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​​14 best baby carriers and slings, reviewed by parents

Bonding while on the move? These baby carriers make it happen

Zoe Griffin
Friday 05 January 2024 13:23 GMT
<p>We tried options for newborns, baby wraps and backpacks for carrying little passeners while hiking  </p>

We tried options for newborns, baby wraps and backpacks for carrying little passeners while hiking

Our Top Picks

When you become a parent, you’ll soon learn how to do things one-handed. From eating dinner with a baby in one hand and a fork in the other, to vacuuming the carpet while holding a little helper on your hip, you’ll find skills you never knew you had.

But if you want to give yourself a break from time to time, a baby carrier will allow you to keep your baby close and have two hands available for whatever you need to do. This is especially useful during the newborn phase, when most babies need to be held constantly.

Studies have shown that babies who are carried regularly have more stable heart and breathing rates, spend less time crying and more time in a state of quiet alertness. All of that energy that isn’t wasted on crying and fussing can be spent on growing, learning and thriving instead.

Baby carriers are also a lifesaver for days out. There’s no need to collapse a pram into a car and then unfold it again at the other end. Simply strap the baby to your chest and you’re good to go. Public transport is also easier to navigate as you can step on and off escalators with ease and never have to worry about whether or not there’s room for your buggy on the bus.

Caroline Barber is a babywearing expert and runs a sling library in West London where she helps parents find a carrier or baby wrap that fits them the best. She says, “When looking for a carrier, it’s a good idea to try on several so that you can experience what feels best on your body.”

Describing the perfect fit, Caroline advises that your baby should close enough to kiss, their spine supported and their hips are open and wide. She also adds that parents should “look for breathable material, especially in the summer, as babies can’t regulate their own temperature so it’s a parent’s job to make sure they stay cool.”

From stretchy slings for newborns to ones that can hold children up to the age of three, we’ve tested a lot of options and these are the best baby carrier’s to transport your baby in comfort.

How we tested

We tested the baby carriers for comfort and back support with the help of a three-month old, a nine month old and, where possible, a two year old. Each was tested by a 5ft 9in female and a 6ft male to see how easy it was to put on and adjust. We tried to wear the carriers for outings of over an hour as well as around the house to ensure the weight distribution and straps remained comfortable for extended periods of use.

The best baby carriers for 2024 are:

BabyBjorn harmony

best baby carrier uk 2023
  • Best: Overall
  • Suitable for: Babies weighing 3.2kg – 15 kg (newborn to three years)

Baby Bjorn has been making baby carriers since 1973, and over the past 50 years the brand has really fine-tuned its designs to offer unrivalled comfort for both parents and babies. The harmony is one of BabyBjorn’spricier options but you’re paying for the convenience of being able to transport a baby from newborn age right up until the age of three.

With wide padded straps and a pressure-relieving thick waistband, both our male and female tester approved of the way the babies’ weight was distributed and how comfortable it felt to wear for long periods of time. This can also be adjusted as your baby grows, as you can keep moving the belt down to your hips to better distribute the weight.

Look in the mirror and you’ll notice baby is sitting with their legs wide apart and their bottom in a deep position, which is proven to be the best way to carry them.

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Infantino flip light and airy 4-in-1 baby carrier

best baby carrier uk 2023
  • Best: Value buckle carrier
  • Suitable for: Babies weighing 3.6kg – 14.5 kg (newborn to three years)

If you’re not sure how often you’ll use a carrier, this great value option from Infantino allows you to try out babywearing without a huge outlay. Despite the affordable price, it shares many of the features found on more expensive models such as hi-tech fabric, an ergonomic design for both the parent and the baby’s comfort and four carry options. You can wear it facing in with a folded seat for little ones, facing in with an expanded seat, facing outwards and on the carrier’s back.

The straps are super easy to adjust, which is useful if you’re swapping carrying duties between mum and dad during an outing. Meanwhile, the fabric is incredibly breathable, as the carrier’s name (light and airy) would suggest. It feels great to wear around the house to keep you and baby cool, whether you’re working up a sweat doing housework or having a dance in an effort to get a crying infant to settle.

