The Best Baby Carriers this Year (based on our tests)

Infantino Flip Advanced

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Our Budget Choice for our tested carriers is the Infantino Flip Advanced Carrier”.

Key Specs:

Material	Cotton
Size Range	8 lbs to 32 lbs
Carry Positions	Facing in (folded seat and expanded seat), Facing out, back carry
Machine Washable	Yes
Included Accessories/Features	N/A

Pricing out around $30, the Infantino is a solid baby carrier for someone wanting a less expensive option. It offers two inward facing carry options as well as an outward facing and back carry option. The manual states it can be used from 8 lbs to 32 lbs, but we found that a taller 26 lb one-year-old was almost too big for it, so it may be better for a smaller baby than a larger baby.

The Infantino was easy to set up and is fairly comfortable with padded shoulder straps and cotton material. The buckles are standard and, though they were a little stiff to buckle and unbuckle, they are a very straight forward design.

Though some more expensive carriers did score higher in our testing, the Infantino is a good, no-frills choice for a baby carrier if you don’t want to spend a lot of money.

Pros and Cons of the Graco Cradle Me 4-in-1

Pros	Cons
Budget friendly	Stiff buckles
Breathable cotton	Lower weight range
Straight forward design	Limited carry options

Our Video Review

Value

Baby gear can vary widely in price, and carriers are no exception. Of the fourteen we tested, the prices ranged from around $30 to almost $240 for the Baby Bjorn Harmony, with an average price of around $130. 

There are many things to consider when deciding how much you want to spend on a baby carrier. One is versatility. You may find yourself more willing to spend a higher amount on a carrier that will last through your baby’s toddlerhood, or you may spend less on a carrier that only offers a couple styles of carrying ability. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that every child (as well as adult who wears the carrier) is different. One child may find a less expensive carrier even more comfortable than an expensive one, and vise versa. It is important to find the carrier that is the best fit for you and your individual child. 

Baby wearing is becoming increasingly popular, making baby carriers a very good baby registry item. With so many to choose from, they can also make a great baby shower gift. 

Product Price Performance

Why You Can Trust Us

The Experienced Mommy® and Kid Travel team have reviewed more than 60 baby carriers, wraps, and slings over the past 6 years. We have used much of the baby gear ourselves as parents and grandparents.

We quizzed our medical advisor, pediatrician Leah Alexander, M.D. FAAP on best practices for safe babywearing.

We purchased all the products in this review at retail prices and did not receive any incentive or compensation from manufacturers. All recommendations and opinions are strictly our own and are based on hands-on experience with the products.

How We Tested

Our team extensively researched the most popular baby carriers on the market. After researching and then purchasing the products, we developed an exhaustive list of buying criteria from many buyer’s guides and reviews to find out exactly what people are looking for when shopping for a baby carrier.

We also read hundreds of critical customer reviews of these baby carriers to determine the most common complaints. We then created our extensive testing criteria on all of these findings.

The most common complaints are that carriers are uncomfortable for both babies and adult wearers, that they have poor weight distribution, and that they don’t offer adequate support.

Other common complaints were that the carriers were difficult to set up and that their size ranges were inaccurate.

Based on this information, we geared our testing criteria towards four different categories:

Comfort (25%)
Versatility (25%)
Design Quality (25%)
Usability (25%)

We set up each of the baby carriers, timing how long it took to set up each one for the first time. We tested its size and weight limitations with children of different ages and sizes and also measured the children’s comfort.

Testing Categories

Kid Comfort, Adult Comfort

In this category, we measured how comfortable the carrier felt for both the adults wearing them as well as the children in them. We evaluated the design of the seat, weight distribution, leg position, strap padding, seat padding, waist belts, materials, and more. 

For the adult wearers, we found that a soft structured carrier, particularly with lumbar support in the waist belt, was the most comfortable. Carriers like the Ergobaby Omni 360 and Omni Breeze did very well in this area, whereas carriers like the TBG Men’s Tactical were stiffer and much less comfortable. Many of the carriers had padded shoulder straps, which provided extra comfort.

