We are now just about 5 weeks away from welcoming our second child and it is time to get serious about picking out a baby wrap/sling/carrier. With my first, the baby carrier and sling we had I just hated. Both gave me incredible back aches, I had trouble doing up all the snaps and buckles by myself and frankly, it was just easier to take her out in her car seat or just carry her in my arms. But with baby #2 and a very active 3-year-old, I know I need to be able to put this one in a carrier of some sort so we can continue on our many adventures. I just don’t see it being as convenient or feasible to take the second one along to the park, the zoo, nature hikes, etc. in the same way and still have hands free for my daughter. Yes, there will be many times that the stroller will come in handy, but a stroller is not always going to work at the park, on a hike, etc. I would like something that would give me the flexibility to still hang out with my daughter, but keep the baby close, safe, and comfortable (for both of us).
So…now I have to make a decision, because what ever we decide on, I need some time to figure out how to use correctly for me. And I really want to have it when we bring him home so we can start using it right away. I also want something I can use for a while, I don’t want to have to buy a new one in 6 months, because hey, these things are not cheap! I am willing to spend the money now so we have something we can use for a while. We still have the other baby carrier that we used with my daughter that the hubby prefers, so this one would be just for me, or mostly just for me.
After much research, discussion, and debate, I think I have narrowed it down to two, the Moby Wrap or the Baby K’tan.
Now I am looking for feedback from anyone who has experience with baby carriers/slings. What worked for you? Why did you like it? How easy is it to use (once you get the hang of it)? How does it work with a newborn? How does it work with an older infant? Pros? Cons?
I am leaning towards the K’tan at this point, just based on the online reviews. It seems that these two are pretty similar, but the K’tan may be a bit easier to put on. But some real world experiences with either would be great to hear about.
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By: The J85 on May 24, 2012
at 9:19 pm
You know my vote: it’d be a Moby (or similar styled wrap). I love ours (from Wrapsody) and both Justin and I use it easily. Yes, an initial learning curve, but once you get it you’ve got and can do it while the older one is dancing around hollering to hold her hand (just a minute!) and the baby is crying to be picked-up. Bam, you’ve got it, pop the baby in, hold on to the three year old, and off you go into the grocery store. Easy-peasy. 🙂 (The K’tan might be good too, of course. I just don’t have experience with it.)
By: Thomasin on May 26, 2012
at 12:28 pm
I am actually leaning towards the baby k’tan. From everything i have seen/read it seems very similar to the moby, just not as much fabric to wrap/put on. We will likely move towards something like the ergo (or similar) when he is bigger, at least for daddy. Depends on how the wrap feels as he gets older/bigger for me.
By: Genny Colby on May 28, 2012
at 8:14 pm
not really sure how i stumbled across your post, lol, but i have some input so thought i would try to help 🙂 i have a k’tan and love it. i actually started off with the moby (i heard so many people talking about it) and i ended up getting rid of it a few weeks later. i just found wrapping to be so annoying – even though i could figure out how to do it just fine, it was still a hassle and pain in the butt! i ended up finding the k’tan and love it to death. it does the same things as the moby, just without all the wrapping and extra fabric. i highly recommend it…
By: Maggie on May 29, 2012
at 8:30 am
I’m Jessica from the meetup moms group. Finally came over to take a peek at your blog. Anywho, if you want to be able to use it long term, don’t get the Moby. They are AWESOME for newbies, but not so awesome as they get older. The material is stretchy, so they start to sag as the baby gets heavier. I was only able to use mine for about 6 months and I have tiny babies (heck Oliver is 2 & only weighs 20lbs). At 6 months I switched to a wahm wrap made out of gauze. It as great since we were living in the south. Gauze is very lightweight and breathable. By far though, my favorite carrier is the Ergo. It works on your front, back, or hip. It’s also a lot easier to put on than a wrap and has a weight limit of about 40 or 45 pounds. My 5 year old still fits in it. In order to use it with a newborn, you do need the infant insert though. I’ve heard good things about the baby k’tan. Out of the 2 you have narrowed down to, I’d say the baby k’tan will last you longer.
By: Jessica on May 30, 2012
at 9:51 am
Thank you for all the input! I did find a store that carried both the K’tan and the Moby in stock and got to check them out. I ended up getting the k’tan. Now to learn how to effectively put it on!
By: Genny Colby on June 7, 2012
at 7:27 am