In winter, you can protect your baby from the sharp bite of the frosty air by babywearing. Keeping your baby close to your chest allows you to share body heat. Just remember to keep the rest of your baby covered.

Use a Wrap Carrier

For younger babies, this is the ideal season to use a wrap baby carrier. Baby wrap carriers don’t leave as much room for air flow, which is a good thing in the wintertime.

Cover Those Baby Legs

If you use a baby carrier that leaves legs free, be sure to cover your child’s legs to keep them warm. Pants can ride up and leave bare skin. Baby spats and baby legs will protect little legs.

Wear a Baby Carrier Cover

Rather than covering each spot the wind and snow try to sneak in, you can wear a cover over you both. Peekaru’s fabulous vest covers every little hollow between you to keep the cold out. This vest fits over you and your baby together. If you only want to cover the baby and the carrier, Catbird Baby makes a baby carrier cover that works with most styles of baby carriers.

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Windows are open. I notice the occasional warm breeze. It’s time to ask whether you have the right carrier to take advantage of this beautiful weather with your baby or toddler. Do you have your summer baby carrier?

As you are out and about this summer, how active will you be and for how long?

Mei Tai Baby Carriers

If you will just be walking around town or going to the park, a soft mei tai baby carrier gives you a good balance between comfort and support for both you and your baby.

The FreeHand Mei Tai Baby Carrier is soft like traditional Asian baby carriers.

The BabyHawk Mei Tai Carrier has thicker, padded shoulder straps.

Both of these mei tai carriers get great reviews from our customers.

Soft Pack Buckle Carriers

If you will be hiking and spending a lot of time wearing your baby, a soft-pack buckle baby carrier will give both of you more support.

The Ergo Baby Carrier is our most popular baby carrier—lightweight an very comfortable.

The Boba Baby Carrier takes the traditional mei tai shape and adds zippered pouches, straps, and buckles to make this adaptable for long periods out.

Ergo always gets great reviews, but none of our customers has reviewed the Boba yet. Be the first!

A comfortable baby carrier that fits your lifestyle makes an active summer with your baby so much easier.

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As I’ve been checking out the byNature.ca sale on baby products today, I see that there are some great bargains on some of the most loved products in the store. I love the review system, and I admit to skipping straight to the highest-rated products because I figure I need to check them out before everyone has the same thought that I do and they are all gone.

Baby Carriers
BabyHawk mei tai (above) is a versatile, reversible baby carrier that makes babywearing easy for mothers and fathers alike.

Couldn’t live without it!
Price – 4 stars
Value – 5 stars
Quality – 5 stars

Our babyhawk is our workhorse carrier. It is SO comfortable. I’ve carried both kids in it at different ages, including my 2 year old daughter on my back while I was 36 weeks pregnant! Its easy to use, comes in great fabrics, is durable and just all around fabulous. Big thumbs up! (Posted by Kalista on 6/7/10)

Off Season
When you are looking for a bargain, it helps to think ahead. If you can manage to look past the snow to next summer, think of your baby swimming. Bummis Swimmi swim diapers are the best swim diaper around, and Badger Non-toxic Sunscreen is a best seller every year.

My search for the best reusable swim diaper is over!!
Price – 5 stars
Value – 5 stars
Quality – 5 stars

I’ve tried a few different reusable swim diapers and this is the only one that has held in the really loose newborn poop, which saves me from a lot of embarrassment!! We go swimming often and it’s nice to know that my kids are keeping the water clean. (Posted by Nicole on 7/2/10)

The best natural sunscreen!
Quality – 5 stars
Price – 5 stars
Value – 5 stars

Since discovering my daughter is allergic to the active ingredient in most chemical sunscreens, I started investigating natural options. I have tried a number of different zinc oxide and titanium dioxide based sunblocks and Badger is far and away our favourite. It rubs in easily and doesn’t leave large white streaks like many zinc-based products. This sunscreen does have an oily texture so I would not recommend it for adults with oily skin, but for children and adults with normal skin, it is just fabulous! (Posted by Lorraine on 6/30/10)

Cloth Diapering
Cloth diapers and diaper accessories have no season. The constant need for diapers is one of those realities of parenting. So, when the sales come around on your favorite products or products you’ve been considering trying, it’s time to act. Berry Plush minky diaper covers and two styles of FuzziBunz, Classic one-size and Perfect size, are on sale. We also have vinyl-free changing pads.

