It ain’t easy, having little ones. Just leaving the house can require more luggage than Kim Kardashian on a three-week tour, and take a similar amount of preparation. This is where a baby carrier really comes into its own.
Strap or wrap it on, add child, and hey presto, the world is yours. Step forth on to bumpy terrain, packed trains and into any store you like without the stress of negotiating tight corners and crowds of shoppers. Newborns love being carried and conditions are perfect for a nap: they’re right back where they spent the first nine months, listening to your heartbeat (which can help regulate theirs), cosy from your body heat (ditto) and, if you’re breastfeeding, they’re snuggled right in next to the restaurant – always a nice place to be. Carriers also free you up to play with your other kids or catch up on housework (sssh!).
Read on, and you'll find our pick of the best baby carriers on the market.
The five best child carriers to buy
1. Close Caboo Plus: The best overall carrier for newborns and younger babies
Price when reviewed: from £54.99
Bridging the gap between earth mother and busy modern parenting, the Close Caboo offers all the comfort and intimacy of a fabric sling with the convenience of a structured carrier – it comes preassembled and goes on in less then a minute. Wide straps spread the weight across your shoulders and fit neatly under coats and jackets while sparing you the Working Girl look.* Its soft, stretchy material keeps your baby close and snuggly, perfectly supporting the newborn c-shaped spine and ‘frog-legged’ leg and hip position (see our guide below). You can even breastfeed in it: from the standard front carry position, just shimmy the baby down and adjust the tension – you don’t even have to take him out.
This is a fuss-free carrier with all the natural closeness and support of a stretchy wrap. Highly recommended.
*Always leave your coat open while wearing your baby, to avoid risk of overheating.
Key features: For babies weighing 2.3–14kg (5–32lbs); can be used in three positions: front carry, breastfeeding and hip; no newborn insert required.
2. Ergobaby 360: The best soft-structured carrier for all ages
Price when reviewed: £129; infant insert £29.90
Strong, durable, and incredibly comfortable for the wearer, the Ergobaby original has accreditations and awards coming out of its ears. Its most lightweight model, the 360, can take up to 33lb and is more tecchie than the original canvas one, having breathable synthetic mesh and a stiffer structure that appeals more to sporty types and dads. Facing in, facing out, on your hip or on your back: you have four positions to place your offspring in, depending on his age.
The infant insert acts like a quilt so newborns are likely to be very toasty. For this reason, it might be more suited to winter babies, as the risk of overheating is easier to control. But if your baby’s older than four months, the 360 should be on your shortlist whatever time of year it is.
A versatile, sporty version of this excellent baby carrier.
Key features: For babies weighing 5.5–15kg (12-33lb) and 3.5–5.5kg (7–12lb) with infant insert; can be used in four positions: facing in, facing out, back carry and hip.
3. Connectababy: The best carrier for on-the-go style
Price when reviewed: from £68
The most-borrowed carrier in 2015 at sling libraries across the UK, the Connecta baby could have the simplest design on the market, consisting of one piece of material and a few straps. It’s been sweeping up the golds at parenting awards for the past two years.
What’s the appeal? Well, it’s extremely compact and folds away to fit into the average handbag (you had one of those, once). It’s very simple to position your baby correctly, can be used from birth with no insert, and offers front and back carrying options. It’s made 100% from organic cotton, even the straps and the lining. But what really sets it apart is that it comes in a wide range of achingly beautiful designs, so whether you’re into Mexican candy skulls or hipster tweed, there is bound to be one perfect for you.
A stylish and compact carrier that’s as idiosyncratic as the wearer.
Key features: For babies weighing 3.5–24kg (7.5–52lb). Can be used in two positions: front (facing in) and back carry.
4. Ama Wrap: the best stretchy wrap
Price when reviewing:£39.99 (all colours) with free first-class postage to UK
The Ama Wrap is pretty new to the market, having been created four years ago by then-new-mum Shabs Kwofie. In the style of the Kari-Me and the Boba, the Ama is one long piece of material that wraps around in the usual two tie positions.* But what’s great about it is that, unlike those wraps that often come with reams of fabric that get stretched over time, tangled up with your bed sheets in the wash and eventually come to resemble Mr Tickle, the Ama is only five metres long and is made from 100% cotton that’s been woven in a way to naturally facilitate stretching without the standard 5% spandex or elastane. This makes it more durable than a composite wrap, and means you have less give when fastening it – but not at the expense of any comfort. Recommended.
An attractive range of stretchy wraps that’s ideal for beginners.
* It is possible to position the baby facing outwards, however this is not recommended by Ama as this doesn’t give adequate structural support.
Key features: For babies weighing 3.5–15kg (7.5–33lb). Can be used in two positions: upright facing inwards and breastfeeding carry.