Why to try different baby carriers before buying

How people buy baby carriers

In my country, it is common to have baby-starter-lists and buy what is recommended there.
Who is writing these lists, I do not know. But what I have often read so far is, that many parents bought unnecessary things by following these lists.

One item that is never missing is a baby sling (wrap) and a carrier.

Without further research on the topic of babywearing, parents buy what is recommended. May it be an Ergobaby or a Manduca or a Didymos baby wrap.

How many times did I read that after trying the wrap once, it moved into the closet and was never pulled out anymore? Only years later when the parents clean up and sell the wrap as an almost unused item.

Or I read that the baby carrier isn‘t comfortable and pain occurs in the back or the shoulders after some time.

This is why babywearing consultants encourage people to try on many different baby carriers or wraps to make sure the parents are not spending money on items they will never use.

Buying a carrier without trying it on is like buying a bra on spec

I like to compare buying a baby carrier with buying clothes, especially a bra (sry to those who don‘t use them!)

You know your size and sometimes buy a bra without trying it on because the size is your usual one. Then at home, you put it on, and.. the cups aren‘t fitting well and the wings are cutting into your flesh underneath your arms. Soon, the wire will push through the fabric and you can dump the whole bra into the garbage.

Why to try different baby carriers before buying

With carriers, it is the same. Even though the carrier should fit your size (and the size of your baby), every body is different in its shape. There are many baby carrier brands on the market and, like with bras, they are different in fitting bodies!

You will find carriers for broad shoulders and carriers for slim shoulders. Carriers that fit tall persons better than smaller ones.

If you want to buy a carrier that is fitting your body, make sure to try on several models (with a baby or demonstration doll) to find the best one!

A babywearing consultant with a good sling library can help you!

Sling Library

I have several carriers in my sling library too which you can try. Here is a short list:

Fullbuckle

Ergobaby
Hoppediz
Didymos
Contours
Boba
Kokadi

Halfbuckle

Didymos
Hoppediz
Storchenwiege

and so much more…

And if you are not afraid of wrapping: a baby wrap is always the best fit 😉