Four years into babywearing my two kids for hikes, on-the-go naps, and everything in between, I care a lot about how easy a carrier is to use as well as how it fits on different body types. I’ve been a contributor to Wirecutter for several years and am also the author of guides to baby wraps and slings and baby monitors. Previously, I wrote for tech publications, including Engadget and IDG News Service.

For this guide:

• I began researching baby carriers in late 2023, while heavily pregnant with my second child. I interviewed babywearing educators and read reviews on dozens of carriers, ultimately deciding on 16 buckle carriers to test.
• I spent the first four months of my baby’s life testing various baby wraps and slings, as well as three newborn-specific buckle carriers; once she was bigger, I tested the rest of them over a series of months.
• I chose the experts consulted for this article for their knowledge and independence. Like all Wirecutter journalists, I review and test products with complete editorial independence. I’m never made aware of any business implications of my editorial recommendations. Read more about our editorial standards.
• This guide builds on the work of writer Winnie Yang, who tested 16 carriers with her toddler in 2017.

Many caregivers find that a baby carrier makes moving around with a baby easier — even if you’re just moving around the house. Some babies will only rest while being walked to sleep (don’t worry new parents, this phase is usually brief), while others simply enjoy the close snuggles.

Science backs up the benefit of holding a baby close, as infants who are picked up and carried show calming markers across their nervous, motor, and cardiac systems. Wearing your baby may reduce symptoms of postpartum depression for caregivers. Research suggests carrying may reduce infant crying and promote better attachment between baby and caregiver. The benefits seem endless, and so do carrier choices.

A quick primer: When most people hear the term “baby carrier” they think of soft-structured buckle carriers, the focus of this guide, which are fairly easy to understand how to wear because they are backpack-like in design. Most soft-structured carriers are designed to carry a child from infancy to toddlerhood. Babies may start facing in towards the caregiver’s body, then pivot to facing out while they’re awake. As the baby grows, the caregiver may find it most comfortable to wear the child on their back. Babies must have good head control and be about 6 months old before facing out in soft-structured buckle carriers.

The term “baby carrier” can also reference a less-structured fabric carrier, like a stretchy wrap or ring sling, an onbuhimo (a high piggyback style of carrier that allows a baby to see over your shoulder, without waist support; it’s also great for pregnant caretakers), or a meh dai (traditionally a lightly structured fabric wrap, it can be more versatile than an onbuhimo). We tested a few meh dai and one versatile half-buckle style that could become an onbuhimo (see the Other baby carriers worth considering and Competition sections if you’re curious about those).

In general, baby carriers, especially soft-structured buckle carriers, make it easy for just about any parent or caregiver to safely wear a child around the house, on hikes, at airports, up and down steps, on the beach — notably the many places where using a stroller would be a struggle. “A carrier can give you the freedom to live your life,” said Laura Brown, certified carrier fitter, founder of the nonprofit BabywearingLA, and owner of Mamabird Los Angeles, a babywearing consultancy and doula business.

The baby-wearing experts we consulted for this guide generally advised that soft-structured buckle carriers are best for babies older than 4 or 5 months, though all of our picks and most of the carriers we considered say they can be used with babies as small as 7 pounds (some carriers that start at this low of a weight need an additional insert). In the earliest months, many people find that a snuggly wrap, newborn-specific carrier, or ring sling is likely to feel more secure.

Factors beyond just weight will affect how long a child will fit in a carrier, but our experts say children will age out of most carriers by 2 or 3 years old, well in advance of the 45-pound weight limit most carriers in this guide have. Brown uses this handy visual from an Australian carrying advocacy group that shows the size a baby needs to be to fit in a carrier without falling out while in a back carry.

