What is the BEST baby carrier?

Used under the Creative Commons license through Flickr. Photography by cesar bojorquez

The is one of the most common questions about babywearing. It's a natural question. You want the BEST for your baby! You want to know what will be comfortable for you, what the baby will like best, and you do not want to waste time or money on a carrier that doesn't work well for you. 

The short answer? It depends! 

It depends on a number of things. And those things are so specific, that what is best for you and your baby may be very different from what is best for your friend and her baby. So, personal recommendations (or lists of "BEST baby products") are often not very helpful 

The long answer? The best carrier (for you) is the one that fits you, fits your baby, and fits your wearing needs. 

So how can you figure out what will work best for you? The usual answer is trial and error, whether that is through trying things out at a private consultation with a professional educator's guidance, trying out carriers from a local babywearing group's learning or lending library, or purchasing a carrier (or two, or three, or more) on recommendation from a friend and hoping it will meet your needs. Who has time for that!? You can be more efficient by thinking about how you might answer these questions:

1. How long do you plan to wear? Newborn stage only? Throughout the small infant stage? Older baby? Toddler and beyond? 
2. How frequently do you plan to wear? Constantly? Daily? Weekly? Occasionally?
3. Do you want one carrier that will last throughout your wearing days? Or might you be open to having a couple of different carriers that you might use at different ages and in different situations?
4. How do you generally hold your baby when you carry him in your arms? How is he happiest?
5. What body shape and size are you? Do you have any physical limitations such as back problems or shoulder problems? 
6. Do you or your baby have any other special needs?
7. Will anyone else be sharing this carrier with you? 
8. What do you value most in a carrier? Comfort, quickness of use, adaptability through ages and stages, budget, appearance? Can you rank those most important to least important?
9. What is your personality like? Do you prefer things that are easy, or do you like a challenge?
10. Do you have any other children? How old?

After answering these questions, you can narrow your options considerably. The best strategy will still be to try on some different carriers, but considering your answers above will help guide what are likely to be good options for you. 

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Used under the Creative Commons license through Flickr. Photography by Pat Castaldo