LOVE this one, so soft, really absorbent, very much worth the price
Price – 5 stars
Value – 5 stars
Quality – 5 stars

I love this diaper. I don’t think I could say enough about it. It is a little expensive, but so worth it. The mink is soooooo soft – I have a hard time resisting touching it when I take it off the line. It is so absorbent and the outside is so soft to the touch and so cute that I love letting my son run around without pants when he’s wearing it. I love that it can used as a wrap, and that the inside unfolds to dry easy and fast. (Posted by Miranda on 6/12/10)

Great Diaper
Price – 5 stars
Value – 5 stars
Quality – 4 stars

I’ve tried a bunch of different diapers and this is my favorite. It fits great for new babies and is very adjustable as they grow. . . . For those that think cloth diapering is leaky… every morning, my little one completes her morning routine…smile, eat, poop,blowout. Since we switched to cloth, everything has stayed IN the diaper. (Posted by mom2three on 12/3/10)

Love these!
Price – 5 stars
Value – 4 stars
Quality – 5 stars

These are our #1 choice for going out in. They have never leaked on my 5 week old and we were able to start using them when he outgrew the newborn disposables at 1 week (he was 9lbs 11 oz at birth). I just wish the price was lower but they are worth it and come with 2 inserts. (Posted by NinaN on 11/9/10)

Great and Simple
Quality – 5 stars
Price – 5 stars
Value – 5 stars

I bought one and ended up buying a few more. It’s a simple product, but so effective and practical. The fleece truly is super soft and of good quality (stays clean and nice after many washes and things don’t stick to it like some fleeces). Even the vinyl-free material is nice to the touch. The material is much like the pocket diapers but in a changing pad format. I ended up putting two under the cribs fitted sheet. They fold very small and, the best part, no vinyl! (Posted by Michelle on 7/1/10)

You can get some great bargains with the other bynature.ca sale products. These are only some of the items that have already been reviewed. Help other parents make the best choices, and help us know what you like best, by leaving reviews for products you like as well as for products you don’t like. It’s fast and easy. Your honest reviews help everyone.

Happy bargain hunting!

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Adding a few buckles and snaps to a Mei Tai, with some extra padding and structure, will give you a soft-pack or “buckle” baby carrier. Soft structured baby carriers include the popular Ergo Baby Carrier, a favorite for Dad, as well as the hip-carrying baby carriers that are gaining in popularity for toddlers and older babies. Just because baby is getting bigger, doesn’t mean you have to stop carrying them!

A structured baby carrier evenly distributes the weight of your baby across both shoulders and hips, making it comfortable to carry for long periods of time. Most parents find they can carry a baby, especially a heavy toddler, the longest in a structured carrier. Our best-selling Ergo Baby Carrier can be used with a baby more than 40lbs and the Beco Butterfly II can be worn with a child up to 50lbs.

Because the tiniest babies need more support for head and neck, a structured soft pack carrier is best for an older baby with head control (3 months+).

With their comfort, ease of use and mainstream appeal, it’s easy to see why soft-structured baby carriers are so popular among parents. If you do a great deal of walking or hiking with your baby, this is the baby carrier to choose.

This post is part of a series in which we give an overview of baby carrier styles, comparing the specific baby carriers available within each style. Despite the variety of baby carriers on the market today, nearly all fall into one of four basic styles.