After interviewing five baby carrier educators and experts, gathering suggestions from Wirecutter parents, and reading tons of reviews, we decided to focus on buckle carriers that can be used beginning in a baby’s first year (eliminating those specific to toddlers and hip carrying) and beyond. We looked for:

Comfort: Padded straps should support the child’s weight without cutting into your body or creating strain on the shoulders. The baby should sit securely enough so you can move about confidently. And vice versa, we looked for carriers where Junior was equally comfortable for long stretches. Built-in head support for naps is crucial. We also looked for carriers made from fabrics that help both the adult and baby stay cool, and we made sure carriers fit different body types.

Ease of use: Carriers should be intuitive and straightforward to put on, without needing a master’s degree in assembly, or more than two runs-throughs with the instructions. The buckles have to be easy enough to reach and tighten, and the carrier shouldn’t be so bulky that you wouldn’t want to pack it or carry it around when you’re not wearing it. Carriers should ideally be easy to breastfeed from as well.

Durability: Drips, drool, and blowouts are gonna happen. We favored carriers that are machine washable (all of our picks are) and still look good after multiple washes. The fabric shouldn’t pill with heavy use.

Versatility: We prioritized carriers that work in multiple carrying configurations, from facing in, to facing out, to back and side carries. (Newborn-only carriers are an exception.) Babies must have good head control and be about 6 months old before facing out in soft-structured buckle carriers.

Fit: Carriers should keep the child’s legs in the proper M-position to protect the hip socket. We also looked for carriers that we felt would encourage proper body mechanics for a baby when facing out.

Aesthetics: We wanted to find carriers that fit well and also bring a little style to the table. More color and design options are a plus.

Since 2017, we’ve interviewed 11 experts and tested a total of 32 baby carriers with more than a dozen parents.

For our most recent round of testing, I narrowed my list to 16 carriers, and my family, as well as two others, spent about eight months total rotating through them, with each adult tester ranking them on comfort and fit. (A different family helped me compare newborn carriers.)

Each of our three main tester families used six or so carriers at a time, first wearing them with their children — who ranged from 8 months to 2 years old — through a Midwestern winter. After moving to California in the spring of 2024, I began systematically testing carriers with my then-5 month-old through the summer, in all kinds of heat and sunny conditions, hiking up mountains, and schlepping her onto airplanes. I regularly wore the carriers for contact naps and while playing with my older child, as well.

Top pick

The best baby carrier

Líllébaby Complete 6-in-1 All Seasons

This comfortable carrier has the most adjustable head support of any we tested. While it takes a bit of time to convert the seat from inward to outward facing, its overall versatility and thoughtful design make it stand out.

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The Líllébaby Complete 6-in-1 All Seasons became my family’s go-to carrier for airplane travel, hikes, neighborhood walks, and on-the-go naps. Of a dozen similar soft-structured buckle carriers we tested, this one was the best for how small it packs down (it’s the smallest) and the comfort for the baby. It’s also the lightest of our picks (excluding the newborn carrier) at 1 pound 9 ounces, as weighed by me at home. My husband and I regularly switched off mid-hike with minimal adjustments for the carrier to fit our different body types. It offers excellent head support, and while the design is slightly stripped down in that it has less padding than other carriers we tested, we found that it could still handle fluctuating temperatures and remain comfortable as a tiny babe grows into big-kid territory.

The “6-in-1” in the name alludes to six possible wearing positions. This carrier can be adjusted in more ways than any of our other picks. It offers a fetal/newborn carry, facing in with a narrow seat, facing in with a wide seat, front facing, back carry, and hip carry. (The manual is helpful, particularly the first time you change the carrier to the baby facing-out position, which is more involved than with our other picks.) You can begin using this carrier with a 7-pound baby, though that requires a newborn-specific insert that needs to be purchased separately, and it can technically be used with kids up to 45 pounds (though many people will find that a child ages out of it well before that).

It has the best head support of all the carriers we tested. Unlike the other carriers we tested, this Líllébaby model has an adjustable head support with a cinching strap on each side. Reviews note the benefit of the head support, and our baby slept longer in this carrier than any other; her head didn’t move while she was sleeping.

