Best Baby Carriers
We recruited 15 mothers to provide their initial impressions of six baby carriers from popular brands like BabyBjörn, Ergobaby, and Infantino to find out which are the most comfortable, easy to adjust, and easy to use
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The freedom to get up and go becomes a lot less realistic when you’re the parent of a small child who now has tons of stuff to lug around. Baby gear like strollers, diaper bags, snacks, and bottles can be encumbering, which is one of the reasons why baby carriers are such a treasure. A baby carrier allows you to keep your baby close to you in a safe, secure place that frees up your hands and gives you freedom of movement.
How Each Baby Carrier Did in Our Evaluations
Most of our baby carriers ranked similarly high, but there were some differences among them when it comes to carrying positions, key features, and size inclusivity. Here is how each carrier fared.
Price As Tested: $239.99
Back Support Pad: Yes
Size Inclusiveness: Yes
Strap Versatility: No
Buy at: Amazon, Babybjorn, Bloomingdale’s, Walmart
Baby’s weight: 7 to 40 pounds
Number of carrying positions: 3
Although all of our carriers were closely ranked, the BabyBjörn Harmony received the highest marks in our study. For many carriers, there are up to four possible carrying positions: in the front while facing in, in the front while facing out, on the hip, and on the back. Some of the other positions for front while facing in noted by manufacturers relate to the size/age of the baby or toddler.
The BabyBjörn Harmony carrier allows you to carry your baby in three different ways: in front while facing in, in front while facing out, and on your back. The company’s website lists four carrying positions, but the “newborn” position has specific instructions on how to carry a newborn facing in. To put it on, it must be placed over your head, which is a hit-or-miss feature, depending on the preference of the user (some of our participants did not like putting the carrier over their heads as it could interfere with hair or a hat).
Because it goes over the head, this carrier doesn’t have a back buckle (it has a strap that gets adjusted), which may be a plus for users who have a hard time reaching behind their backs or don’t have anyone to assist them. Some of our participants found the buckles to be a bit unconventional in that they differ from side-release buckles in which one strap is inserted into the buckle of the second strap and then released by pushing down on the two side buttons on either side of the buckle. This buckle may take time to get used to for some users.
“I had to push and go up,” said test participant Normaris while trying out the BabyBjörn Harmony’s buckle (participants’ full names aren’t published for privacy reasons). “I wasn’t expecting that because I’m not used to that type...Once you’re used to it, I like it...It’s one more secure step, which is good.”
Although the BabyBjörn Harmony does not boast strap versatility, it has plenty going for it, including a back support pad and padded straps, a design that takes size inclusiveness in mind and fits people in different body sizes, and easy-to-understand written instructions with abbreviated instructions on the carrier. It comes in seven colors such as dark green, black, dusty pink, and silver, and was evaluated by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute and deemed “hip healthy.” Some additional accessories that you can buy for this carrier include a cover, winter cover, and bib.
Price As Tested: $180
Back Support Pad: Yes
Size Inclusiveness: Yes
Strap Versatility: Yes
Buy at: Amazon, Ergobaby, Target
Baby’s weight: 7 to 45 pounds
Number of carrying positions: 4
Similar to all of the carriers on this list except for the Artipoppe Zeitgeist, the Ergobaby Omni 360 Mesh Baby Carrier is designed with mesh. Our second most highly ranked carrier offers four carrying positions: in front while facing in, in front while facing out, hip carry, and back carry. It includes a back support pad. Unlike the BabyBjörn, however, this carrier boasts strap versatility, as you can adjust its padded straps in an H position around the shoulders or in an X position so that the straps cross at the back.
Some thought that the buckles were a bit unconventional (they deviate from the more common parachute or side-release buckles) and had trouble figuring out how they worked at first. “It’s a two-step [process],” test participant Priya said about the Ergobaby’s buckle. “I don’t like that... I don’t like lifting up the middle portion... in order to unbuckle.”
But this model earned high marks for size inclusivity, and one really nice detail that Ergobaby didn’t overlook was including photos on its website of three models with different body types wearing the carrier.
The carrier features storage compartments with a detachable pouch and a hood (ideal for privacy and sun protection for baby). It comes in four basic colors like onyx black and midnight blue with one blue floral option as well. Abbreviated instructions are located right on the carrier. The Ergobaby was also evaluated by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute and deemed “hip healthy.”
