If there’s one thing I’ve learned about baby carriers, it’s just how difficult it is to find one that suits you. I’ve tried wraps, slings and soft-shelled carriers, and they’ve all had their pluses and minuses, but I hadn’t really found one that I truly loved — until now. I was recently provided with a Baby K’tan baby carrier for the purpose of a review, and I’m so excited about this carrier because it has so many of the things I’d been hoping for in a baby carrier.

My rating:

 

The bottom line

This carrier is very easy to use, comfortable to wear and has many unique design features that make it a great everyday baby carrier, but you and your partner won’t be able to share it unless you happen to wear the same T-shirt size.

Pros

• Doesn’t have any straps or buckles to adjust or fabric to wrap
• Distributes weight across your back and shoulders
• Compact, so you can easily keep it on or put it in your diaper bag when you’re not wearing your baby
• Includes storage pouch that doubles as a sash for added support, security and storage while you’re wearing your baby
• Multiple wearing positions for babies from 8-35 lbs.
• Machine washable and dryer safe
• Made of 100% cotton knit fabric that stretches one way
• Provides a soft cotton head support for baby
• Wide fabric allows for ergonomic positioning of your baby
• Available in various colors and styles, including organic and a 50% cotton/50% mesh blend to reduce heat and moisture while you’re wearing your baby
• Available in sizes XS-XL

Cons

• Since this carrier is fitted, it cannot be worn by multiple people with different body types
• Again, because it’s fitted, it may make you more aware of any weight you’ve gained during pregnancy
• Newborn hold doesn’t provide head support for an active baby who wants to look at the world around her but doesn’t have full head control yet

My review

One of the things I first noticed about this carrier is the attention to detail in its design. I love the fact that it comes with a storage pouch that you can put the carrier in when you’re not using it. And unlike some soft-shelled carriers and wraps I’ve used, it’s slim enough to pop into your diaper bag and it doesn’t take an engineering degree to figure out how to get it back in the pouch.

Even more ingenious, when you’re wearing the carrier, the storage pouch doubles as a sash that you can wrap around your baby for extra support. I love this feature because it gives you a little place to store your keys or other small necessities while you have the baby in the carrier and ensures that you always have the storage pouch convenient.

Ease of use

I had a little trouble getting my baby situated in it the first time I tried it on, but no trouble after that. Each carrier comes with illustrated instructions about different holds you can use with the carrier and there are also videos available online that show you how to put it on. It really is one of the easiest carriers I’ve ever used.

Since it’s sized, it doesn’t have any straps or buckles that you have to deal with to adjust it. And unlike a wrap, it doesn’t have several yards of fabric that you have to contend with either. That means getting your baby in and out of the carrier never requires part of the carrier to drop to the floor, which is a critical feature if you ever need to, say, change a diaper when you’re in public somewhere and you don’t want the carrier to touch the floor of a public restroom.

Another benefit: Once it’s on, it’s comfortable to keep it on, so you can easy slip baby in and out of it. Since it isn’t bulky at all, this meant I could easily keep it on while doing housework or during diaper changes without it getting in the way.

Additionally, because the carrier distributes weight across your back and shoulders rather than your hips, it is much easier to squat down wearing this carrier than with some others I’ve used. This also means you have free access to your pants while wearing the carrier, which makes life much easier if you need an all-important bathroom break while wearing your baby.

I also found it very easy to nurse my daughter while wearing this carrier. I simply shifted her position a little within the carrier and pulled back a little of the fabric to nurse and then repeated the process in reverse once she was done. Again, not having to worrying about tying or untying anything, straps or buckles makes this a very simple process.

Possible drawbacks

As much as I love this carrier, there are still a few potential downsides. Since it’s sized, it’s way too small for my husband to use as well. This isn’t a big issue for us, since I do all the baby carrying at the moment and we have other carriers he can use, but if you want a carrier that can be used by multiple people with different body frame sizes, this is not the carrier for you.

Additionally, although my daughter’s only 2 months old, she doesn’t really seem comfortable in the newborn hold with the fabric over her head when she’s in an awake and active state. She likes poking her head out and looking around, even though she doesn’t have full head control yet. So, for now, when I have her in this carrier and she feels like looking around, I find myself supporting her head with one of my arms so she can keep her head out. This obviously defeats part of the purpose for having the baby carrier, but I’m confident this will be a non-issue in a couple of months when she has better head control.

Finally, because I ordered this carrier in my pre-pregnancy size small but I haven’t shed all my baby weight yet, this carrier made me more aware of the extra baby weight I’m still carrying. Again, I’m hoping this will be a non-issue in a few more months when I’ve lost some more of my baby fat.

Giveaway

If this sounds like a great carrier to you, then I’ve got even better news: Baby K’tan is providing a baby carrier valued at up to $49.95 to one lucky Our Natural Journey reader. The giveaway will run from April 1-15 as part of the “Showered with Love” giveaway hop.

Disclosure: Baby K’tan provided me with this carrier for the purpose of a review. All opinions expressed are 100% honest and my own.

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