What is best baby carrier for newborns
What is the Best Baby Carrier
Hey, everyone. It's Lisa from the blog
FarmhouseOnBoone.com and my little
two month old baby, Daniel.
And today I'm going to be doing a video
I've been promising you and that is
comparing a bunch of different baby
wearing options.
So today we're gonna talk about knit wraps,
woven wraps, a few different varieties of
those. So there is the Baby K'tan which is
supposed to make wrapping a bit easier.
There is the Mei Tai. I'm going to go in
depth on all of these different baby
wearing options. I'm a mom of six. I've been
baby wearing regularly pretty much for
the last ten years. This is my key to
getting everything done around the house
and everything that needs to happen
with my home business and homeschooling
and just having other kids. Baby wearing is
an absolute must. I feel like anybody who
hasn't gotten used to it yet. If you just
get past the learning curve, you find what
wrap works best for you, you will be in
love with it. I have not met a baby yet
who does not like to be worn. And it just
makes life so much easier. I do not know
what I would do without a baby wrap.
This kid never gets put down. He does not
like to get put down. If he does, he cries.
But I can still get a lot of stuff done
around the house because of my wraps.
So let's dive into it. I do want to do a
quick disclaimer before I go into all of
my favorite baby wearing, baby carrying
options. Safety is definitely a concern.
Babies should always be close enough
to kiss, you should be able to see their
nose and be sure that they are breathing.
Baby wearing can be dangerous if you
don't know how to do it properly. As always
do all of your research and this is just my
opinion. I cannot tell you what is best
for you and your family but definitely
take caution with baby wearing. I personally
love it, but you need to know all of the
safety concerns. Also, just use common
sense too, on strangulation. So obviously
some wraps contain longer strings and
ties and that can be really dangerous
around small children so obviously
always close supervision with all wraps
and carriers. The first category we're
gonna talk about are knit wraps so what
I'm wearing right now is a knit wrap.
It is made with stretchy long fabric, it's
basically just a long piece of fabric with
tapered ends. There are probably dozens
and dozens of different varieties on the
market. I've tried probably six or seven.
I'm gonna go into the pros and cons of
knit wraps verses woven wraps and then
some of my favorite brands and what I
like about some and the pros and cons.
The pros of knit wraps, so they can carry
kids up to 45 pounds, depending on the brand.
Some of the more lightweight brands can
only carry smaller babies. I'll go more
into that with each brand. One of my
favorite pros of knit wraps is that you
can tuck the head in. So when I'm going
about my day and I'm down doing dishes or
changing a diaper, on the floor cutting out
fabric to sew, yes I've done that, anything
I need to do. Cooking in the kitchen, I can
do it when I'm wearing a knit wrap because
the head is tucked in. So as you can see
he is super secure and he's not going
anywhere. Now some of the styles of
wraps, it's not as easy to do this part.
It's not as easy to get them in nice and
securely and you feel like you need to
hold their head when you're doing things.
Not so with the knit wrap. Now the reason
for that is because it's stretchy this
feels comfortable. Whenever you're pulling
over something that isn't stretchy this
isn't as comfortable to be against
their head and also it can't be as tight.
Because it's stretchy, you can tie it
super tight. Now I do have a video here on
my channel where I show you how to wrap
one of these. And the key is to get it as
tight as possible. You'll think the baby
isn't gonna actually fit in but they do.
And that's really important because to
get this kind of security where they're
not gonna fall out, you need to get it
really tight. Now another advantage of a
knit wrap is they are so comfortable. They
wear like a t-shirt. So as you can see it's
broad across my shoulders and my
back and this just makes it feel like a
piece of clothing. I don't feel burdened.
When I first started baby wearing I
tried a couple of carriers that are more
like straps and my back hurt so bad.
This just makes it so much more comfortable
because it is evenly distributed and that
is something that is a pro of the knit wraps.
Another advantage of the knit wrap is they
are one size fits all. With wovens, with
different varieties, you get different sizes
for different styles of wrapping, for
different sizes of babies, and this one is
just you buy it and you can wrap it tight.
If you're a smaller person, you'll have
more tails at the end. If you are a
larger person, you won't. But it's one
size fits all. Now if you are a smaller
person, another option is to tie it
around the back so that you aren't
tripping over any strings. So as you can
see here I've tied it with the knot in
the front but I just have secured it
around the back so now I don't have
a lot of excess fabric to deal with.
