BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Active, Black/Red
by BABYBJÖRN
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List Price: Our Price: $93.99 You Save: $35.96 (28%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $78.99 (click here) Category: Baby Product See more product details |
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Baby Products Reviews of BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Active, Black/Red
Customer Review: Don't be fooled. Still no support!!!
Summary: 2 Stars
I first purchased the original Bjorn and the weight on my shoulders was unbearable (8 pd baby). I returned it for this model with the lumbar support. There isn't much support to say the least. I still felt the weight on my shoulders after about 1 hr of wearing it. Although it wasn't as bad as the original. Overall it's great if you plan only on using it until your baby is 2-3 months. Once the baby get's too heavy you really start to compromise your back and shoulders. If you are into baby wearing then this will only last you very little and you will soon have to research other carriers.
The Good Stuff:
1. The carrier part is nice and thick and provides lots of support for the baby's back and head.
2. Easy to put on and take off without help.
The Bad Stuff:
1. Provides no back support for the person doing the carrying.
2. In order to get some back support you must tighten the lumbar very very tight to the point you can't breath!!
3. The shoulder staps are NOT sufficiently padded. The shoulder pain becomes unbearable after 1 hr for a 10 pound baby.
4. Forward facing - the fold down head support flaps back into the baby's face. You have to constantly fold it down.
5. Since the baby's legs dangle in front. You CANNOT sit comfortabley.
Bottom line - if you plan on wearing your baby for more than an hour at a time or past 2-3 months this is a complete waste of money. If you are looking to use it only on light errands and plan on transfering baby to a stroller in 2-3 months then it's ok (althought still expensive for such little use) After some extensive research and trying several carriers I ended up with the Ergo Baby Carrier. All the baby's weight is on the hips (the way nature intended!)not the shoulders. Not to mention the shoulders are very padded. And even now that my daughter is 14 months I can still carry her with no problem and no pain.
Customer Review: Best thing for me - try it for yourself
Summary: 5 Stars
I registered for and eventually purchased for myself the Active Carrier. I love this carrier. With a bad back, I find the lumbar support VERY helpful. I do have to tighten it up, but is far from cutting off my breathing. My little girl loves riding in it too. She usually falls asleep within minutes of me putting her in it.
If you aren't sure if you'll like it, go to babies R' us and see if they will let you try on the display model. They would at my store. LOL Throw in some heavy cans of liquid formula to see how it feels with weight. :)
Why I love this carrier:
1. I love giving my little girl kisses on her head when I am out running errands.
2. I love the attention she gets and the "oh isn't that cute" when I have her in it, while at the same time I love the distance those people keep since she's strapped to my chest (as opposed to my friend who has people leaning in on her stroller to get a closer look at the baby.) Ewww.
3. I love being able to use my arms when I shop or go out.
4. I don't feel lop-sided like I do when I carry around a car carrier. (I hate seeing guys lug around infant car carriers while their wives follow behind them with the diaper bag. The baby jerks around in the carrier with each uncomfortable step his/her parent takes.)
5. I really don't have any trouble sitting or even eating when I have the carrier on with her in it.
6. The lumbar support saves my back. I have degenerative disk disease and have had two herniated disks, but with this carrier, I have not had any problems even after a day at the mall (at least 3 hours of walking around with a 12 pound baby.)
7. It really is quite soothing to my little girl as she tends to sleep the entire time unless she's hungry.
The only thing I don't like about it is that it's getting warmer outside and with the padding I get a little sweaty where the carrier sits (the small of my back and my shoulders.) :(
Customer Review: Lifesaver for mom's of fussy babies
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this while pregnant after reading the reviews. My baby is now 5 months old (14 pounds) and we still use it several times a week. Here are the reasons I love it:
1. My baby girl hated being in a swing and would only stay in a bouncer for short times. She was pretty fussy the first 3 months and would cry when I tried to put her in the crib. She also wouldn't take naps during the day and would stay awake sometimes for 10 hours straight. I found I could put her in the baby bjorn and she would fall asleep while I was walking around doing stuff like vaccuuming.