The design is thoughtful. The center panel can be completely unzipped via two easily accessible zippers that run down the sides, then rolled and tucked away to reveal a mesh panel underneath. I appreciated this feature most when hiking on a 98-degree day in Yosemite (though the Líllébaby did not keep us as cool as the Ergobaby Omni Breeze Carrier did on a similarly hot hike).

The hood, which can be used as a head shade for a sleeping, facing-in baby, is integrated inside a zippered pocket and can also be tucked away when not in use. Manufacturers generally advise to leave one side of a hood unhooked and regularly check to ensure the fabric isn’t blocking the baby’s mouth; hoods are often included to provide head support for a child in a back carry, though many parents also use them to shade a facing-in baby.

The straps can be worn two ways. In the backpack-carry configuration, they are attached with an H-clip below the neck. Once the child is 17 pounds, you can opt to wear the carrier with the straps crossed for the front-carry positions (though that complicates making an easy switch from wearing the baby on your chest to wearing them on your back).

The slim fit makes it a good option for a back carry. Once your baby gets big enough that they block your view of your feet while in a front carry, you may want to try a back carry. Babies must be at least 6 months old to be worn this way. Some babies won’t tolerate it, while others are happy to still be close to their grownup. Líllébaby has a video to walk folks through it. It takes a certain degree of shoulder mobility (and luck) to pull off a transition from front to back quickly (depending on how squirmy your baby is). You may want to remove the lumbar support from the back of the carrier first, though it can be nice to have something more than webbing to help support an older or heavier kid.

The fabric feels like a canvas sleeping bag, in a good way. Our testers preferred carriers made of 100% cotton due to eczema concerns, which is also recommended by the National Eczema Society. Cotton also tends to be easy to wash. This carrier is made with a 100% cotton outer shell and a polyester inner section for breathability. The combination of fabrics feels tactilely familiar, like an old camp sleeping bag, but is still functional.

It fits different body types. My husband is 6 feet 2 inches and lanky, whereas I’m short-waisted and 5-foot-4. Yet both of us could easily adjust this carrier to fit our bodies with no complaints. Other testers ranged from a slender 5-foot-7 to a stockier 6-foot-3 and loved the fit, as well as the superior lumbar support.

Líllébaby has a limited two-year warranty and allows returns and exchanges for 30 days.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Changing the leg configuration from facing in to facing out is cumbersome. To convert the carrier so the baby can go from a facing-in position to a facing-out view (or vice versa) you must take the carrier all the way off, set your baby somewhere safe, pull the waistband through each side of the baby’s seat, and then snap the seat into place on the reverse side before finally reattaching the waistband to your body. It sounds fairly simple but can quickly become annoying while on the go.

The snaps can be hard to secure. The snaps that hold together the seat for facing in and out, and also move the head support up or down, take an extra firm push to secure; once I even needed my husband to push a snap together for me. If mobility or finger strength is a concern, you may prefer our runner-up pick, the Tula Explore Baby Carrier, which is far easier to adjust in terms of necessary finger strength.

The pocket disappears if the center panel is rolled down. So you can’t always count on accessing that extra storage, especially on a warmer day.

The infant insert is sold separately. You’ll need one if you want to use this carrier with a baby who weighs 7 to 12 pounds.

Runner-up

More cushion, more color

Tula Explore Baby Carrier

This 100% cotton carrier has more cushioning than our top pick and comes in many bright prints, making it a fun accessory. It’s also more expensive.

$219 from Amazon

Buy from Baby Tula

The Tula Explore Baby Carrier is the cushiest, comfiest baby carrier we tested and comes in more pretty and fun prints than our other picks. But it weighs a bit more than our top pick (1 pound 10 ounces, per my weighing it) and is more difficult to pack down — all that padding takes up more space — making it harder to travel with. And unlike our top pick, it doesn’t offer a hip carry.

