Toddler Carriers

What is a Toddler Carrier?

Toddler Carriers are great for older toddlers – not the ones who have just started toddling, but from about 2 years upwards. Most are advertised from about 18mths upwards, but really most of them are not really suitable until 2 years as the child’s thighs need to be long enough for them to sit comfortably in the carrier with their knees bent and hanging freely.  They are usually buckle carriers, and often a larger version of an already popular baby carrier design. So the fabric panels are wider and taller, and they are usually weight tested for safety to a larger weight (but not always). Some companies are now producing Pre-School Carriers, which usually come up even larger than the toddler version, but basically do the same thing.

Toddler Carriers can be used on the front and the back – most people buy them to use for back carries, but they can also be comfortable for a front carry cuddle too. As with any buckle carrier, I would always advise spending some time getting to know your carrier in a front carry before doing a lot of back carrying, as it gives you a really good idea of your child should feel and sit comfortably in it when you can see it clearly in a mirror and easily adjust different parts and understand how it affects the safety and comfort.

Do I have  to get one as soon as my child reaches 2?

No – not at all. Many designs and brands of carrier are suitable until at least 3 years of age. Just because the base of your sling does not reach all the way to each knee, it does not mean that it is not comfortable and supportive for either you or your child. As our children get older, the knee-to-knee guidance is less important as the hip joints have become more formed, and by wriggling your child’s bottom and getting a good comfortable seat in the base of the carrier, a comfortable position can be found that will not allow the carrier to dig into his/her thighs (come and chat with us in store or with your local slingmeet and/or consultants to find out more about how to if you need to). It is important not to get one too early – if your child’s legs are not long enough, he/she will end up very uncomfortable and could over-extend the muscles in the back of the thigh (imagine what it would be like for you sitting on the floor for extended periods with your legs stretched out straight).

So why bother getting one?

• If your child has reached about 2 or 3 years and you know you are going to carry on using a carrier, it is worth looking into the different carriers available and giving yourself some time to try a few and see if they are any better for you.  As your child gets heavier, you may find that it is worth investing in a carrier that helps to distribute the weight better for you and that you can see will continue to support them comfortably for a few more years. You may try a few and decide that you are happy with what you have as it is just as comfortable for you both for the foreseeable future.

• If you do not have a buckle carrier – maybe you have had  just wraps or ring slings until now – but you would like to add a buckle carrier to your collection, it makes sense to start with one that will last you for longer, as long as you are sure he/she is big enough for the toddler version.

• If you have a bit of a sling habit ----- well, no need for an excuse ---- if your child is big enough, go for it!

Are all Toddler Carriers the same?

No.  Just as all other slings have slightly different design features, toddler carriers vary from brand to brand. Just because you find the baby version of something comfortable, it doesn’t always follow that the toddler version is right for you too.

We have 3 specific Toddler Carriers in the shop – the Beco Toddler, The Connecta Toddler (with Petite Straps) and the Lillebaby Carry On.

Toddler Carriers Compared:

Below you can see pictures of the:

• Beco Toddler (as above) in the Twilight Design (black inside, midnight blue with patterned panel on the outside)
• Lillebaby Carry On (dark blue with white hearts pattern on the outside)
• Connecta Pre-School with petite straps (denim blue).

I have also added a Neobulle Evolubulle Mei Tai (lime green)for comparison at the bottom - it is a one size baby - toddler Mei Tai

Panel Size

The Beco Toddler is similar in size to the Lillebaby Carry On. The Carry On (underneath in blue) has straighter sides, and the Beco Toddler has the same style of leg padding as the Soleil (the baby version) which some people find gentler on toddler legs which are only JUST long enough to go in the carrier.

The Connecta Pre-School is shown here under the Beco Toddler and it is considerably wider - but if you look at the picture below you can also see that it is completely flat when laid on a table so it is tricky to compare as it does not have the slight give/curve of the Beco or Carry On.

