There are some carriers I have in the library because they fit a wide range of people, are very versitile and are generally brilliant. And then there are ones that are a bit different and I have because they are good for a specific situation or a particular subset. The Baby Bjorn One definitely fits into the latter catagory. It does not fit a wide range of people, it isn’t particularly versitile but there are some for whom this is the right choice.
It’s also a carrier that is asked for ALOT! Which is understandable, because it’s readily availible in high street stores and one you often see out and about. But it’s also one I see brought to troubleshooting sessions over and over again. Often its possible to tweak it and get a better fit but sometimes it just doesn’t fit well and ultimately something else ends up being better. And of those who come asking for the Bjorn One who haven’t yet bought one, the vast majority opt for something else following trying a range of different options on.
The simple fact of the matter is that the Bjorn One only fits a relatively small range of people really well. There are two main reasons for this
- The torso of the carrier is very long. The Bjorn One has a fixed panel that runs between adult and baby between the waist strap and the shoulder straps. The panel doesn’t adjust, only the shoulder straps and unfortunately this panel is very long. Generally if you are below about 5’8” (172cm) and/or have a shorter torso this panel will be too long for you. It’s still possible to wear the carrier – either by scrunching the panel or by dropping the waist belt to your hips rather than your waist but the result will be a less good fit and will be less comfortable for you the wearer. If you drop the waist band this will put more pressure on your shoulders and is likely to give you back ache, while if you scrunch the panel it will be more comfortable except that you might feel the rouched panel material against your (and your baby’s) tummies. Which is a little non-ideal. Consequently, anyone over about 5’8” tend to find this carrier far more comfortable than anyone under this height. In fact this carrier can be good option for the very tall – 6ft and over, because the shoulder straps can go pretty long and accomodate taller frames.
- The panel running between adult and baby tends to sit over breast tissue on women. This can be very uncomfortable for new mothers, particularly those who are breastfeeding.
Consequently, it is often the case that the Bjorn One works alot better for men than women. This is not an absolute, there are some taller woment who it does fit well and isn’t uncomfortable over boobs and conversely there are men for whom it doesn’t fit at all well… but it’s really not at all uncommon for couples to come to me for help with their Bjorn One baby carriers and for the dad to say he is pretty comfortable, while the mother is experiencing back pain and/or discomfort when her boobs are feeling full.
But for those who it does fit, the Bjorn can be a great choice. In particular parents who love it love it because;
- You fit the parent first and then the baby slots in after. Compared to carriers where you do the straps up around you and baby, some parents find they feel more secure getting baby in and out. This is particularly true of those who are very nervous about using a baby carrier.
- The Slide and Release buckles. While most carriers use standard buckles, the baby Bjorn have these special buckles that involve overshooting then sliding back. They then have a seperate button that needs to be pressed while sliding the buckle the otherway again. The advantage of these buckles is that because they need very specific movements they can’t be undone by mistake or by a parent who is on “autopilot” … you have to think about it! Again for nervous parents this adds to a feeling of security and safety. Although its worth saying while some parents find these buckles really inutitive to use, others find the sliding past really tricky and can’t seem to ever get the hang of them! So this is definitely a marmite feature.
- The straps are not overly padded and not too bulky on the shoulders. Which can be a draw for slimmer taller people who can find more bulky padding a bit too much.
The Baby Bjorn One offers 3 carrying positions. Baby facing parent on the front, Baby facing outwards on the front and a back carry. Although in practise, while the 2 front carrying positions are pretty straight forward, the back carry is a bit more tricky! Because of how the straps are configured, to get baby onto your back on your own you need to first place baby on your front and then get your arms out (walk like an Egyptian method – one over, one under) swizzle baby around to your back then put your arms back in. Its a mega faff, and most babies complain alot during the process! The lower waist band position of the Bjorn One also means this carry is pretty low and so its harder to monitor your little one once they are back there. Consequently, Bjorn don’t recommend the back carry position before 12 months.
