The Reason We're Here
We've tried a bunch of these. Frankly, consider buying and returning until you find one you like. We didn't use carriers as much with Cleo because we didn't go anywhere because pandemic. We used them a TON with Mouse.
If you end up with multiple, good idea to keep your less used one in the car for when you inevitably forget to bring the stroller with you on an excursion.
Who This Is (and Isn't) For
If you have a baby and you leave the house, you need at least one carrier. Probably two — one for when they're little and floppy, one for when they're bigger and heavy. If you're the kind of person who will only ever use a stroller, you can skip this. But even the stroller-committed end up needing a carrier at some point. You will forget the stroller. The ground will be too uneven. You'll end up on a boat where strollers are a terrible idea. It will happen.
What We Actually Did
Between Cleo and Mouse we've owned or tried: Tula, TushBaby, ErgoBaby, Boppy ComfyFit, Beco Gemini, MiniMeis, a ring sling, Boba, Solly Baby, and Baby K'tan. Some we loved. Some we returned. Some we couldn't figure out. Whitney and Evan disagree on several of these, which is part of the point — carrier fit is personal.
The Case For Each
Tula
This was my absolute favorite. So easy. So comfortable. So convenient. It collapses into a belt bag when not in use. Belt bag available to store stuff. You can clip the belt bag around your stroller handle or toss it in your tote/diaper bag. Easy to wash. I loved it SO much that as soon as Mouse was done with it I promptly gave it to a friend who had just had a baby because I needed to make sure it went to a good home. I feel about this carrier like Toy Story makes us feel about our childhood toys. This is the must-buy, at least from my perspective.
TushBaby
This is great. Full stop. It's not a typical carrier — it's a hip seat — and that's what makes it so easy. No buckles, no adjusting, no "is this right?" Just pop them on your hip with actual support so your arm doesn't fall off. Not useful til they can semi-support themselves and at least hold their head up. But amazing after that point.
They've also recently introduced a carrier attachment that makes it probably the best of both worlds — a hip seat that converts into a full carrier. That came out after we were past that point with Mouse, so we haven't tested it ourselves. But the hip seat alone earns its spot here. It's especially great because it's easy to switch between users - there isn't a bunch of strap shortening/lengthening to deal with. Also, that makes it way easier for other people (grandparents, aunts and uncles) to figure out - they don't need to be shown. It's just...put on the fanny-pack-shaped-thing and position it comfortably. Pick up kid. Go.
ErgoBaby
We didn't end up loving this one as much as we expected, and our kids didn't end up being carrier toddlers — just carrier babies. But this is the one that folks swear by when their kids are still willing to be carried around into their toddler years. I have a college friend in the diplomatic corps who has taken her 3 and 5 year old on trips to UNESCO World Heritage sites with her husband. One kid on each of their backs. Full on napping walking through Pompeii. This was not the life we lived, but for the adventurous it's worth considering.
Boppy ComfyFit
Whitney says: I love this one, Evan does not.
Better when they're little — it's stretchy and just sorta snugs them in more than the more structured Ergo etc. This is the one I reached for in the newborn phase when they're tiny and you just want them pressed against your chest.
Beco Gemini
Evan says: Loves this one. It fits his body really well — less finicky than the Ergo for sure, and the price point is great.
Whitney says: I do not love this one. It just doesn't work for my frame the way it does for his.
This is a good example of why we say buy and return. Same carrier, two totally different experiences depending on the body wearing it.
MiniMeis (Shoulder Carrier)
We loved this concept so much it's what we immediately bought when folks have it on their registry for a while. To be fair, I'm a weak human — so I've never worn it. It's all Evan. But it's great for light hiking and I could see it getting use at places like Disney where they want to be able to see, and you want to control where they are without strapping them in a stroller.
I will say we didn't end up using it quite as much as expected, but we are more of a short-excursion crew than a "let's go hiking" crew.
Ring Sling
I couldn't figure this out. Seems super cool — definitely worth trying. Lots of benefit to how easy it is to toss in a bag. Some people swear by them and look effortless doing it. I was not one of those people. I bought one. I lost the receipt. I sent it to a friend who did love it.
Happy Baby Carrier
I've seen this out in the wild and it looked nice enough that I asked a stranger about it and she raved about it. We didn't buy one for Mouse since we already have several. But if you're starting from scratch and want something that people seem to genuinely love — worth looking into.
Artipoppe
Everyone I know who has one absolutely loves it. Worth putting on your registry in case an outrageous relative wants to buy your love. But I wasn't able to justify $400 for a carrier. This is the kind all the Famous People have. Poshmark and the like seem to have a solid second-hand market.
The Ones We Couldn't Figure Out
Boba, Solly Baby, and Baby K'tan. We bought them, couldn't figure them out, and returned them. But other people love them — so it might be a us problem, not a them problem. This is why the buy-and-return strategy exists.
The Info
There's no single best carrier. It depends on your body, your baby's size, and what you're doing. But if you're asking us what to buy:
Get a Tula. This is my must-buy. It's easy, comfortable, collapses into a belt bag, and I loved it so much I gave it away to make sure it went to a good home. That's how I feel about it.
Get a TushBaby. The hip seat you'll grab every single time you leave the house once they can hold their head up. And now that they have a carrier attachment, it might be the only two things you need.
Consider a MiniMeis if your partner is the carrier. It's the best shoulder carrier we've found that doesn't make the wearer look like an elephant at one of those animal-cruelty-questionable fair rides.
The ErgoBaby (or Beco Gemini) for the adventurous. If your kids are the type who still want to be carried at 3 and 5 years old and you're trekking through Machu Picchu, this is your carrier. Ours weren't those kids, but yours might be.
The One Thing Nobody Tells You
Carrier preference is a body thing, not a quality thing. Evan and I disagree on almost every carrier we own — not because one of us is wrong, but because we're shaped differently and carry differently. Don't trust a single review (including ours). Buy two, return the one that doesn't work. Most of them have good return policies. And keep a backup in the car. You will forget the stroller. Probably this week.
This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through one of our links, we may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. We only link to things we've actually used and would tell a friend about.