Shape at base of panel

You can see the difference in panel shaping on the Beco and Lillebaby in the pictures above and this one below. Both have darts in different places and different styles of side padding.

The Connecta is a flat panel - so a very different design that some people find more comfortable.

 Waist Belts

These 2 carriers have fairly similar waist padding - as seen below. It is a similar size - but if you really wanted to tighten an extra few centimetres, you can see that the positioning of the buckle on the Beco (on top) in the right hand picture will allow it to tighten fractionally more - but it is only a few centimetres.
The Lillebaby Cary On does come with a lumbar support accessory which can be threaded onto the waist webbing for front carries - but very petite users often find they cannot tighten the carrier enough with it on - but it is not used for back carry positions anyway.

When you compare the Connecta waist to the Beco waist below, you can see the difference is enormous. The Connecta does not have padding at all, in the same way that the Connecta Toddler and Baby carrier do not,  which means it is able to tightened much more on the adult. Padding does not always mean better - it is very much personal preference (as with most sling variations!).

Strap Sizes

The shoulder straps are a bit different on these carriers. It is important to always check that you are able to tighten the straps enough in both crossed over and rucksack style carries, as when fastening in rucksack style less strap is used and some petite people can find it impossible to get the straps on some carriers tight enough. For this reason, I only stock the Petite style of the Connecta Toddler as most people I see prefer less padding in the straps so that they can carry rucksack style.

Shoulder straps side-by side without fine adjustment tighteners (on strap above panel)  tightened

Shoulder straps side-by side with fine adjustment tighteners (on strap above panel)  tightened

Beco Straps tightened, next to straps on Connecta Toddler with Petite Straps.

Other Carriers?

While I was busy playing and taking pictures, I remembered the Neobulle Evolubulle Mei Tai.  This can be adjusted at the base for smaller babies, but as you can see it goes nearly as wide as the very generous Connecta Pre- School  as it has a zip up sleep hood that can be used to give extra height to the panel. Have a look at how big it is on top of the Connecta (with the sleep hood up). It just shows that standard carriers really can carry your child right through into toddlerhood.

All these slings/carriers and more are available to try and buy from Slingtastic, either in store at Wilton Shopping Village, SP2 0RS, or from the website www.slingtastic.com

Right Tool for the Job.

Most of you reading this will “get” the idea of using a sling. But for those of you who are still trying to understand how people are able to carry a baby throughout the day I thought I would try and break down some of the barriers that people put up when we talk about using slings.

·         “I  was given a carrier but we just didn’t get on with it”

·         “We had a (insert name of highly-priced-supposedly-ergonomically-superior  carrier) but he/she was too heavy for it once she/he reached 4 months”

·         “We had one of those sling things but it was too complicated”

·         “I tried one of those but I felt like my baby wasn’t safe”

Let’s try applying some of those arguments to other things we buy.

“I was given a shirt but we just didn’t get on with it”

Some of us are passed on clothes, or buy clothes that look great until you try them.  When we realise they really don’t fit at all, we try something else as we know it doesn’t mean that ALL shirts are wrong for us.

“We had a moses basket, but she grew out of it once she reached 4/5mths”

So  look for something different now she is bigger? Just as with cots, some people choose to have a moses basket and then move onto a bigger cot, some people choose a sling for the first 5/6mths then move onto a different carrier for the next stage. Some people will not use a moses basket at all, but get a cot they can use from birth to toddler – and the same applies to slings.

“We had one of those camera things but it was too complicated”

Most people would not then decide never to have a camera – but look for something that suited their needs, or go to a shop or expert to talk them through how the one they have works. If it clearly isn’t the right one, they would usually look for the right one for them – something simpler that suits their needs.

“I tried one of those pushchairs but I felt like my baby wasn’t safe”

This often happens – people are given a buggy that they don’t like because it doesn’t seem to work with their child or for them. Sometimes they really are not safe as the instructions have been lost, a clip may be missing or it may be for a different aged child.  Finding the right pushchair is still possible  as they vary enormously from brand to brand and design to design.

