Comfy Babies 3-in-1 Easy Baby Carrier Review

Holly and I were asked by Comfy Babies to put their baby carrier to the test. Comfy Babies sell quite a few different baby carriers but we tried out the 3-in-1 Easy Baby Carrier which Comfy Babies sell for a very attractive £26.95.

The 3-in-1 baby carrier can be used in three different ways - as a baby carrier on your front where your baby faces you; where your baby faces out (once they are able to support their own heads) and also as a baby carrier that you use on your back, a bit like a backpack for slightly older babies.

The Comfy Babies 3-in-1 Easy Baby Carrier comes in either a pale pink or a burgundy with black straps - we chose the darker colour because we knew that Mr. B wanted to use the carrier without looking too girly! Someone recently gave us a great tip that in order to save time and effort changing the settings on your baby carrier each time you swap between parents, it makes more sense to buy a couple of less expensive baby carriers so that you can both have your own and leave them both permanently set up for each parent. This means that you know, when you go to put on the carrier, that it is in the correct positions and settings for you.

The 3-in-1 carrier says it is suitable from about 8lbs upwards so we waited a while before using Holly in it. I would say though that it was better suited to an older baby; not just because two of the three settings require your baby to be able to hold their head upright, but also because in the forward facing setting as I am using it in these photos, the carrier doesn't provide much support for a wobbly newborn baby head. In these pictures I have the carrier tightened up to its smallest settings around Holly's legs, waist and head and there is still quite a lot of space for her to move around.

Saying that, when I am walking with Holly in the carrier I am comfortable and confident; she doesn't wobble around very much and seems quite content to be up close next to me.

The carrier completely unfastens and flaps down from around your baby's body to allow you to get your baby in and out easily. Unfortunately, the piece of the carrier that fastens around you (around your back) is almost impossible to do up on your own - I have to get Mr. B to do this for me which means I can't use this carrier when he is not around.

The Easy Baby carrier is made from a squidgy foamy material which means it is soft and comfy for both you and baby. It seems quite breathable too which is important as you can both heat up quickly when you are so close together. I found the plastic clips to be tricky to do up and to unclip - they aren't that robust. The comfy Babies 3-in-1 carrier is not the highest quality baby carrier on the market but it is practical and perfectly functional and no-nonsense. There are no special ergonomic features or braces to support healthy hip placement for your baby (another reason why I would recommend this carrier only for an older baby of about 6 months upwards).

If you compare the 3-in-1 baby carrier to some of the bigger named brands on the market such as Baby Bjorn or Britax then you'll see that it is half the price and I would say it was just over half the quality so it presents good value for money.

Britax Baby Carrier Review

Since Holly was just three weeks old I have been using the Britax Baby Carrier to carry her when I am out and about. I always wanted to do the same when Lara was tiny but she hated being in a carrier and I would get stressed putting her into one but this time things are very different - find out why...

One of the main barriers to me using a baby carrier with my first daughter was my own confidence. I found it hard to put a small baby into a carrier without someone around to assist me. The Britax baby carrier is pretty damn easy to put Holly into even with no-one there to help me and so this has given me the confidence to use a carrier more often. Undoubtedly this confidence wears off on Holly who doesn't feel stressed when I put her into it. The front of the carrier flips down to place Holly inside and then I clip the support up around her head.

The Britax baby carrier is suitable for babies from 3.5kg (more or less Holly's birth weight) up to toddlers of 14.5kg. In these early stages, Holly is placed on an insert which keeps her position really high up against me (close enough for me to kiss her head) and, combined with the leg straps for small infants, this ensures that her legs are kept in a safe position to reduce the impact to her hip joints and keep her comfortable when we are on the move.

At present, Holly can't keep her head upright so I haven't yet tried her in the forward-facing position but when I do so there is a handy white machine-washable dribble catcher to keep the carrier clean and make it a softer place for Holly to rest her chin and face.

I find the Britax carrier really comfortable to wear. Much more so than I remember my old carrier that i used for Lara. I have done day-long trips into London carrying Holly with me both there and back and have felt fine afterwards. I really like the thick padded waistband that tightens around me - it feels really secure.

The Britax carrier is available in Black, Blue or an Organic light brown. I think they all look very smart and they are all unisex enough that Daddies are happy to wear them too - in fact, I couldn't help but notice that nearly all of the Dads in the movie "What to expect when you're expecting" are sporting Britax carriers! Mr. B is certainly happy to be seen in ours.