Baby carriers are game changers when you need to be hands-free, but picking out the best infant carrier to spend your money on can be confusing, especially if you’re still expecting your baby and you’ve never tried one on before. There are many options, ranging from simple fabric wraps to structured carriers to backpack-style frame carriers for hiking. You want to make sure you’re investing in one that’s easy for you to put on, comfortable to wear for half an hour or more and, ultimately, durable so you get a lot of use out of it.
The DailyNow&Then parenting and product experts review all the essential products for babies and their caregivers, from maternity clothes and baby monitors to bath toys and organic baby food. To find the best baby carriers to buy, our fiber scientists, engineers and parenting pros have logged thousands of hours testing dozens of models over the past eight years. We factor in things like ease of use, comfort and ergonomics (for both wearer and baby), adjustability for multiple caregivers and a growing baby, versatility for wearing it in different positions, mobility for the wearer, and overall washability.
1
Best Overall
BabyBjörn Harmony
Pros
- Adjustable and versatile for years
- Breathable mesh fabric
- Padded shoulder straps and waist belt
Cons
- Clips are fairly bulky
BabyBjörn’s founder and creative designer (a Swedish mom) invented the structured carrier 50 years ago, in part to help dads bond with their baby.
It’s still one of the most popular brands globally among parents and can grow with your baby from infancy through age 3. It has the necessary ergonomic design for a baby, and its wide, padded straps and waist belt offer good support for the wearer. We did find that learning how the clips work takes a bit of practice, but once you get it, they’re easy to keep using. Because the clips are fairly substantial, this is the heaviest carrier on our list — but in many cases, only heavier by a few ounces.
This carrier converts to four classic setups you can switch between as your child grows: front inward-facing (one setting for newborns with their legs splayed out and their bottom low, and one for older babies), front outer-facing and back-carrying. The Harmony, among the brand’s newest carriers, is made using a high-tech mesh fabric that’s more breathable, flexible and lightweight than older BabyBjörn carriers. The Harmony also offers greater lumbar support, a feature that can help a parent carry a toddler weighing up to 40 pounds.
If you’re also looking for a place to set your baby down at home when you’re not feeding or carrying them, we’re big fans of BabyBjörn’s baby bouncers.
| Weight range | 7 to 40 lbs |
|---|---|
| Positions | 4 (facing inward for newborns, facing inward for babies, facing outward, on back) |
| Carrier weight | 2.81 lbs |
| Material | Polyester |
| Available colors/patterns | 3 |
2
Best Value
Infantino Flip Advanced 4-in-1
Pros
- Affordable
- Lightweight
- More than 46,000 five-star reviews on Amazon
Cons
- Less padding in the shoulder straps compared with other carriers
Structured carriers can get pricey, but this one wowed our Lab pros with how well it performed at a fraction of the cost of others. Though it doesn’t have as much supportive padding as other carriers, most users say it’s lightweight and comfortable to wear. At this price, it’s worth trying out for your needs.
It’s both adjustable at the waist and shoulders and convertible to use with your baby facing in, facing out (once they have excellent head control) and on your back (when your baby can sit up unassisted, generally after their first birthday). Plus, it has more than 46,000 five-star Amazon ratings, including in-depth reviews to pore over. Some Amazon reviewers reported that it restricted circulation in their baby’s legs, so make sure the seat is configured to be wide enough for your baby before you place them in it.
| Weight range | 8 to 32 lbs |
|---|---|
| Positions | 4 (facing inward with seat folded, facing inward with seat expanded, facing outward, on back) |
| Carrier weight | 1.2 lbs |
| Material | Polyester |
| Available colors/patterns | 4 |
3
Best Structured Baby Carrier
Ergobaby Omni Breeze
Pros
- Many ways to customize fit and position
- Comfortable for long outings
Cons
- May be cumbersome for people with smaller frames
An Ergobaby carrier can be worn on your front or on your back, but also on your hip, which can be comfortable when your baby gets bigger. We love that it comes with a storage pouch so parents can grab their keys and a debit card and go. There are several ways to get it to fit your body correctly, with the opportunity to use a back buckle or have the straps cross in the back.
The Omni Breeze offers great support for the caregiver, so this one’s ideal for hikes or longer outings with your baby when you won’t be using a stroller. Just note that it’s a bit bulkier and may be too over-the-top for people with smaller frames — or anyone who mostly wants to wear their baby around the house for bonding time.
We named one of the brand’s similar carriers, the All Carry Positions Aerloom baby carrier, a winner in our 2023 Sustainable Innovation Awards. The carrier uses the brand’s FormaKnit material, which is made of 87% postconsumer recycled polyester.
| Weight range | 7 to 45 lbs |
|---|---|
| Positions | 4 (facing inward for newborns, facing inward for babies, facing outward, on back) |
| Carrier weight | 2.23 lbs |
| Material | Polyester |
| Available colors/patterns | 7 |
4
Best Forward-Facing Baby Carrier
Tula Coast Explore Mesh
Pros
- Highly adjustable for parents of different sizes
- Cotton material with just a mesh panel is preferred by some parents
Cons
- Our lab experts prefer it for babies 6 months and up
Tula first grabbed parents’ attention with a wide range of colors and patterns; the brand still offers more fashion choices than many other brands.
This soft cotton carrier has a mesh panel down the middle to keep your baby comfortable, plus three different width adjustments for your baby’s legs as they grow. Our Lab experts like this carrier best for older babies who have excellent head control and can face forward, but testers say they love this for young, inward-facing babies too.
“I like that this is a little more compact than other structured carriers,” one tester told us. “Others are long, and my baby was little, and I’m not tall either, so the Tula was comfortable for the two of us.” Though we’ve heard firsthand that it fits petite parents well, there are also many online reviews from plus-size parents who say this carrier fit them comfortably.
The brand says the waistband adjusts from 27 to 57 inches, which is nice to know; many other brands do not divulge exact size ranges but instead say they fit “most” or “all.”
| Weight range | 7 to 45 lbs |
|---|---|
| Positions | 3 (facing inward, facing outward, on back) |
| Carrier weight | 2.58 lbs |
| Material | Cotton |
| Available colors/patterns | 8 (more on the Tula website) |
5
Best Baby Carrier for a Newborn
BabyBjörn Baby Carrier Mini
Pros
- Sized for a baby, rather than a toddler
- Less cumbersome than the longer-lasting carriers
Cons
- Good for only about the first year of your baby’s life
If you plan on wearing your baby during the early months and aren’t so concerned with having them in a carrier as a toddler, the BabyBjörn Baby Carrier Mini is a fantastic size and lightweight.
It doesn’t have the lumbar support of a regular BabyBjörn carrier, but if you’re only holding a baby less than a year old in it, you may not need that added support. You’ll have fewer straps to buckle, and you’ll save money too.
“The Mini was great during the first three months especially,” one tester, a first-time mom, told us. “We even went hiking with it!” The brand carries the Mini in many solid colors, including this new-for-2023 purple shade.
| Weight range | 7 to 24 lbs |
|---|---|
| Positions | 2 (facing inward or facing outward) |
| Carrier weight | 1.72 lbs |
| Material | Cotton (shown) or polyester |
| Available colors/patterns | 14 |