Another advantage of knit wraps is that
the baby can come in and out of them
without taking them off. So I will take
Daniel in and out throughout the day
out of a knit wrap whereas the Mei Tai,
which I'm going to be showing you in a
little bit, you cannot. You have to redo it
each time. Alright some of the cons of
knit wraps. One, is there is a bit of a
learning curve. So I am so comfortable
with these from using them for so many
years. I know just what I'm doing. It goes
on really quickly. But if you've never
done it before, the first couple times
you'll probably not get the baby tight
enough, you won't feel like they are secure,
you might have a hard time remembering
the steps. So there is a learning curve
to that. The next con is it's a lot of
fabric. So you might feel like you're
just getting a tangled up mess of
fabric, you might feel like there's tails
hanging on the floor. Again I showed you
this trick which, kind of as a solution
for that, but that is considered to be
a con. Another con is you cannot do a
back carry with a knit wrap. So older toddlers
are more comfortable on the back for the
wearer but you can only do that with
non-stretchy wraps because they could
fall back and fall out of it because it
being stretchy. So that would be a con is
that you cannot do a back carry.
Alright let's go into a few of my favorite
brands of knit wraps. Okay this wrap here
is the Boba, it's another knit wrap option
that you can find on Amazon, I will leave
a link in the description below. This is
my current favorite. Now it's a lot like
the Keababies. I will say it's a little
bit stretchier which I do like because he
feels a little bit more snug and secure.
But that could just be because I've owned
it a lot longer. Again, like all knit wraps
it has the great support. I would say
as far as weight, this one is a little
bit heavier than Solly but quite a bit
less heavy than Moby. Also I noticed that
Boba just rolled out some pretty cool
print options. So it has that going for it.
It's less expensive than the Moby and the
Solly, so this is also a great budget
friendly option. It is definitely my
current favorite and the one that I use
the most often. Another brand is the
Solly wrap. I ended up sending mine to
a friend with a newborn because I have
so many other wraps. But some of the
advantages of the Solly is it's super
super lightweight. It wears just like
a t-shirt. For having a summer baby, it's
perfect for that. Another advantage of the
Solly wrap is they come in all kinds of
really beautiful colors. They kind of have
that minimalist feel and the colors and
prints are just more stylish in my opinion
than a lot of the other brands. The cons
are you can't really wear older children
at all because the fabric is so light that
the support just isn't there. Another con
is just that they are really expensive.
So they're not really of the budget
friendly option. But again you are getting
those really pretty prints, so if you're
thinking about it more as wearing a shirt
it's great for that. Alright this here is
the Moby wrap. Now I used this one first.
This is my first baby wearing knit wrap
I ever had so it is a bit old. It's a little
bit faded in spots. Now one thing I will
say about this one is it is not very
stretchy. And I definitely do not prefer
that. I definitely prefer the Boba over
this one. Maybe they've improved the
fabric since the time that I bought this one.
I'm not totally sure. But I will say that
my sister also had a Moby that was not
very stretchy and so that just might be kind
of how they are. He does feel secure.
I could go on with my day just like any
other knit wrap. One thing about the
Moby wrap is it is a thicker fabric.
So if you are wanting to get a wrap for
the warmth, if you want to go out on
a fall or winter day, this one is a lot
thicker than the Boba and the Solly
and the Keababies. Okay next up is
the Baby K'tan. So this is technically a
knit wrap, it's made with the same kind
of fabric pretty much as the Moby.
It's not as stretchy as the Boba, the Solly
and the Keababies. But the reason that
this Baby K'tan was designed is for
people who don't feel very confident
wrapping the Moby wrap or the other
different knit wraps. So this is a little
bit easier. Let me show you how it goes on.
This getting out of the wrap is not fun
for him at all. You put it on like a necklace.
You put your arms through.
So this is kind of like the first part
of the knit wrap is already done for you.
And you just put your baby's feet through
like you usually would once you've tied
the other one. Tuck the little head in.
He's gonna be nice and sleepy and
then mommy's gonna get him up again.
And then you tie the sash around the middle.
This is to mimic the exact same set up as
the other knit wraps but without all of
the wrapping. Now some advantages of this
is obviously it is a little bit easier to tie.
