Are you looking for the perfect gift for a friend or a relative who is expecting a baby? A baby carrier is an excellent choice that is sure to be appreciated. Babies are born expecting to be carried, so by choosing a carrier as your gift, you will be sharing a great parenting tool that will let the new parents keep their baby close.
Shopping for a carrier for someone else can be tricky, but this guide will act as your personal shopper by suggesting some carriers that are right for almost everybody. Once you have selected the style and brand, you will need to choose a color. If you know the favorite color that your gift recipient likes to wear, you can always choose that. If you aren’t sure, we suggest neutrals that everyone loves such as a black or a brown.
Sweet and Simple
If you are choosing a gift for a shower or a newborn, a stretch wrap makes a popular present. Sleepy Wrap or Moby Wrap are favorite brands that come in a wide range of solid colors. Stretch wraps are perfect for newborn babies and can continue to be used for much of baby’s first year. Stretch wraps are a great value as well, with one of the lowest price points of all carriers. They are one size fits all, which is especially helpful when you are choosing a gift.
A ring sling is another great choice that lets new parents snuggle their newborn close, but can continue to be used as a hip carrier for years to come. BB Sling and Sakura Bloom Linen are both great brands to give as gifts. These brands are one size fits all, as well as fully reversible, which makes them easy to give.
The Gift That Keeps Giving
If you would like to choose a carrier that can be used from infancy to early childhood, a mei tai is a good option. Kozy and Freehand mei tais are easy to learn to use and will fit on most sized people. A mei tai is also right if you expect that the mother will want to share the babywearing time with her partner or a caregiver, since the same mei tai can be used by different people. Both Freehand and Kozy mei tais are also fully reversible, so parents can choose to wear either the printed or the solid side facing outwards. Mei tais are versatile, working well as a front carrier from the time the baby can support his own head. As he grows, it can be used as a back carrier too!
Just right for an older baby
If you are shopping for an older baby, a soft structured carrier (SSC) is the way to go. Soft structured carriers allow parents to comfortably carry bigger babies and toddlers, even on their backs. Brands such as Ergo, Beco Butterfly and Boba are very popular with parents. They are very adjustable, so will be able to be worn by most sized people. They can also be shared between parents which is a helpful feature. SSCs are loved by urbanites as well as those who like to spend time in the great outdoors, with their child.
Group Gift
If you have a group of people contributing to your gift, you may want to make a more extravagant choice for the new parents. A luxury brand of carrier can become an heirloom, loved for many years to come. Sakura Bloom Artisan silk ring slings or a Didymos or Ellevill woven wrap are the sure to be appreciated. Another popular choice for a group gift is to choose carriers from 2 or 3 of the above categories. Just like shoes, different carriers are often appreciated for different situations.
A baby carrier makes the perfect gift for every parent! Your thoughtful choice will introduce your friend to the many reasons to babywear and will help to create a bond between parent and child.
In most families, the babywearing is shared among mom and dad, as well as sometimes grandparents or other relatives, or the child’s caregiver. In those cases, it can be helpful if the carrier chosen can be shared among different people. Some carriers are made to fit a specific size, while others require adjusting of buckles or snaps before use to fit differently sized people. Many carriers are one size fits most, however, requiring no adjustment to be shared from one wearer to the next, making them ideal for this situation.
Stretchy wraps are a great choice for sharing while carrying a smaller baby, less than 6 months old. At about 6 yards in length, stretchy wraps are one size fits all. Wraps are tightened around the wearer and the baby, creating a custom fit every time.
Woven wraps can be a good choice as well, although this can vary depending on the length of the wrap. Most sizes of woven wraps can be used by differently sized people in numerous ways, but shorter lengths might limit which carries larger people can use them for. Consult the manufacturer’s sizing chart to be sure you are choosing a length that will work for everyone who may use the wrap.
Ring Slings are great for sharing! They are adjusted around the baby and the wearer every time they are used, so a perfect fit is obtained. Many brands are one size fits all, including Sakura Bloom and Taylor Made. The sizing charts of the sized brands will help you determine which to choose so it can be shared.
Mei Tais can be a great choice for sharing as well. With no buckles to be adjusted, the carrier is simply knotted to fit each time it is used, making it an easy transition from one person to the next.
Finding one carrier that will work for everyone who will be carrying your baby will help you to streamline the items you need to shop for.