Are any of the Infantino carriers ergonomically correct?

[monkeyscience]

Please, if the only thing you have to say is that you would never personally buy from them, don't bother commenting. I'm aware of multiple reasons people don't consider them ethical, but that is not my question.

So... are any of their carriers ergonomically correct, or are they all just as bad as the Baby Bjorn? I'm especially interested in the Infantino Flip Carrier, since it would allow me to wear the baby facing outward. It's also fairly inexpensive, and I could put it on my Babies R Us registry (not thrilled about registering there, but I think there will be quite a few people buying me gifts who will want a non-internet registry).

I've tried in vain to find reviews, and can't really find much anywhere.

[akind1]

Wearing a baby facing outward is one of those things I would not personally do. It can be done safely and ergonomically for short periods (Like in a Ring Sling where baby's legs are froggied up into a buddha like position while facing out) but It puts the person wearing the baby's center of gravity off balance, and also doesn't really allow your baby the chance to hide or burrow into you if they get over stimulated.  Plus, neither of my babies have liked having their legs and bodies squished up like that.

Infantino makes a mei-tai like carrier and I don't see any problem with that, as long as you make sure the stitching is all in good shape and it feels secure.

I am pretty sure BRU carries the Ergo now, at least online, and that's a great carrier, especially for someone new to babywearing. It's well made and will last you years.

Oh, and if you want to face baby out so they can see stuff and explore, wearing a baby on your back is awesome for that. And far more comfortable for you. You can wear a baby on your back in the Ergo at around 6-9 months I think. Or hip carriers are good for that too; but tend to be one-shouldered which is harder on you for long carries.

[monkeyscience]

Thanks for the input. :)

I do have an Ergo on my Amazon registry, along with two other carriers. I didn't see the particular Ergo I wanted on BRU, but I may need to look again. I was wondering about the Infantino Mei Tai, too.

I guess I'm trying to weigh the pros and cons of registering for cheaper vs more expensive things. I'm afraid if most of what I register for ends up being kind of expensive (which is definitely a possibility, as I'm not registering for a bunch of cheap plastic toys, bottles, pacifiers, etc.), people will just buy me cheap plastic crap anyway, because it's what they can afford. Which I totally understand - I can't afford, on my own, to buy anyone an Ergo, either! I am hoping more people go for either group gifts or just buying excessive amounts of baby clothes, which I could handle better than excessive other stuff - baby will definitely wear clothes, and if I don't love them, well, he'll poop on them eventually, anyway.

[ABO Mama]

I know that some of the infantino mt have been poorly made...I'm not sure if this has been fixed or not.  If you do get one, I'd give the straps a good hard tug at the seam where it connects to the body of the carrier.  If it holds, then I'd feel ok using it.  I'm not sure how much padding they have, so I'm not sure how comfy it will be for an older baby.  Have you considered any wraps?  I love wraps for new babies.

[monkeyscience]

I have, but I'm leaning more toward a ring sling for when baby is tiny, just due to easy of use and the heat factor. I have tried my SIL's Moby (admittedly, with 1 year-old dn, so not quite the same), and found it really time-consuming to put on, plus really, really hot, even when doing housework in an air conditioned house. Some people in my DDC have talked about cotton gauze wraps, which would probably help the heat factor. (I'm due in August in Texas, so this is important!) I'm still concerned about the time factor, though. A few ladies have said they can get their wraps on faster than their friends can put on a SSC, but considering my personal level of physical coordination, I doubt I'll make it into that camp. Ring slings seem to be pretty simple for pop-and-go, though I don't know if I'll use it past the newborn phase.

[Mom2M]

I think their mei tai is pretty good, I tried one at a BW meeting and it seemed to be strong at the seams.
I love the Beco Gemini for ease of use and the fact that it is good from tiny baby to at least 24 pounds which is when I stopped using it for my DD. It has snaps at the bottom to make it narrow enough for them when they are little and it is not bulky.
I also like the higher back. For me, the Ergo was kind of low backed and uncomfortable to use because the shoulder straps were too wide.
I think you can get them used for a good price on sites where people commonly sell carriers like the babywearer.

I loved our Moby when DD was little because she was born in November so it was actually good that it was quite warm. I probably wouldn't use it in the summer.

[Carlin]

I think the Flip looks slightly better than something like the baby bjorn, but not by much. None of the babies in their ads are properly positioned, the base is still way to narrow and doesn't support knee to knee. I really think that a carrier is one of those things that is worth spending some money on. (Or finding used.) You and your baby will both be so much more comfortable in a well fitting, well made carrier.

[cat13]

Originally Posted by monkeyscience 

Thanks for the input. :)

I do have an Ergo on my Amazon registry, along with two other carriers. I didn't see the particular Ergo I wanted on BRU, but I may need to look again. I was wondering about the Infantino Mei Tai, too.

I guess I'm trying to weigh the pros and cons of registering for cheaper vs more expensive things. I'm afraid if most of what I register for ends up being kind of expensive (which is definitely a possibility, as I'm not registering for a bunch of cheap plastic toys, bottles, pacifiers, etc.), people will just buy me cheap plastic crap anyway, because it's what they can afford. Which I totally understand - I can't afford, on my own, to buy anyone an Ergo, either! I am hoping more people go for either group gifts or just buying excessive amounts of baby clothes, which I could handle better than excessive other stuff - baby will definitely wear clothes, and if I don't love them, well, he'll poop on them eventually, anyway.

I totally understand this. Besides my parents, everyone that used my registry got me stuff for $20 and under, mixed with non-registry stuff. I know some people don't like to do this, but I returned quite a few things to exchange for other things I wanted. If people are buying you stuff from BRU, you could exchange it for an ergo.

ETA: I had an August baby in Hawaii and I agree with skipping on the Moby. Everyone on MDC swears by them, but it was just too hot! I loved my ring sling in the beginning and still do. But since my 8 month old is almost 25lbs, I can only use it for 30 min at a time.  Also, I compared the different ergos (regular vs. sport vs performance) and found them to be similar in terms of being warm. The website says the performance or sport are great for hot weather, but I can't imagine them being that different. And I didn't like the performance because the material was kinda like that outdoorsy material, not very cozy.

[monkeyscience]

Thanks for the additional thoughts!

Cat - I have no problem with returning stuff. Well, I feel a little bad sometimes, but I will definitely do it. I had to learn to do it when I got married, as we ended up getting duplicates of things, or changing our minds, or just getting stuff we didn't want/need that there was no room for in our little apartment. Now, pretty much anytime I give someone a gift (especially a wedding gift), I try to include a gift receipt and say, "Please don't hesitate to take it back! I want you to have whatever you want/need!"

[myk]

i have the infantino mei tai style. it seems plenty sturdy to me. it's functionally very similar to other MT styles i've seen, so it's the only one i was interested in. baby doesn't like it when she faces me, but then again she also didn't like her cuddly wrap or ring sling, so i wouldn't take her word for it ;)  i've worn her outfacing for short periods but i'm really not sure if that's a good idea, i dont know enough about it. she liked it cause she could see everything.

[Arianna1]

I had the infantino flip not to long ago. I needed it for a weekend with a little guy I was caring for.. I picked this one because he was an older baby but a late walker... and I didn't want a stroller. I wore it for over 8 hrs with minimal weight, I found that it slightly pulled my shoulders because at the time I was 100lbs and couldn't get it to entirely tighten.. Thats my mini-review.. hope this helps a little!

And if for some reason you didn't like the carrier you could just return the carrier to the store, ours does cash refund.. :D