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Baby Carriers Reviews
Updated December 2007
With literally hundreds of different baby carriers on the market, it’s easy for parents and caregivers to feel overwhelmed when trying to select the perfect make and model. However, we’ve found some excellent professional research along with helpful consumer feedback for baby carriers. We found that the most honest and fair reviews of baby carriers are written by parenting experts, pediatricians, child development experts and, of course, parents. Denise and Alan Fields have written several books about babies, toddlers and related products. Their book "Baby Bargains" is the best guide to baby gear, including baby carriers. The Fields' base their picks on personal testing, manufacturer reputation, customer service and parent interviews. Baby Bargains addresses a wide variety of carrier types, including soft carriers, slings and backpack carriers. Consumer Reports is also a credible source of baby-carrier reviews. In April 2007, the editors reviewed backpack carriers as well as soft carriers and slings. In typical Consumer Reports style, there's not much in the way of discussion about individual carriers, but there's excellent general information, as well as separate ratings for safety, ease of use and comfort. TheBabyWearer.com is an excellent and busy consumer review site that also includes a forum that lets parents discuss individual baby carriers. Retailer sites such as Amazon.com are also useful in gathering first-person feedback from parents. When it comes to traditional
soft baby carriers, there's a wide spread in prices. Some low-priced carriers
-- such as the
Evenflo Snugli Classic
(*est. $20) -- are generally not well
regarded. Most users say that the Snugli Classic isn't very comfortable to
wear, though some can't escape the attraction of the low price. The
Snugli Comfort Vent
(*est. $20)
does a little better with parents. It features a
zippered vent to keep the baby cool. The Snugli By My Side
(*est. $45)
gets
still better reviews because it adapts to three different positions and has
dual side-entry buckles, though some reviewers found them difficult to use.
The Snugli By My Side's price begins to approach
those of still better alternatives. A common complaint from parents about
all front carriers is the lack of back support for the parent. In the end, many professional
reviews and user comments say parents are really better off spending the money
on a higher-rated carrier, such as the
Baby Bjorn Original
(*est. $80)
. This
baby carrier comes in many contemporary, subdued colors. Even though they
look a lot alike, reviews say the Baby Bjorn Original is vastly more comfortable
and convenient than the Evenflo Snugli mentioned above.
... Continued
Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
Editorial reviews and parents most often recommend the Baby Bjorn Original as their preferred front carrier, even though there are some complaints about the high price. The Kelty Kangaroo Carrier is a good active-use carrier and a less expensive alternative to the Baby Bjorn Active, which is also highly rated. The Maya Wrap Baby Sling is the favored sling in reviews. The New Native Baby Carrier is also a sling, but it costs more, and some reviews say it isn't as adjustable as the Maya. We found both excellent and terrible reviews for the Moby Wrap. There isn't much consensus among backpack carriers, but the Tough Traveler Kid Carrier is recommended in the best review we found, an opinion that's corroborated by parents on Epinions. Advertisement
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Baby Carriers Reviews |
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© 2008. ConsumerSearch, Inc. A service from 
, a part of The New York Times Company. All Rights Reserved.
ConsumerSearch and ConsumerSearch.com are registered trademarks of ConsumerSearch, Inc. Other trademarks or service marks on this site are the property of their respective owners. ConsumerSearch is not sponsored by any source reviewed, and we accept no consideration or payment for including, excluding, or ranking any reviews, products or services in our reports.
* Pricing information is approximate as of the time this report was written and is based on observed market selling prices and/or list prices. Actual selling prices may differ.
