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Bonding while on the move? These baby carriers make it happen
One of the first things you learn as a new parent is that, in your pre-baby days, you took the freedom to use your hands for granted. Babies love to be close, whether that’s being held, cuddled, or fed in your arms. While the closeness is so tender, you’ll soon miss easy access to your hands, but the best baby carriers are here to help.
Babywearing is a popular way for parents to carry their baby while leaving their hands free. While it isn’t a modern-day parenting phenomenon, it’s said an American woman invented a baby carrier after seeing African women carrying their babies on their backs in the late 1960s. Now, most new parents have a baby carrier in their arsenal.
There’s no doubt about it, the best baby carriers are a godsend – whether you need to just nip to your local supermarket, are making a mad dash on the school run, or simply want to enjoy the great outdoors with your baby, the benefits are huge.
As well as the advantages to our lifestyle, according to the International Hip Dysplasia Institute: “When proper hip position is maintained while babywearing, there may be substantial benefit for natural hip development. This is recommended as a healthy habit, with [baby’s] thighs spread around the mother’s torso and the hips bent so the knees are slightly higher than the buttocks, with the thighs supported.”
When it comes to baby’s position, your baby should be close enough for you to kiss their head, with their spine supported and their hips open and wide. Look out for what is known as the “M” position, a natural clinging position for babies. If you’re unsure whether your carrier is deemed hip healthy, take a look at the approved list on the IHDI website.
From stretchy slings designed specifically for newborns to more robust options for toddlers, keep scrolling for our pick of the best baby carriers.
We had a couple of mini testers (a five-month-old and a 10-month-old – with an 8lb weight difference) to help us review a range of baby carriers. We took on coastal path jaunts, dashes to the supermarkets, woodland walks, as well as quick stomps around the block to test these carriers in a range of scenarios, some outings taking over an hour, many around 15-30 minutes, to help baby get off to sleep while we were on the move.
When putting the carriers to the test, we paid close attention to comfort for the wearer, including breathability, how many carrying positions were offered, and ease of use in terms of putting it on and taking it off. We also gave points for any handy extras, such as storage pockets and pull-out sunshades. Ultimately, we wanted our babies to be content in the carrier, and drift off while we clocked up the steps. As always, we kept a close eye on price, too, as the cost of various baby paraphernalia soon mounts up.
Ruth Grint, a babywearing consultant, shares her knowledge of the different types of carriers available for every baby and caregiver’s needs.
Grint says the two most important things to consider are:
Caroline Barber is a babywearing expert and runs a sling library in West London, where she helps parents find a carrier or baby wrap that fits them the best. She advises that all parents should follow the TICKS rule for safe babywearing when choosing a carrier. TICKS stands for:
The Ergobaby omni breeze carrier well and truly won us over. It’s breathable, lightweight, offers five easy-to-grasp positions, and has handy extras such as the storage pouch and sunshade. We felt it distributed babies’ weight evenly, despite their weight and size, and we found it super comfortable to wear. However, if you want a closer carry, for those intimate newborn months, the BabyBjörn baby carrier mini is brilliant for snug carrying while they’re small.
Take a look at our guide to the best newborn essentials and postpartum buys that have been tested and approved by parents