What is the most Suitable Carrier for my Baby?
Pearline Foo
What is the most Suitable Carrier for my Baby?
What carriers are suitable for your child? It is important that we understand what each stage of their growth requires, in order to find the right carrier.
Newborn to 5 months
Newborn to 5 months – Understanding Baby’s Development
If you intend to use your baby carrier with a newborn to 5 months old baby, it is crucial that you understand the special needs of babies of this age range.
Newborns usually weigh between 2.5kg to 4kg+ with the average at about 3kg+ on birth. Preemies or pre-matured babies would weigh less.
Typically, babies’ neck muscles would only develop enough to hold their head when they reach about 4 to 5 months old. When the babies are strong enough to hold their head and turn independently by themselves, they are said to have achieved “neck control”. Moreover, a newborn is mostly made of cartilage and are unable to support themselves in an upright position. During this period, a snug fit would benefit a child in safe development without putting unnecessary pressure on their spine – further explained on our get the right fit page.
Another thing to know is that all babies are born bowlegged because of their position in the womb. This makes it more comfortable for some babies with tighter legs to be in a “curled” position with their feet close together or a “froggy style”. With time, this bowleggedness will correct itself.
Knowing these, the most suitable baby carriers for babies from newborn to 5 months are the baby ring slings and baby wraps. These are advisable for usage with newborns, due to adjustability and snugness. For preemies, a preferred baby carrier is a stretchy wrap(boba wrap, JPMBB Basic) whose stretchy fabric provides a snug hold for the smaller baby. Making a stretchy wrap the ideal carrying tool to facilitate “Kangaroo Care” for prematured babies. Less stretchy materials (woven wraps, hybrid wraps) are more difficult to manage with small preemies. First time parents/users will also find comfort in usage with a wraps elasticity.
Slings versus Wraps
Knowing these, the most suitable baby carriers for babies from newborn to 5 months are the baby ring slings and baby wraps. These are advisable for usage with newborns, due to adjustability and snugness. For preemies, a preferred baby carrier is a stretchy wrap(boba wrap, JPMBB Basic) whose stretchy fabric provides a snug hold for the smaller baby. Making a stretchy wrap the ideal carrying tool to facilitate “Kangaroo Care” for prematured babies. Less stretchy materials (woven wraps, hybrid wraps) are more difficult to manage with small preemies. First time parents/users will also find comfort in usage with a wraps elasticity.
There are pros and cons to using a sling versus a wrap, mostly depending on lifestyle and preference.
Some parents may enjoy the weight distribution of the wrap while others find the quick slip on ring sling a lot more convenient when they are going outdoors or travelling; the possibilities are limitless! Sometimes, it may even depend on your learning curve.
What about carriers?
Additionally, for those that prefer soft structured carriers for their ease of use and also the option to use the carrier for much longer as the baby grows, there are some soft structured carriers such as the Manduca XT, Boba X, Emei baby, etc. that are designed for newborns as well as older babies. Such versatile carriers are a good options as well.
Generally, soft structured carriers cannot wrap as snugly around the body of a infant compared to a sling or wrap. However, a well fitted carrier can come close.
Minimum weight of the infant has to be 3.5kg and special designs have been incorporated to provide a smaller “seat” for babies before they reach 4 to 5 months (It would depend on the child if their legs are ready to be spread).
These carriers would be suitable for this stage: Boba Wrap, Love Radius Basic, Love Radius Sling, Hugabub Sling, Manduca XT, Boba X, Emei Baby.
5 months to 12 months
This is the phase of your baby’s life that carrying your baby is something very essential yet it gets progressively tougher to carry them comfortably with their increasing weight. So which carrier would be ideal for this stage?
At 5 months, most babies would have achieve neck control. Weight wise the baby would be weighing between 6 to 9kgs.
Through the next few months, your baby would be developing balance and strength to row over, sit by themselves, crawl and about 11 to 14 months old start cruising and walking. Their weight will increase steadily from 5 months old till they turn one year when they start walking, grow taller and the weight gain becomes more gradual from then on.
