BabyBjorn One Air Baby Carrier Review

We bought and tested the BabyBjorn One Air Baby Carrier along with thirteen other of the best baby carriers. We put each of them through extensive testing to determine which would score the highest. The One Air had fairly average scores in the versatility, usability, and comfort categories, with a lower score in design quality.



BABYBJÖRN One Air


Test Lab Score 76


Range
0
Comfort
80
Versatility
77
Design Quality
70
Usability
77


The BabyBjorn One Air is a backpack style baby carrier. It has a few carry position options and is made of a breathable mesh material. It has some pros and cons that we will dive further into.

BabyBjorn One Air Baby Carrier

How it Compares:


Testing and Research

The BabyBjorn One Air is one of fourteen top-rated baby carriers we purchased to test and compare. We tested each of the carriers on their usability, versatility, design quality, and comfort to determine which was the best baby carrier. The One Air, though an overall good product, did not test the highest in our process for some technical flaws. 

Editor's Choice
Recommended
Recommended
Budget Choice
Ergobaby Omni 360Graco Cradle Me 4 in 1Tushbaby Hip SeatErgobaby Omni BreezeMOMTORY Baby CarrierBaby Tula Coast ExploreLILLEbaby Complete All SeasonsBoba Baby Carrier ClassicYOU+ME Baby CarrierBabyBjörn HarmonyInfantino Flip AdvancedBabyBjörn MiniBABYBJÖRN One AirTBG Men's Tactical
Amazon
Ergobaby
Amazon
Amazon
Amazon
Ergobaby
Amazon
Amazon
Amazon
Amazon
Amazon
Amazon
Amazon
Amazon
Amazon
Amazon
Test Lab Score9088878584828281818078767665
Range
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Comfort
90
90
90
80
90
80
80
80
70
90
70
70
80
60
Versatility
95
84
78
95
72
90
95
74
82
75
77
67
77
57
Design Quality
84
87
79
84
89
76
85
76
77
77
75
80
70
62
Usability
86
88
97
79
85
81
66
93
93
77
89
82
77
80
Specifications
Adult Comfort Rating9 9 9 8 10 8 8 8 8 9 7 7 8 6
Child Comfort Rating9 9 9 8 8 8 8 8 6 9 7 7 8 6
Wearability Styles Rating10 9 8 10 7 9 10 6 9 8 9 7 8 5
Child Size Rating9 7 8 9 7 9 9 8 7 7 6 6 7 6
Security Rating9 9 7 9 9 7 9 8 8 8 7 8 7 6
Support Rating8 8 7 8 9 8 9 8 8 8 7 8 7 7
User Friendly Rating8 9 10 7 9 8 7 9 9 7 8 9 7 7
Minutes to Set Up4 Minutes5 Minutes2 Minutes5 Minutes6 Minutes7 Minutes11 Minutes4 Minutes4 Minutes8 Minutes4 Minutes6 Minutes7 Minutes7 Minutes
Instructions Rating8 8 9 7 8 8 6 9 9 8 9 7 8 9
Min/Max Weight7lbs to 45lbs 8lbs to 35lbs 8lbs to 45lbs 7lbs to 45lbs 7lbs to 25lbs 7lbs to 45lbs 7lbs to 45lbs 7lbs to 45lbs 8lbs to 32lbs 7lbs to 40lbs 8lbs to 32lbs 7lbs to 24lbs 8lbs to 33lbs 8lbs to 33lbs
Carry PositionsInward facing, outward facing, hip carry, back carry Facing in newborn, facing in baby, facing out baby, back carry Newborn Feeding, Newborn Burping, Baby Hip, Toddler Forward Facing Newborn inward facing, inward facing baby, outward facing baby, back carry, hip carry Newborn Facing In, Baby Facing In, Baby Facing Out Front inward carry baby/infant/toddler, forward facing, back carry baby and toddler Front Fetal, Infant Inward, Ergonomic Outward, Toddler Inward, Hip Carry, Back Carry Inward facing, back carry Inward facing, forward facing, inward facing wide, back carry Newborn position, facing out, facing in, back carry Facing in (folded seat and expanded seat), Facing out, back carry Inward or outward facing Newborn position, facing out, facing in, back carry Inward facing, forward facing
MaterialCotton Polyester Polyester, Polyurethane Foam, EVA Polyester Cotton Cotton, mesh panel Polyester/Cotton Cotton Polyester Cotton Cotton Mesh Polyester
Included AccessoriesDetachable pouch and privacy/sun shade Privacy/sun hood, bib, and shoulder covers N/A Privacy/sun hood, attachable storage pouch N/A Privacy/shade hood Removable sun hood N/A 2-in-1 bandana bib N/A N/A N/A N/A Sun shade, machine washable bib
Notable FeaturesSide pockets for easy storage Integrated newborn seat, organic washable bib Several storage pockets Softflex Mesh N/A Stay cool mesh carrier panel Temperature control panel Multiple pockets and purse strap holder Breathable 3D mesh lining N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Care InstructionsMachine washable Machine washable Machine washable Machine washable Machine washable Machine washable Machine washable Machine washable Machine washable Machine washable Machine washable Machine washable on warm, air dry Machine washable Hand wash only
Show more rows