• Baby Wraps
• Baby Slings (includes pouch slings and ring slings)
• Mei Tai Baby Carriers
• Soft Pack Baby Carriers

Soft Pack Buckle Carriers

Advantages

• easy to use
• ergonomic, so weight is evenly distributed to hips
• very supportive
• usually Dad’s favorite
• high resale value

Disadvantages

• not usually recommended for newborns who cannot hold their heads up well (3 mo +)
• does not fold compact for travel or in a diaper bag
• can be more expensive due to the amount of workmanship required in their manufacturing

Soft Pack Baby Carriers Compared

BabyHawk Oh Snap Baby Carrier
Style: Soft Structure Baby Carrier
Age: 15lbs to 45lbs
Carrying Positions: Front (in or out), Back

Beco Baby Carrier, Beco Butterfly II
Style: Soft Structured Baby Carrier
Age: Suitable for newborn to 50+ lbs
Carrying Positions: Tummy to Tummy, Back Carry
Origin: Made in the USA and China

Gemini Beco Baby Carrier
Style: Soft Structured Carrier
Age: Newborn to 35+ lbs
Carrying Positions: Tummy to Tummy, Back, Hip
Origin: Made in the USA and China

Ergo Baby Carrier also in Sport Style
Style: Soft-Pack Structured Baby Carrier
Age: Suitable for newborn (with infant insert) to 40lbs
Carrying Positions: Front (infant to toddler), Hip, Back (with older baby only)

Ergo Performance Baby Carrier
Style: Soft-Pack Structured Baby Carrier, light and durable for activities
Age: Newborn to toddler
Carrying Positions: Back, Front, and Hip

FreeHand Baby Carrier
Style: Soft Structured Carrier
Age: Newborn to 35lbs
Carrying Positions: Front (facing in or out), Newborn carry, Back carry

Pikkolo Baby Carrier
Style: Hybrid Mei Tai & Soft Structured Carrier (A Mei Tai with Buckles!)
Age: Newborn to 40 lbs
Carrying Positions: Forward Facing In or OUT, Hip & Back Carrying

Scootababy Hip Baby Carrier
Style: Soft Structured Hip Carrier; a cross between a Mei Tai & a Sling
Age: From head control (approx. 5 months) to 40 lbs (toddler)
Carrying Positions: Tummy to Tummy, Hip/Side, Back (short periods)

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The Mei Tai baby carrier is comfort and fashion all in one. Mei Tai is pronounced “may tie” and is also referred to as an Asian baby carrier. Unlike baby wraps and baby slings, a Mei Tai adds padded shoulder straps and waist straps to a small, square body to give the Mei Tai unlimited options for babywearing positions. Because the adjustability is in the long straps, a Mei Tai is a one-size-fits-most baby carrier, easily shared between Mom, Dad and other caregivers.

We LOVE this baby carrier in particular for its versatility in the extremely varied weather of Canada. It can easily be adapted to use over light clothing in the summer time, or over a big, bulky coat when you need to keep warm during a blustery winter day.

Mei Tai Baby Carrier is comfortable and versatile like no other baby carrier. You have complete control in the positioning of the baby within the carrier, based on how you tie the straps. Baby likes to be tucked in and hidden? No problem! Your toddler wants to be propped up to see the world? A re-tie here and there, and you’re set! Baby’s arms are out and he can watch as Mom goes about her day. This adaptability means it is easy to get a comfortable fit on any wearer.

This soft, strappy baby carrier is easy to use, comfortable for you, fun for baby, and stylish. What more could you ask for in a baby carrier?

This post is part of a series in which we give an overview of baby carrier styles, comparing the specific baby carriers available within each style. Despite the variety of baby carriers on the market today, nearly all fall into one of four basic styles.

• Baby Wraps
• Baby Slings (includes pouch slings and ring slings)
• Mei Tai Baby Carriers
• Soft Pack Baby Carriers

Mei Tai Baby Carriers

Advantages

• our favorite for back carrying a young baby (less than one year), especially when there is a second child to attend to
• weight is evenly distributed over both shoulders and hips
• very supportive
• very versatile, offering unlimited number of carrying positions
• can be used front and back with a newborn to 30+ lbs (3 years or more)
• big variety of beautiful fabrics available
• higher resale value

Disadvantages

• not as heavily padded as most structured carrier (but this can be an advantage for a parent that wants less bulk!)
• straps are long and can drag on ground when tying (difficult in the rain or slushy weather)