Now me personally I'm so used to
my other knit wraps that this is not easier
for me to do actually at all. Like I can
do my other one faster. Probably once you
get used to it, maybe it isn't. Another
advantage is there's just less fabric to
deal with. So whenever you're done doing
the wrap, you only have these tiny little
tails as opposed to the big long ones.
So it feels a little bit trimmer. Now some
disadvantages. They aren't really
one size fits all, so currently I have
the extra small size. Daniel is two months
old, he feels secure. I could go about
my day. I could do dishes and sew.
However, I don't think this is going to
work much longer. So if he were to be
six months or twelve months, I don't
know that this size will still work. Now that
could possibly not be the case but as of
right now it feels super comfortable, it
totally works. It just feels like he doesn't
have a whole lot of room to grow.
It's not super stretchy. It's more like
the same fabric as the Moby so I don't
like the stretch factor near as much.
Definitely prefer the stretchier Boba
and Keababies, hands down.
This one here is the Keababies
knit wrap. Now I like this one because
it's very budget friendly. I've found it on
sale for really cheap. I will leave a link
in the description box below where I find
this one, now the pros is all the same
pros as the other knit wraps. I like that
he's super tight, I can put his head in,
I like to have the tag right in the middle
so that I can easily find the middle point
so I can put it on really quickly. This one
you can tell is just a little more cheaply
made but you really can't even, in my
opinion, get the fabric on your own this
cheap anyway. So if you're looking for a
really budget friendly option, this one
is perfect. I would say it has about
the same weight as the Boba so it's
lighter than the Moby, heavier than the
Solly. It is not quite as stretchy as
the Boba which is something I'm not
as into but he feels totally secure.
If this is all I had I would be just fine.
I have Daniel here in a front wrap
cross carry in a woven wrap that I DIY'd.
I'm going to be sharing a tutorial on that
so stay tuned, I'll link it in the
description below if you're watching
this later. Now let's talk about the
pros and cons of woven wraps. They are
a lot more supportive for larger babies
and toddlers. Now on that same note
they also are appropriate for a back
carry. So I could take this same woven
wrap and I could wrap Micah on
my back for a day at the zoo or something
like that. Now, because I have two I
probably would just wrap Daniel and
put Micah in a stroller. But if you are
looking to wrap an older child, a woven
wrap is great. Another pro is they come in
some really beautiful fabrics. So because
they're made with woven cotton or linen
there are just some beautiful fabrics.
If you go search woven fabric on Etsy and
you want to make your own with 5 yards
of fabric you're gonna find some beautiful
options. And so if the beauty of the wrap
is important to you, woven's probably are
hands down the best. You can find some
amazing colors. Another pro is you can
find them in some really nice organic
and sustainable fabric choices like bamboo,
hemp, linen, 100% cotton, things like that.
Okay another advantage of a woven wrap
is if you are excited to learn a bunch of
different carries, the woven wrap is
notorious for that. There are so many
options. There's the front wrap cross carry,
scarf carry, rucksack carry, and so many
other options I've seen. If you get into
some baby wearing groups, they're
going to be showing some really
beautiful twists and braids and
kangaroo style, there's just a bunch of
options. So if you are wanting to kind of
you know, explore a bunch of different
options the woven wrap is perfect for that.
Now some of the cons is they can be
really expensive. Because they come in
those beautiful fabric choices, sometimes
they cost up to $200. Now I did DIY this
one with some osnaburg and dyed it with
some fabric dye so it was probably around
$30 to DIY but that is still more expensive
than buying a knit wrap. So they do
carry a heftier price tag. Another con, to
me they're just not as comfortable. You
can spread the fabric out and really
support the weight, but because it isn't
stretchy, it feels like you have something
on verses the knit wraps they wear more
like clothing in my opinion. It feels more
like a t-shirt. Alright next up is the
Mei Tai. Now this is one that I DIY'd.
There'll be a tutorial here on YouTube if
you're watching this in the future
there already is. This is an East Asian
style of wrap or carrier that is essentially
a square piece of fabric with four straps
coming out at each corner. Now I also did
add a little hood to mine which is great
for in the winter if you're gonna be
outside and you want a little bit of warmth.
