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.

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.