Limitations and Complaints

When testing the BabyBjorn Air One, we read through the critical reviews of the product to compare our experience to the complaints. Below are the results:

Review CriticismOur Experience
Clips are complicatedIt did take us a few tries to get used to the clip style as they are not standard clips
Forward facing flap won’t stay downWe also had trouble getting the flap to stay down, even with the adjustable straps
Hard to put baby in by yourselfThere are several straps that did seem to make it harder to get baby into the carrier
Adult arms rub against plasticWe did not notice any rubbing on the adult arms
Bruised baby’s legsWe did not note any injury or bruising to baby from the carrier

Our biggest complaint about the One Air is the child shoulder straps. The carrier advertises being able to hold children from 8lbs to 33lbs or up to 3 years old. However, when we tested it with a 26lb one-year-old, she was too tall to fit under the shoulder straps. This one-year-old is in a higher percentile for height and is closer to the height of a 2-year-old, but she is still within the recommended range for the One Air.

The shoulder straps that buckle over a child’s shoulders are not adjustable and do not seem to offer much room, so a taller child will quickly outgrow them. There is a disclaimer in the instruction manual that a child can put their arms over the straps if they are too tall for them, but we felt this made baby feel less secure and comfortable. We wish that the straps were adjustable and more conducive to a larger child. We think that this carrier is better suited to a younger or newborn baby rather than older baby, and that an average 3-year-old would not comfortably fit into the carrier as advertised.

 the One Air's baby shoulder straps
The baby shoulder straps buckle onto the adult padded shoulder straps and are not adjustable

Related Reading: Best Scoring Baby Carrier

Usability

Usability was a higher scoring category for the One Air, though still not the highest scorer of our tested carriers. The instructions were fairly straightforward with both text and illustration directions.

It did take us about seven minutes to get the carrier set up, a little longer than many others. The buckles are a slightly different style than a standard clip buckle, which took some getting used to. However, once we got the hang of the buckles, they are pretty easy to use.

GIF showing the Bjorn One Air buckles

Here’s where the One Air fell in time to set up:

LILLEbaby Complete All Seasons
11 Minutes
BabyBjörn Harmony
8 Minutes
Baby Tula Coast Explore
7 Minutes
BABYBJÖRN One Air
7 Minutes
TBG Men's Tactical
7 Minutes
MOMTORY Baby Carrier
6 Minutes
BabyBjörn Mini
6 Minutes
Graco Cradle Me 4 in 1
5 Minutes
Ergobaby Omni Breeze
5 Minutes
Ergobaby Omni 360
4 Minutes
Boba Baby Carrier Classic
4 Minutes
YOU+ME Baby Carrier
4 Minutes
Infantino Flip Advanced
4 Minutes
Tushbaby Hip Seat
2 Minutes

There are a fair amount of straps on the carrier: adult shoulder straps, baby shoulder straps, a waist belt, straps under the arms, straps behind the shoulder blades, and adjustable head support straps. We did find the large amount of straps to be a little confusing and easy to tangle. 

Once you get used to the One Air’s strap layout and adjustment system, the carrier does get easier to use. The straps are easy to adjust and there are loops to tuck the excessive strap into to help keep things condensed. 

Versatility

The One Air’s versatility tied with its usability score. We did take off a few points for the limitations of the child shoulder straps. 

One Air Versatility Ranking:

Ergobaby Omni 360
95
Ergobaby Omni Breeze
95
LILLEbaby Complete All Seasons
95
Baby Tula Coast Explore
90
Graco Cradle Me 4 in 1
84
YOU+ME Baby Carrier
82
Tushbaby Hip Seat
78
BABYBJÖRN One Air
77
Infantino Flip Advanced
77
BabyBjörn Harmony
75
Boba Baby Carrier Classic
74
MOMTORY Baby Carrier
72
BabyBjörn Mini
67
TBG Men's Tactical
57

If the child shoulder straps were adjustable, we would have given a higher versatility score to the One Air. Unfortunately, the straps limit a taller child’s use of the carrier. Though again, they are allowed to have their arms over them, we did feel this provided a bit of a security issue. 

