Types of Carriers
There
are 5 main types of baby carriers and each type has its pros & cons. Many babywearers find that
they prefer having 2 or 3 different types of carriers for different stages of
baby's growth & carrying situations. The main types of carriers are slings, pouches, wraps, mei tais and soft-structured carrier
which encompasses all types of carriers originally from Asia such as the Mei
Tai, Podaegi and Onbuhimo.
A
sling is a length of fabric either knotted or with metal/plastic rings used to
carry your child in, go over one shoulder & generally a newborn or a young
baby is worn in a front carry, older baby in a ship carry & a toddler in a
back carry, sling carriers with rings come in both padded and unpadded
versions. Wraps are a length of fabric to wrap your child to your body. Some
groups in Africa use a short piece of cloth to tie their child to their backs
at their torsos (which is ideal for work which requires you to bend over
frequently or for salaat) or longer swaths of fabric, generally 4-6yards long
for an upper back carry.
Pack
carriers such as the Bjorn or Snugli are good for front carriers and with a
lighter child while other packs such as the Ergo, Sachi or Patapum can be used
on the front and back and can actually be used to carry a child 40lbs or more
comfortably on your back, although they are great for a infant 6months and
older they might not be very comfortably with a newborn or a young infant due
to the size of the carrier. Asian Baby Carriers are my main interest, the most
“common” kinds are the Mei Tai (square of fabric with 4 ties), the Onbuhimo
(square of fabric with 1 long tie and rings at the bottom) and the Podaegi (2
kinds, the long, rectangular Korean blanket carrier with 2 straps or the narrow
version which is a small rectangle of fabric with ties). Other “niche” carriers
such as the BeiBei, Hmong and Miao style carriers can also be found as well.
All ABC’s can be worn securely on both the front and back and some on the hip as
well.
Pouch Sling
A tube of fabric with open edge &
seam in middle that creates a deep seat for baby. They are worn over one
shoulder & can be used for front, back & hip carries - distributing
weight across shoulder so no single point of strain. Pouches have no rings,
snaps, buckles or ties & the easiest carrier to learn to use. Pouches are
sized to be fitted to the wearer & made from variety of fabrics such as
stretch cottons or fleece.
For a newborn, cradle hold allows
baby to be curled up against your body, closely mimicking womb environment. It
is easy to breastfeed newborns discreetly without removing them from sling.
Yet it's very "poppable" - baby can be taken in &out quickly, boon
for those practicing elimination communications, running errands or toddler
that wants up & down every 5 secs.
Pouches are sized to adult wearer
& what they lack in adjustability they make up for in convenience. Few
carriers take less space in diaper bag or quick to put on & take off as a
pouch.
Can be used in great variety of
carrying positions , among other cradle carry, tummy to tummy, kangaroo
carry, hip carry & back carry.
Made of scrumptious fabric that you
love to wear. They are made using high
quality and gorgeous 100% cotton and cotton blends. Other premium fabric such
as one of a kind hand-woven silk will be offered from time to time.
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Ring Sling
A ring sling is a long piece of
fabric (2-3m long) adjusted to fit over one shoulder by pulling the material
through two rings, leaving a long tail of
fabric hanging in front. They can be padded in shoulder area for added
comfort & also used primarily for front or hip carries. The adjustability
factor of a ring sling makes it suitable for sharing between different sized
wearers and the extra fabric is useful for very discreet breastfeeding in
public. Otherwise, pros and cons are essentially the same as for a pouch
sling.
In its simplest & most elegant
form, a ring sling is a shawl with a pair of rings attached to one end. The
rings replace the knot/tuck-and-twist method of fastening used with
traditional shawl carriers such as Mexican rebozos or Indonesian selendangs.
Some ring slings have padding where the sling rests on the caregiver's
shoulder or along edges of the sling, and some depart further from
traditional shawl carriers by having the fabric at the end of the sling
folded and stitched into a rope-like tail. Ring Slings are an ideal newborn
carrier and are also fantastic for the up-and-down toddler phase.
More versatile than a pouch as it
can be used by different sized wearers. Most people can wear any size - size
simply dictates length of the tail. Use the long tail as a blanket in the
cold, a shield from the shining sun, a nursing cover or to give your child a
break from the ever changing environment.
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Mei Tais
The modern take on traditional Chinese
baby carrier with body panel, shoulder & waist straps; carries traditional
name, "mei tai". The new-generation mei tais have either wide,
padded shoulder straps or extra-wide, wrap-style, unpadded straps for
wearer's comfort. They also offer a variety of features such as headrests or
sleeping hoods for baby, pockets for diapers or other essentials & fabric
choices that range from strictly utilitarian to truly luxurious. Mei tais can
be used from birth and are ideal for sharing among caregivers.
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Wrap
Carrier
A wrap is an ultra-long piece of fabric, tied in
variety of ways to support baby. They come in both stretchy knits & woven
fabrics. This carrier distributes baby's weight evenly onto both shoulders
& comfortable for longer wearing periods. They can be used for front,
back & hip carries. Wraps are really nice for newborns as they support
their floppiness beautifully. However, the learning curve for tying a wrap is
pretty steep. It was difficult to get tension right & although it felt
nice over shoulders, it didn't comfortable around waist.
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Soft Structured Carriers
Soft structured carriers replace knots with buckles and add a
thickly padded waistband and shoulder straps. The result is a different
weight distribution and overall different look and feel from a mei tai,
putting this style of carrier into a category of its own. Soft structured
carriers offer the convenience of buckles yet are vastly different from
framed backpacks in that they hold the baby securely against the wearer's
body. Unlike framed backpacks, soft structured carriers are suitable from birth
through toddlerhood and provide the benefits of body-to-body contact for the
baby (although some require or include a special insert for newborns).
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