BABYBJORN Baby Carrier Active - Blue/Silver (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

I had the original Baby Bjorn carrier with my first son, but was experiencing a lot of back problems when I used the original carrier with my second son. A friend of mine recommended the active carrier because of the lumbar support and I am very happy. My son was over 13lbs at his two month check up and the active carrier feels so much better and I don't feel the strain in my back at all. My son is now three months and my oldest is 21 month so I need to be able to chase him around at the park. It's definitely worth the extra money. I use it almost every day, especially for doing errands, it's very convenient and my son is so happy when I'm holding him like that.

I was attracted to this carrier by all the rave reviews on Amazon. I like to hike, and live in a city where strollers are an inconvenience, so I thought I'd give this a try. I already have the original model, but this sounded so much better according to other reviewers. After using it for three weeks, my opinion is that this carrier is a slight improvement over the original when it comes to back support, but it's not a real carrier for truly active pursuits, and not worth the extra 90 bucks (or more) to buy it if you already have the original.Problem 1Although the lumbar support is a good idea in theory, I find that in order to get it to work, I have to tighten the attached straps to such an extent that my internal organs get squashed. I'm 5'9", 160 lbs, and I don't have a huge gut, but the lumbar just isn't tight enough against my back to provide support unless everything else in front is compressed to an uncomfortable degree, making it hard even to breathe sometimes.Problem 2An additional problem that I have found is that my child tends to sit considerably lower than in the original. He's 5 months old, and over 26 inches long, but unless I set the seat at the highest point (for children between 21-23.5 inches), he simply sits too low on my chest, and he still easily (and painfully) puts his little heels into my crotch on a far too-frequent basis.Problem 3The little flap at the front of the carrier, which can be folded down when the child is facing forward, constantly pops back up from the folded position to bop my kid in the face. There is no way to snap it or velcro it down, and the tensioner straps designed to aid in holding the child closer to your chest are insufficient to keep it lying flat once folded.Problem 4The shoulder straps are insufficiently padded, and as far as I can tell, have the same amount of padding as the original version. My kid is only 18 lbs, and after an hour or so, my shoulders sometimes get sore. I only wonder what hauling around a 25-pounder would be like.Problem 5The build quality on this carrier seems inferior to the original. On my second use, the red bracket that receives the red insert of the outer carrier partially tore free of the stitching, requiring me to take out dental floss and needle to stitch it back up.Problem 6Even when properly strapped in, I find that my son still bounces around and his back is too far from my chest for this carrier to be considered suitable for anything more "active" than a brisk walk. I have used it once to port him along for a mild hike, and felt that he simply wasn't sufficiently supported. I don't find this carrier's snugging system to be better in any way than the original.ConclusionAlthough this carrier is marginally easier on your back than the original, it is not adequate for more than extended brisk walks. If you don't have either carrier, it makes sense to get this one if you're particularly worried about your back or will be carrying a heavier child. If you're simply planning to carry your child around town for a few hours, the cheaper original model is sufficient. I am still waiting for a baby product company to offer a front-carry model for smaller children that incorporates backpack-style padded and contoured shoulder pads and a padded hip/lumbar belt capable of transferring weight from shoulders to hips.

We have a son who we started carrying in the baby bjoern when he was only a few weeks old. He seems to like it and it is comfortable to wear.

I absolutley love how convenient this carrier is! It's great on my back for a couple of hours, although my son is only 9lbs now. The best thing is he won't go to sleep without me holding him so when he falls asleep in the BJORN I can easily put him down without waking him up so I can get things done around the house and spend more time with my 18mo. old daughter. I've taken several long walks with him in it and he loves being able to look around and see the world. He's never wined about having to be in it and always seems quite comfortable. It's a must have especially if you have more than one child!

Easy to use and fit to the size of the parent and baby.very safe and comfertable. we use it for hours and the back support is good.the baby can facing the parent or forward.

Over the course of three children we have had FIVE carriers: Two slings, a Baby Bjorn, a Snugli and the Ergo Baby.The Bjorn is definitely the best looking and easiest to use. The clips and connectors are very intuitive and it's easy to get smaller infants into it.My big complaint is that when the kids get larger (or if you wear it for more than 20 minutes at a time) it really starts to kill your back. This is because the design keeps all the weight on your shoulders. It's like wearing a backpack BACKWARDS!The "Active" version has wider straps and a which provide additional support for a small improvement over the "Original," but it still puts all the weight on your shoulders, pulling them forward. The additional strap is still too high to put the weight on your hips.If you backpack, you know what I'm talking about. A lightweight daypack is fine for lugging 20 lbs of textbooks from class to class, but if you want to be able to hike for an hour with 40 lbs you have to shift the weight from your shoulders to your hips.If you only plan to use this when grocery shopping and think you'll give it up when they're 6 months old, this might be for you. If you think you might want to go to the park and hang out, or use it even when the kid starts to crawl, then the Ergo Baby is probably more your speed.p.s. this is coming from a guy who is 6', 180# and fit. My wife is smaller and far more critical of the ergonomics of this carrier.If you've found this review helpful, please let me know!

I'm very much into wearing baby around the house as well as at the mall, walking, etc. We started out with aNew Native baby sling, which is comfortable, and great for discrete nursing. The problem is our baby has a tendancy to spit up if she is not kept upright for an hour or so after she eats, and the sling just wasn't able to keep her supported in an upright position.BabyBjorn to the rescue! This carrier was easy to adjust, comfortable for both mom and dad, and keeps baby upright and close to mom. No more spitting up! I find the carrier comfortable enough to wear for several hours, although our baby is not very big right now. It is a little tricky to put on, and nearly impossible to put on if you can't set the baby down for a moment to do the clips.Overall a wonderful carrier for an infant.

An essential item for those with newborns and toddlers. Cannot live without it.(Well, you can, but this makes it easier)