Best Baby Carrier? - Des Plaines,IL

You can find used Ergos on ebay for cheaper. They are MUCH more flexible and you can use them for newborns up to 2 year olds and much much more comfortable to wear. Another good option for an older baby (prob once they can hold their head up) is a mei tai, it carries similarly to a Bjorn. Ring slings are great too but I always found I had to fiddle with them too much. The babywearer is a great site to go to in order to learn about the different carriers.

Check out www.thebabywearer.com. They have a FSOT section where you can buy and sell used carriers. That way you can buy one, use it as long as you need, and then sell it again without loosing to much of the investment.

I love my Ergo, but they aren't cheap. Got it as a hand-me-down from a friend. I agree with looking at Freecycle, Craigslist and any local Mommy resources. A good baby carrier should hold up past one kid I think. If there are great inexpensive baby carriers out there, I hope you hear about them here :) Good luck and congratulations!

have you tried craigs list or anything like that to find a used one? there's also www.freecycle.org where you can oftentimes get good, gently used baby stuff for free.

I absolutely LOVE my Ergo carrier. It's not cheap, but so worth it. My baby girl loves it and so does my back. It's the first carrier that doesn't hurt my lower back due to the way those smart cookies at Ergo designed their carrier. I definitely recommend it! Good luck!

We love our Ergo. But like everyone else said, they are not cheap. However, they sell on ebay for 3/4 or MORE of what you paid for them so it is still a good investment if you take care of it.

We had a Bjorn for our first two and loved it. With our third he was 20 pounds at 4 months and the Bjorn made my back hurt and we switched to the Ergo and LOVE it. We carried him in it until he was 3 and 35 pounds and numbers 4 and 5 are still carried in them. We bought a second when our 5th was born because our 4th was 18 months and really like being carried in it and it fits both mom and dad well. It's a soft carrier that can be worn both on the front and the back, that said I didn't care for it much until the baby was about 3 months but I did use a sling in the baby months. The Ergo retains it's value, just look them up on Ebay so you can get your investment back selling it when you are done. My two youngest are 16 months and almost 3 and we are always carrying at least one in it, espeically nice for doctor's appointments, farmer's markets and parking garages where strollers are hard to maneuver through. I've tried the MOby Wrap too and liked it, I flew cross-country with my then 4 month old daughter and it was great but I'm a bigger person and it just looks bettr on thin people in my opinion. Also we've shopped at a stores in both San Francisco and Portland, OR that let you try several different carries and can even return them for a store credit towards another carrier within a certain amount of time. Perhaps there is a store like that near you.

Another good website to check out is http://www.frogmama.com/

She has a website that sells carriers, and they are expensive, but she also has a "Clearance/Recycled" section on her website for gently-used or discontinued carriers for reduced prices (including currently two Ergos). I've used her before, when I bought my Beco, and I was VERY pleased, not only with the merchandise but also with the customer service. Good luck!

get an ergo. it is more comfortable than a bjorn, and you can wear it for much longer, so it will feel like a much more worthwhile investment... also, if this is baby no. 2 for you, you will definitely appreciate being able to be hands free sometimes with the new one so you can chase your toddler!

Also, like the previous poster mentioned, check craigslist.

We have an Ergo too, and our four month old is still a little too small for it, but given that EVERYONE seems to love theirs, we are hoping to start using it soon.

In the meantime, I've been using a wrap called Wrap n Wear (similar to the Moby but not as stretchy and more breathable cotton). With our first, I avoided wraps given that I'm short and petite and thought all that fabric would overwhelm me. Not the case. I went to a store and they showed me how to use it, and I watched the DVD that came with the wrap. It's very comfortable and you have about 10 different carrying options depending on how you wrap. I think it only cost around $40, and depending on the size you buy, you and your partner can both use it.

In fact, I recently put it on a friend who also was not convinced she would be able to handle the "fussiness" and she loved it. Thought it was so comfortable and easy to use. Give it a try!

Well, it's a little on the pricey side, but the Ergo is fantastic. Super comfy. You can get an additional infant insert for when the baby is small and doesn't have great neck support, and you can use it all through the toddler years as well. I carry my 12 month old (who weighed 23 pounds at his 9 month check up) with no hassles at all.

yep, the ergo. i still carry my 2.5 yr old, 30+ lb twins (not at the same time) in mine on my back with very little strain