Which Baby Carrier Works Best for Newborns?

Wrap? Sling? Pack? Tote?

The only wrong carrier is the one you don’t use

Here are the Pros and Cons of each type of carrier to help you decide. They key is you - interpreting your parenting and life style to find the right carrier or carriers because an urban mom in NYC has different needs than a suburban mom in Indianapolis. I added my own anecdotal comments for reference.

Wraps are the closest you can get to baby being back in the womb and for this reason they are the gold standard. Six yards of fabric secured with a knot, a ring or woven with spandex to keep baby tight against your body. Baby can hear your heart beat and feel the rhythm of your breathing for co-regulating which is key in the newborn stage. The downside is, they can be confusing to put on, generate a lot of body heat, hip dysplasia is a risk and the inability to transfer baby to another person, a stroller or a crib without waking them up is frustrating. I had one and it rarely got used because of all of the above -  it was confusing to put on, I got sweaty within 20mins, and the pressure against my breastfeeding boobs was intolerable.

Slings are a single, two yard piece of fabric that goes over one shoulder. Baby can hear your heart beat and feel the rhythm of your breathing. They are compact, easy to put on, and carry baby in a reclined position. The downside is baby’s face can get hidden by the fabric making positional asphyxiation a hard risk to mange. I had one and it rarely got used because I couldn’t see her face and it gave me anxiety.

Packs are backpack like in construction with heavy padding on the shoulder and hip straps to distribute weight and use buckles secure baby against your body. They are a modernization of the wrap with significantly less fabric and buckles that replace knots and rings. They have all the same upsides as wraps as well as the downsides with the additional downside that they lack head support. I had one and it got used a lot when she was past the newborn stage and less likely to slip through the leg opening and her head wouldn’t flop around.

Totes are constructed from multiple fabric panels and have two straps. They are easy to put on and take off (even if baby is asleep), minimal heating, carry baby in a lay-flat position, you can see their face 100% of the time and they are compatible with the harnesses of baby equipment. The downside is they lack the heavy padding like packs or the yards of fabric of wraps for weight distribution so wearing them for hours in a single position is not as comfortable. But the two strap design makes it easy to transfer baby to another caregiver, crib, stroller or swing without waking them up.

All carriers should have a Children’s Product Certification (CPC) label to prove they passed the mandated testing standards.

You will likely end up with one of each either through the hand-me-down network of moms, baby registries or your own Amazon cart. The only wrong carrier is the one you don’t use. Try them all and tell us why it’s your favorite!