If Downy ads were a baby carrier... Unlike our top pick, the Líllébaby Complete 6-in-1 All Seasons, the Tula Explore Baby Carrier has cushy padding everywhere: in the straps, waistband, and leg holes (I’d even call it “cloud-like”). This cushioning makes it very comfortable for both the wearer and the baby. It was my husband’s favorite carrier due to the great fit it provided for him and our infant.

It’s slightly easier than our top pick to switch from the facing-in to the facing-out position. The inside waistband of the Tula Explore has a hidden slider seat adjustment that snaps in to set the width. Then the buttons on the front body can be adjusted for facing in or facing out; with the hidden buttons, the baby needs to be removed from the carrier to reset the buttons. The waistband doesn’t have to also be taken off like with the Líllébaby Complete 6-in-1 All Seasons, but it’s still a fussy consideration.

It includes a good-sized pouch waistband. The pocket is just big enough for a phone or wallet, and unlike our Líllébaby pick, it doesn’t disappear when the carrier is adjusted.

The pizazz! The Tula Explore Baby Carrier comes in about a dozen fun and colorful designs at any given time (prints are updated frequently). I was stopped two separate times by moms who wanted to know who made the cute print and talked about how comfortable the carrier looked. We tested the cotton version, but the Explore also comes in mesh and linen.

It’s size inclusive. The Explore’s waistband can be adjusted from 27 to 57 inches (the waistband on our top-pick Líllébaby goes to 52 inches). They also sell an additional waistbelt extender, as does Líllébaby. In our testing, this carrier easily fit parents from 5-foot-4 to 6-foot-3. And like many of the baby carriers we tested, the company offers a virtual fit consult to ensure that your baby is secured just right.

It doesn’t require a newborn insert. To wear with a baby beginning at 7 pounds, the carrier needs to be placed higher up on the abdomen, so that the infant is in the optimal, kissable range for safety. The company has a how-to video detailing all the steps to ensure the carrier’s settings are safe for a tiny babe. They are also quite clear on hood safety in its instructions, which are worth looking over before using the hood as a sunshade on a younger child. (Leave it unsnapped on one side to ensure you can see that the baby’s face isn’t blocked by fabric.)

It’s easy to switch to a back carry. The tutorial video is here. The Explore can be worn with children up to 45 pounds. When worn with an older toddler, the fabric needs to be adjusted and pulled more after the child is placed inside, to get the right under-the-knee support.

The carrier has a limited one-year warranty and allows returns or exchanges within 30 days.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The H-style back straps can get twisted. When wearing the baby in a front carry, I had a hard time keeping the straps from twisting as I placed them on my shoulder when the baby’s weight pulled on them, and sometimes struggled to get the buckle behind my head to fit correctly because of it. Checking in a mirror helped. More often, I’d twist the straps and have to fix the first side after the other side was secured. I didn’t have an issue with the H-style straps twisting on the Líllébaby.

The carrier is somewhat bulky. The fabric is made from 100% cotton and feels softer to the touch than our top pick. But lugging this carrier around is cumbersome; it doesn’t roll down easily into a diaper bag, for example. (When I stuffed it into a backpack to use at a baseball game it took up half the space.) For that reason, the Líllébaby Complete All Seasons 6-in-1 is a better option for airplane trips or more extended travel.

The sunshade dangles. Unlike with our Líllébaby top pick and the Ergobaby Omni Breeze Carrier pick, there’s no handy pocket to store the sunshade, and it can occasionally get in the way if simply snapped onto the carrier.

Best for...

The best baby carrier for newborns

Ergobaby Embrace Mesh Newborn Carrier

Designed for small infants, this simple carrier has a crossed X back that makes it easier to wear for extended periods than the other newborn-specific carriers we tested. Babies will outgrow it by 25 pounds, though.

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If you’re looking for a structured carrier designed exclusively for the newborn stage, the Ergobaby Embrace Mesh Newborn Carrier is the best choice. It’s wonderful for wearing little babies. The fit is similar to that of a newborn wrap on the adult’s body, as the straps can spread over the shoulders to make the added weight of the baby easy to bear for extended periods. Plus, it is so easy to understand how to put it on and, like our other picks, is a great choice for sharing between caregivers.