We also took weight distribution into account when measuring an adult’s comfort to determine which carriers most comfortably held baby’s weight. The MOMTORY and the Graco did well in this area. Something like the Tushbaby naturally puts all of baby’s weight on your hip, but we didn’t feel that it was an uncomfortable pressure. 

When measuring the baby’s comfort, we put a child into each carrier to test how they felt. We took their hip and leg positioning into account, measuring if the seat positioned their legs well and if there was any padding. Certain carriers, like the BabyBjorn Mini 3D, did not have padded seating, so baby ended up sitting on the seat adjustment buckles. The Baby Tula Coast Explore was another with a less cushioned seat that seemed to push into baby’s legs. 

Size was another factor in measuring the child’s comfort. Some carriers stated they could hold up to certain sizes but could not actually. The BabyBjorn Air One carrier was an example of a carrier that stated it could hold up to babies 8 lbs to 33 lbs, but a taller 26 lb baby was too large for it. 

Here are the overall scores in the Comfort category:

Versatility

In this category, we tested the carriers based on their versatility in three areas: wearing styles, child size accuracy, and wearer size. 

Most of the carriers could be worn in a variety of styles, ranging from inward facing to hip holds. Even the Tushbaby hip carrier was not just for holding a child on your hip, but also included a front hold and baby feeding and burping holds. The Boba carrier is designed for inward facing holds only, which we were a little disappointed by. It is a solid carrier in other respects, but many babies and toddlers eventually prefer to be outward facing. 

Some, but not all carriers, gave adult wearer measurements to help give an idea of whether both smaller and larger wearers would be comfortable using the carrier. Some had a good range of size accommodations, like the Ergobaby Omni 360 and the Omni Breeze, which can accommodate wearers of 25 1/2 to 55 1/4 inch waistlines.

Another important piece of the versatility testing was measuring if the advertised child size/weight capacities of the carriers seemed accurate. Overall, we were pleased with the results, with a few exceptions.

The BabyBjorn One Air and the TBG Men’s Tactical are two such exceptions. The One Air advertises a 33 lb limit. However, a 26 lb one-year-old could barely fit in it. Though she was within the baby weight limit, she was too tall for the carrier and could not comfortably fit her shoulders under the straps. The TBG Men’s Tactical was similar in stating it could hold up to 33 lbs, but even at one-year-old, our little one was too tall for the carrier.

Design Quality

In the Design Quality category, we measured how each carrier’s design attributed to the security and stability for baby and adults. We also took other design features into account when rating the carriers, such as the material, number of straps and buckles, and bulkiness of the carrier.

The MOMTORY Baby Carrier ranked very well in this category. The soft, stretchy fabric conforms to baby’s shape and keeps them snugly secure within the carrier. There were not too many straps, but the shoulder straps come over the adult in an “X” shape, offering extra support and security. 

Some carriers, like the Omni 360 and the Omni Breeze offered an option to wear the padded shoulder straps in either an “H” or “X” shape to provide additional security for the wearer. 

Most carriers were made of a polyester or cotton material, with the cotton generally being softer and more comfortable. The carriers with breathable mesh material incorporated into the design offered more breathability but tended to be less soft to the touch.

All of the carriers we tested are designed for an individual to be able to set up and put baby in the carrier by themselves. However, we felt that some carriers were harder to set up by yourself. We personally preferred carriers that have shoulder strap buckles on the front, rather than depending on securing the buckle around the shoulder blades once baby is in the carrier. We found it was very difficult to hold a little one in an unstrapped carrier with one hand while trying to secure the straps behind your neck/back. 

Some carriers included an infant insert, but the majority that we tested could be adjusted to accommodate a child’s size with snaps or buckles. The Boba was one carrier that included a removable infant insert, while some, like the Ergobaby carriers, were adjusted with Velcro. We did prefer the carriers that did not include a removable infant insert so that there were fewer pieces to keep track of.