However, baby can be carried on the front from 3.5kg. The one contains an built in infant insert which acts to raise the height of the baby within the carrier. The width of the carrier also adjusts through ‘locking’ zips at the bottom. In practise the carrier still feels a little large for the smallest newborns but works for most from around 6 weeks onwards. Then as baby grows the infant insert can be unzipped, and the zippered base can be made incrementially wider so the carrier can grow with baby. Generally speaking it fits baby reasonably well up till about 18 months give or take. However, many parents move on from this carrier earlier than that (more like 11-15 months ish), simply because front carrying becomes heavy and many parents struggle to back carry with the One. So instead they often move onto a bigger carrier than is easier to get baby onto the back with.
The forward facing carry can be used once baby has full neck control and is tall enough that their face fully clears the top of the carrier. Unfortunately, a hip carry position isn’t really possible because of how the straps are configured.
Another thing to consider is the material – Bjorn has a number of finishes for this carrier but the standard one at least is pretty rigid and not entirely soft! Many parents don’t like how “hard” it feels for a newborn. However, this is something Bjorn have improved on and their newest models are softer and they do also offer a mesh which is softer and lighter and some parents prefer for this reason.
Finally – do consider if you think you’d like to breastfeed in a carrier. Because the Bjorn has material running between you and baby, it is extremely hard to breast feed in this sling without taking it off first because part of the carrier sits over the boobs.
All in all the Baby Bjorn One can be a good option for parents with longer straighter/flatter torsos and particularly those who are more nervous about babywearing but it is very worth trying on before you buy, and comparing to a few other brands as it certainly doesn’t fit everyone. It works well from around 6 weeks to somewhere between 1 year and 18 months, which is a smaller age range than many of its main competitors and at a cost of £139 it is maybe not quite as good value for money as other similar carriers from brands such as Ergo and Beco.
“I knew I wanted to carry my baby when I first found out I was pregnant. It seemed like a common sense thing to do; aside from the fact that we’d be able to keep going to places we enjoyed that may not be accessible with a buggy, I knew that I would want to keep her close and how this would benefit both of us. In advance of Rosa’s arrival, we bought a stretchy wrap and an Amazonas Smart Carrier. I liked the idea of the stretchy, it seemed soft and snuggly, but Rosa’s dad, Tony, was all about the buckles! When she arrived, I found that I alternated between the two. Whilst I did like the closeness the stretchy wrap provided and used this when I was staying local, the Amazonas was definitely more practical when going out and about and for longer walks.
Rosa put on weight quickly and at around 3 months, I packed the stretchy wrap away. We carried on using the Amazonas, but as Rosa grew and her head control improved, we realised the limitations of it. Tony in particular wanted a carrier that could do a front outward carry (as well as wanting a more neutral colour than the purple, green and cream swirls of the Amazonas!). We went along to Sheen Slings library session and chatted with Madeleine about our options. We ended up borrowing 2 different slings to try – a Lillebaby and an Ergo Omni 360. Whilst we liked both, the Ergo was the winner due to the ease of use. After just a few days of having it, we put in an order for our own brand new one using a gift voucher we’d been given.
Immediately the Ergo became our go-to carrier. I have explored other options since getting it – I have a lovely woven wrap and a ring sling, but I don’t find either to be as easy, comfortable and supportive to use as the Ergo. Luckily, Rosa seems to love it too! We started with front inward carrying and when she was strong enough, started to use the front outward carry for periods too. As we got closer to her 1
Tony and I both love carrying Rosa, I think keeping her so close has really helped us all to bond. Rosa seems to love being up at our level, seeing the world as we do and constantly interacting with us (and others who stop and talk to her, which happens a lot!), which you just can’t do in the same way when they’re in the buggy. Tony was out shopping with her recently and she had a hold of some toothpaste. He went over to the counter, she passed it to the cashier and then passed over the card to pay as well! All that interaction will benefit her language and social communication skills no end! Recently, we’ve done trips to the zoo, farm, aquarium and we regularly go out walking in forests and parks. We only ever take the carrier on these trips and always feel a sense of freedom as a result. Rosa’s always found it easy to sleep in the carrier too and since I have learnt how to breastfeed in it, we can keep on the go whilst meeting all her needs. 