It’s specifically for infants. This carrier only holds babies from 7 to 25 pounds, making it far less versatile than our other picks, which can all hold children up to 45 pounds. And while Ergobaby says the carrier can be used with babies up to about 1 year old, our test babies outgrew it well before that age.

The instructions are simple — and printed on a label in the waistband. To use this carrier, the waistband first has to be rolled to correspond to the baby’s size. The instructions to do so are right on the inside of the carrier — you don’t need to keep track of an owner’s manual.

It’s easy to put on and secure. The Ergobaby Embrace Mesh is designed so you can throw a strap over a shoulder, lean to the opposite side and catch the swinging end of the strap to slot it into place, then the same for the other side, so that it makes an X in the back. This may sound more complicated than a more typical H-style design, but many of our testers preferred avoiding those in case of pain. This design is a win in the thick of postpartum, since you don’t have to reach a buckle behind your neck to secure it if you’re still sore and creaky.

It’s the most comfortable of the newborn options we tested. Reviews attest to how easy the Ergobaby Embrace is to put on and comfortable to wear; I found the same to be true when compared with the newborn-specific BabyBjörn Baby Carrier Mini, which pulled on my neck and gave our other newborn carrier tester a bit of upper back pain. The Ergobaby Embrace’s fabric can be somewhat spread over your shoulders to balance the baby’s weight, though our other tester found that the straps could ride up on her shoulders. I used this carrier until my daughter was 3 months old and found that I could wear her for hours without strain, though the straps did occasionally need to be readjusted. We also tried the Tactical Baby Carrier and quickly discarded it after finding it overly designed and complicated.

Ergobaby carriers have a lifetime warranty and a 30-day return policy.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

You need to watch the baby’s positioning carefully so the carrier is not too tight. A newborn’s position can easily shift from properly snug to improperly arching their back or being too close to the adult — this happens from over-tightening the shoulder straps when the baby is first placed inside. You want the baby to have a slightly rounded yet upright shape while in the carrier.

It lacks extra features. Unlike our other picks, the Ergobaby Embrace does not have a sunshade or any storage pockets.

It can only be used for a few months. Ergobaby says you can use this carrier for 12 months, but we tested with two above-average-sized infants who outgrew the built-in head support for facing in by 4 or 5 months of age. And while you can wear a baby facing out in this carrier once they’re taller than 26 inches, that position never felt right to me. It left marks on my baby’s legs, and other reviews said the same.

Best for...

The best baby carrier for hot climates

Ergobaby Omni Breeze Carrier

This carrier’s egg-carton-like mesh isn’t as plush as the material of other carriers we tested, but it is the most breathable. It’s easy to switch a baby from inward to outward facing, but, unlike our top pick, this carrier doesn’t have additional straps for extra head support.

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The Ergobaby Omni Breeze Carrier is made of a mesh fabric that allows for breathability without losing any functionality. This is a great option for those who live in hot climates and want to take a walk or hike without sweat (yours and the baby’s) soaking through your shirt. It holds babies from 7 to 45 pounds and allows carrying in four positions: front-facing in, front-facing out, back carry, and hip carry. It weighs a tad more than our other full-size picks at 1 pound 12 ounces.

This mesh can breathe. My baby and I both got quite hot while hiking in temperatures near 100 degrees in our top-pick Líllébaby carrier. The Ergobaby Omni Breeze Carrier kept us cooler on similar hikes, and I noticed that my baby didn’t sweat through her clothes like she did in the Líllébaby. Ergobaby has trademarked the unique egg-carton-like texture of its polyester material, which the company calls SoftFlex Mesh. It’s designed with a rigid diamond outer pattern, which gives way to a squishier inner diamond with flexible mesh that lets air move through both sides of the fabric without trapping heat on a baby’s hot back.

