BABY BJÖRN Baby Carrier (Original)

I love this baby carrier. I love how our babies fit snugly and safely in it from 9 lbs onward. And I love how this carrier looked on tired, old me. The Swedes were definitely onto something (as they usually are) when they designed this carrier. Not only does it look great on mommy and daddy (it actually makes both parents look better, ha!), but more importantly, it supports the baby's head and little body perfectly. It also doesn't spread the baby's legs too wide apart when they are little, so you don't need to be concerned about your little one's hips. 

And as your sweetie pie gets older you can use it forward facing as well. Add a cute little hat to your baby's bald head/smiley face and everyone will comment on how cute you two look, strolling around town.

I have one complaint, however. This particular design gets tough on your shoulders and back after a while. It's really great when your baby is small and doesn't weigh much. Or for short amounts of time. But already around 3 months I started having trouble with it. The more your baby weighs, the more you start slumping forward because there is no back support on this model. 

But then again, it's a tough call. Shoulder pain versus a great looking baby carrier? Call me vein, but I think I suffered at least a month too long before looking for another, longer-term option!

Baby Björn actually has an option to this carrier that looks equally great (at least almost as great). The Baby Björn Carrier Active has the lumbar support that most parents need to carry a baby for longer stretches at a time. I don't own this so I can't say much else about it than that I've been very tempted to buy it (but could not in good conscience spend another $100 on yet another carrier...). So without really testing it with my babes, I'd say this: if I was looking for a carrier for the first time now, I'd definitely look into the Baby Björn Active carrier as an option. If it has all the same qualities as the Original, while giving your back and shoulders a break, it's probably worth every penny. 

So in my humble opinion...

Pros:

- Easy to use.

- Snug and safe for baby.

- Beautiful, simple design.

- Definitely unisex - daddies don't feel self-conscious wearing their offspring in this carrier (I'd say the opposite!).

- Weighs next to nothing.

- Well made (truly premium quality).

- Comes with attachable burp bibs when your little drooler is in the forward facing position.

- Of course it is Swedish. Can't go wrong with that, eh?

Cons:

- Does not have the back support that the Baby Björn Carrier Active comes with.