Price As Tested: $119.99
Back Support Pad: Yes
Size Inclusiveness: No *
Strap Versatility: Yes
Buy at: Amazon, LÍLLÉbaby, Target, Walmart
Baby’s weight: 7 to 45 pounds
Number of carrying positions: 4
Among the six carriers we evaluated, the LÍLLÉbaby Complete 6-in-1 All Seasons, like the Ergobaby, can be worn four ways: in front while facing in, in front while facing out, or on the back or hip (its website lists six positions but the additional two refer to how the seat can be adjusted to be narrow or wide to suit your baby’s age and weight).
Its padded straps can be adjusted to an H or X configuration and a back support pad is included, though it isn’t the most intuitive: Participants weren’t sure what to do with it during setup. The carrier’s zip-down front panel reveals mesh, but you can also zip it up.
This carrier is designed with storage compartments and a removable sun hood and has been rated hip-healthy by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute. It comes in 19 shades and cute designs like stars and Disney characters.
Despite all of these great features that the LÍLLÉbaby carrier has going for it, one area where it falls short is size inclusiveness. Fortunately, you can purchase a waistbelt extension strap from LÍLLÉbaby’s website, in addition to other accessories: an infant pillow and a baby carrier pouch.
Price As Tested: $199
Back Support Pad: No *
Size Inclusiveness: Yes
Strap Versatility: NO
Buy at: Amazon, Babytula
Baby’s weight: 7 to 45 pounds
Number of carrying positions: 3
As its name suggests, Tula Hemp Explore is made from a blend of hemp and organic cotton. Although this carrier, which tied with the LÍLLÉbaby carrier in ranking, scored just as high in comfort as most of the others on this list (the exception being the Artipoppe Zeitgeist), it falls short a bit where versatility and features are concerned.
Unlike the LÍLLÉbaby and Ergobaby, this carrier can only be adjusted to three positions: in front while facing in, in front while facing out, and back carry. It has padded shoulder straps, but those straps can only be configured in an H shape. It also lacks a back support pad, but a lumbar support accessory can be purchased from Tula’s website. As with Ergobaby, Tula’s website features helpful photos of people in different body sizes wearing the carrier.
This “features sold separately” reality extends to the Tula waistbelt extender, which you can also purchase from Tula’s website to help make the carrier more size-inclusive. The carrier adjusts to fit babies between 7 and 45 pounds and is recognized as hip-healthy by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute. It has a storage compartment, a hood, and easy-to-understand written instructions.
“I’m looking at the center pouch . . . It’s a good place to stash your phone or an extra diaper or something, which I like,” test participant Stefanie said while trying out the Tula. You can choose from eight colors and designs that include a stripe and a floral option.
Price As Tested: $42.56
Back Support Pad: No
Size Inclusiveness: No
Strap Versatility: No
Buy at: Amazon, Target, Walmart
Baby’s weight: 8 to 32 pounds
Number of carrying positions: 3
If you’re searching for the best baby carrier for the least amount of money, the Infantino Flip 4-in-1 Convertible Carrier is a no-frills, budget-friendly pick that gets so many things right. It can be adjusted to three positions: in front while facing in, in front while facing out, and back carry (a fourth position described on its website refers to the seat’s ability to be adjusted to be narrow or wide, depending on your baby’s age and weight). It features padded shoulder straps that one mother notes are comfortable, and a mesh design.
Participants agreed that this carrier would benefit from additional features such as storage compartments, a hood, and a back support pad for increased comfort when worn for longer periods of time.
Infantino claims this carrier supports babies between 8 and 32 pounds, which is the lowest claimed range of weight of all of the carriers on this list. The straps can’t be adjusted beyond their H position, and some of our participants had trouble engaging and disengaging its buckles. The manufacturer doesn’t offer a waistbelt extender to make it more available for a variety of body sizes, and it’s the only carrier we’re featuring that wasn’t evaluated by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute. It comes in seven colors and three cute prints, including rainbows.
This isn’t the carrier that does it all, but it is a respectable choice that’s about one-third or less the price of the other carriers on this list. “For me, to feel supported, the shoulder support is a really big thing,” test participant Semoy said while trying the Infantino carrier. “It’s good. It’s nice and padded.”
