I am the proud mother of an 11-month-old “Velcro baby.” While other 1-year-olds may amuse themselves for brief spurts unattended, my daughter wants to be on my lap or in my arms 90 percent of the day. The same goes for naps, which she has taken exclusively in a wrap her entire life. For my family “babywearing” is not a trend — it’s survival, so needless to say, we take our carriers seriously.
We currently use two different carriers on a daily basis. One is a cotton wrap which, as I mentioned, my stay-at-home husband uses for my daughter’s naps. The other is a mei-tai carrier that I use when I want to do chores. Both carriers have their drawbacks, and my husband and I daily misplace pieces of each, so when I was given the opportunity to test-drive BabyBjörn’s all-in-one carrier, the “all you need” Baby Carrier One, I was cautiously optimistic.
If choosing a baby carrier was all about looks, the Baby Carrier One would win, hands down. In structure and style I would compare it to a tailored tweed armchair. Unlike other carriers with drapey bits that dangle to the floor, and tangled twisted fabric that can appear sloppy, the Baby Carrier One is tidy and compact, equipped with lots of loops for strap storage, and for rolling the carrier handily into a portable purse shape.
Also, in a feat of engineering, the Baby Carrier One eliminates the need for an newborn insert with an adjustable inner fabric panel that has a newborn height setting. Not something we’d use with our 23-pound dumpling, but it was nice to not have to store another newborn doodad for future siblings.
I was also pleasantly surprised at how easy this carrier was to put on. It pulls over your head “like a sweater,” the instructions explain (a great analogy for a cozy product like the Baby Carrier One).
All four of the carrier’s possible configurations start from the same basic position and, for me, this is where the Baby Carrier One started to get exciting. It allows users to wear infants in four different ways: inward-facing (newborn with a narrow seat), inward-facing (wide-legged), outward-facing, and on the back. All four of these positions (yes, even the backpack) can be achieved solo!
If you wear your child often, you’ll know that this is a big deal. The backpack is arguably the most comfortable position to wear and definitely the best position to use if you’re trying to get work done. Our mei-tai carrier requires two people to put on, which means my stay-at-home husband can’t use it while I’m at work.
With the Baby Carrier One, you unfasten one latch to slide your child into the seat, snap the latch closed, maneuver the shoulder straps using BabyBjörn’s instructions, and safely swivel your secured baby onto your back. Hallelujah! Solo backpacking! Now my husband can do the dishes.
Another feature that will interest moms of Velcro babies also has to do with those handy latches. While only one needs to be unfastened to place your baby into the carrier, all four can be released so you can slowly lower a sleeping baby onto a flat surface. This feature alone could make the Baby Carrier One an invaluable tool for parents trying to convince their sling-sleeping infants to do some crib napping.
I had never worn my daughter outward-facing, so we took our test-drive to the grocery store to try it out. I was delighted at how much easier it was to share experiences when my little girl was strapped to my chest. I usually have to ask my husband how our daughter is doing when she’s on my back. It was much easier to tell if her grunts were excitement or frustration when I was behind her and not the other way around.
Another perk to the outward-facing position: BabyBjörn accessories. Although the Baby Carrier One is safe for your infant to gnaw on, if you’re interested in protecting the lovely fabric from drool and baby teeth, BabyBjörn sells an attachable bib specifically for outward-facing wear. I also look forward to trying out BabyBjörn’s waterproof fleece carrier cover. It works in inward-facing position, but I can imagine nothing lovelier than positioning my daughter outward-facing and bundling her in the cover for a winter hike.
All in all, I think that “all you need” is a good tagline for the BabyBjörn Baby Carrier One. It met all of my family’s current needs and provided us with some additional options we’d never even imagined. My only gripe is the weight limit, which is 33 pounds. My daughter has been packing on the chunk lately, and I don’t look forward to the day she outgrows the Baby Carrier One.
This post is sponsored by BabyBjörn. I received a free carrier to test for this review. All opinions are truthful and my own.
One reader will win a BabyBjorn Baby Carrier One: $189.95, Cover for Baby Carrier: $49.95, Bib for Baby Carrier Carrier One: $17.95. To enter, follow the directions within the Rafflecopter widget. You must leave a comment on the blog to have a qualified entry.
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