Right Tool for the Job.  That’s all you need.

Find the right sling for you and your child and all of these things fade away. There is a reason that there are so many different slings on the market – it’s because there are so many different parents, babies, toddlers and individual needs.  And it doesn’t have to be hard as there are 100s of people out there who can help you to narrow down the choice.  You can go to:

Find somewhere where you can try

different slings to see what suits you

·         Specialist shops like Slingtastic where the staff have been trained and have direct experience

·         Sling Consultants who are also specially trained who offer a one-to-one service usually in their home  or yours.

·         Slingmeets where there are often trained consultants, peer supporters and other parents who use slings – all equally valuable when discussing your options.

·         Community groups where other people with babies and toddlers gather – they will often be able to help you consider different choices.

So, you need  to find out what tools are out there and find one that suits you. A long piece of fabric tied around you? Buckle carrier with a waist band? Asian style fabric carrier? Pouch to pop your baby in? Have a look, allow someone to demonstrate why people love them, how to use them safely and comfortably, and find out how much the right sling can change your mind about using slings.

Widen your choices  – Shop Small and Local.

Most people I speak to like to support local shops. We all know that shops need our trade, and often when we can’t shop local, we like to feel we have supported a small independent online shop.

My Shop - at Wilton Shopping Village,

just outside Salisbury

But we all want to spend wisely – and those big companies have great offers and we all assume they can offer bigger discounts as we see those big national ads telling us all the time.

So it is the larger companies online and on the high street that many of us tend to gravitate towards when we think we might actually be able to save some money.  But is it really that simple? Can an independent shop  (a shop not tied  to any brands, chains or franchises) really compete on price and service?

Clearly I am biased, as I have a small online business and also a specialist shop to staff and pay rent on. But I can tell you that I have learnt a huge deal about how pricing works in the last nine years and would like to bust a few myths about independent shops, especially pricing. How many of the following have you considered when you are shopping?

·         Small shops can be cheaper than chains and online super-sites

We are not always tied to the price set by a franchise or chain. This means we can evaluate how much something is really worth to our customers and offer the best price we can. We know we are competing with the big shops, and have the common sense not to charge more!

There are some lines where we do have to stick to the RRP (Recommended Retail Price) but there is usually some allowance for in store offers and online promotions. This also sets us at the same price, not more than, the big companies who are also not allowed to drop prices whenever they feel like it.

·         Small shops can offer higher quality and unusual items at better prices

Suppliers have to guarantee large stores and chains very large quantities at low wholesale prices. This leaves a great opportunity for small shops to stock lines that the big chains can’t afford to under their own ‘rules’.   So I have slings in that I know my customers will love, that have smaller profit margins and I may only be able to get hold of 10, 5 or even 2 at a time – but that’s okay because I love being able to offer great slings that customers will love and talk about.  I buy children’s books that are a bit more unusual and hard to get hold of – as 5 or 6 is plenty for me at a time.  As a small shop, I can choose to sell it at a price that my customers will consider fair – and not just apply some formula that applies to mass produced items that are rolled off a production line a long, long way away.  

·       Small shops will often have a better range of stock, especially as the season progresses

When you have a small website, you can often tell when the big online competitors sell out – the orders suddenly rise on something that people have had to search harder to find.  Small businesses cannot afford the advertising and promotion of national chains which means they often have lots of lovely things left in stock when the famous shops have sold out. 

Frugi Rainbow clothes sold out fast

online but we still have some in store

Even shops with websites do not always list everything online so it is always worth visiting or calling them. I often have popular designs of slings and discontinued lines that can make customers very happy when they find them. I also know I have lots of Frugi clothes in stock right now that sold out months ago at most other shops. It’s a perk for my local customers, but also for those who call me up and ask if I can send things out.  

