The past 18 months of my life have been full of bottles, burp cloths and baby carrying. I never knew I would spend so much time looking into different styles for how to carry my child based on our outings (or time around the house). There are so many amazing options available based on your needs as a parent. While any of these can be ordered online, Buy Buy Baby and REI both have carriers available for you in store to try on and test out. If you’re located in East Wichita (or up for a road trip) Greenwich Place Shopping Center houses both Buy Buy Baby and REI so you can check out all of your choices at once. Here are a few that come highly recommended from Wichita Moms!
Wraps
BABY K’TAN– The Baby K’Tan offers 5 different carrying positions and is recommended for babies weighing 8-35 pounds. I love the feel of a soft wrap to keep baby close to my chest. The Baby K’Tan gives that cuddly feel without having to spend time wrapping baby to your body. I like that I can order this based on my shirt size, slip it over my head, tuck baby in and go! I used this for the first 3 months with my little ones for extra comfort around the house and when flying. The carrier comes with a small pouch that is perfect for storing in diaper bags or suitcases when on the go!
Moby Wrap – Moby offers several wraps, slings and carriers. The classic wrap is recommended for children 8-33 pounds and offers different carrying positions based on your child’s size and age. Though I don’t have personal experience with a true wrap-style carrier, the Moby is one that always comes highly recommended by Wichita moms, friends and family. Many rave about how you can truly wrap baby against your body to get a perfect fit.
Structured Carriers
LILLEbaby Complete All Seasons Carrier – The LILLEbaby carrier can be used for children 7-45 pounds and offers 6 carrying positions. Initially we bought this for my husband to use, but I love it so much that we now share it! It provides options to wear your baby from birth all the way to 45 pounds and offers great back support. I used this with my first child when flying and now use it on hikes or long walks.
BABYBJORN Baby Carrier Mini – The mini was created especially for newborns and can be worn with baby facing inward, outward or in a newborn position. This is recommended for birth or 7 pounds up to 24 pounds. I’ll admit, the reason I bought this is because I kept seeing the leopard pattern on Instagram, but as soon as I pulled this out of the package I was hooked! The structure is so soft but not as bulky as other carriers. It’s perfect for air travel because I can get my son in and out of it by myself and it folds up nicely in my bag when I’m not wearing it.
Hiking Backpacks
Chicco SmartSupport Backpack Carrier – This carrier has multiple seat positions and a 5-point harness for heavy-duty hiking! It is recommended for children 17-40 pounds, or about 6-36 months old. This is a great slim backpack carrier for babies 6-36 months (or 40 pounds). My husband used this when we went on several shorter hikes with my daughter. It folds up nicely for both car and air travel!
Deuter Kid Comfort Child Carrier – The Deuter carrier is great for toddlers up to 48 pounds. Its full of cushions and padding to ensure a comfortable ride for both parent and child! Our family is big on hiking and once we had baby #2 we knew we needed something more substantial for my husband to carry our toddler. We visited REI where they measured my husband, gave recommendations and adjusted this backpack carrier to best fit his height. It offers great back support and our daughter looks incredibly comfortable in it!