2. Starting around 4 months I figured out that you can breastfeed with her in the baby bjorn -- this gave me much greater freedom. Prior to that I was either sitting in my car or in the womens lounge when I would be out with her. It was better for my husband also -- no longer was he required to entertain himself in the mall for 30 minutes while I was feeding her at Nordstroms.
3. My husband can use the baby bjorn also and he is 6'2".
There are some negatives to the baby bjorn though. Like it takes some getting used to when putting the baby into it (after practicing it awhile it's not as awkward). I don't have the issue with the flap folding up but my baby tends to suck on it when I have her facing out. The extra leg hole fasteners that you use when the baby is below a certain weight were difficult to fasten and never got much easier. Also, when you do breastfeed with it, it's a little awkward (you take a shoulder strap off and I kind of shift her to the side she'll be feeding off of) but worth the freedom when you're out running errands.
Customer Review: Great product - worth the extra money
Summary: 4 Stars
I would recommend this to many couples, we have friends who are 5'7" and 6'5" and this carrier works for them as well.
Four starts: Simply cosmetic - I would like the extra strap flaps to attach/tuck neatly somewhere on carrier -the straps can tuck away - I am just a neat freak.
Pros:
1. I wanted the lumbar support - and for 3 mile/1 hour walks this is fine for my shoulders, back etc.
2. I wanted a carrier that we could use when our baby hit ~8# to his now 20+ pounds - he fits well, and still really enjoys it. Our baby seems to really like the arm and leg freedom - he moves his arms and legs alot in the carrier.
3. The carrier fits my 6'0" linebacker sized husband and myself (5'7" and slim). We have to adjust the straps alot, but this takes seconds & the carrier does work for both of us.
4. This is a great option to take with for trips -save the box - the carrier shoves nicely into the box and stores on the shelf of our child's closet, or your car trunk.
Cons:
1. The flap was great head support when he was tiny, now it does flip back up (bop him in the face another reviewer mentioned) since he faces forward. It is soft and harmless.
2. The carrier can get quite warm around your middle in the summer -but that could be a bonus to shed that "baby weight"
3. Took a little getting used to putting the carrier on at first (have a friend/spouse on hand first times) - it felt like putting on an octopus to a NEW mom. The side clips are really snug at first (frustrating), yet do seem to loosen slightly (or you get better at releasing them.
Customer Review: Look at other carriers first.
Summary: 3 Stars
We have been using the Baby Bjorn Active for 5 months, since our son was born. Initially, we thought this was the greatest thing ever, and were fine with the 2 positions. All 3 of us, hubby, baby, and I, have been extremely dependent on this carrier as our baby loves to be in it, and will go through phases where he won't fall asleep unless he's in the Bjorn.
Once he turned about 3 months old, though, I started thinking about getting a different carrier. We started noticing back strain, and the position the baby is in (with legs dangling down) makes it difficult to do anything other than walk. Sitting is even an issue, unless you sit at the very edge of a chair so his feet can hang. Our son is quite huge (95th percentile in length & weight) so perhaps we would have been happy with this carrier for longer if he were a smaller/lighter child.
I had no idea how inferior this carrier was until I received my Ergo carrier the other day. Man, oh man, what a difference! The baby's weight is distributed differently, so your back isn't stressed. The Ergo can also be used in 3 positions, and can be used up to 40 lbs. The Bjorn only goes up to 26 lbs, and while that seemed a lot before the baby was born, he's already 20 lbs at 5 months, so we were about to outgrow it anyway.
The Bjorn is a good carrier, but it's not the best, especially for the money. Get the Ergo. It's priced similarly and has more versatility. If you have a really big baby, you won't be able to use the Bjorn for very long and your back will kill you while you do.