Also, you can cinch it based on the size of
the child. And if they're sleeping
you can tie it like this for a little
head support. Alright let's talk about
the pros and the cons of the Mei Tai.
The biggest pro that I see is they are so
easy to do. So if you've tried knit wraps
and woven wraps and you just can't seem
to get them right, your baby always feels
really insecure like you can't move around
and do things, this is probably one for
you to try. You essentially just put
the square over where the baby is on
your chest and then wrap around all four
of the ties, just around your back. And then
you have the baby tied on nice and secure.
I also do like that if you have the head
support hood, which many options on
the market do have, I will leave several
links in the description box below to
some really beautiful options that do have
this hood, then you can still move
about your day and do all of your chores
and not worry about the head flopping
out. So if you want to get down on the floor
and you know change a child's diaper if
you have more than one child, then you
can totally do that with the Mei Tai.
Another advantage is it is super
comfortable because the straps are wide
you can put it across your shoulder
with lots of weight distribution unlike
a lot of carriers and you'll feel
really comfy. Another advantage is
because it is made with woven fabric
there are some beautiful options on the
market if the aesthetic is at all a concern
to you. When my second daughter was
born, a friend of mine made me a Mei Tai.
I ended up leaving it at a museum when I
got her out to nurse her, unfortunately.
But one thing I really loved about it is I
found that if the baby fell asleep in this
kind of wrap I could undo the ties and
easily lay the baby down on the Mei Tai
without waking him up. Whereas with
the knit and woven wraps they're so
tight on you that it's very difficult to
remove the wrap with the sleeping child.
Another advantage is if the baby is
already sleeping, it is possible to
tie the baby on without waking them up.
Whereas with the Moby I totally have to
lay the child back down, wrap it all
up, then put the baby back in. So a lot
of times you can kind of work with
this one while still holding the baby
and that's an advantage. Another
pro of the Mei Tai is you can carry
older toddlers with the same size
of wrap and you can put babies on
a back carry. Now I wouldn't put a
newborn on the back carry because I want
to see their face but for a baby that's a
little bit older and for toddlers, this is
supportive enough because it is made
with non-stretchy fabric, to put on
your back and carry the baby that way.
Also is a one size thing. So this works for
Micah and then it also works for Daniel.
Some disadvantages, I would say it is
still not as comfortable as my knit wraps.
I love this wrap, I think it's a lot prettier
than those however, for the day I still
find the knit Boba wrap to be the most
comfortable that I can wear all day
and totally just put the baby in and not
worry about it. Another con of this is that
you can't take the baby in and out.
So with the knit wrap, I will take the
baby out, lay them down if they're being
happy or hand them off to you know Luke
or his sisters or brothers, and then I'll
leave it on and put the baby right back in.
The knit wrap just kind of stays on all
throughout the day. Whereas this style
of wrap, if I were to take him out, I really
can't get him out, he's too tight.
Because it's not stretchy, it's too tight,
so it has to come off to get him out.
So, I won't be wearing this throughout
the day, I'll either be setting him down,
taking the wrap off, or I'll be picking him
back up and putting it on, but I won't
be leaving it on in between time.
Whereas with the knit wrap, I can do that.
Another disadvantage is I haven't found
a way to nurse in this. Now technically
you can nurse in a woven wrap and
a knit wrap. I will say that I've never
figured that out. To me it is just too
difficult. I'd rather just take the
baby out, nurse and then put the baby
back in again. So, that is a disadvantage.
If you find that you are able to nurse
in wraps, this one is not going to be
your wrap because you can't.
Alright well thank you so much for watching
this video. I'm going to leave a master list
in the description box below with all of
my favorite wraps of each of those
different brands. I'm also going
to have a blog post where I have all
of these pros and cons typed out so
that if you want to refer back to that and
make the decision that's best for you
and your family. You might find that you
want one knit wrap for around the house
and then maybe a woven wrap for when
you're out at the zoo. You can evaluate
that list and check my sources and make
those decisions for your family. As always
thank you so much for watching this
video, if you are brand new to my channel
please hit that subscribe button. I make two
new videos every week on food from scratch,
natural living, and a handmade home.
I also will have tutorials in the
description box for how to make this
and a DIY woven wrap both which I made
with osnaburg fabric and some fabric dye.
Alright thank you so much for
stopping by the farmhouse.