It's the best carrier for switching between in and out facing. The brightly outlined squares on the inside of the waistband that correspond to the baby’s height make it easy to know when it’s time to expand the seat. Even better is how easy it is to adapt the carrier from the facing-in to facing-out position. This can be done in one second by moving two sliders near the hip and is easy to change after turning the baby to the direction you want them to be.

It tucks away some features so discreetly, it’s like the Swiss Army Knife of carriers. The hood tucks nicely into a dedicated pocket when not in use, which is just above a storage pocket on the waistband, and the head support flips up and then tucks back down with quick adjustments.

It has adjustments for newborns. Like the Tula Explore Baby Carrier, this carrier does not require an additional infant insert but has to be worn higher up on the torso with infants until they are about 4 months old. Watching a tutorial video on how to do this just right is key.

The straps can be worn two ways. As with our top pick, the straps of the Omni Breeze can be moved from a standard H-strap configuration to an X-crossed back in the front-carry positions. In our testing, we found that the X-strap configuration doesn’t allow you to quickly switch to a back carry, because first the straps would need to be completely reset, making it a less helpful carrier set-up.

The back-carry position is equal to our other picks for younger babies, and a better option for older kids. This carrier has the same back-carry capabilities as our Líllébaby and Tula Explore picks. Ergobaby’s how-to video is particularly adorable (hi, cute baby!), but there’s no way of getting around it: Back carrying takes practice, and it can feel awkwardly dangerous to spin your baby around your torso at first. As my daughter got older and heavier (around 17 months and 30 pounds), I found that she looked the most secure in this carrier. I also appreciated that it didn’t have to be adjusted under her knees, like with the Tula Explore.

Ergobaby carriers have a lifetime warranty and a 30-day return policy.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The fabric may aggravate sensitive skin. I didn’t enjoy the feel of the polyester material on my skin, and I don’t think my baby did either. It seemed too scratchy for her chin when facing out, and she occasionally got a red rash from it.

The colors are more basic than our other picks. After considering the vibrant prints of the Tula Explore, and the contrasting trims on the Líllébaby, the color choices for the Omni Breeze, including off-white, blue, and brown, plus a couple of muted patterns, feel underwhelming — and especially so if you view a baby carrier as an accessory to your wardrobe.

If you’re petite and want to spend less than our top pick: The Beco Gemini was our former top pick in this guide, and we like that it has crossable straps that fit well on both wide and narrow shoulders. But in our latest round of testing, we found the Líllébaby Complete 6-in-1 All Seasons and the Tula Explore Baby Carrier to be overall better choices. Unlike with those carriers, I and another tester both found that the Beco Gemini cut into our sides. We think it might offer a better fit on petite people, and we also noted in our earlier guide that it fit petite adults particularly well.

If you like wearing baby wraps or want to avoid the H-clip behind the neck: The Didymos DidyKlick 4u has the waistband of a baby carrier but the straps of a more traditional baby wrap; it’s technically called a half-buckle baby carrier and also known as a meh dai in style. Made from 100% organic cotton, the fabric is so soft and luxe it became a surprise favorite of two of our testers for certain use cases like wearing around the house. (The fabric wrap of the upper half of this carrier means it would drag on the ground while putting it on in parking lots or stores). The top can also be custom wrapped to spread the baby’s weight evenly over the wearer’s body rather than concentrating most of the weight in the shoulder straps, if that’s a concern.

If you like babywearing for contact naps, or if you’re pregnant: The Stokke Limas Carrier Flex has a removable waistband that can turn it into an onbuhimo (a high piggyback style that doesn’t need a waist support) to accommodate a growing bump; as it’s designed it’s more of a meh dai with a waist buckle. The organic cotton fabric feels luxurious and silky to wear. With the waistband included, it became an easy go-to for a home or walking nap and stashed nicely in the car as a backup since it can fold up smaller than many of the other carriers we tested. The shoulder straps are also wide enough so the carrier doesn’t tug on the neck, and one of our experts said this is the carrier to get if you’re expecting twins, because it’s easy to wear two at the same time, one on your front and one on your back.