Mei Tai Baby Carriers Compared

FreeHand Mei Tai Baby Carriers, also comes in Embroidered style
Style: Mei Tai Baby Carrier (Asian Inspired Baby Carrier).
Age: Suitable for newborn to toddler.
Carrying Positions: Front, Hip/Side, Back (all positions, infant to toddler)
Fabric: 100% cotton straps/structure. Printed fabric will vary.
Origin: Made in USA

Kozy Mei Tai Baby Carriers
Style: Mei Tai Baby Carrier (Asian Inspired Baby Carrier).
Age: Suitable for newborn to toddler.
Carrying Positions: Front, Hip/Side, Back (all positions, infant to toddler)
Fabric: 100% cotton canvas straps/structure.
Origin: Designed & created by work-at-home moms in the USA.

BabyHawk Mei Tai Baby Carriers
Style: Mei Tai Baby Carrier (Asian Inspired Baby Carrier).
Age: Suitable for newborn to 35+ lbs.
Carrying Positions: Front, Hip/Side, Back (all positions, infant to toddler)
Fabric: 100% cotton straps/structure. Printed fabric will vary. Reverses to solid (except camo).
Origin: Made in USA

Pikkolo Baby Carriers
Style: Hybrid Mei Tai & Soft Structured Carrier (A Mei Tai with Buckles!)
Age: Newborn to 40 lbs.
Carrying Positions: Forward Facing In or OUT, Hip & Back Carrying
Fabric: All cotton (exclusive of trim)

Interested in other Asian-inspired baby carriers? Wondering about pods and onbus? See our post comparing Podaegi and Onbuhimo with the mei tai.

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Take a wrap baby carrier and sew it together (pouch sling) or add rings to enable easy adjustability (ring slings), and you have our next category of baby carriers: baby slings. A baby sling is as uncomplicated as any baby carrier gets.

Baby Slings are compact, sleek, and easy to use. Their simple design makes them one of the most popular baby carriers available. We firmly believe that NO new mother should be without a simple baby sling for an easier adjustment to life with baby. You will be an expert at babywearing in minutes.

Using a baby sling or pouch couldn’t be easier. Just put it on and take it off like a shoulder purse. The baby pops in and out quickly, making a sling the perfect choice for a little one who wants up and down (and up again!) all day long.

Slings are a favorite baby carrier for carrying a newborn and for nursing hands-free. When paired with a soft-pack baby carrier, you’ll have the perfect baby wearing combination from birth to toddlerhood.

This post is part of a series in which we give an overview of baby carrier styles, comparing the specific baby carriers available within each style. Despite the variety of baby carriers on the market today, nearly all fall into one of four basic styles.

• Baby Wraps
• Baby Slings (includes pouch slings and ring slings)
• Mei Tai Baby Carriers
• Soft Pack Baby Carriers

Ring Slings

A ring sling takes the simple wraparound cloth baby carrier a step further. Rather than tying the fabric and using knots to secure it, attach two large rings and you have yourself a ring sling.

When the length of fabric is threaded through the rings, a pouch is formed where your baby will sit. You can adjust the size and shape of the sling through the rings. Baby can be worn snuggled in, laying down, facing out in front like a kangaroo, on the hip, or on the back looking over your shoulder.

Sometimes padding is sewn into the sides (“rails”) or shoulder of the sling, and a tail is left from the fabric that has been pulled through the rings. Some ring slings include a pocket in the tail to carry your extras while out and about.

Pouches

A pouch is a tube-style baby carrier, generally one long circle of fabric sewn with a curved seam to provide a pouch for your baby to sit in. There are no rings for adjustment, so usually a pouch sling is sized to fit the individual who will be wearing it. This is perfect for a baby who wants to sit on your hip.

Innovations to the basic pouch sling design have included zippers or snaps to make them adjustable, and a hybrid pouch—a pouch sewn into a ring sling for both comfort and adjustability.

