Probably seems a little harsh to say about a pretty decent, ergonomic, simple carrier aimed at newborns but I don’t generally recommend the Baby K’Tan for one simple reason – It’s sized. It does not adjust to fit different sized parents, instead you need to buy the correct size to fit you. There are a few problems with this:
- Unless you and your partner are exactly the same size it’s unlikely you can both use this carrier. You’d have to buy two – one for you and one for them. Likewise it might not be possible to share this carrier with anyone else who might carry your baby – grannies, granddads, aunts, nannies etc.
- While this can be a great carrier if you do have the right size for you, many people find they fall between sizes. Or outside the sizing. K’Tan actually make a total of 6 sizes, however, at the time of writing this only 3 of these seem to be readily available in the UK. Small, Medium and Large which apparently correspond to dress sizes 8-10, 12-14 and 16-18 respectively. But in practise many people who follow this guide still find they end up with a carrier that is slightly too small or slightly too big and as a result can not use the carrier at all.
- If your size changes significantly you may find the carrier no longer fits you. This might sound unlikely but it’s very common to gain or lose weight quite a bit of weight in the months after birth. Women’s bodies change loads in the postpartum period and men may find their body shape changes too with the new routine (my marathon running husband put about 8-10 kilos on in the months after the birth of each of our children until sleep and routine settled down enough for him to get back to running as much as he was pre-birth).
- As baby’s size changes you might need to buy a new carrier or find that they no longer fit. In theory, because the K’Tan is made of stretchy fabric, baby’s size shouldn’t matter. Bigger children should simply stretch the carrier out more so that the same size carrier that fits the adult should worth whether carrying a newborn or a 1 year old. However, in practise this is not the case at all – the material just isn’t that stretchy at all and many parents report baby no longer fitting without sizing up.
Ultimately, all these problems are solved by having a carrier that is adjustable rather than sized.
I mean don’t get me wrong, if this carrier does fit you well – if you do have the right size, you don’t lose or gain lots of weight, your partner is the same size as you and your baby doesn’t grow too much (!) this is a really nice carrier. It gives a lovely snuggly fit that’s perfect for the newborn period and it’s really simple to use.
But those are massive ifs, and the simple fact is there is another carrier on the market that does all the same things, that offers the same carrying position, offers the same ease of use, the same softness AND is adjustable. And really that is why I don’t recommend the Baby K’Tan – why spend £50 on a Baby K’Tan when you can buy the Close Caboo and have all the pros without the massive cons for £55?
– Madeleine
1. Hana Baby stretchy wrap – I just love stretchy wraps for those early days. Super soft, easy to tie, easy to pop baby in and out of, and perfect fit for parent and baby every time. Perfect for round the home as well as out and about… David and I would both wear her for hours on end in a Hana. See previous posts for more on the 
Officially it is a ‘Stretchy Hybrid’. This means it is like a stretchy wrap in terms of the material used and the way baby is carried once in it, but it is ‘preformed’ to some degree to save you having to tie it for yourself. The Caboo consists of two pieces of material that are sewn together to form a cross at the back, come round to form a cross at the front and then loop back and are fastened to the cross at the back with a pair of rings on each side. The rings allow the carrier to be adjusted and tightened accommodating a wide range of parent body types and sizes. There is then a support panel which you tie over yourself and baby once baby is in the carrier. This panel provides both head support and acts as a safety belt completing the carrier. It also has a handy pocket that doubles as a bag to tuck the whole carrier into when your not using it.
Just like a stretchy wrap, the Caboo is absolutely great for newborns and the so called ‘forth trimester period’. It gives a wonderfully snuggly secure carry which I often think for the baby must feel like being swaddled to their parent. Absolutely bliss for almost any child under 3-6 months. And a sanity saver for the parents too who can make a cup of tea, go to the toilet or calm their little one while the other gets an hours sleep! However, just like a stretchy wrap, many parents find their child grows out of this carrier from 3-6 months onward. Sometimes in terms of level of support, but more often simply developmentally – as baby begins to have longer awake periods they start to prefer a carrier that lets them have their arms out and log around either from the hip or back or just turning their head from a front carry and having an unobstructed view of the world.