Tushbaby Hip Seat Review

Tushbaby Hip Seat

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How it Compares

The Tushbaby is a great carrier option for parents looking for something different. It works well for babies who don’t like the confinement of a standard carrier or older children who don’t need to be carried for long periods of time but still want to be held occasionally while on the go.

Most Common Complaints

Even the most popular carriers receive complaints. We read through all of the critical reviews of the Tushbaby to compare them to our experience while testing the carrier. Some of the complaints we agreed with, some we did not find matched with our experience.

Criticism	Our Experience
Not good for older kids	We tested the carrier with a 40lb 3-year-old and she was comfortable
Not good for plus size adults	Agreed, an extender can be purchased separately, but the Tushbaby itself does not extend for larger wearers
Digs into hips	There is some pressure on the hips, but nothing excessive
Hurts adult’s lower back	We felt that the carrier provided decent back support
Not hands free	Agreed, however the Tushbaby does NOT advertise itself to be hands free
Too bulky	We do not think that the Tushbaby is too bulky
Seat collapses and doesn’t support baby weight	We never noticed the carrier giving out under a child’s weight

A common complaint for the Tushbaby was that it was not hands free. While this is true, the listing and instruction manual both clearly state that the carrier is not hands free. There are no child restraints on the carrier and for safety purposes, you should keep at least one arm around your little one at all times while they are sitting on the Tushbaby.

Testing and Research

We researched the highest ranked baby carriers and purchased the top fourteen to test and compare. We read several buyer guides and critical reviews to determine the best criteria to test the carriers. From testing the comfort to comparing the versatility of each carrier, we put each of them through several tests to determine which carrier would come out on top. The Tushbaby, while not our highest scorer, did score very well in our process.

Related Reading: Top Baby Carrier Reviews

Usability

When testing the usability of this carrier, we evaluated how user friendly it was, how clear the instruction manual was, and how long it took to set up.

The Tushbaby scored the highest by far in this category, taking only about two minutes to set up the first time and getting a perfect score on user friendliness. Though the instructions were not extremely detailed, the design is basic enough that you could easily figure out how to use the carrier with what they did provide.

User Friendly Rating:

The Tushbaby is worn with a thick Velcro strap reinforced by a thinner strap with a buckle. The buckle does extend to be longer than the Velcro strap, which seemed odd. A common complaint about the Tushbaby is that it is not very plus size-friendly, which we will dive more into in the next section, but we did note that the straps were certainly built for smaller wearers.

Actual use of the carrier is as simple as lifting your little one onto the carrier. If your baby is especially squirmy, you may notice some difficulty in keeping them on the carrier, but we overall feel that the seat was certainly wide enough to accommodate a baby, toddler, or small child.

We will delve into some of the specific features of the Tushbaby later, but the company does boast that it can be used as a substitute for a diaper bag. With a large storage pocket, two smaller side pockets, and a bottle holder, the Tushbaby does give you the option to leave the diaper bag at home.

Versatility

We measured the versatility of the Tushbaby by testing its variety of wearing styles, as well as child and wearer size options.

We were pleasantly surprised that the Tushbaby is not exclusively a hip carrier, but rather offers multiple carrying positions. Children can be carried on the hip, but also in front of the adult for a newborn and infant feeding position, an inward facing hold, and a front facing carry.

The hip hold is the most standard carry for the Tushbaby. Our one-year-old test subject enjoyed eating a snack while hanging out with mom

It is a little more difficult to walk doing the front facing hold, but this is a great hold when stationary. This is great for activities like watching a parade or fireworks, or standing for long periods of time waiting in a line. Our three-year-old test subject enjoyed being held on a carrier since she is usually too large for them.

The inward facing hold is great if your baby is tired and wants to doze off up against you. Again, be careful while walking with this one. But if you plan to be stationary and baby is tired, this is a great carry to take some of the weight off your arms.