If you love the Ergobaby Mesh Embrace design for newborns and want a similar option for an older baby: Hope&Plum’s Lark Baby Carrier is made from a blend of hemp and organic cotton that feels lovely against the skin (two of our testers gushed about it) and comes in several sweet, flowery prints. The straps have the same X design in the back as the Ergobaby Embrace, but can be used with children weighing up to 45 pounds. The Lark only allows you to wear the baby facing in on the front, though, as well as on the back, and it doesn’t have a sunshade.

This is not a comprehensive list of everything we’ve tested for previous iterations of this guide, Models that are discontinued have been removed.

Celebrities like Gigi Hadid and Sienna Miller have made the Artipoppe Zeitgeist internet famous, but we were thoroughly underwhelmed by it. The price ranges from $370 to close to $3,800 depending on the fabric and print (the carrier comes in more than 30 styles). One of our testers found she couldn’t get her baby’s weight to sit properly and wearing the carrier hurt her back; I found the head support for naps pretty flimsy. The company recommends spot cleaning “minor” stains and then either handwashing or machine washing on the gentle cycle.

The BabyBjörn Baby Carrier Mini, which seemed comfortably nugget-like for the child, lacks a waistband, which means all of the baby’s weight is carried in the wearer’s shoulders, fairly close to the neck since the design crosses behind the back. While the manufacturer says it can be used until a baby is 24 pounds, by the time our baby reached 2 months old, both my husband and I found this too painful to wear.

The BabyBjörn Baby Carrier Harmony was uncomfortably complicated; there are just too many sections to secure with buckles (though one upside is that the newborn set-up doesn’t require an insert, just zipping the carrier to its tiniest sizing). One of our testers said that wearing it was “just like going to war.”

We tested the Beco 8 in 2017, but liked the Beco Gemini more. We thought petite adults might find the lumbar pad unusable, because shortening the belt past the pad was impossible.

While two of our testers found Bumpsuit Armadillo Baby Carrier plush and comfortable to wear, I found the head support for a sleeping baby totally lacking; the pretty shell-shape design did bupkis for support when flipped up.

The Líllébaby Elevate Air 6-in-1 Baby Carrier lacks the great head support of our top pick while adding a heftier price tag and vegan leather accents that seem impractical for cleaning.

We tried the Nuna Cudl Clik and found it absolutely baffling to put on, even after reading the directions. Its design is different from any other carrier — with an inside and outside section that left me feeling locked inside the carrier and unable to get out. While one tester liked its design, she ultimately found the carrier uncomfortable. This carrier does have an integrated newborn booster via zipper, if avoiding a newborn insert is your be-all. We skipped testing the Nuna Cudl 4-in-1 to test the Nuna Cudl Clik instead, since our research showed the Clik has an easier-to-adjust waistband and a removable pouch on the waist.

We tried Tactical Baby Gear’s Baby Carrier, which is marketed towards men and geared towards smaller babies, with a weight limit of 33 pounds. We found it uncomfortable as it cut into a male tester’s body. Others found it overly heavy and complicated compared with the Ergobaby Embrace Mesh Newborn Carrier, which also costs less.

We were disappointed with Wildbird’s Aerial Carrier, though it looks beautiful and comes in a wide selection of colors and prints. Not only did the fabric make a strange crunching sound, as if it had a baby’s crinkle toy inside, but to put it on, you either step into or pull it down over your head; it can’t be looped over the arms and then locked like all the other carriers we tested.

We opted not to test quite a few carriers after researching and talking to experts.

We skipped testing the BabyBjörn Free (with mesh) because of the way babies’ legs seemed to fall out of the safe M position in promotional photos. We also skipped the BabyBjörn Carrier One and Carrier One Air because many reviews said they were so complicated to figure out; in April 2025, the company said they are retiring these models.

