Baby Wearing: the Snugli

At the beginning of this post let me just say that blogger's picture handling capabilities leave much to be desired.

Me wearing Ethan at less than a month old.  He is positioned sideways in the carrier with both feet coming out of one hole.  *Warning* This position is not endorsed by the manufacturer, but on that evening he needed to be held.

First up on my list of baby wearing apparatuses is the Snugli Front and Back carrier.  I'm reviewing this carrier first because I think it is one of the more popular styles of carriers.  Here's a quick run down of things I look for in a carrier and how this one measures up:

Positions baby can be worn in: 3 (Face-in, Face-out and BackPack)
Range in pounds or age baby can be worn: Infants 7 to 26 lbs
Easy to put on: 4/5 (more discussion below)
Stability of baby in carrier: 100%  I would do jumping jacks or maybe even kart-wheels with this carrier on!
Can you help a toddler go to the bathroom while wearing this carrier: Absolutely!
When do I choose this carrier?: Anytime I feel like I will be moving around a lot and I need the full use of my arms.
Average time this carrier remains comfortable: no more than 2-3 hours
Overall Score: 4/5

Berry picking with Asher in the "face-in" position.  You can really do anything with this carrier on!

Asher in the "face-out" position.

Another shot of Asher in the "face-out" position.

I really do love this carrier and before writing this post I questioned myself as to why I don't wear it that often.  The answer is simple.  Even though this is a versatile carrier that is easy to put on and securely holds the baby, it is connected to your body with four main straps.  These straps are connected with buckles that similar to other backpack buckles.  My one complaint with these buckles is that if you aren't careful they can pinch the heck out of you!  And I mean the heck!  The time before last when I was buckling the Snugli on me I literally said the F word when one of the buckles pinched my finger.  If you hang around me very often you know that I don't say the F word.....ever!  Well, at least not very often...  If you have someone to help you put it on they can help you make sure you aren't going to pinch yourself, but honestly how often do you have someone else around to help you put on your carrier?

Philip wearing Ethan in the "backpack" position.

The great thing about this carrier is the ability to wear the baby on your back.  Similar carriers like the Baby Bjorn often do not have this option.  This position really allowed my husband to wear a baby and not feel girly!  He even carried Ethan in it on a hike to house mountain.  After that hiking trip we bought a better hiking carrier, but more on that later.

Overall this is a great versitile carrier!