·         Small shops will be able to direct you to other suppliers to help you find what you are looking for

Small business owners are not being told by anyone not to mention competitors. We genuinely want to help you to find what you are looking for, and will do what we can for you.  We also know that if we recommend other small businesses they will do the same for us. It’s a win/win situation.

·         Small shops listen to their customers and can act immediately

Any feedback and questions usually go straight to the business owner – there is no complicated system of feeding back to a national team etc. etc. . All your consumer rights are exactly the same and a small shop will be as keen as you are to sort any problems or queries out as soon as possible.  In fact, much of the time the person you speak to in a small shop is the business owner, and can make an instant decision.

·         Small shops can save you time and energy

How often have you spent hours, and I mean HOURS surfing online to find the best price, often only to realise the postage or tax wasn’t included or it is actually out of stock, and go back to the place you first looked? Or have spent days agonising over which design you want, and been unable to decide because you are not sure if the colours and design will look as good in real life as on line? Or have sent out only to realise you actually don’t like the colour and have to pay to send it back, drive to the post office and spend time organising that in your busy day?

That’s time you won’t get back – is it worth it? Have you actually saved yourself that much in the end?  We are constantly bombarded with choice and it can make the shopping and choosing experience more difficult.

Try visiting a local shop – the choice may (or may not!) be smaller, but you can look, feel and discuss the options and walk away with something you are confident in. Or maybe the shop can order in the one you like to look at – at a time that suits you (no waiting for deliveries etc). Many of my customers come in wanting the sling someone recommended to them, then try it and realise it’s not right for them – and leave with something completely different, and relieved that they did not just order online. Yes, there is a chance they could have got something 10% cheaper online if they searched for hours – but they would have then have to spend that time hunting, waiting and in the end not even have the thing that actually fits them best!

·         Small shops can offer a relaxed shopping experience

Visiting a large department store, especially with small children in tow, can be really hard – and for many of us that begins with planning the trip out, driving there and finding a car parking space where you can open the doors wide enough to get your children out – on both sides of the car.
Many small shops are situated in areas which are not as densely populated with high street shops and will have parking nearby which is often cheaper. My Slingtastic shop is at Wilton Shopping Village – free parking, no queues getting in and out of town and a quieter general atmosphere (and a sandpit outside in summer!).

I know my target audience and almost all have small children – so I have toys, a sofa for breastfeeding or bottlefeeding and fully expect people to ask lots of questions and need to stop to feed and change babies, or pop in and out to look after the needs of their toddlers to run, visit the toilets, go for a drink at the cafes or just visit the playpark. This is normal. Specialist shops know their customers and recognise the behaviours and needs of their audience as normal.

Small businesses also know their products well and can answer your questions  - it can be really hard to see online or on packaging exactly what the pros and cons of different products are and work out what is and is not worth paying more for. It’s so much easier to ask questions face to face and get real answers that you can then use to ask more questions. And without a pop-up box asking you if your question has been answered.

 ·         Small shops can offer follow up support on a more personal level

Got a question about your sling/clothes/equipment? Call them up, drop in and ask them and they will be really keen to help as they know how important it is to keep local business.

Have a problem or fault? Go straight back to the shop – no complicated forms or national support system to work your way through.

Love the product and want to move onto the next thing?  Your local shop will be able to talk you through the options – and possibly provide training.  For example, we offer workshops for parents all the time on different types of slings. People can come back and find out what slings they can use once their babies reach about 6 mths – there is a minimal charge that is refundable against purchases in store. Another win-win for the customer: they get to try different things, find out the ranges available and if they buy in store – the course is free. If they buy elsewhere because they are sure they can get it cheaper or we can’t supply the exactly what they need that’s fine too– they can buy with confidence having only spent a fiver on training.

 

Take back control of your time and choices. Come off that tablet,pc or phone and treat yourself to enjoying the shopping experience and rediscovering the meaning of customer service and value for money.  And enjoy it!

www.slingtastic.com