Carrier Types

Carrier overview

When you first start looking at babywearing and the options of carriers you have, it can feel rather overwhelming! I get that. And I’m here to help you narrow down your options and give you confidence in your choice of carrier.

You may have been told about a specific carrier or even been gifted one. This is great! But you may not be quite sure if this is the right type of carrier for you. Only because a family member or friend have found one type of carrier to be great, it doesn’t mean that this will also be the perfect carrier for you and your little family. And that’s ok.

After I’ve been busy the past weeks writing in-depth articles about each type of carrier. I think it is about time I write an overview for those who just want to quickly see the difference between each type of carrier to help decide which carrier might be best for YOU.

Onbuhimo

The onbuhimo babycarrier is the carrier I got introduced to last during my babywearing journey. My local babywearing library didn’t have one for a long time (now they do though), but I had heard about those types of carriers and wanted to try one. So, I bought one and then didn’t use it for a long time as I had other carriers at home which I was used to, and my daughter didn’t want to be carried much anyway.

But, when we flew to Canada in May 2019 for our one year abroad, we decided to take the onbuhimo with us as our only carrier. We made this decision mainly, because it the most comfortable carrier with the widest seat we own, it folds up nice and small and it is easy to use for both my husband and me.

Surprisingly, we have been using it a lot during our adventures. Especially, since we’ve been in Germany, where we don’t have a car and need to walk or use public transport.  

Meh Dai

A meh dai was the second carrier I have used with my daughter after I stopped using the stretchy wrap. I remember that my husband and I went to a meeting from our local babywearing library and tried a couple of different carriers. We both liked that the meh dai had some structure to it but was also flexible for different caregivers because of the wrapping.

This was our main carrier for at least half a year, before our daughter got too big and heavy for this particular meh dai that we bought. But meh dais can be used for a long time and I’m currently contemplating getting a toddler meh dai to carry my 3 ½ year old daughter.

Woven Wraps

Woven wraps are quite often seen as the type of carrier that only caregivers with a lot of babywearing experience and knowledge use. However, I don’t think that this needs to be true. A woven wrap can be an ideal carrier to start with right away if the caregiver isn’t afraid of a little learning in the beginning. A woven wrap can also be an ideal follow on wrap from a stretchy wrap. If the caregiver has enjoyed the benefits of a stretchy wrap it is not such a big step to learn how to wrap with a woven wrap.

I personally started using a woven wrap when my daughter was about 10 months old and my aunt gave me her woven wrap, which she had first used more then 18 years ago with my cousin and which had been used with countless other babies in between.

Ring Slings

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I went to a friends’ house. She showed me a ring sling that she had used with her children made from a beautiful light fabric and asked me if I wanted it. At the time I wasn’t quite sure how and if I would use it, but I couldn’t resist this gorgeous carrier.

A few months later after my little girl was born, I gave the ring sling a go, but couldn’t quite work it out how to use it properly. So off I went to my first babywearing meeting and the lovely volunteers there helped me to position my baby correctly. However, for some reason it felt uncomfortable and I put the ring sling to the side.

Then Summer came and my stretchy wrap was getting too hot to wear. I reached for the ring sling again and luckily this time I was able to position it comfortably. From then on, this ring sling became my favourite carrier to use for quick carries and in particular around the house.

Soft Structured Carrier

Soft Structured Carriers (SSC) or Buckle Carriers are the most common type of babywearing carrier and the type that is the most diverse. If a friend tells you that a specific carrier is “the best” it doesn’t necessarily mean that this carrier will also fit you and your baby. With so many good companies out there selling great Soft Structured Carriers it is not easy to choose the one that is best for you and your baby. And apart from all the great functions those carriers come with you may also want to consider the looks.

I started relatively late using a Soft Structured Carrier, my daughter was already 8 months old by the time I tried one from my local library. I also had friends suggesting carriers that they have liked and after trying different carriers found one which works best for my husband and myself.

Stretchy Wraps

Stretchy wraps usually get mentioned first when you ask people which carrier they can recommend as one to start with when your baby is little. But why? What makes them so special for newborns and young babies? And why are there also lots of people who stay very clear of them?

I will be answering all those questions and more in this in-depth post about stretchy wraps.

I am one of those mums who started their babywearing journey with a stretchy wrap. I was lucky enough to be shown how to use one during my antenatal class and I loved the ease and the feel of it for the first 5 months of my daughters’ life!