When it comes to infant gear I kinda feel like an expert.  Not to sound prideful, but after 5 kids you learn what works and what doesn’t.  You also learn what items you really need and what you’ll never use.  For anyone starting down the baby journey (or looking for new gear) baby carriers are one of the must have items on my list and one that it pays to not skimp on. You’ll find a wall full of options in the local baby store, so how do you decide where to start.

My big tips are to look for a carrier that will work for multiple stages without needing special inserts or attachments (that scratches off one of the most expensive lines).  You also want a carrier that will let you carry in different ways – front and back. Believe me, strapping a one year old to you in the front isn’t as pleasant at the sweet 3 month old.  You want to be able to put the one year old on your back!

Chicco just came out with a new carrier called the Close to You Carrier and it fits the bill.  It allows us to carry our youngest hands-free without any special inserts needed.  For me our first trip to test this was to the grocery store.  Shopping with multiple kids you have to be able to wear one kiddo to free up room in the buggy for food!

A few things to put a carrier to the test:

Can you bend over without feeling like the baby will fall out?  Yes!

Does an infant have good support for their head?  Yes!

Do the straps take stress off your shoulders?   Yes!
(after a short time wearing a baby, poor carriers will give you an incredibly sore upper back)

How easy is it to get baby in and out?  This will vary for parents based on experience.  I skipped the laying down on the bed part and just popped her in with the carrier already on.  I had her situated in probably 3 minutes the first time and even faster after that since all the straps were sized correctly after the first use.

You can use this carrier to carry your baby facing in, facing out, or to carry them on your back – depending on their age.  If you’re worried about spit up getting on you when you’re wearing your baby, there’s a detachable bib to help catch any accidents (my personal favorite part).

Here’s Ada in her carrier and we took advantage of the selfie stick Chicco sent us to take #BabiesFirstSelfie.

Let’s take this one step farther and compare a carrier like this Chicco Close to You carrier to the wraps that are so popular right now.  Having used both, a carrier is probably the option dads are going to like best.  Wraps get hot quickly (they are wrapped around you and the baby at least 3 times).  If you need to get out of a wrap it’s kinda like untying a straight jacket.  For this carrier, it only takes undoing two clips!  If you are new to using wraps you’ll also need to watch 20 minutes of Youtube videos to figure it out.  For a carrier you may read the directions, but probably won’t have to.

One more picture to show that we all tried it out (and because I can’t resist cute baby noses and hands).

Want to win something??  It’s not a carrier, but is something you’ll still need (and use).

The Giveaway:

Two Southern Savers readers are going to win a Natural Fit gift set from Chicco.

To Enter:

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Chicco Natural Fit Gift Set Giveaway

This giveaway is sponsored by Chicco, but all opinions are 100% my own.