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[Chapsie]

Hey guys... Ergos are only $71.95 today on Amazon.com.   

Do I need one of these?

I already have a homemade mei tai, sleepy wrap, ring sling, and hotsling pouch.  

Is the Ergo as amazing as everyone says it is?  

[veganyogamomma]

We really like our ergo simply because its so easy to use. But it sounds like you have a lot of options already! The biggest reason why I think the ergo worked for us is because it was what got DH into baby wearing. He refused to give the ring sling or the wrap much of a chance because they weren't simple.

Also, I found it very easy to nurse in.

[maydaymom10]

I just got one recently and tried it out on my toddler and it was very comfortable. I have a baby k'tan (like a wrap) and a Boba (like an Ergo - yes, I'm doubling up on this style because I have a problem). I'll use the k'tan a lot when the baby is little, but the Ergo is definitely nice for when they get a little older and you are carrying them for a long time. The price is amazing! I'd get one just based on that and then make the decision after the baby comes. One thing for sure -- you won't have any problem trying to resell it if you don't like it. 

[akind1]

Ergos are great for daddy baby carriers. Easy to use - you probably won't use it until around 5-6 months or so given all of your other options.

Boba is - IME - better for older, taller babies. And I would recommend it over the Ergo for plus size or larger people. Both DH and I could easily use the Boba, where as the waist extender was needed with the Ergo.

For the squish I'll have several wraps of varying sizes, hopefully a ring sling if I can find one I like, and I have a SSC for my toddlers. (a Nana's Jetpack) DH will use the SSC and he wants to learn how to wrap. So he says.

[Melany]

I gave away all my wraps. :( 

I loved my baby hawk mei tai. I wish I hadn't passed that one on. They appear to have changed the design from when I bought mine in 2004, as has everything else, haha. I was able to talk my husband into using the mei tai, even with my floral print. Someone gave us a baby bjorn, which looked manly enough for Pete, but once baby was above 10 pounds, it really hurts your back (it was an older style one without the back support the new ones appear to have). Once I tied the mei tai on him, he would even wear the floral print and the baby bjorn was stuffed into the back of the closet. 

The nice part of the old style baby bjorn is we could actually use it when my son was newborn. I do not know if the new ones have this. My son was TINY, he got down to 4 pounds and our pediatrician suggested that we use it to wear him more when we had feeding issues. I miss my Seattle pediatrician... I don't have a lot of experience with using the other wraps/carriers with a newborn. My pocket sling was nice, but that also had a learning curve and the sizing is more critical for that. I used my pocket sling with my son and then right after my daughter was born it was too small, but it fit me, again, when she was larger and I was smaller. I actually preferred it over a ring sling. 

[akind1]

I generally don't recomment bjorns at all - they just don't appear comfy for mom or baby (and their usefulness is pretty short lived, considering how much they cost new). I am not a huge infantino fan, BUT they have something pretty much like a mei tai that's decently made for a reasonable price.

You might want to consider an adjustable pouch. I had one I never used bought from Kangaroo Korner.  or buy a short wrap and use it as a rebozo (I know friends that have used tablecloths or tapestry fabric - you don't have to spend a great deal of $$)

Ring Sling - if you have a local babywearing group or have friends that use them, try a couple different shoulder types - that can make a huge difference. I am not a fan of Jan's traditional pleated shoulder (sleeping baby productions) but I love her Eetsi shoulder, especially with a wrap conversion. Some people really like a wide padded shoulder (I think the Maya wrap might have that kind). Sakura Bloom has a gathered sort of shoulder. Or if you sew, get some fabric, there are lots of tutorials out there, and figure out what might work for you. You could sew your own pouch!

I need to learn to sew better.

[Melany]

Originally Posted by akind1 

I generally don't recomment bjorns at all - they just don't appear comfy for mom or baby (and their usefulness is pretty short lived, considering how much they cost new). I am not a huge infantino fan, BUT they have something pretty much like a mei tai that's decently made for a reasonable price.

Very true, I should have added that to my review, but ours was a freebie/hand-me-down. It was nice early on considering what we didn't pay for it.  

[mariee]

Ergos are totally worth it.  

I think some of the biggest pros with an Ergo are:

1. super fast and easy to put on

2. easy to adjust between users (DH is 5'10" and I am 5'0")

3. Depending on the color you choose, they are probably the most appealing carrier to most men

4. they have a handy little zipper pouch that will fit a diaper or a toddler snack

5. as your child gets older, you can use the back carry.  This has been BY FAR the most useful way to carry for us.  We started using ours when DS was about 1 and he still rides on our backs often (he will be 3 in two months)

6. it is ridiculously comfortable.  Case in point, I am 8 months pg now, and DS weighs 38 pounds.  The Ergo is so comfortable that I still carry him on my back occasionally.  

You may not need an Ergo right away, since you have several other carriers, but consider one around 6+ months....

[withlittlelungs]

I'm chiming in with everyone else to say that Ergos are totally worth it! DS refuses to be worn now, but the last time I tried he was still super comfortable (at 30+lbs).

 

[spughy]

Ergos are great but if you're very short, they might not be AS awesome as if you're normal.  I'm 5'0" and my torso is really short - I find ergos take up much more of my torso real estate than they should and they feel quite awkward.

I have 3 moby wraps (well, 2 are knock-offs, but work exactly the same)  I LOVE wraps.  Unfortunately after the kiddos hit about 3 months they start to weigh a bit much and they get a little droopy and many babies stop liking them - they don't feel secure enough.

As a postpartum doula I've used almost every baby carrier out there.  Ergos ARE very good and I will probably get one even though they're not ideal for me, they're better than most carriers and once baby can go on the back carry they're not as awkward. (And I am a big fan of back carry ASAP - no other culture carries babies on the front past the age of having good torso stability (4-7 mo, depending on the baby) and although North American carriers tend to have good designs ergonomically, they just can't compensate for the fact that human bodies aren't designed to carry more than 15-20 lbs on the front of the torso without mucking up lots of stuff.)

I used a ring sling a lot with DD but I won't do it again - it's just too hard to switch it between shoulders and I ended up lopsided.   But they are handy for quick in-and-out like zipping a baby into a store for a quick shop.

[buko]

I was all for SSCs but when we went to try out various carriers at what I call The Hippie Baby Store, DH ended up being really unimpressed with all of them (various models of Ergo, Boba, Beco). He vastly preferred the Moby, the woven wrap, and, to a lesser extent, the Mei Tai. Go figure!

We have a ridiculous number of carriers considering we've never even had a babe, but I lucked out and got them cheap at consignment sales, so I think I spent $125 total on:

-2 Mobys
-1 Infantino Mei Tai
-1 KK ring sling
-2 new slinglings pouch slings
-2 buckle tais, good brands but I can't remember now

We are also registered for one moderately priced woven wrap-- the Wrapsody Bali Breeze, since it's supposed to be good in warm weather and Buko will be about 3 months when it starts to get unbearable here.

If it were me (and I were more concerned about getting something "daddy friendly"), I might have gotten the Beco Butterfly, but DH loves wraps so much, and is so unconcerned about them looking "girly," I figured we'd be good with wraps and Mei tais.

[jodieanneanton]

I am in love with my homemade mei tais and refuse to buy anything else... Although I will be trying a Jodie-made version of a moby with this one... Why pay $70+ when I can make one for less than $10?  But I am cheap like that!