We also didn’t test a few options from Tula: the Lite Baby Carrier (no padding in straps) and the Free-to-Grow Baby Carrier after carefully discussing them with babywearing experts. (We tested the Free-to-Grow in 2017.) We didn’t test the Tula Standard Carrier this round but did test it in 2017, when we preferred other models for the price.

We skipped the Ergobaby Away Baby Carrier because a baby has to be at least 4 months old to use it and it only holds kids up to 35 pounds, rather than the more standard 45 pounds like the rest of the full-size carriers we tested. We also skipped the Ergobaby Aerloom Baby Carrier, as that also maxes out at 35 pounds and the reviews on the fabric breathability and suitability as a newborn carrier are quite mixed. We didn’t test the Ergobaby Omni Dream as it’s nearly identical to the Omni Breeze.

I used our former runner-up, the Ergobaby 360 Cool Air Mesh, with my older child, who is now 4. We did not retest it because a company spokesperson told us that it is being phased out, along with Omni Classic in cotton.

We opted not to test Happy! Carriers (the Original Baby Carrier and Revolution) for availability reasons.

The Infantino Carry On is an inexpensive carrier that offers many of the same features as those three times the price, namely an adjustable seat width and panel height and no need for an infant insert. But when we tested it in 2017 we found it uncomfortable, with thin shoulder and waist padding that offered little support. We concluded we wouldn’t want to carry a baby over 15 pounds in it. We skipped testing the Infantino 4-in-1 Flip Convertible Carrier after reading reviews about the straps rubbing on older kids.

The Líllébaby Essentials All Seasons is a previous budget pick in this guide; in this round of testing, we opted to test some of the company’s updated designs as this version is being phased out.

We chose not to test the Líllébaby CarryOn Airflow because it’s specific to toddlers (the weight minimum is 25 pounds). For the same reason, we skipped the Líllébaby SeatMe hipseat which needs an insert for newborns and is really designed for a larger baby without the insert.

We decided not to test the Sakura Bloom Scout Baby Carrier despite the company’s ring sling being a pick in our guide to baby wraps and slings, because of the small back strap, impractical-seeming leather details, and high price.

We dismissed the Cybex Yema because of its hefty price tag and less-than-robust customer reviews.

The key concerns are making sure the baby can breathe, which you do by checking that the baby is settled high enough on your chest to kiss, and ensuring they’re safely secured and won’t fall out of the carrier. The acronym TICKS can help you double-check that you have a safe fit and your baby is positioned correctly.

Also be mindful of keeping the baby's lower body in a frog-like position for optimal hip-health, though one of our experts believes that’s less of a concern than it used to be since modern carriers are well-designed. “We used to not understand dysplasia of the hip like we do now, but babies are screened for this,” said Laura Brown of BabywearingLA.

In general if a carrier feels uncomfortable you might check if you’re doing one of the following:

• Carrying too low: If your child is not close enough to kiss, they’re probably positioned too low, which puts extra strain on your shoulders, neck, and back and could be dangerous for your baby. This can be a particular issue when wearing a newborn in a non-newborn specific carrier and not placing the waistband high enough to start.
• Wearing the chest/back strap too high: If the strap feels like it’s pulling on your neck, position it lower. It should sit at or below your shoulder blades when you carry in front, or across your sternum.
• Wearing the carrier too loosely: If the carrier doesn’t feel secure or feels like you have to hold on to it with one hand while your child is in it, try tightening the straps more.

For troubleshooting you can see if the manufacturer of your carrier offers a virtual consultation, go to a local babywearing meeting, visit a local shop to address issues with a salesperson, or hit up reddit’s babywearing fit check. “Most people shoot and miss on buckle carriers because they’re just as personal as jeans,” said Brown,“We all have different body types, shapes, and we’re sharing between different people — and a carrier needs to grow with us and grow with them.”

This article was edited by Amy Miller Kravetz and Kalee Thompson.