Review - Ergobaby Carrier

I wanted to do my first product review on something that I can't live without as a Dad, and only one thing sprang to mind - the ergobaby carrier!

(Before we begin, note that I have no ties to Ergobaby, and I have not received any form of compensation for doing this review. I'm doing it because I like it.)

We don't own a pram/stroller at all, and I've honestly never wished that we had one. I have never had to worry about getting in and out of narrow grocery store aisles, get help going up or down stairs, get help getting on/off public transport. I have complete freedom of movement of my arms and legs and I'm getting an extra bit of light exercise.

We have used the ergo since Van was a newborn, and we continue to use it to this day (he is now 1). I use it to walk with him, get chores done at home when Dudes wants to be carried, put him to sleep - you name it, I've probably done it with Dudes in the ergo. And yes, I have gone to the bathroom with Van in the ergo. It certainly made doing up my button fly a little more challenging, and it also takes a little care to ensure everything finds the toilet bowl, but really, guys are expected to miss occaionally right?

I'm not going to go into the details of the carrier as you can look it all up on their website, but I just wanted to highlight some of the reasons I love this carrier! Some specific things about the ergo:

- The ergo carrier is light. Basically the only weight you are carrying is that of your kid.

- The carrier supports your baby/toddler under the bum and thighs, rather than just under the crotch. This thigh/bum combo is similar to how we would carry a baby in our arms, and is apparently better for a babies spine development (or so my Chiropractor wife tells me). I know I wouldn't fancy someone sticking their arm between my legs to carry me for an extended period of time.

Legs protruding from the carrier, bum fully supported.
And yes, thanks for noticing, he is in a fire-engine with Mum.

- It has numerous carrying options; I have carried Van on my front, on my back and also on my hip. These changes are easily achieved by unclipping buckles and re-clipping them in a different spot. It is all super easy, and I can change the ergo to a different carrying style in a matter of seconds.

- The carrier is super comfortable.

- We had an infant insert for when Dudes was really little, and this was great! He was super snug and totally secure. My wife used to also use a hug-a-bug, but I couldn't get the hang of it and also found it too hot, so I've used the ergo (with insert) since day dot.

Tucked up in the infant insert as a newborn. The whole thing then goes in the carrier.

Rocking leg-warmers in the infant insert

 - I prefer to carry Van either on my front or on my hip. I don't love the back carry, as it throws off my balance a little bit - this may be because I have carried him on the front for so long. I also don't like that I can't see him on my back.

- I can carry Van almost indefinitely on my front. I have walked for up to 3 hours in one go with him on my front, and I could have kept going. I also use the front carry to put him to sleep (usually with the head cover over him), and it works a charm. The only negative of the front carry is that Dudes doesn't have a full field of view, but he seems happy enough with what he can see.

Protecting Dudes from the giraffes at the zoo. Notice I'm still using the infant insert.

- I've found the hip carry great for getting housework done. I don't have a baby in front of my body, so it really frees up one hand (albeit reducing the freedom of the other one) to vacuum, peg washing etc. I also use this on shorter errands as it allows Van to see more of what is going on - he particularly enjoys this carry at the grocery shop as he tends to free up one hand which allows him to try and grab at things on the shelves. I'm too smart for him though...

- Ladies love a man carrying a baby.

Pros 

Nearly everything. It's comfortable, has good weight distribution, numerous carrying options, it's machine washable, highly portable (much easier than trying to fit a pram/stroller in the car)...the list could go on and on. Did I mention the ladies love it?

Cons

Not many spring to mind. I find the backpack style carry position a little difficult to get Van in and out of, but that could just be because I haven't used it much. I also think an in-built rain would be a nice extra.

Ergo website: http://store.ergobaby.com/

Have you used an ergo? What do you think of it? Do you have a different carrier that you prefer to use? Let me know!