A few months ago I became the proud owner of a Beco Butterfly II baby carrier. I tried it out, and wore it all over. And while it had many upsides, in the end I preferred my mei tais. The poor Beco never stood a chance.
Recently, though, I got my hands on an Ergo. I have a friend who loves her Ergo, but is expecting a baby any day and she hasn’t had much luck with Ergo’s infant insert, so I loaned her my Beco. In exchange, she lent me her Ergo. And I have been wearing it here, there, and everywhere to see how I like it, and how it compares to the Beco and my beloved mei tais.
Trying out the Ergo on a family outing
So, what’s the verdict?
Here are the things I like about the Ergo:
Here are the things I don’t like so much:
Now that I’ve tried both the Beco and the Ergo, I am more on the fence than ever. I found the Ergo generally easier to understand and use, but I found the Beco to be a more well-thought-out carrier. If you are going to be using the carrier with a newborn, or if you feel less comfortable with back carries, I would go with the Beco. If you are going to be using the carrier with a slightly older infant or toddler, you like to breastfeed in the carrier, or you just don’t want to spend the extra money, an Ergo may be the way to go.
As for me, in honesty, I am going back to my Kozy. Like I said, I love my mei tais!
PS – I’ve got a new post up today at API Speaks – so head on over and read When Attachment Parenting Speaks for Itself.
You don't really need to mess with the chest/back strap when wearing the kid in the front of the Ergo. Just put the carrier on yourself, then hoist him high on your shoulder, and then lower him down and pull his feet through the openings. I always used it that way…if I'd had to mess with those straps it wouldn't have been nearly as good an experience.
I loved my Kozy! When my son was a newborn, with a well-placed recieving blanket behind his head, we went everywhere! It was comfy, easy to use, and above all else, very washable
. he loved facing out to see what was going on, rather than facing in. I nursed in it a lot when we were in parks and at stores.
I stopped wearing my son when he was around 6 months old, he just simply squirmed too much. he’s always been a “mover”, but he seemed to not enjoy being on mommy’s back while we were out and about, or on my front when we were doing house work (although he loved baking with mommy, I got him covered in flour once while making zucchini bread and he giggled and giggled…). He wanted to crawl and be in his stroller playing with toys most of the time.
My back used to get so sore sometimes, and my sciatica would act up too. I tried a Baby Bjorn with the padded straps and extra adjustability, and tried out a couple other sling type carriers at a store (with son in tow) and nothing else seemed to work quite as well on my small frame. So we stopped. I miss it!
We used to use our carrier to put our son to sleep when he was really little. If he was super cranky, I would strap him on, and go for a walk around the block. By the time I got home, he was asleep and I could lower him to the bed slowly. He also went with me to vote in his Kozy. All the old ladies volunteering at the polling station thought it was a marvelous thing.
I am not ashamed to admit I am looking forward to the next baby so I can go back to baby wearing again. Thanks for the review, I was looking at an Ergo in the store just the other day.
.-= caroline´s last post ..Meadow Season Locust Trust – Writing Exercise =-.
The beco has saved my back. I still love my babyhawk but I find the beco is much better for longer outings because of how it distributes the weight. And the Poptart likes having her arms free so that she can grab things off of store shelves.
.-= Nicole´s last post ..My November Project =-.
My observation on the ergo is that Dads love it, and moms start to love it once their kids are over 20 lbs, and will then use them until they’re 4 or 5. I have neck &U shouder issues and have abandoned slings and the bjorn as too painful. I basically carry my 3-month old around in my arms most of the time, which is highly inconvenient. It may be time for me to try the Mei Tae (which sounds like a pleasant tropical drink.
.-= Harriet Glynn´s last post ..High Anxiety =-.
When we finally decided to drop some real money on a carrier, we tried out both the Ergo and the Mei Tai and ended up going with the Mei Tai. The husband and I liked the fact that it was buckle-free and wouldn’t have to be readjusted depending on which one of us was using it. Ours actually comes with a sleep-hood-type-thing too (it’s really just a flap that ties up, and it also hides away inside too so it’s never in the way).
I’m interested in what you mean by the Beco having some fabric between you and the baby. I can’t picture that. There’s no fabric between me and the baby using our Mei Tai. (It’s a CatBird Baby brand.) Maybe I should google this Beco thing.
Emma just said….’I love baby Jacob’….apparently she thinks he is ‘super cute’!
.-= Heather´s last post ..Mother’hood’ =-.
I loved our Moby wrap but my little girl is 23 pounds now — 14 months — and just too squirmy and big for it. We just bought an Ergo and it is SO comfy, but she and I are both still adjusting to it. I find that if I bounce her up in the front carry I can (eventually) grab the hook behind my head. I hope we get used to it and come to love it as much as we loved the Moby!
So glad you finally tried an ERGO! I love love love the ERGO and just today handed it over to a friend (*sniff*) so she could use it with her 6 month old.
The new Ergo Sport has a detachable hood, which I think is a good feature. The sleeping hood does tuck into the pocket in the front. It never really bothered me to tuck it in. I do agree it would be nice if it could wrap up nicely for storage.
After wearing it every day, I got used to putting my baby on my back and front easily, and had the straps adjusted to where I needed them and never had trouble.
The ergo is just the best thing ever. I have/had the same khaki one you are wearing – although they are coming out with new designs all the time. My favorite is the new gray galaxy design with white stars. OMG. I’m done having babies, but the new ERGOs make me want to have another.
.-= Missy @ The Marketing Mama´s last post ..Bad signs tick me off, part 2 =-.
p.s I have a really bad back with sciatica and had back surgery. I can’t carry my babes for long periods of time without my back acting up. But the ergo takes all the weight off and puts it down on my hips – making me able to carry them for long periods of time. It’s remarkable.
.-= Missy @ The Marketing Mama´s last post ..Bad signs tick me off, part 2 =-.
Our little guy hit 20 lbs at 9 weeks. We used mostly a fleece mei tai till he was several months old, but by the time he was 6 months or so, I usually preferred the structure of the Ergo. I always wear him on my back unless he’s nursing. He’s 2 y.o. and 36-ish lbs now, and that’s the only way that doesn’t hurt my bad hips and back after awhile.
But I would love to try a Kozy or similar structured mei tai! Money was tight, and the Ergo was a (asked for) gift. I’m very glad we got it, and we’re still using it often, but I really want to try a fancy mei tai, too! Maybe I’ll find a pattern and sew one sometime.
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I’m too shy to leave a comment at the other blog … I never realized that there was an “attachment parenting” philosophy!! I think that whereas it’s crucial to ponder and consider our parenting choices, as parents we should also listen to our own hearts more!
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I really prefer my Patapum over the Ergo. Similar design but the Patapum is more adjustable so it works better for a taller or rounder person. More of a true one size fits all. Plus with the toddler carrier you can carry a heavier, taller baby. You can check them out at Patapum.com but I bought mine at http://www.snappydiapers.com/ a locally mom owned business. I dob’t know what I’d do without mine!