Structured Carrier Comparison

	Infantino Flip	ErgoBaby All-in-One	Lillebaby	Tula
Price	$30	$180	$169+	$139+
Baby Size	8-32 pounds	7-45 pounds	Newborn – Toddler	Newborn – Preschool
Pro	EASIEST carrier to put on alone	Pouch for carrying phone, keys, etc.Most comfortable forward facing	LUMBAR SUPPORT and the hood has its own pocket	SUPER SOFT, a lot of variety in the prints, and there’s a pouch for your stuff
Con	Flimsy material	Kinda ugly	Needs storage for phone & keys	Lumbar support is additional $ (and not as good as the Lillebaby)
Final Decision	Was our favorite for a few months	Not my favorite but we absolutely used it	I have 4 of these, it’s definitely a good carrier	Ace’s favorite. We have a standard size and Toddler

Baby Ace went to the NICU within his first 24 hours of life. When I finally got to go down and see him he had tubes and wires everywhere, including one in his head. After we came home he needed to be upright the majority of the time and our search for the right carrier commenced. We tried a LOT of carriers. Then we grew out of it and tried a LOT more. This is Part 2: Structured Carriers.

I feel like at this point I’m a bit of an expert on baby wearing. I feel like if a baby carrier company hired me I would tell them that there isn’t a carrier on the market that is PERFECT. But I would happily build one because I have ALL the elements – a little bit from each of the carriers I tried. 

The Infantino Flip carrier was given to me at my baby shower by my cousin. It is the BEST baby carrier I have tried for getting off and on by yourself. Seriously this is my choice for single parents or people travelling solo.  Infantino does have a chest clip BUT it does not affect putting the baby in the carrier therefore you CAN clip it together and slip the whole thing over your head, check the fit for mom, then put baby in and check the fit for baby. Seriously Infantino: GAME CHANGER. This thing is PERFECT for solo parents who have trouble getting the chest/ shoulder clip on. The unfortunate thing about the Infantino carrier is that the fabric is flimsy. There are over 23000 reviews on Amazon.

My sister bought us this carrier for my baby shower and honestly I had sticker shock over the price even though I didn’t pay for it. My other sister and my sister in law SWEAR by this carrier. It was a good carrier but not my favorite. The Pros: there is a BIG pouch for carrying your phone, keys, pacifier, even a lightweight jacket. I LOVE this pouch. Baby Ace loves forward facing in this baby carrier, I can tell for him it is more comfortable. I think overall the carrier feels a little stiff even after washing according to the instructions. Additionally, I like that the leg positions are adjustable and the lumbar pad is sewn into the strap so it doesn’t move around. I do think the plain colors are kind of ugly and it’s not particularly customizable. I HATE reaching up and clipping the shoulder strap, Ace also hates that part. Ironically the next 2 carriers that we tried also have that same problem.

Welcome to the LilleBaby cult. They definitely have a following and for a GOOD reason. There are forums on social media and hashtags galore. I tried ours off FB Marketplace. I got a liiiittle swept up with the moms who have one in every color and match their outfit or their mood or their activities for the day so I have 4 – an airflow, a Minnie Mouse complete, a Mickey Mouse airflow with matching doll carrier, and a turquoise seahorse complete. The ONE THING about these carriers that are so amazing is the lumbar support pad. You can watch a million YouTube comparisons that will tell you how it’s different from other carriers in small ways but that lumbar support that goes up your back and disperses weight is indispensable (fortunately its also removable so you COULD, in theory, put it on another carrier if you wanted). The pocket for the hood is also a nice feature so it’s not flapping around. My cons to this carrier is I wish there was a pocket big enough for my cell phone and keys like in the Ergo, the lumbar support does move around while you’re getting adjusted, and I still have to reach over my head to clip behind my shoulders. Ace likes it ok but it’s not his favorite.

Tula – the Polish baby carrier that has an international following. These carriers aren’t cheap but it was CLEARLY Ace’s favorite because it’s super soft. Like seriously soft. I like that there is a pocket for my keys and cell phone – also they sell pouches that you can attach to the carrier if you need more storage – we have one and it’s fantastic. They do sell a lumbar support as an addition but I still prefer the one on the Lillbebaby so I took it off and put it on the Tula – Voila! Also it clips behind your shoulders but I think that’s a universal problem with soft sided carriers. 

If you’re reading this and thinking: why does she wear SO MANY carriers? We baby wear EVERYDAY. It’s not just to go outside or go places, I wear baby Ace to get the laundry done and homework and dishes and for him to take naps. They get worn a LOT.