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The Difference Between Front Carriers, Slings and Backpacks

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The same principle is applied for carriers, slings and backpacks – carry baby hands-free while he is snuggled up against you receiving necessary physical touch. However, the different carriers do have different uses and benefits.

Front carriers are designed for newborns that have little to no head and neck control. Although some moms happily carry their 15-20 pound baby around with no problem, it can become too much of a burden on their shoulders and back. Once they are able to sit up at around 5 or 6 months of age, they can graduate to a backpack, which carries baby against your back as he peers over your head.

Slings do without the buckles and harnesses, and are actually a very simple design that all you to carry baby in a few different positions. Although slings can actually hold baby from the newborn stage until he is about 40 pounds, they can give mom’s shoulders and back some discomfort when baby reaches about 20-30 pounds.

Here is a more complete breakdown of the differences between each of these baby carriers:

o Front Carriers: The most basic front carrier consists of two straps that go around mom’s shoulder and a fabric seat that holds baby facing either inward or outward, depending on baby’s age and mom’s preference. The adjustable straps that go around your shoulders, and sometimes around your waist, help to distribute baby’s weight to make carrying more comfortable. As mentioned before, front carriers are great for newborns that don’t quite have neck and head muscle control. In most cases, front carriers are designed to hold a baby until he reaches about 30 pounds, but back and shoulder pain may start to occur when baby is around 15 –20 pounds. Once he has outgrown the front carrier, baby can move to a backpack.

The straps of front carriers are typically very adjustable for different shapes and sizes of parents, and they give baby the option of facing inward toward mom’s chest or outward toward the world. Whichever way baby is facing, be sure the carrier has a well-padded headrest for baby.

o Sling: A sling is a wide swath of fabric that is worn sash-style across mom’s torso, attaching in a knot over one of mom’s shoulders. Baby simply sits or lies inside the fabric swath in a variety of positions. Slings are incredibly comfortable for the mother to wear and allow baby to rest in his most natural positions, making slings a great place for baby to sleep. Slings are also made of very soft material, often breathable cotton, which wraps around baby and holds him securely and close to mom, sort of like a hammock. This feeling of a swaddle for baby and the swaying motion from mom’s movements can help calm fussy babies and lull them to sleep. If you are a breastfeeding mother, slings make it very convenient to feed while you are out and about. Baby and mom are already in a comfortable feeding position, and both have total privacy when feeding.

o Backpacks: Baby Backpacks are for babies that are 6 months of age or old enough to sit up on their own. They look very much like a camping backpack, but instead of a storage compartment, they have a baby seat. Baby can look over mom or dad’s head to see the world around them, and relieve mom and dad from the neck pain that front carriers and slings can give once baby gets to be over 20 pounds or so.

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