefer the streamlined look of the Gemini to the Ergo– the Ergo is kind of dowdy.

Has anyone had any experience with paxbaby.com? I’m thinking of renting both carriers through them (I don’t know of any local stores that have this option). The only ‘problem’ with renting before buying that I can foresee is the fact that I’m going to be making a decision based on my child’s current needs (down the road he/she may not be a good fit for the carrier I will choose).

Buying both is not an option– too expensive and we’re tying to go the minimalistic route in regards to baby stuff and life in general.

We got a Beco Gemini because he could face out. He loves it. Of course he won’t be able to face out forever but for now it works. We have used Ergo and there isn’t anything wrong with it. Just prefer the Beco.

Wow- anyone else read the entire article in the link? Major venom and bias against the Ergo. We have an Ergo and love it. I’ve used it with the infant insert and while it does add bulk it works well. I still love the Ergo (we looked the the Beco models too) and now at 4 months he’s sitting in it without the insert and it’s a lot easier to use.

I liked the ergo, worked well with my son. At first I thought my DD didn’t like the ergo so I bought a used beco butterfly 2. I was deciding between the Gemini and the butterfly 2 buy decided that the Gemini is pretty much like the ergo with the capability of facing out. You’re not suppose to face them out for long periods anyway so I decided to forgo that feature. Of course the day I picked up the butterfly, she decided that she was comfortable in the ergo as well. I actually found the ergo to be easier to use and the fit is better for me. Maybe it’s because I had the ergo first. But I wanted to say that it is completely doable to not have the double stroller. We wanted to wait on it as well and she’s 6 months already with no issues. We do however drive 50% of the time I do go out. I also found that my son likes the hip carry position in the sling now. So that’s also another option as well, to reverse who rides in the stroller.

Venice- I read that and was surprised as well, especially considering how well-loved the Ergo is.

I’ve read that some people don’t bother with the Ergo insert for newborns; they simply roll up a little blanket and plop it in before putting the child into it (I’m guessing something along the lines of a receiving blanket).

I’ve had the Ergo and Beco Gemini and love both. Hate to compare though because I like them both for different reasons, but if I only had money to choose one, it would be the Ergo. the Gemini is awesome though… Can’t go wrong with it. I have a bit of a carrier addiction though. Been eyeing the Boba for a while too.

love the comments & that link was very helpful, thank you. though I agree with @venice4504 – the person who put that chart together seems to have something personal against the ergo

@venice4504: ah wow i didn’t see how anti-ergo it was since i already have an ergo and was looking for something different!

i think the ergo would work well for mr. bee, but i just found it a little too big for me. i actually prefer my lillebaby over the ergo, but that will only work while olive is small.

We LOVE our Bamberoo Deluxe Soft Structured carrier. Never in my life have I ever seen anything more beautifully sewn and constructed. The downside is that she only takes a new ‘reservation’ to make one once a week and it is hard to get in. But I can promise, it is the most supportive, most comfortable soft structured carrier I have ever used.

http://www.bamberoobaby.com/

I have the Bjorn Comfort carrier and while it is supportive, it’s also pretty bulky and hot in the summer. I last carried her in it about a month ago – she was 21 lbs and since she was heavier, I had to pull the straps a bit tighter for extra support and it was pretty darn uncomfortable for me and her.

I’d love to still carry my LO but now that she’s walking, she doesn’t like to be strapped into a carrier…….or a carseat, or a stroller, or a high chair for that matter :). Hopefully, this will pass.

I’m actually thinking I’m gonna go old-school the next time around and just sew or buy a mei tai. It’s what all these modern carriers evolved from and it’s so much more versatile and not to mention less bulky than the modern carriers.

@venice/katdevargas – Laura (owner of the Portable Baby) used to like and recommend the Ergo, but obviously her feelings changed as she started trying and selling a variety of baby carriers. She is very helpful if you contact her in trying to find something that will work for your build & needs. I’ve bought a lot of stuff from her and customer service is always fantastic.

@Jill – you can also try abbyslane.com – Steph (the owner) has a rental/trial program, and customer service is also excellent.

I have both the Pikkolo and the Boba. The Pikkolo is nice because you can have baby facing out. Of the two, I prefer the Boba because it’s narrower and fit more comfortably on my shoulders, and also because my son rarely faced out. The Boba fabric is also lighter and I live in a sub-tropical climate. I’m 5’4″ and have fairly broad shoulders because I used to be a swimmer, and hubs is 6′. One of my friends (I think she’s barely 5′) preferred the Ergo to the Boba.

The latest 3rd Generation Boba looks so awesome but I can’t justify buying it. Now that my son is 2+, he rarely needs to be carried for long periods although it’s still my #1 must-have for trips!

I love my Ergo Performance although its a bit stiffer material compared to the other ones. I am able to even nurse my LO in it while walking around!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this! I just ventured out to Target to do some grocery shopping with two boys all by myself, and I realized that the Moby just isn’t gonna cut it. I was always considering the Ergo, but after reading more about it, I’m really considering the Boba G3, or the Beco Gemini. We’ve got a trip to my in-laws planned next month, and now I just have to decide which carrier I want to get so I can hold DS2 in it while we fly.

We have a hand me down Bjorn and hate it as it was awful on our backs. LOs are only about 6lbs-ish! Tried an Ergo and for the life of us could not figure out how to use it for hip carry. The intent was to use it for our then 18 month old for our trip to Hong Kong. Now, with twins, I did my research and decided on the Beco Gemini for several reasons:

– ease of use, no problems with all the buckles
– good back support especially with the option of using cross back straps
– no barrier between baby and me
– no need to use an infant insert
– being able to adjust the width of the base (between baby’s legs) which is especially useful if you have small babies

We have used it a couple of times and love it!

I personally really like the Beco Gemini and the Pikkolo. I love all of the carrying options!

The only thing that stinks is the fact that the Pikkolo’s waist belt isn’t padded, and you have to buy a support belt separately for padding. Also, once you get over like 15/20, the support belt is a must.

The Pikkolo would be my number one if it wasn’t for that!

Why were you advised against the Bjorn? I got one as a hand-me-down. The old version with snaps. It had been used for years and was still in great condition. Used it for my LO from 5 weeks to 5 months+. When he got bigger I faced him out. It was wonderful. I tried several wraps including the Moby. He hsted the wraps. Bjorn was the best for baby’s comfort and was very supportive for his head when he was little.

I have a Lillebaby Complete Airflow and we love it. It’s lightweight and is made out of breathable mesh fabric. I love that we don’t need a insert. The Lillebaby has greatly improved its carrier and it was rated highly on consumer reports. It keeps my baby comfortable and me as well. I like the adjustable legs for babies as they grow and it supports natural sitting. Plus, it allows my baby to face forward. I was planning to get a Ergo, but decided against it (not because we didn’t like it). I will say that I do like the Beco as well.