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