Baby Carriers - Baby Bjorn Range, Original, Active, Synergy, Air???

p1tse

what are the main differences and why the price range?

Had a look at Air, a mesh version was light weight in design which seems good. But going by price it seems to be in middle ground.

What do the others have which make it more expensive?

squashy

It's a lovely feeling carrying your baby. Have you considered a more ergonomic sling that will last you much longer? For example a mei tai which is a traditional asian style carrier with a very simple design which allows you to carry your babe on your front or your back right through toddlerhood.

http://www.mamanatura.co.uk/catalog.htm?category=8 is a good place to start browsing, there are helpful forums on there too and you'll get loads of advice reading those or asking a q.

Mme.Hibou

I love my sling, the kari me is wonderful.

NBirdy

I loved my sling too, I had a Kari-me and a Moby and found the Moby better, more supportive. I'd have a read of the site mentioned or thebabywearer, as it will depend a lot on what age/size your baby is and whether you want to do back and front carries.

The slings are only really good for younger babies, for older babies/toddlers something like a mei-tai may be better. There may be a babywearing meeting in your area where you can try on lots of different styles and makes before making a decision, which I'd strongly advise.

Good luck and enjoy wearing your little one!

ETA I tried a bjorn with my first child and it was nowhere near as good (not nice at all in fact!) as the wraps/mei-tai I got later on, when I'd read up on things a bit more

starbump

p1tse wrote: »

what are the main differences and why the price range?

Had a look at Air, a mesh version was light weight in design which seems good. But going by price it seems to be in middle ground.

What do the others have which make it more expensive?

I can't remember all the different names but I have the normal one and the mesh one. They both carry babies up to around 20-22 lbs. The normal one is sort of padded and quite comfy. You can buy a separate fleece cover to make it very warm and snug for cold days. The mesh one is much lighter and can fold up quite small. It also has a sort of built in pocket which you fold it up into, if that makes sense. The material is thinner so it's a bit cooler for hot days. There is another style, which I think is the "active" one, that has an extra strip of material across the back. This allows you to carry a bit more weight because it gives you more back support. No idea if that works because I don't have one of those. It's also the most expensive one.

Anyway, I think the normal Baby Bjorn will be fine. There is absolutely no learning curve - it is so easy to use the clips. There is no real advantage that I can see to buy the more expensive models, unless you are after a particular colour or material. The main disadvantage is you cannot breastfeed wearing the sling. However, if you express (or use infant formula, I guess) then you can easily give a bottle once baby is old enough to hold up their head a bit.

If you are considering other slings then I must put in a good word for my own favourite - a Maya ring sling. It is very comfy to use, easy to wash, fits everyone, carries babies up to around 3 years old and (a big plus for me) you can breastfeed while wearing it. Oh, and it is considerably easier to transfer a sleeping baby from my Maya to a bed as opposed to from a Baby Bjorn to a bed. In fact, I am rocking my youngest to sleep in my Maya as I type.

Tweetinat

The Original is a thickish fabric and doesn't have a back support/brace.
The Active is a thickish fabric but does have a back support/brace.
The Air is a mesh/lightweight fabric but doesn't have a back support/brace.
The Synergy is a mesh/lightweight fabric but does have a back support/brace.

http://www.babybjorn.com/Start

HTH,

Natalie

kuczer2

I can recommend the Babybjorn Synergy. I know it is expensive, but as a tall father it is the only one I have found that gives real back support for carrying the baby for long periods.

I regularly carry my 6mo boy home from his Grandma's (a 25 minute walk) and I have no complaints. Neither does he and he likes to have his arms and legs free to kick and punch away, which the BB allows!

You can also buy a cover that keeps them nice and snug if you like.

idea

I have one of the kari me ones and it is great.

Problem with the ones that are already made that baby sits in that you have to be the right size to fit them. I'm short so they don't really work for me. Baby ends up practically round my middle and I can't tighten the strap things any further!

p1tse

Tweetinat wrote: »

The Original is a thickish fabric and doesn't have a back support/brace.
The Active is a thickish fabric but does have a back support/brace.
The Air is a mesh/lightweight fabric but doesn't have a back support/brace.
The Synergy is a mesh/lightweight fabric but does have a back support/brace.

http://www.babybjorn.com/Start

HTH,

Natalie

thanks

great summary
just need to see what the back support brace is and offers.

as for the others, maybe the slings might be better for some, but i like the bjorn design

p1tse

starbump wrote: »

I can't remember all the different names but I have the normal one and the mesh one. They both carry babies up to around 20-22 lbs. The normal one is sort of padded and quite comfy. You can buy a separate fleece cover to make it very warm and snug for cold days. The mesh one is much lighter and can fold up quite small. It also has a sort of built in pocket which you fold it up into, if that makes sense. The material is thinner so it's a bit cooler for hot days. There is another style, which I think is the "active" one, that has an extra strip of material across the back. This allows you to carry a bit more weight because it gives you more back support. No idea if that works because I don't have one of those. It's also the most expensive one.

Anyway, I think the normal Baby Bjorn will be fine. There is absolutely no learning curve - it is so easy to use the clips. There is no real advantage that I can see to buy the more expensive models, unless you are after a particular colour or material. The main disadvantage is you cannot breastfeed wearing the sling. However, if you express (or use infant formula, I guess) then you can easily give a bottle once baby is old enough to hold up their head a bit.

If you are considering other slings then I must put in a good word for my own favourite - a Maya ring sling. It is very comfy to use, easy to wash, fits everyone, carries babies up to around 3 years old and (a big plus for me) you can breastfeed while wearing it. Oh, and it is considerably easier to transfer a sleeping baby from my Maya to a bed as opposed to from a Baby Bjorn to a bed. In fact, I am rocking my youngest to sleep in my Maya as I type.

starbump, thanks. which do you prefer out of your two?

beefcarrot

I use a mei-tei sling. It's incredibly comfortable.