This is the phase of your baby’s life that carrying your baby is something very essential yet it gets progressively tougher to carry them comfortably with their increasing weight. Babies and toddlers of this age continues to need a lot of sleep and napping throughout the day is common and required for healthy growth. When they are awake, kids of this age loves to see the world. Upright carry is the preferred position now compared to the curled up position when they were younger. A good baby carrier can make carrying your baby a painless affair and allow your child to learn from observing you and the world around them.
The key need that a good baby carrier must cater to for babies of this age group is essentially help parents carry their child’s increasing weight comfortably. As parents would likely be more mobile and adventurous with babies of this age, the flexibility and ease of use of the baby carrier for different carrying positions and for different occasions such as hiking, traveling becomes determining factors for selection of a suitable carrier as well.
Recommended and why
The key need that a good baby carrier must cater to for babies of this age group is essentially to help parents carry their child’s increasing weight comfortably. As parents would likely be more mobile and adventurous with babies of this age, the flexibility and ease of use of the baby carrier for different carrying positions and for different occasions such as hiking, traveling becomes determining factors for selection of a suitable carrier as well.
The recommended baby carrier for babies from 5 months to 18 months is the ergonomic soft structured baby carriers which includes Backpack Carriers.These carriers ergonomically allow carrying babies up to 15kgs at least. The relatively ease of use also make them the preferred choice for carrying toddlers that needs to get in and out of the carriers often.
Wraps and Ring slings
While baby ring slings are excellent for younger babies, as your child grows, they will breach the comfort weight limit for extended periods of carrying (about 30 mins). The baby slings can continue to be used for shorter periods of carrying or for baby nursing purposes but they are not recommended for extended periods of carrying as the weight of the child will be on one shoulder.
Baby wraps have better ergonomics than the baby slings and can still be used comfortably with the increased weight of the child. However, many parents graduate to using a carrier instead to accommodate to a much more adventurous outdoor lifestyle. Furthermore, your newborn-built wrap may no longer be suitable for carrier heavier babies as stretchy materials could result in excessive bouncing or not being able to support your child well. Sturdier, stronger wraps would be more ideal for this stage.
12 months to 24 months
Lots of outdoor activities and not to mention travelling! Your active toddlers are past cruising and more than stable to start their own adventures.
From a year old to two, you’ll definitely see your child up to all sorts of things – exploring, helping out and misbehaving, which leads to some accidents on a daily basis. Their curious minds constantly urge them to move about and that’s when we start babyproofing. Just in case you think this description fits your child, here’s a site where you can start baby proofing right away:
Babies around this age are strong enough to sit up on their own, hence all the movement. An average weight of a 12 to 24 months old baby would range from about 9-12 kg depending on each child respectively.
At this stage, sturdy carriers (Manduca First, Boba 4G, etc.) would be most beneficial for most parents with an advantage of allowing quick pop-ins and pop-outs for busy children. Switching to a back carry can be done for most carriers as well, encouraging engagement between parent and child. When traveling/ hiking/ having fun, your baby can tire themselves easily in the midst of all the excitement and would require mommy or daddy to be ready with backup.
Stronger Wraps
Sturdier wraps such as woven wraps can also be and option for avid wrappers. A sturdier material can help to support the child and avoid a stretchy warp from drooping down. Since slings put the weight on one shoulder, it isn’t advisable for carrying for long periods. However a strong sling (similar to a sturdier wrap) can take heavier weights and can come handy during travelling, especially during long flights.
2 years to 3 years
After your active toddlers, what’s next? Curious preschoolers of course!
A toddler of about 2-3 years would usually weigh about 12kg to 15kg. At 2, your baby is most likely to benefit from a toddler carrier. It is specially designed for their size and weight (up to 20 kg/more) – a larger panel for their longer torso’s and a deeper seat accommodation for comfort. Their thighs gradually grow longer as well as the buttocks growing bigger which some carriers with flatter seats are not able to hold the child with optimized comfort. Their torso gets longer as well which makes most baby carriers lose it’s supportive panel.