The only drawback is that you have to wait until the baby is 8lbs to wear it, so it might not be suitable from birth if you’ve had a smaller baby.

  1. £40 from Amazon.co.uk
Prices may vary
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Little Life ranger S2

best baby carrier uk 2023
  • Best: For hiking
  • Suitable for: Babies weighing up to or 20kg (six months to three years old)

If you’ve ever tried to push a buggy on anything other than a pavement, you’ll know that it sticks, drags and often threatens to tip. For hikers, campers and adventurers, the Little Life ranger S2 offers more freedom to explore the countryside with a baby or toddler, without being weighed down.

Weighing just 1.7kg without a baby inside, it may be structured and slightly bulkier than a buckle carrier but it’s not much heavier. Inside is padded, which makes it comfortable for wearing for extended periods of time. Our testers loved the two handy zipped hip pockets to carry cards, keys, a wallet and maybe a little sunscreen and hand sanitizer on longer outings too.

You do have to wait until baby can sit up to use this, which is normally around the age of six months, but it can be used right up until your little one reaches 20kg, which is longer than all the other carriers we tested and makes it a worthwhile investment if you enjoy spending time outdoors.

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Carifit+ carrier

best baby carrier uk 2023
  • Best: For comfort
  • Suitable for: Babies weighing 3.2kg – 20kg (from birth to three years old)

Carifit started out as an exercise class concept developed by postnatal fitness trainer and babywearing expert Ven Hill. Putting his sports technology and biomechanics expertise to use, the Carifit+ carrier was born. Optimised to distribute the weight of your baby so they feel lighter than ever, the fabric has a stretch 3D knit that moves seamlessly with your body.

While you don’t need to work out to appreciate how comfortable it is, as soon as you are ready to move your body, this carrier includes a 12 month subscription to the Carifit app which offers postpartum babywearing workouts for all fitness levels. The app also offers guides to help you to fit the carrier properly, depending on your posture, and offers expert advice from GPs, sleep consultants, mental health experts and more. Not only is the Carift+ carrier the most comfortable for your body, it’s designed to make your journey into parenthood a smooth ride. In the brands words, the goal is to help parents become stronger, together.

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Caboo lite

best baby carrier uk 2023
  • Best: For newborns
  • Suitable for : Babies weighing 2.3kg – 14.5kg (newborn to one year old)

The Caboo lite is the only carrier designed for babies born weighing just 5lbs, as most other carriers are only suitable once the baby reaches 7lbs. For premature or small birth weight babies, this beautifully soft wrap carrier allows you to have lovely newborn snuggles from the moment you bring them home from hospital.

The fabric is beautifully soft and stretchy, offering a great deal of support to your tiny bundle of joy while simultaneously allowing you to feel their closeness and know exactly whether they’re sleeping or fussing. However, our testers reported very little fussing while their babies were inside this. Even during the dreaded witching hours in the evening, when some babies cry more, this carrier seemed to settle them and make the whole house quieter.

Another bonus is that this is super easy to put on. Simply put it over your head like a t-shirt, pull down on the ring fasteners to adjust the size and you’re good to go. It can be worn comfortably by men and women, allowing dads to get extra close to their babies in a way that you can’t always experience with a buckle carrier.

  1. £59 from Amazon.co.uk
Prices may vary
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Little Life traveller S4

best baby carrier uk 2023
  • Best: Backpack baby carrier
  • Suitable for: Babies six months to two and a half years (or up to 15kg)

Combining a backpack with plenty of room for storage, a front pocket accessory pocket and an ergonomically shaped seat for your tot, this Little Life carrier offers a truly luxurious ride wherever you go in the world. We really mean that too as the compact and hardy design – which measures up at 28cm x 26cm x 51cm when in bag mode – means it’s suitable for use as an airline hand luggage.

With a padded back and padded shoulder straps, you can comfortably walk for miles without complaints or niggles. At first, we were slightly nervous about not being able to see the baby, but we soon learned to judge how they were doing based on their breathing or babbling.

