Newborns are the cutest, most delicious little things on the planet. But their strictly milk diet can plump them up real fast, and before you know it, you feel like you’re carrying a little bowling ball around with you. Your arms hurt, your back hurts, you need two free hands. So, what’s a mama to do? Baby carriers are an absolute must for any registry, they’ll really come in handy during the first few months, even up to a year +, and it’s a great way to bond with your baby while being able to multitask. 

There are 5 popular versions of the baby carrier, and buying all 5 would get really pricey, so which one is right for you?

Here’s our breakdown to help you choose: 

Wrap Carrier: 

The Wrap. There’s a few different brands out there that do the baby wrap really well, one of my personal favorites is the Boba Wrap. It’s basically a really long, durable piece of fabric that you use to wrap around your waist and shoulders and you slide your baby inside. It’s newborn size friendly and you really feel like you have your little piece of heaven so close to your chest.

PRO: It’s definitely the most comfortable of them all. It’s adjustable for all baby sizes and it comes in a lot of different fabrics to help with the warmer and cooler months. 

CON: Can take a while to get used to getting the wrap wrapped correctly. It takes some practice, but it’s worth it. 

Buy the Boba Wrap Here for $39.95

Soft Structured Carrier:

Soft carriers come with shoulder pads and a thick waistband to help you carry your baby for longer stretches. The baby is resting on your chest in the frog position, which is a position they’re really comfortable in. This is a popular carrier for babies 3-12 months old. 

PRO: Baby is carried in the proper position with no adjustments- hips bent and spread. It helps promote healthy hip development and the baby is in a comfortable position. 

CON: Price. They usually start at $99+. Most soft carriers are designed for infants 3 months or older so if you need it for a newborn, you’ll have to purchase the additional newborn insert. 

Our favorite is the Baby Bjorn that you can buy here for 79.95

Fashionable Carrier: 

The Artipoppe baby carrier is for the fashion conscious mother because it comes in so many different fashion forward designs. It's great to use the first 6-7 months of life but then becomes a bit useless because you want to turn baby into front facing so they can see the world and you can't use the Artipoppe in front facing. 

PRO: The designs are super cute and you will get stopped by so many people asking who makes your carrier. 

CON: It's super expensive so think about it as your designer baby carrier. Another con is that you can't use it in front facing position. 

You can see the Artipoppe baby carrier here. 

Ring Sling:

The Ring Sling is another popular one, although it’s not our favorite pick. It looks a little like a sideway large bag with a baby in it. The problem with the ring sling is that most of the baby’s weight is shifted on one shoulder, so if you wear it for too long, you can get shoulder and back pain. 

PRO: Easy to use, and suitable for newborns. 

CON: You can get shoulder and back pain from carrying your baby around for too long.

You can buy the ring sling carrier here in a variety of colors for $59.95

Structured Front Carrier:

The nice thing about structured baby carriers (like the ergobaby carrier) is that you have a lot of options. You can wear your baby forward facing, back facing and with an insert, you can accommodate a newborn. The baby positioning helps promote healthy hip development, and allows you to wear your baby for longer stretches of time without pain. 

PRO: It feels really sturdy, there’s no way your baby is slipping out of that thing. 

CON: Price. It can get pricey.

You can see the Ergobaby 360 here for $119

Backpack Carrier:

If you’re a big outdoorsy person, the backpack carrier is a great option for you. This is a good option for babies who are 12 months + and have strong head and neck muscles and can support themselves upright. 

PRO: Great for active parents. It typically has tons of storage space and zippers. 

CON: It’s huge. And expensive. 

You can view the ClevrPlus carrier here for $127.99