Advantages

• short learning curve
• very compact, so it will fit into a purse or diaper bag easily
• most loved for the newborn stage – easy transition from snug environment of womb to compact sling
• easy to move baby in and out of carrier
• easiest for hands-free nursing
• pouch has no extra tail fabric to figure out
• tail of ring sling can be used for a nursing cover up

Disadvantages

• Sizing is important in a pouch sling for the most comfort. Ring slings make this easier, but some parents find the rings more difficult to adjust.
• only one-shouldered support, so a sling is less comfortable for extended wearing or for heavier babies and toddlers
• a pouch is less versatile for carrying in different positions

Sling Baby Carriers Compared

Upmama Hybrid Baby Slings
Style: Adjustable Unpadded Ring Sling Hybrid (ring sling/pouch)
Age: Newborn to toddler (35 lbs)
Carrying Positions: Cradle, Kangaroo, Tummy to Tummy, Hip/Side, Back (toddler only)
Fabric: Cotton Sateen (97% cotton, 3% spandex)
Origin: Made in Canada

Maya Wrap Baby Ring Slings
Style: Adjustable Lightly Padded Ring Sling (padded in shoulder only).
Age: Newborn to 35 lbs.
Carrying Positions: Cradle, Kangaroo, Tummy to Tummy, Hip/Side, Back (toddler only)
Fabric: 100% hand-woven cotton
Origin: Hand-loomed using fair trade labor in Guatemala

Sakura Bloom Baby Ring Slings
Style: Adjustable Unpadded Ring Sling
Age: Newborn to toddler (35 lbs)
Carrying Positions: Cradle, Kangaroo, Tummy to Tummy, Hip/Side, Back (toddler only)
Fabric: 100% Irish linen
Origin: Made in USA

Hotslings Adjustable Pouch Baby Slings
Style: Adjustable Pouch Sling (one-size)
Age: Suitable for newborn to 30lbs+
Carrying Positions: Cradle, kangaroo, front facing in & out, hip carrying
Fabric: 97% Cotton Sateen, 3% Spandex
Origin: Made in USA

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There are so many choices in baby carriers today that it can easily become overwhelming for someone just starting out. Add to that the vast amount of information available online, and it’s no wonder many parents just purchase the first or most well-known carrier they come across. Unfortunately, some carriers are not designed for extended periods of use or with an older, heavier baby, and they end up pulling mercilessly on your back and shoulders. Some have so many buckles, snaps, loops and straps that they dig into you, the baby, or both. We’ve been there, and we’re happy to compare baby carriers so that you can narrow down which carrier or carriers might work best for you.

For the next few weeks, we will give an overview of baby carrier styles. Despite the incredible variety of baby carriers on the market today, nearly all fall into one of four basic styles.

• Baby Wraps
• Baby Slings (includes pouch slings and ring slings)
• Mei Tai Baby Carriers
• Soft Pack Baby Carriers

Baby Wraps

Baby Wraps, also known as wraparound baby carriers or just wraps, are without a doubt the most versatile baby carriers available. Simple carrying cloths are also the most common traditional baby carriers around the world because of their simplicity and versatility. The caregiver uses a square, rectangular or long strip of fabric to wrap and tie the baby to their body. Knots are used to secure and adjust the carrier to the baby and to the wearer. Carrying scarves can be useful long after your babywearing days are over.

Carry your baby in unlimited carrying positions with a wrap, and one size will fit any babywearer, from Mom or Dad to Grandma or Grandpa.

Advantages

• very comfortable for baby
• most versatile, offering unlimited number of carrying positions
• ergonomic support for both baby and adult
• easily adapts to various baby weights and sizes for both front and back carrying
• one-size fits most baby carrier

Wraparound carriers are particularly suited for kangaroo care, the practice of holding premature and full-term newborns skin-to-skin for optimal neurological development.

Disadvantages

• lots of fabric can be confusing
• somewhat steeper learning curve – requires practice to become efficient in tying the baby carrier and adjusting to the baby
• can get warm in the summertime (but keeps baby warm in cooler weather!)

