Review : The Ergo

I had no idea what the Ergo was before I found the world of blogging. And then I found that it was supposedly the elite of all baby carriers. And can you believe I only first saw one in person just a few short weeks ago? It was then that I decided I had to try one, and I was super pumped that the lovely folks at Ergo decided to send me one to review!

First, a bit about Ergo:
The Ergo Carrier was first developed by Karin Frost when she created a carrier for her own son in 2001 and they began marketing it in 2003. ERGObaby is a family owned and operated company located on Maui, Hawaii. Their mission is to offer parents the most thoughtful, highest quality, and most innovative babywearing products and accessories found on the market. They also continuously educate parents on the benefits of baby wearing that go beyond the convenience factor as well as share related topics they feel will improve how the next generation of babies are brought into the world.


Now supposedly, you can use just this one carrier from infant to toddler.

Supposedly.

And they say it doesn't hurt your back or shoulders at all.

So they say.

But how does it really work?


When it first came in the mail I was so exited to try it out. I had talked to a couple women who had used one and they seemed to enjoy their immensely and it got me anxious to try it myself!

Problem was, I noticed the box at the back door at the exact moment Sophia woke up to eat. So I did what I'm sure a lot of moms would. I quick opened the box and sat down to nurse while I pulled out the contents! I was able to read all of the instructions and literature that came with it while she got her lunch. :-) And as soon as she was done, I pulled it on and had Cody hop in. Why Cody and not Sophia? I didn't have the infant insert just yet.

Cody thought it was soooo cool!! He fit in there perfectly (he'll be 3 in just 2 months!) and seemed both comfortable and secure. Very secure actually. I never once felt like he could slip out. And I felt comfortable. The weight was really distributed quite evenly and it didn't seem to pull on my shoulders. I could even stand up straight even though I had 30 pounds on my back!
We even ran through the house with him in it because I wanted to see how secure and comfortable it really was. He thought it was hysterical and I was left impressed!

I also put him in this while I went garage sale-ing one day and he was in there for about a half hour. The only uncomfortable part was the fact that being only 6 weeks post partum, I am OUT OF SHAPE! I was tired, but not sore though.

I did manage to get down to one of the only stores in town that had the infant inserts last week, so I could try it out with Sophia. It did take me a couple times to get her in and situated comfortably, but now that we have it down, I can just pop her in with slight re-adjustments.

The Ergo goes on super quickly with only two clips. One on the waist and one over the chest or back depending on how you're putting baby in. (and the front carry is great for covering up the post partum belly too!) The straps are padded but are not bulky and they added a great new feature so that the height of the chest strap doesn't move when you take it off and put it back on. It also has a built in sleeping hood so keep baby's head secure if they do fall asleep, and you can use it as a sun shield or nursing cover too. It's so easy to get on and off though, that if baby does fall asleep you can take it off without waking them.

What I Liked:

• How easy it was to put on and take off
• How comfortable it was
• The fact that yes you can use this from birth till toddlerdom
• Baby/Toddler stay comfortable
• The quality is fantastic and I can see why these last so long. The fabric is super sturdy and durable too!
• It lives up to all it's claims.
  

What I didn't like so much:

• With the infant insert in, it does get just a tad bulky and can make it seem like there's to much on top. Then again, the infant insert does keep baby nice and cozy.
• The waist strap isn't very long. Granted I did just have a baby, but I only had a few inches at the end of the strap. They do sell an extension strap to fix that problem though if your waist is over 43" in diameter.
  

I honestly can't wait to get out this summer! A carrier like this opens so many doors for me now. Before I had to worry about my toddler running off, but this solves that problem! Plus I think this would be one that my husband would actually use as it's not "girly".

I think anyone who leads even a somewhat active lifestyle would love one of these!! I know the cost may seem like a lot up front, but if you think about how long you can use it, it does really make sense! Plus they have some cool attachments like a backpack and front pouch. I really can't wait to get out to the park or beach or farmers market or......anywhere really! I don't even have to bring my purse along now.

Have you tried one of these? What did you think? And did your babies like it?