Best Carrier?

[kamalb]

@xd005 You're welcome! If you look at WildBird's tutorial on back carrying in the Aerial, you'll see the steps. What I find is that the holes through which to thread the buckles are too tight, so managing to position and pull each buckle through takes me a few minutes, whereas that process happens instantly in the video. I assume that eventually the fabric will stretch more so that the threading can happen quickly. I also finally found a sweet spot that facilitated the threading the last time I tried. So maybe eventually, with practice, the process would be just as fast as in the video.

The other, more minor factor is that if you prefer to keep the elastic bound around the webbing so that no straps are dangling, then you have to undo the elastic in order to do the conversion, then roll the webbing up again and redo the elastic while in back carry mode.

Converting from back to front would involve the same steps but in reverse, and seems a bit easier than converting from front to back.

I unfortunately don't know exactly how long converting from front to back takes, but I'd very roughly estimate ten minutes, including the elastic wrapping and unwrapping steps, on the first few attempts. I have only done the conversions a few times, and I imagine that if the buckles one day fit smoothly through, then maybe the conversion would take three to five minutes?

The fabric is very pleasant to touch (and see!). It is soft and sturdy, and doesn't really seem to stretch, but does mold nicely to the baby. My husband, looking at me wearing the Aerial at the beginning, commented that it looked right, for at last we had a "baby-shaped carrier"!

 

[kamalb]

I posted my detailed thoughts on the Aerial in my other Reddit thread!

 

[jsmlm]

@xd005 I love my ergo baby original. It has the most back and shoulder support of any of my carriers and it's extremely comfortable. It's the only carrier I can use and genuinely not feel uncomfortable eventually. Super easy to put on both back and front. It has a sun shade as well and a pocket. It's not apron style but has a more structured waistband that sits on your hips almost like a hiking backpack and I think that's why it's so comfortable. I have a Sakura bloom and it's not as comfortable and more difficult to put on because of the rings instead of the clips.

 

[xd005]

@jsmlm Thank you! Do you know how the original ergo differs from the Omni Breeze? Also, is the Sakura Bloom you have a Meh Tai/half buckle soft carrier? What do you think made that one less comfortable?

 

[jsmlm]

@xd005 I've never used the Omni breeze so I can't speak to that one. I have the Account which is the one with the waistband. I feel like the big difference is that the waistband on the ergo is really sturdy and padded and it's not apron style, meaning there isn't a layer of fabric between you and the baby. It feels to me with the ergo the baby's weight is more evenly split between your waist/hips and your shoulders. Whereas with the Sakura bloom the waistband isn't quite as supportive so your shoulders end up supporting more of the weight and it hurts my upper back eventually. The Sakura bloom is still pretty comfortable but if I were going to go on a hike or to the zoo or something I would always reach for the ergo

 

[xd005]

@jsmlm Thank you!

 

[anglic9823]

@xd005 I have a crazy amount of carriers and I would suggest a naked panda full buckle for you. They are squishy, comfortable a range of different materials options even do customs and will fit till much older.
Don’t get the artipoppe they are very stiff and it’s all hype and marketing. They work but nothing special. Happy baby are good but I preferred more padding the older my son got.

 

[xd005]

@anglic9823 Thanks! You are the second person to suggest Panda, they sound amazing! How do they do with warm weather/breathability? How do they do with long walks? Do you find they are pretty supportive for your back? What material did you get/would you suggest? Easy to get on and off? How easy is it to front/back carry?

 

[tytyty]

@xd005 my baby is the same weight as yours, and I love our artipoppe! I wear it probably 4-6 hours a day because my baby exclusively contact naps & it’s the comfiest of my carriers. admittedly, there are probably better carriers out there in terms of ergonomics, but if you want the aesthetic, they’re the best imo. they do tend to keep a lot of resale value (lots of facebook pages) if you decide you hate it. I love mine- it’s comfy, baby loves it, and the cotton one I have is fairly breathable (and I live in florida), and tbh I do throw it in the washing machine in a delicates bag on cold wash.

having said all that, a ring sling might also be a great option for you! there’s a bit more of a learning curve though, and I find that mine is harder to walk long distances in because of the pressure on one shoulder.

 

[ladyrach]

@tytyty Agree with all of this! Also love my arti once I got the fit down!

 

[jeanmedina]

@tytyty Do you think this is a good choice for hot, sticky, humid summer weather? My LO is 11mo, 17lbs. Thanks in advance!

 

[tytyty]

@jeanmedina I haven’t worn it through the summer yet, but my cotton one has been fairly comfortable in Florida so far! and we’ve had days in the 90s with super high humidity already I’ve heard the linen ones are even more breathable, but the cotton one has been pretty good for me so far! so, yes I think it might be as good of a choice as any SSC for hot weather!

 

[jeanmedina]

@tytyty Thank you!!