Wraparound Baby Carriers Compared

Moby Wrap Baby Wrap
Style: Baby Wrap Carrier – Stretchy
Age: Best for for newborn to 30+ lbs
Carrying Positions: Unlimited – Front, Hip/Side, Back
Fabric: 100% cotton double knit-interlock
Origin: Made in Thailand

Organic Cotton Cuddly Wrap Baby Wraps
Style: Baby Wrap Carrier – Stretchy
Age: Best for for newborn to 30+ lbs
Carrying Positions: Unlimited – Front, Hip/Side, Back
Fabric: 100% ORGANIC cotton
Origin: Made in Canada under fair trade labour practices

EllaRoo Woven Baby Wrap Carrier
Style: Baby Wrap Carrier – Woven
Age: Suitable for newborn to toddler
Carrying Positions: Unlimited – Front, Hip/Side, Back
Fabric: 100% handwoven cotton. Non-toxic, baby safe dyes
Origin: Handmade in Guatemala under fair trade labour practices

Blue Celery Baby Sling / Wrap Hybrid
Style: Baby Wrap / Sling Hybrid (2 pull-on loops + waist sash) – Stretchy
Age: Newborn to toddler (35lbs)
Carrying positions: Cradle, Kangaroo, Tummy-to-tummy, Forward Facing, Hip/Side
Fabric: Organic stretch cotton
Origin: Made in Canada

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A Black Hmong woman carries her baby on her back

International Babywearing Week celebrates babywearing around the world. New innovations is mass-marketed baby carriers often have their roots in long traditions. Really, carrying a baby is quite simple. Women use what they have to hold their babies close while they go about their busy lives.

In the end, the differences in traditional baby carriers around the world are minor.

Asian baby carriers are generally a square or rectangle of fabric with straps to tie around the mother.

Both the Mexican rebozo and the African kanga are simple rectangles about the size of a baby blanket or a shawl (since they are shawls, after all). These simple pieces of cloth can be worn in many ways, often with two shawls—one around the mother’s upper body taking the weight of the baby’s bottom and one around the mother’s middle holding the baby in snuggly.

Even the 19th-century plaid (Scottish great kilt or Earasaid) that my husband has from his family was used as a baby carrier by Scots women.

Where cloth is less common, we find solid carriers like cradle boards and baskets, which women tie to their bodies, hang from a tree, or even hook over a horse’s saddle, in the case of a Navajo (Diné) craddleboard.

Around the world, women used what they had to carry their babies. What is clear and certain is that women use baby carriers to make the task easier. Women have always used baby carriers to make their lives easier—and I use the word “always” in a lose sense to mean for millions of years.

Wearing a baby rather than carrying in arms or not carrying at all was practical, but the results of our ancestors 2.2 million years ago creating slings for their babies were that development continued outside the womb. In a recent book, prehistorian Dr. Timothy Taylor found that attachment to mother by a sling and the safety that brought meant development of bigger brains.

Yes, that’s what I wrote, and here’s what he said, “Courtesy of the baby sling, our ancestors got smarter.“ Taylor finds that the baby sling is one of those technologies that changed the course of human evolution.

To see the amazing variety of ways that women carry their babies around the world, see this great Flickr collection of babywearing around the world. There are 400+ images, so sit back and enjoy the slide show.

Image © Pachot | Dreamstime.com

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October 6-12 is International Babywearing Week, when people around the world show the variety of ways they wear their babies and keep them close enough to kiss.

Find an official celebrating organization, and see some of the ways organizations around the world celebrate babywearing. Check out the world’s longest baby sling from Budapest, Hungary, during last year’s celebration.

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Today is a sad day. This is the day that Hotslings closes.

Hotslings have been a staple for us for five years. It was one of the first products we opened our doors with.

In the early days of Parenting by Nature, the baby slept, watched, and played happily in her Hotslings while Tamara created a website, filled orders, and handled customer service emails. “I don’t think I’d be where I am today had I not discovered Hotslings prior to her being born,” says Tamara. “She practically lived in her Hotslings for the first 8 months of her life.”

These slings and this company will be greatly missed.

The Baby Carrier Industry Alliance (BCIA) has made a great tribute to Hotslings. Bynature.ca is a member of BCIA, a trade association for the baby carrier industry. BCIA welcomes anyone interested in keeping babywearing safe and baby carriers available to join as a Supporter.

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