From coastal walks in the summer to a cheeky theme park day out, this backpack carrier fits neatly into a car boot and will give your little one an incredible view of the world from an elevated height. If you’re going to wear it all day long, you can buy additional rain covers or sun shades from Little Life to prepare you for all weathers.

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Izmi essential baby wrap

best baby carrier uk 2023
  • Best: Budget carrier
  • Suitable for : Babies weighing 2.3kg – 9kg (newborn to nine months)

Offering natural, comfortable closeness, the Izmi wrap is simple to put on and even easier to wear. The lightweight cotton fabric distributes your baby’s weight evenly to reduce pressure on your back and shoulders. You can really feel a baby’s shape in this, which stimulates the release of the oxytocin hormone to make you feel calmer and happier.

When walking around using it, our newborn tester fell asleep quickly. With two carrying positions on offer – front and hip – this is a good budget choice for any baby weighing 2.3-9kg (5-20lbs). As baby gets bigger, you may find it offers less support, but it’s a really lovely way to feel close to your baby in the early days.

  1. £39 from Amazon.co.uk
Prices may vary
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Joie savvy 4-in-1 baby carry

best baby carrier uk 2023
  • Best: For ease
  • Suitable for : For babies weighing 3.5kg – 16kg (newborn to two and a half)

From buggies to car seats to travel cots, Joie baby gear is made from safe, top quality material while at the same time being affordable for parents. Its savvy 4-in-1 carrier is no exception, offering the same features as more expensive baby carriers at around £100 cheaper.

Thick padded shoulder straps and support for the lower back made this an excellent carrier for comfort. Are you recovering from a traumatic birth or carrying a different injury? Thanks to the excellent back support, this could help with your rehab journey. But perhaps the coolest feature of this carrier is its magnetic buckles. Simply tap the top and bottom buckle together and it secures, which is a lifesaver when you’re wrestling a crying baby into a carrier during a solo trip and have nobody to ask for help.

  1. £105 from Boots.com
Prices may vary
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Tula lite

best baby carrier uk 2023
  • Best: For warm weather
  • Suitable for : Babies weighing 5.4kg – 13.6kg (six months to 18 months)

Made from lightweight ripstop material used in outdoor apparel and sportswear due to its durability and coolness, the Tula lite is a lifesaver on sticky summer days. If baby is grizzling and wants to be held – but you’re not sure you can handle extra material and weight because of the heat – this stripped back carrier will allow air to circulate to keep both you and your little bundle cool.

Thinking about braving a festival with your baby or going on a beach holiday? This carrier packs right down into a bun bag so you can wear it around your waist if baby is down for a nap or being held by someone else, and then unfold it whenever you want to have your baby closer. The zipped pocket on the waistband also has a huge amount of space to carry cards, your phone and perhaps some baby nappies, wipes or muslin cloths.

We also loved the star print design which got several compliments during outings. The lite is available in seven different prints including a green bird print design and a navy palm tree design, which also caught our eye.

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Ergobaby omni breeze with all weather carrier cover

best baby carrier uk 2023
  • Best: For cold weather
  • Suitable for : Babies weighing 3.2kg – 20.4kg (newborn to three years)

It can be tempting to stop babywearing when it’s cold and wet and go for a drive instead. But if you want to get your step count up and enjoy the fresh air, Ergobaby has the answer. The brand’s all weather cover fits perfectly over its omni breeze or omni dream baby carriers, effectively acting as a jacket for the carrier. Covering the sides of the baby, they’ll stay as dry as they would have done in a buggy while being upright and enjoying the warmth of your body contact. If your baby is around six months or over and you’re wearing them front facing, you can use a hood over your baby’s head to keep them even more protected from the elements.

Without the cover, the mesh fabric of the omni breeze makes it a breathable and practical option for summer as well as winter. We really liked how the straps could be crossed over which distributed our baby testers’ weight evenly, so we never felt their weight was dragging our shoulders down and affecting our posture. It was fast to slip into and so comfortable that our grown up testers once forgot they were wearing it until they heard the baby make a sound.