We’re dreading the day when Rosa outgrows the Ergo, but rest assured we will be back at the sling library to find a toddler carrier to add to our collection! There are far too many benefits to stop carrying any time soon!
The Beco Gemini is a little bit magic. It’s a carrier that has really grown on me. When I first got this carrier 2.5 years ago I didn’t have a child who fitted it (Tom was too big and Rachel hadn’t even been conceived yet). Trying with a doll I simply thought “yeah, its fine”… but over the years seeing this carrier on other parents and then later wearing it myself with Rachel I have come to realize why this carrier is fantastic… simply put it’s because the shoulder straps and waist band don’t match. 
It is worth noting that compared to other similar carriers – like the Ergo Omni 360 and the Lillebaby Complete – the Gemini doesn’t last as long. While those will take to 2.5 years ish, the Gemini will often only last till around 18 months to maybe 2 years depending on the size of your child. It’s certainly 
But ultimately, I couldn’t overcome the fact that it’s pretty uncomfortable on me. It sits all wrong on my shoulders. No amount of adjusting and optimising can seem to fix this. It is worth saying that I am always a bit loathed to state a carrier is uncomfortable because it really depends on individual fit. Clearly this carrier fits me badly, but it should be comfortable for those people for whom it fits well. And my comfort is completely irrelevant to you the reader, who probably has a totally different body shape to me. In fact, this is the reason I have held off reviewing this carrier for the past year. I wanted to see how it worked on other people. However, a year down the line I am yet to find anyone at all whom it fits well. It’s been tried on a fair few times by men and women of various frame sizes, but alas no one so far has found it comfortable. I am still hopeful – it went through product testing etc so there must be at least a few people who found it comfortable.
It’s a shame, because as I said at the start this carrier has some really lovely features. It also offers 4 different carrying positions; 1) a front parent facing carry, 2) a front forward facing position, 3) hip carry and 4) a back carry, and is designed to go from newborn all the way to late toddlerhood. To facilitate these different carrying positions it has 2 seat modes – a narrow seat for forward facing and a wider seat for the inward, hip and back positions. The seat adjusts via poppers within the waistband and its really simple to convert between modes.
When can I start forward facing my baby? When a) they have excellent head control and upper back strength and b) they are big enough to comfortably fit the carrier you have for them.
Its also worth noting that forward facing is not the only alternative for a nosy baby. Most slings and carriers also offer positions on the carers hip or back. In general, for a buckle carrier, the hip position can be used once baby has good head control. From here baby can see outward and get just as good a view of the world as they would forward facing, but they can also see the parents face for social referencing. They can easily tuck in towards the parent when they start to become tired and naturally fall asleep, and they are fully supported in a very ergonomic position. Its also possible to wear a younger baby on the hip in a ring sling or woven wrap or even a stretchy wrap, provided that the sling is worn in a way that supports the baby’s neck. Often a muslin rolled into the wrap or sling is perfect for this – providing support behind the babies neck but still allowing them to move and be as nosy as they like!
The other alternative is to wear baby on your back. Once they are tall enough to see over your shoulder they can get the same view as forward facing on your front, but it is more comfortable for you the parent as we load bear much better placing weight on our back verses carrying weight on our fronts. Like the hip carry, it also gives the child the option to tuck in and fall asleep when needed. For a buckle carry, this position can be used once the baby is able to sit independently or is very very close to being able to sit independently. So in theory often from 6 or 7 months old, however, most 6 or 7 months old can’t see over their parents shoulders yet and thus are usually less impressed with this position. Instead back carrying in a buckle carrier comes into its own from around 1 year old. However, it is possible to carry younger babies on the back – my choice for this is a woven wrap because it is possible to wear babies up much higher so they can see over your shoulder right from the beginning and because they can be tightened to give better support enabling a baby who is not yet able to sit independently be worn on the back without fear of slumping etc.