Price As Tested: $370
Back Support Pad: No
Size Inclusiveness: No
Strap Versatility: No
Buy at: Artipoppe
Baby’s weight: 7 to 45 pounds
Number of carrying positions: 3
On the opposite end of the baby carrier price spectrum from the Infantino, you’ll find the Artipoppe Zeitgeist, our most expensive carrier. It scored the lowest in ease of use, comfort, and usability. This carrier comes in a few materials like hemp and cashmere and silk, but we evaluated the organic cotton and linen carrier. It is designed for babies between 7 and 45 pounds and can be adjusted three ways: in front while facing in, in front while facing out, and back carry.
It has padded shoulder straps and padded leg openings—both nice touches—but it lacks important features like a back support pad for increased comfort during longer periods of use and strap versatility. It can only be worn with its straps in the X position, so no back buckle is included or needed on this model, which could be a plus for caretakers who have a difficult time reaching behind their backs.
It has a cushioned insert that is intended for ergonomic support in the outward-facing position, but participants required time to learn how to set it up. Within Artipoppe’s written instructions, you’ll find a QR code that directs you to their website where you can watch video tutorials and view photos of real people using the carrier.
The International Hip Dysplasia Institute recognized the Artipoppe Zeitgeist as hip-healthy and it comes in 36 colors and designs, including fringe and leopard. Participants note that it gives off a sense of luxury based on its design, fabric, unique aesthetic details (a peacock feather detail on the carrier is particularly chic), and even the fancy box it comes in.
How We Evaluated Baby Carriers
CR recruited 15 participants who had recently and frequently used baby carriers, all of whom turned out to be mothers between the ages of 26 and 41 years old. Each participant tried two carriers, for a total of five evaluations per baby carrier. To simulate a realistic experience, they placed a cloth doll weighing 9.5 pounds and measuring the length of an average 1-month-old baby into the carrier facing inward and a cloth doll weighing 17.5 pounds and measuring the average length of a 6-month-old baby facing outward. Participants then answered questions about the following criteria:
- Ease of adjustment: How easy is it to adjust straps, buckles, buttons/toggles, snaps, clips, and/or zippers so that the carrier fits the participant’s body with both cloth dolls
- Ease of use: How easy is it to put on and take off the carrier without the dolls and how easy was it to get the 1-month-old and 6-month-old dolls into and out of the carrier
- Comfort: How comfortable the carrier is after several minutes of wearing the carrier with a 6-month-old doll
- Usability: How intuitive and easy is it to use the baby carrier
The project team also evaluated features such as whether the baby carrier included a back support pad, how size inclusive it was (by assessing whether the carrier fits a person who wears smaller sizes, as well as a person who wears larger sizes), whether the carrier allowed for multiple strap configuration, how easy it is to adjust the carrier to accommodate different size babies or different carrying positions, and how clear and easy the instructions are to understand.
Note: No safety testing was conducted for this assessment. Waistbelts that are sold separately on some models were also not evaluated. All of the baby carriers claim to be machine washable, though directions vary slightly by manufacturer. CR did not test how well each can be cleaned.
Benefits of Baby Carriers
There are practical benefits to choosing baby carriers over strollers sometimes. Want to navigate a crowd during your holiday season shopping or take a walk around a hilly park? These activities may be easier done while wearing your baby instead of pushing a stroller uphill or through crowds. If you are breastfeeding, one small study showed that parents who were given infant carriers in the prenatal stage were more likely to continue breastfeeding and feeding expressed human milk at six months postpartum than parents not given carriers, possibly because of increased physical contact between parents and infants.
“Babywearing is a wonderful technique to nurture bonding between parent and infant, and a strategy to navigate the 4-6 weeks of age stage where many infants are fussy or colicky,” says Shelly Vaziri Flais, a pediatrician, an author, and a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “If mom is breastfeeding, dad can similarly bond with baby by wearing the baby. Baby is safe and happy and you’ve got two hands free to make a sandwich.”
“Wearing your baby” can promote parent-infant attachment and may even make your baby cry less and enhance their learning, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). It isn’t known if babywearing is associated with oxytocin release—that’s the hormone released when parents engage in skin-to-skin contact—but mothers who participated in one study said they felt babywearing helped them to parent more effectively and, by the time their babies reached four months of age, half of the mothers prioritized the bonding effects of babywearing.