Our variety of toddler carriers (Beco Toddler, Kinderpack Toddler, Tula Toddler, Manduca XT, etc.) will do just the right trick for your active lifestyle!
Not sure if your child is ready yet? Be sure to come down for a fitting with us to make sure.
A well fitted carrier is great backup when your kid has a K.O. moment during travelling. Not to mention, excellent support is what keeps babywearing parents going! Take it for a hike or an overseas trip; your brand new toddler carrier will have your back. Woven and hybrid wraps also welcome parents who love wrapping their kids. Plenty of choices for your preference.
3 years to 4 years Beyond
Not just limited to 4 years! Baby Slings and Carriers can take you beyond for any parent who needs it.
If your kid has graduated from his/her toddler carrier, we also offer preschooler carriers which provide excellent support for parents on the go. Preschooler carriers like our Kinderpack Preschooler can carry up to 27 kgs and are definitely suitable for extended childwearing. They can also be used for older children with special needs making it a plus for all!
Versatile newborn to toddler carriers can also be used for this stage. Although your children may not require as much carrying compared to when they were babies, a carrier is always useful for the outdoors when it comes to carrying a tired 15kg-25kg kid. For smaller sized parents, carrying a heavy child in arms can be tough when they constantly growing and putting on weight.
An average 3 to 4 year old child will weigh about 15kg to 18kg or more. They are agile when moving about and their walking is stabalized. At this stage, there are many things they can do on their own.
In order to make sure that your curious little one is comfortable in the carrier, the seat width and height of the carrier panel has to be appropriate for their size. For bigger children, preschooler or maxi toddler carriers are recommended as they are built for their size and weight respectively.
| Baby Carriers | Age Recommendation (Average) | Weight limit |
|---|---|---|
| Boba Wrap | newborn/preemie - 1 or 2 years | up to 15 kg |
| Love Radius Sling | newborn/preemie - 1 or 2 years | up to 15 kg |
| Love Radius Basic Wrap | newborn - 1 or 2 years | up to about 14 kg |
| Love Radius Original Wrap | newborn - 3 years | up to 14 kg |
| Manduca XT | newborn - 4 years | 3.5 kg to 20 kg |
| Boba X | newborn - 4 years | 3.5 kg to 20 kg |
| Emei Baby | newborn/preemie - 2 years | up to 15 kg |
| Didymos Didysling Ring Sling | newborn - 3 years | up to 15 kg |
| Hugabub Sling | newborn - 3 years | up to 14 kg |
| Tula FTG | newborn - 3 years | 3.5 kg to 20 kg |
| Manduca First | newborn (built in insert) - 3 years | 3.5 kg to 20 kg |
| Boba 4G | newborn - 3 years | 3.2 kg to 20 kg |
| Beco Gemini | newborn - 2 years | 3.2 kg to 16 kg |
| Didymos Woven Wrap | newborn - 4 years | up to 22 kg |
| Love Radius Physio Carrier | newborn (seperate infant insert) - 3 years | 3.5 kg to 20 kg |
| Beco 8 | newborn - 3 years | 3.2 kg to 20 kg |
| Tula Explore | newborn - 3 years | 3.2 kg to 20 kg |
| Ergo Omni 360 | newborn - 3 years | 3.2 kg to 20 kg |
| Emeibaby Toddler | 1 - 4 years | 8 kg to 18 kg |
| Beco Toddler | 18 months - 6 years | 9 kg to 27 kg |
| Tula Toddler | 18 months - 6 years | 11 kg to 27 kg |
| Kinderpack Toddler | 18 months - 4 years | 11 kg to 20 kg |
| Kinderpack Preschooler | 3 - 5 years | 15 kg to 25 kg |