Baby Bjorn Front Carrier

Product Type: Baby Bjorn baby products
Newest Review: ... somewhat and means this isn't the answer to all your problems just some of them. The Baby Bjorn is available from all good baby stores, ... more
The Number One Baby Carrier
Baby Bjorn Front Carrier

Member Name: paulie1975
Product:
Baby Bjorn Front Carrier
Date: 11/04/12
Rating:
Advantages: Well designed, secure
Disadvantages: Not much support for your back, can hurt after long periods carrying
The Baby Bjorn is recognised as probably the best baby carrier on the market, the Babybjorn Baby carrier original offers two different ways to carry babies up to 11kg (This should work out around 13-15 months old).
Looks:
When limp on the floor it just looks like a lot of black straps but when set up on a mother or father it looks pretty cool, with a strong support area for babies bottom, decent space for legs, movable straps to adapt as baby grows bigger and a good neck rest. Looks wise it is black, entirely bland, but very professional, it doesn't matter if you have a boy or girl it looks the same, unoffensive, professional and sturdy.
The Two Styles:
When baby is very young and can't support their head the Baby Bjorn is best used with the neck rest up and baby facing the carrier, this is very secure for baby, supports their neck and allows the parent lots of mobility in doing other things whilst looking after baby, it also offers baby the comfort of having a parent or guardian close to them, the security of feeling their warm chest is apparently very reassuring.
As baby gets bigger (around 6 months) and they can hold their head up, you can switch the baby bjorn round so they still put their legs and arms through the available holes but face forwards meaning they can see everything and really enjoy being out and about more, just as their senses dictate they want to know more about everything.
Both modes are good, I liked the early mode as I knew baby was secure, I like the current mode although it does put more of a strain on your back as little one is bigger and can move arms and legs more making movement more difficult. There are moveable straps which can be realigned as baby gets bigger, this is really useful and allows the carrier to adapt with your baby. One point is that the carrier must only be used on your front and can't be adapted to be a back carrier.
Quality:
This item is very secure, it has solid clickable sections to hold baby in place, putting baby in the sling becomes second nature as you do it more and more and it can handle all weathers. We have had ours 18 months and it has been used very regularly and could be used again or sold as 'nearly new'. The quality is strong and it is rightly known as the market leader in baby carriers.
Putting Together:
The instructions are clear and easy to follow, you could make the carrier up without reading them as everything is fairly clear, but the instructions allow you to do things quickly and easily, having somebody to hold baby while you secure them in the carrier is an advantage, but it can be done without and offers more flexibility and freedom for a quick trip to the shops or if you need to look after baby and keep an eye on them whilst doing basic housework.
Overall:
I really like the item, as baby gets bigger it is more difficult to see ahead of yourself and the strain on your back can become greater, but it has worked well for us and in tighter spaces it allows us more mobility. One downside is that if you stop for a bite to eat there is nowhere to put baby as there would be with a pram, but this simply helps make any trip more direct and cuts out unnecessary stops.
I would say the two greatest features of this item are its quality design and the security it gives baby, it doesn't feel loose or flimsy and baby is always safe and secure, the biggest negative is that after about 30-45 minutes of carrying it will start to hurt your back as there is no support for the carrier. This can be difficult and whilst you could share the load with another there is a risk of damaging your back making parenting even more difficult, if this were to be addressed I would give the item 5 out of 5, but I think because of this it limits the usage of the item somewhat and means this isn't the answer to all your problems just some of them.
The Baby Bjorn is available from all good baby stores, we bought ours from Amazon some time ago for £40, it currently sells for £47 and due to the good reviews won't veer far from this price. Overall a sturdy performer that offers baby lots of support and parents comfort for short periods.
Looks:
When limp on the floor it just looks like a lot of black straps but when set up on a mother or father it looks pretty cool, with a strong support area for babies bottom, decent space for legs, movable straps to adapt as baby grows bigger and a good neck rest. Looks wise it is black, entirely bland, but very professional, it doesn't matter if you have a boy or girl it looks the same, unoffensive, professional and sturdy.
The Two Styles:
When baby is very young and can't support their head the Baby Bjorn is best used with the neck rest up and baby facing the carrier, this is very secure for baby, supports their neck and allows the parent lots of mobility in doing other things whilst looking after baby, it also offers baby the comfort of having a parent or guardian close to them, the security of feeling their warm chest is apparently very reassuring.
As baby gets bigger (around 6 months) and they can hold their head up, you can switch the baby bjorn round so they still put their legs and arms through the available holes but face forwards meaning they can see everything and really enjoy being out and about more, just as their senses dictate they want to know more about everything.
Both modes are good, I liked the early mode as I knew baby was secure, I like the current mode although it does put more of a strain on your back as little one is bigger and can move arms and legs more making movement more difficult. There are moveable straps which can be realigned as baby gets bigger, this is really useful and allows the carrier to adapt with your baby. One point is that the carrier must only be used on your front and can't be adapted to be a back carrier.
Quality:
This item is very secure, it has solid clickable sections to hold baby in place, putting baby in the sling becomes second nature as you do it more and more and it can handle all weathers. We have had ours 18 months and it has been used very regularly and could be used again or sold as 'nearly new'. The quality is strong and it is rightly known as the market leader in baby carriers.
Putting Together:
The instructions are clear and easy to follow, you could make the carrier up without reading them as everything is fairly clear, but the instructions allow you to do things quickly and easily, having somebody to hold baby while you secure them in the carrier is an advantage, but it can be done without and offers more flexibility and freedom for a quick trip to the shops or if you need to look after baby and keep an eye on them whilst doing basic housework.
Overall:
I really like the item, as baby gets bigger it is more difficult to see ahead of yourself and the strain on your back can become greater, but it has worked well for us and in tighter spaces it allows us more mobility. One downside is that if you stop for a bite to eat there is nowhere to put baby as there would be with a pram, but this simply helps make any trip more direct and cuts out unnecessary stops.
I would say the two greatest features of this item are its quality design and the security it gives baby, it doesn't feel loose or flimsy and baby is always safe and secure, the biggest negative is that after about 30-45 minutes of carrying it will start to hurt your back as there is no support for the carrier. This can be difficult and whilst you could share the load with another there is a risk of damaging your back making parenting even more difficult, if this were to be addressed I would give the item 5 out of 5, but I think because of this it limits the usage of the item somewhat and means this isn't the answer to all your problems just some of them.
The Baby Bjorn is available from all good baby stores, we bought ours from Amazon some time ago for £40, it currently sells for £47 and due to the good reviews won't veer far from this price. Overall a sturdy performer that offers baby lots of support and parents comfort for short periods.
Summary: The Number One Baby Carrier
