Catbird Baby Pikkolo Carrier

I bought the Pikkolo to have an option for a buckle carrier where my little one could have his legs out rather than in. The Pikkolo has an adjustable base which allows both small babies to be legs out and also any baby to face forward while still sitting ergonomically. I tried it out, immediately, with my 3yo son, and was amazed at how comfy it was, even with him. The baby was far more comfortable, of course, and I found the adjustable base was great for finding a perfect fit for him.

My favorite features of the Pikkolo are the shoulder straps that unbuckle completely (versus my older Ergo I had before it) so you can cross them on your back for greater comfort; and the dual-adjustable straps, meaning you can easily pull to adjust no matter whether you're wearing it on your back or front.

The one downside was the fabric on mine (an older/original one) was a little stiff, but I have heard the newer ones were much improved. It would sometimes take a little doing to get the baby seated well, but it was possible with tricks they shared on their website.

I have more recently tried the Pikkolo with my DD, seen here shopping at 5wks old. I love the design and that I can use it even with a tiny baby!

My husband and I tried this and the Babyhawk Oh Snap on in the store and at first decided to get the Babyhawk, because we were both going to use the carrier and the length of the Babyhawk seemed better for sharing, since I'm 5'7" and he's 6'3".  However, I really liked the shorter body of the Catbird, and ended up getting one for my baby shower.

 

I am so glad we did!  The Pikkolo can be used with newborns from 8lbs, and we used it every single day of the first 6 weeks of our LO's life.  We were new to parenthood, and babywearing, and our baby hated being put down for one second.  It was an absolute lifesaver to be able to pop her into the

Pikkolo and be able to get things down while simultaneously meeting her need to be held.  Despite the differences in our heights, both DH and I are able to wear our baby in the Pikkolo comfortably.  I found the buckles and straps very easy to use, and actually liked that the chest straps were dual-adjusting--you can tighten them by pulling them forward or backward (or, both, which is what I do).  Finally, we've just started to use the cinch seat to put our baby (at 2.5 months) forward-facing with her feet out.  She was getting a bit too tall (at 24ish inches) to just have her legs "froggied" in the carrier pouch, because too much of her torso was above the top of the carrier.

 

A few caveats, however: first, while I do love the carrier, it's starting to already put a decent strain on my lower back when I take my baby on long walks.  I do have the hip belt attachment, but haven't put it on the carrier yet, so I'm hoping that will make a difference.  I also found that the shoulder straps ride a bit close to the neck, which can be uncomfortable; however, as baby has gotten bigger, this has been less of an issue, so I think it has to do with weight distribution in the carrier.  Finally, a problem that will only affect certain users: if you have very large breasts, it will take some playing with the chest straps to get the right fit, and your breasts may end up hanging out on either side of the carrier (as mine do), which looks a bit weird.  However, my breasts are a 44I, so if you are smaller on top, you will hopefully not have this problem.

 

Overall, though, I'm quite pleased with this carrier.

I got a Pikkolo because my baby wanted to face forward in a front carry position, and I had heard how bad it is for baby's spine and development in other carriers (like Baby Björn) where the baby's dangling from their crotch, whereas the Pikkolo can be cinched at the bottom and form a seat for baby facing forward. So this is one great use of it, however you need to stuff a towel in front of baby's chest in this position as it doesn't quite fit right. For regular front carries it's really form-fitting which I like. However, I find it nearly impossible to adjust the straps as they pull backwards and are on my back. The hip strap also has the buckles in an awkward inward position which makes it kind of unwieldy to buckle. I've only used it once for a back carry, but it seemed very well suited and comfortable.

My baby's a very big 5 month old (18 lbs) and in forward carries it does hurt my back. They sell a special belt  to go with the Pikkolo for heavier babies and I think I may have to get one if I want to continue using this much longer, which I don't like. I also find the price ($129) too hefty. It doesn't seem as well-made and durable as the similarly priced Ergo. The reason I like this over the Ergo at times is because of its small size, which I find nicer for short walks. For a long trip out and about, it does start to hurt my back though.