Reviewed: BabyBjorn Baby Carrier One

I’m not sure how I would have managed the early months with Minnie without my Baby Bjorn carrier. She refused to nap anywhere but in my arms and loathed almost every sling I tried, until she was finally big enough for the carrier – where she promptly snuggled up happily and fell fast asleep every time I used it.

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Unlike some of the slings, which required various weaving and knotting techniques, it was beautifully simple too – pop her in, a few quick clicks to secure and we were off.

Not only was I able to do all kinds of things requiring the use of more than one arm, it got toted around on various trips for those places where a buggy isn’t really practical and for every airport I passed through.

Because it’s all very well being able to take your buggy to the gate but you’ve still got an endless trek back to immigration and baggage reclaim with the same baby (usually additionally tired and bored after the flight) plus all your hand luggage.

But while the Original version will work up to 11kg (which Minnie still hasn’t reached), I’ve hardly used it since the summer – she’s just been too heavy for me, even with the clever weight distribution design.

Helpfully BabyBjorn has chosen this moment to launch its new product, the Baby Carrier One, suitable from birth up to three years with four different positions, including a back carrying option.

Not only does that spread the weight better, she can get a good view out and it’s suitable for up to 15kg.

As readers of the blog will know, our recent two trips to Portugal and Copenhagen didn’t altogether go according to plan with viruses, teething, mysterious rashes and general baby fractiousness involved.

So while I took the new carrier with me each time, a very grumpy Minnie mostly flatly refused to be strapped in or yelled as I tried to transfer her to my back.

Thankfully, we’ve now managed a trip without illness or painkillers required and I could give it a proper test.

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Overall verdict on this new Baby Bjorn carrier? It’s great.

Much sturdier than the basic carrier, I can still put her on my front if necessary – her legs may dangle down a bit more, but there’s impressive back support.

Standing in the nearly hour-long immigration queue at Miami airport, with two heavy bags and a baby whose internal clock told her it was nearly midnight, would not have been fun if I couldn’t have strapped her on to me.

Perhaps because I’m used to the ultra-simple original version, this did seem a bit more complicated to adjust – there’s an extra layer to enable you to switch the baby onto your back, plus the heavier duty fastenings took a little bit more fumbling. The clips are incredibly sturdy though, which made me happier for a heavier baby.

If you started out with this version, I suspect it would be even easier, as you’re not unlearning a habit.

The back switch itself takes some practice too. In theory, it’s very simple: strap the baby on to your chest, facing in. Then wiggle your arms out, slide the carrier around, slip your arms back through and hey presto, one baby on the back.

The tricky bit was manoeuvring Minnie around me while making sure she didn’t fall out backwards before I got my arms in again. I suspect my nervousness communicated itself to her, because she wasn’t desperately keen on the procedure. If there’s two of you, it’s much easier, as one person can simply lift the baby in.

The other issue was the chest strap – which with a front-facing baby lies snugly against your back. For my husband, I don’t imagine there’d be a problem. For me at 5ft 3 and a bit, with a post-pregnancy cleavage, I found it difficult to get the strap to sit comfortably.

But that’s the only real flaw. As with all the range, the quality is fantastic, it’s beautifully designed to work for both parent and baby/toddler, and it feels incredibly safe and solid. It’s not complicated to use, especially with a few practice runs at home, and I think as Minnie gets older, she’ll become happier about being shuffled round onto my back too.

The ‘One‘ is also not much more to buy than the Move design, and while you can get a Mini carrier for less, neither lasts as long. So unless you’re certain you’ll only use one for the first year, tops, it makes sense to get the new product to grow with your baby.

Since I first wrote this review, there’s also a new design added to the range – the Baby Bjorn Carrier One Air

And who knows, a little bit more fiddling and I may even work out a solution to the chest strap.

Either way, this is staying on my essential packing list for the foreseeable future.

Disclosure: I was given a BabyBjorn Carrier One for the purposes of review. All opinions, as well as the Original carrier mentioned, are my own. This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission

Image courtesy of BabyBjorn