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Artipoppe zeitgeist

best baby carrier uk 2023
  • Best: For style
  • Suitable for : Babies weighing 3.2kg – 20kg (newborn to three years)

This carrier is A-list approved, worn by celebrities including Gigi Hadid, Jessica Alba, Emily Ratajowski and many more. With a variety of patterns and prints including peacock feather and repeating swans, this is a way for you to express yourself while carrying a baby without feeling like you’re compromising.

Its unique, softly structured moldable body panel allows for easy adjustability to four sizing positions meeting the baby’s growth. The back support comes up high to support a little one’s head and to help them feel settled and close to you while they’re in the carrier.

This may be the most expensive carrier we tested but it oozes luxury from all angles. The unique jacquard woven fabric is a butter soft blend of natural yarns such as organic cashmere, linen and hemp which is breathable and gentle on a baby’s skin. It has a certificate for being “hip-healthy” by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute, and we loved the thick waistband that was fairly rigidly structured which helped support both the weight of the baby and encouraged adult carriers to walk taller and have better posture.

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Stokke limas

best baby carrier uk 2023
  • Best: For a close carry
  • Suitable for : Babies weighing 4kg –18kg (one month to two and a half years)

There are benefits to wrap carriers and advantages to buckle carriers and the Stokke limas allows you to have the best of both. Firstly, it’s super easy to put on. Simply buckle the wide waist belt, then after putting the carrier on, pull the straps tight and tie them in a double knot. Use the wide straps over your baby’s bottom for better weight distribution and support.

Secondly, the soft organic cotton material keeps baby close to you, which is soothing for both the youngster and the parent. Standard wrap carriers only allow this for up to nine months but the limas is designed to carry tots until they reach up to 18kg. This allows you to hug them to your chest for longer and nurture a secure and confident child. No matter what age they are, their hips will be supported thanks to a continuously adjustable base (from 24cm to 45cm) to ensure a correct squat–spread position.

Front, back or hip carrying options allow you to follow your baby’s lead. Our three month old tester enjoyed being front carried while the toddler, who is not a massive fan of being picked up, settled extremely well on the back.

  1. £125 from Stokke.com
Prices may vary
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Ergobaby embrace newborn carrier

best baby carrier uk 2023
  • Best: For softness of material
  • Suitable for: Babies weighing 3.2kg – 11.3kg (newborn to 15 months)

Designed especially for the fourth trimester, which is the first three months of a baby’s life – when they’re still working out that they’re a separate human – the soft fabric of the embrace means the baby sits close to your chest. The theory is that being able to feel the calming, reassuring heartbeat of their mum or dad will settle a baby’s own heart rate, even if they’re fussing. This worked extremely well in practice, too. Within seconds of being placed in the carrier, our littlest tester went from screaming to almost silent.

We loved the cross strap back which seemed to take up a lot of the baby’s weight so they felt lighter than ever. And we also approved of the compact size when folded up, which means you can keep it in the nappy bag for emergencies. With the confidence that comes with knowing you always have a way to calm your baby safely packed in a bag, going out and about with your little one alone somehow feels less daunting.

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BabyBjorn mini baby carrier

best baby carriers
  • Best: Newborn carrier
  • Suitable for: Babies weighing 3.2 to 11kg (0-12 months)

It’s no suprise that we’ve added two of BabyBjorn’s collections into the mix as the brand is such an obvious go-to for babywearing. We love this mini carrier for newborns as the secure clasps and straps make you feel reassured that even the littlest and most delicate of babies, weighing 3.2 to 11kg, are safe and snug on your chest.

We were grateful that it came in a variety of prints and colours, meaning the mini carrier will suit any parents’ taste. Our favourite design is the 100 per cent cotton khaki print, which promises to add a statement to even the most boring and oversized clothes you inevitably wear in those early months of becoming a new mum. Thankfully, the carrier is also machine washable at 40 degrees, which means the the carrier is reusable quickly after any messy incidents.

We found the mini carrier perfect for our “velcro baby” tester who only wanted to be held close throughout the day. It allowed us to enjoy peaceful walks and some much-needed hands-free time to drink a hot coffee and tidy around the house. As our little tester grew stronger and more inquisitive, they could also enjoy a forward-facing position to explore the world around them on daily walks.