We also felt that the back carry was difficult to achieve alone. Typically a back carry involved putting baby in the carrier in front of you, then maneuvering each shoulder strap and twisting the carrier until baby was at your back. Though it was typically feasible, it did not always feel safe, especially with a squirmy baby or toddler. We felt that having a second person to help you load baby into the back carry made the job easier and safer. 

Usability

There are hundreds of baby carriers on the market. When choosing the perfect one for you and your baby, you naturally will want something that is easy to use.

In our Usability category, we tested how quickly we could set up a carrier for the first time, how clear the instructions were, and how overall user friendly the carriers seemed to be. 

Here is how many minutes each carrier took to set up:

We found that the more basic the design of the carrier, the easier it was to get set up. Carriers with several straps or extra adjustment features tended to take longer.

Overall, the directions provided for the carriers were fairly easy to follow. We had to look up additional video instructions for the LILLEbaby and the Ergobaby Omni Breeze as we had a little trouble understanding some of the directions. 

We found that the Tushbaby, the Infantino, the Omni 360, The Boba, and the YOU+ME carriers were the easiest to set up, all taking less than 5 minutes. 

Though the initial setup will only happen one time, since all carriers have multiple ways to adjust and wear, familiarity with the instructions and features of each is important to ensure correct usage and safety.

Baby Carrier Safety

All parents want safety for their children. Babywearing can be a very secure and comforting practice, as long as it is done correctly.

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that babies born prematurely or with breathing problems should not be placed in a baby carrier as the position can further inhibit their breathing.

According to the AAP, the majority of baby carrier-related injuries occurred in newborn children under five months. They advised that parents should be well educated in the usage of baby carriers to ensure their child’s safety.

Many carriers do come with instructions and recommendations not to use carriers as a hands-free way to carry your child while working or doing household chores. Pediatrician Dr. Leah Alexander also advised us that people should not wear a baby carrier while cooking due to the risk of burn injury.

According to the Federal Register, the majority of baby carrier related incidents happen as either a result of the adult wearer falling, or because of issues with structure, fit, or position of the baby carrier.

It is vital to carefully read the provided instructions when setting up a baby carrier to ensure it is set up safely and avoid injury for both baby and adult. 

Baby Carriers We Tested

Products We Didn’t Choose

We researched hundreds of the best baby carriers of various styles before ultimately purchasing the fourteen that we tested. The products we chose are some of many top-rated baby carriers. Some carriers that we looked into but did not purchase for testing include the following:

The [easyazon_link identifier="B09JK5CY41" locale="US" tag="kidtravelorg-20"]Bella Baby Hip Seat Carrier is highly rated by purchasers, and though less popular than the Tushbaby, is worthy of purchase in a future test group.

The ClevrPlus Cross Country Hiking Backpack. This was another well-rated carrier. However, in order to keep consistent in our carrier styles and testing process, we avoided purchasing backpacks specifically designed for hiking like the ClevrPus and Osprey Poco.

The Beco Gemini and other Beco carriers are popular but didn’t quite meet our requirements for top contenders.

The Moby Baby Wrap Carrier. Moby is a household name for baby wraps, but we again decided to stay consistent with the style of carriers we were testing and forgo using a baby wrap or baby sling. The popular Solly Baby wrap, Boba wrap and several Baby K’tans fall into this category for future testing.

Though we ultimately chose ergonomic, backpack-style carriers (with the exception of the Tushbaby) for our testing process, there may be times when a baby sling or a baby wrap may be preferable to this type of carrier. Ring slings and wraps offer a comfort that a standard carrier may not always provide. They are highly customizable and a great choice for a newborn baby to feel safe and secure. There is often a bit of a learning curve when learning to wrap and tie a baby sling or wrap-style carrier, so you will want to make sure you are carefully following the instructions to keep you and your baby safe.

References:

Baby Carriers: Backpacks, Front Packs, and Slings – HealthyChildren.org

Baby-Wearing Products Lead to Higher Risk of Injury, Hospitalizations in Children under Age 1 (aap.org)

Federal Register :: Safety Standard for Soft Infant and Toddler Carriers