Less research is available when it comes to fathers and babywearing. One study showed that three weeks of carrying their babies in a baby carrier did not increase the fathers’ basal oxytocin or cortisol levels or have immediate beneficial effects on the fathers’ parenting. Future research is still needed to determine how babywearing by a father affects their infant.
What to Look for in a Baby Carrier
Unlike shopping for a bassinet, baby diapers, or even stroller footmuffs, a baby carrier may not be something you want to add to your baby registry. In fact, the AAP recommends taking your baby with you when searching for the perfect carrier so that you can match it to their size, make sure it supports their back, and check that the leg holes aren’t so big that your little one can slip out.
“I’m a big fan of babywearing, but families should do their ’due diligence’ and ensure their wrap, sling, or infant carrier meets current safety standards, and that their infant meets the carrier’s height and weight requirements,” Vaziri Flais says. “Parents should search the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to make sure their carrier meets current safety standards and has not been recalled. The mantra of the pediatrician is ‘safety first.’ Ensure that the carrier meets your infant’s current height and weight specifications, is not on a safety recall list, and does not carry strangulation nor suffocation risks.”
The carrier should be made from a sturdy material and meet U.S. ASTM standards for soft infant and toddler carriers, which are met by all of the carriers we evaluated.
Some carriers have straps that can only be configured into an H shape, some can only be worn in an X shape across the back, while others can be worn both ways, offering the most versatility. Although it will come down to a matter of preference, make sure you are comfortable with your carrier’s strap configuration, that straps are padded, and that you can easily maneuver buttons and straps.
What Is Hip Dysplasia?
You might be wondering why it’s so important for your baby carrier to be considered “hip healthy.” Developmental dysplasia of the hip [DDH] is common. It can develop around or after birth and refers to infantile hip instability, dislocation, or shallowness of the hip socket (the latter is more common in adolescence or adulthood), according to the International Hip Dysplasia Institute.
The exact causes of hip dysplasia are unknown, but what we do know is that infants who are carried with their hips apart have low rates of hip dysplasia. A hip-healthy acknowledgment from the International Hip Dysplasia Institute denotes a carrier that allows for proper hip position, which the Institute describes as: the baby’s thighs spread around the mother’s torso with their hips bent so that their knees are slightly higher than their buttocks and with the thighs supported—otherwise known as the “M-position.”
Safety Reminders
It’s important to follow all safety precautions when using baby carriers to avoid injuries. The AAP shares the following safety recommendations:
- Infants who are born prematurely or with respiratory problems should not be placed in upright positioning devices or backpacks as they can make it harder for them to breathe.
- When your baby is in their carrier, check frequently to make sure their mouth and nose are not blocked by fabric or your body so that their breathing is not obstructed.
- When you’re using a baby carrier, bend at the knees and not at the waist to prevent your baby from tipping out of the carrier.
- Babies over five months can become restless in the carrier and it is recommended that you continue to use the restraining straps. Make sure your child is seated properly before you begin to walk.
A representative from the AAP responded to CR’s request for comment about baby carrier safety with the following statement: “Essentially, the most urgent concern with wearable carriers is that the baby’s nose and mouth are not blocked by the adult’s body and that the carrier does not put the baby’s body in a C-shape, with the chin to the chest, which could pinch off a young baby’s airway. Other concerns would be that the attachments are solid, the leg holes do not allow the baby’s whole body to slip through, and the baby’s hips are flexed.”
As far as carrying positions go, inward-facing carrying is recommended during the first six months of a baby’s life to support their rapid hip growth, according to the International Hip Dysplasia Institute. “Typically between four to six months of age babies have better control over their head and upper body strength to make outward facing possible,” Vaziri Flais says. “Some families enjoy backpack carriers for walks and hikes, and we recommend six months of age or older for these.”
Additional Tips
After watching participants evaluate the six baby carriers on this list, CR has added a few more helpful tips to keep in mind when shopping for and selecting a carrier:
- With some brick-and-mortar stores closing, make sure the retailer has a good return policy, especially if the carrier can’t be tried on beforehand.
- Learn how to use a carrier before using one with your baby by exploring sources like written instructions and online videos. Use a mirror to view your back so you can be sure you’re securing it correctly. If you’re unsure how to use a carrier, put your baby in the carrier while you’re sitting down.
- Hold on to the instructions for your baby carrier. Your set-up may change as your baby grows and you explore new carrying positions.