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Baby carrier FAQs

Types of baby carrier

Ruth Grint, babywearing consultant shares her knowledge of the different types of carrier available for every baby and caregiver need.

  • Stretchy wrap: A long piece of stretchy fabric. You wrap it around yourself, then can pop the baby in and out over the course of the day without having to re-tie. Perfect from newborn and most people use these until around 6 months.
  • Woven wrap: A long piece of non-stretchy fabric. It’s wrapped around the wearer and baby. They’re suitable from newborn to toddlerhood to even pre-schooler, and for front, hip and back carries.
  • Ring sling: A piece of fabric with two rings sewn into one end. The fabric is threaded through the rings to create a pouch, sized for your baby. Ideal for front and hip carries, and a great choice for those wishing to feed in a sling.
  • Buckle carriers: Also known as soft-structured carriers. They consist of a waistband, shoulder straps and a panel of fabric the baby sits in. There is a huge variation in terms of padding and fabrics and most will offer front-facing and back carrying. Some will be adjustable to accommodate a growing baby, while some are a fixed size. 
  • Hiking/framed carrier: Exclusively for back carrying, these often have built-in storage and weather protection, i.e. sunshade. Some can be used as a standalone seat when the child isn’t on the back.

What to consider when buying a baby carrier

Grint says that the two most important things to consider are:

  1. Is my baby able to breathe? This means that you can see baby’s face, their airways are clear of any obstructions, their chin is off their chest, and they are not slumped in the carrier.
  2. Is my baby secure? Are they at any risk of falling? You can check that your baby is snug to your body if you gently lean forward, and not pulling away. A top tip here - if you feel like you need to hold on to your little one, chances are they don’t feel secure!

“Newborn babies are held in a chest to chest position,” she continues. “Once babies are older they can also be carried on the hip and on the back.

Read more: 8 best baby monitors

“Many parents are concerned about their baby’s hips in a carrier. In a good carrier or sling, the baby is held in a way which is good for the developing hip joints. This involves the baby being supported from knee to knee, and in a pelvic tuck position, with the knees higher than the baby’s bum.

“These safety points apply to all types of slings, wraps and carriers. It’s important to follow the manufacturer’s safety guidelines and instructions, for example with regards to minimum and maximum weight limits.

Read more: 9 best baby bouncers and rockers

“Seek advice and support if you are at all unsure - your local sling library or babywearing consultant is a great point of contact for this, especially if your baby is small or premature, or you or your child has any particular health concerns.”

How to wear a baby carrier correctly

Caroline Barber advises that all parents should follow the TICKS rule for safe baby wearing when choosing a carrier. TICKS stands for:

Tight

Slings and carriers should be tight enough to hug your baby close to you as this will be most comfortable for you both. Any slack/loose fabric will allow your baby to slump down in the carrier which can hinder their breathing and pull on your back.

In view at all times

You should always be able to see your baby’s face by simply glancing down. The fabric of a sling or carrier should not close around them so you have to open it to check on them. In a cradle position your baby should face upwards not be turned in towards your body.

Close enough to kiss

Your baby’s head should be as close to your chin as is comfortable. By tipping your head forward you should be able to kiss your baby on the head or forehead.

Keep chin off chest

A baby should never be curled so their chin is forced onto their chest as this can restrict their breathing. Ensure there is always a space of at least a finger width under your baby’s chin.

Supported back

In an upright carry a baby should be held comfortably close to the wearer so their back is supported in its natural position and their tummy and chest are against you. If a sling is too loose they can slump which can partially close their airway. (This can be tested by placing a hand on your baby’s back and pressing gently - they should not uncurl or move closer to you.) A baby in a cradle carry in a pouch or ring sling should be positioned carefully with their bottom in the deepest part so the sling does not fold  them in half pressing their chin to their chest.

The verdict: Baby carriers

The BabyBjorn harmony was a dream to carry, settled all sizes of babies within seconds and gave older ones a great view of the world from a back position. However, if you want a closer carry for the newborn days and the first few months, the Ergobaby embrace and the Caboo lite are both easy to put on and offer a lovely, cuddly carrying experience.

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