We did not have an infant to specifically test the infant feeding hold, but Pooh told us he was very comfortable. This is a good hold when you need to take a break for feeding your little one.

The seat advertises the ability to hold children from 7lbs to 45lbs, so we tested the carrier with a 26lb one-year-old toddler and a 40lb three-year-old. We noted that both children seemed to fit well on the carrier and were not uncomfortable.

There were many complaints from reviewers that the Tushbaby does not fit plus size adults. We agreed with this complaint. The waistband itself is 46 inches long, but that does not take into account the overlap of the straps for Velcroing. The company does separately sell a Tushbaby waistband extender that adds an extra 23 inches. We do wish that the included strap was larger, rather than making it only accessible to larger wearers if they spend extra money.

Design Quality

When researching the Tushbaby Hip Seat, we noticed in many reviews that people praised this brand compared to similar products for its higher quality support and materials. We agreed that the Tushbaby is very sturdy and the material is high quality.

The main material of the carrier is Polyester. An EVA no-slip pad on the seat helps keep your little one from sliding around while sitting or lying on the seat.

The Tushbaby scored a little lower in on security and support ratings simply because it does not have any kind of child restraint. We do not necessarily consider that a bad thing, rather just an element of the design as this is not a hands-free carrier. A child can be easily supported and kept safe on this carrier with the assistance of the adult wearer.

Design Rating:

We felt that the Tushbaby was size appropriate for what it offers. Some reviews complained that it was too bulky, which we do not agree with. We think that the size is very appropriate for the carrying capabilities that it offers, especially since it has several pockets for storage. The only thing we did wish was that the seat could collapse in a bit for storage purposes. 

The overall design is very basic and straightforward. There are not too many straps, nor is there any question of which straps go with which buckle. As long as it is used appropriately, it is a very safe, high quality product.

Comfort

We felt that the Tushbaby was comfortable for adult wearers. Though some complained that it caused back pain, we felt that the thick waistband provided decent lumbar support. There is naturally some pulling on this hips when the baby is seated on your hip, so you will have to get used to compensating for that to keep from leaning, but we never felt that it was unmanageable. We did note that the seat does distribute baby’s weight much better than if you were simply carrying them on your hip without a carrier.

Comfort Rating:

Both our one-year-old and three-year-old test subjects seemed comfortable while using the Tushbaby carrier. The three-year-old particularly seemed to enjoy having a carrier option that was more accommodating to her size, as she had outgrown many standard carriers. Some babies, like our one-year-old test subject, do not like the confinement of a standard baby carrier. This was an option that let her rest comfortably and be held while not feeling restrained. 

The Tushbaby also does well with helping keep baby’s legs and hips in the ergonomic “M” position, which is important for hip health. This position can aid in natural hip development, according to the International Hip Dysplasia Institute. 

Features of the Tushbaby Hip Seat

The Tushbaby is unique for a variety of reasons, one being the several storage options it offers. The underside of the seat houses a large pocket that can easily hold diapers and wipes with a zipper for security. The front of this pouch has an additional pocket that buttons closed and can hold smaller items like keys or medication. 

Further along the side of the waistband is another zipper pocket, large enough to hold a cell phone or wallet, with a small opening on the front for smaller items. A mesh pouch beside this pocket can hold a bottle or sippy cup. A final pocket set on the side has a mesh front pocket with a side opening pocket for thin objects like credit cards. The extra pockets on this carrier compared to other traditional carriers give in a nice advantage.

The Tushbaby is very portable and can be easily brought in the car or tossed in the basket of your stroller for easy transport.

The Tushbaby costs around $100, which we think is a good price for what it offers. From a variety of carrying styles to its wide ranged child size capabilities to its immense storage capacity, it delivers on being a well-rounded, long-lasting piece of baby gear. 

The Tushbaby Hip Carrier is a great option for parents and children wanting something different from traditional carriers. Its unique design, easy usability, and extra features make it a great choice for parents looking for a solid carrier option.