Image of one-year-old in the One Air with arms over shoulder straps
Our test subject fit in the carrier with her arms above the straps, but we felt this made her a little less secure

This carrier does advertise being able to hold kids up to 33lbs. This is not as wide of a range as some other carriers that we tested. The One Air is one of the more expensive carriers we tested (around $200), so with it having a lower weight capacity as well as some complications for taller children, you should weigh out the pros and cons of the carrier to decide if you want to make the investment.

The carrier does offer a few different carry styles: a newborn carry position hold, an inward facing carry position hold, an outward facing carry position hold, and a back carry. These are pretty standard carry styles for a baby carrier and the One Air does not offer any particularly unique holds, like a hip carry. 

The carrier has a decent range of wearability for adults, with the waistband adjusting to fit waists from 26 inches to 54 inches. We did not see any options to order a waist belt extender if needed, which is something that many other carriers do offer.

Design Quality

The One Air’s design quality scoring was fairly average. Something we noticed immediately after unpackaging that we did not like was a strong chemical smell from the polyester. The smell died down a bit after being out of the box in the open air for a while, but the odor still tends to linger.

Once again, we do not love the child shoulder straps that buckle onto the parent shoulder straps. The lack of adjustability does contribute to our somewhat low support and security ratings. Without the added security of the shoulder straps, taller babies tend to stick further out of the top of the carrier, potentially adding a fall risk.

Here’s how the One Air ranked in the design quality category:

MOMTORY Baby Carrier
89
Graco Cradle Me 4 in 1
87
LILLEbaby Complete All Seasons
85
Ergobaby Omni 360
84
Ergobaby Omni Breeze
84
BabyBjörn Mini
80
Tushbaby Hip Seat
79
YOU+ME Baby Carrier
77
BabyBjörn Harmony
77
Baby Tula Coast Explore
76
Boba Baby Carrier Classic
76
Infantino Flip Advanced
75
BABYBJÖRN One Air
70
TBG Men's Tactical
62

The carrier is a little bit bulky compared to some of the others that we tested. There are several straps that, though well padded, are a little bit cumbersome. The polyester, though a little bit smelly, is very breathable and the carrier itself is machine washable. There is an adjustable head support, but it tended to pop up even when tightened down in the position for an older baby.

Picture of the One Air showing all the straps
The One Air has several straps and is a little bulky

Overall, though we like the breathability and softness of the One Air, as well as how easy it is to adjust the straps, we felt that there were a lot of straps to keep track of. The fabric, though nice and airy, does carry a bit of an odor due to the full polyester fabric. 

Comfort

We felt that the One Air was decently comfortable. The soft polyester mesh maintains good airflow to keep both parent and little one from getting too hot. There is not a lumbar support piece on the waist belt, which we wish was included, but the straps are thick enough that we did not notice any back issues. The padded shoulder straps are pretty soft, even if they are a little bulky.

Baby’s weight seemed to distribute pretty well in the One Air. We noticed a little bit of pulling on the shoulders, but not too excessive. The straps are easy to tighten and loosen to customize the fit to your body type. 

Our child test subject seemed comfortable in the carrier. Since she was too tall for the shoulder restraints, her arms did rest over the top of the straps. Though this position did not seem to cause her any discomfort, the restraints did seem to get in the way.

Image of one year old with arms over shoulder straps of One Air
Our 1-year-old test subject was too tall for the shoulder strap to slide over her arms

The Air One does have an adjustable seat to help guarantee baby’s legs stay in the ergonomic “M” position. This position is very helpful in keeping a child comfortable and, research shows, may help prevent hip dysplasia. When shopping baby gear, it’s important to make sure you are getting a hip friendly baby carrier for your little one’s comfort and safety.

Is the BabyBjorn Air One Worth It?

Babywearing is a common practice in today’s society. It promotes infant and parent bonding and can be a great comfort to small children. But it is vital for a parent to choose the best carrier for their and their child’s needs.

The BabyBjorn Air One costs a little over $200, which we think is a pretty high cost for a fairly standard baby carrier. We like the Air One overall and think it is a good carrier for the right child. However, the combination the lower weight limit, the short child shoulder straps, and the chemical smell of the polyester make us question whether this carrier is worth the high price.

Additionally, though the carrier can be ordered in a variety of colors, there are no included accessories or specifically notable features that make it greatly different than other carriers.

Though there may be more cost-effective options, the BabyBjorn One Air is an overall solid carrier. It has some pros and cons, but if you decide to invest in this baby carrier, you will be purchasing a solid piece of baby gear that can help nurture your growing little one.


Kid Travel Editorial Team