Ergobaby is a company started by mum Karin Frost in 2003 in the USA. As a parent herself she wanted to produce the ultimate baby carrier, one that not only offered support to babies but to mums and dads as well. With help and feedback from other parents, the Ergobaby original carrier was created. This company has continued to expand, with a growing range that is available in speciality stores both online and in store worldwide.
What do you get?
Ergobaby Stowaway Carrier
Instruction booklet
Price
It has a RRP of £94.90
Colours
Graphite Grey, Navy and Olive
The Ergobaby travel stowaway carrier has the same great design as the other Ergobaby carriers, but it has the travelling parent in mind. Weighing just 1.1lb, it can be stored compactly, making it very convenient.
Ergobaby Stowaway Carrier Material
This carrier is made from two different materials. The outer shell is made from 100% recycled polyester and the inner lining is made from 100% organic cotton poplin. Being available in three different colours means you have a choice, but because the colours are all very neutral, they would all be suitable for any parent or child. The material is not only great for carrying your little one, as you only really feel the weight of child and not the carrier as well, but it also makes it ideal to take on holiday with you because it won't add any extra weight to your luggage. The material itself is easy to wipe clean but it can also be machine washed too, ideal if you have a sicky or dribbly baby.
Ergobaby Stowaway Carrier Features
Padded waist and shoulder straps: I think all baby carriers should have this feature. The padding is extremely soft and breathable. These straps allow the parent to be kept comfortable and help to evenly distribute your little ones weight when being carried. The shoulder straps don't dig in at all and the waist strap is wide enough to allow a nice seat for your little ones, but flexible so that you as a parent can still move, twist and bend as needed.
Sleep hood: This is a clever feature, it easily poppers onto the shoulder straps, leaving you to keep your hands free. It not only helps support your little ones head when they fall asleep, it also protects from the elements like sun, wind and rain. There are three poppers on each strap, so the hood can be adjusted depending on how tall your baby is. When not in use, the hood can either be left hanging down at the front, or can be folded and stored in the pocket at the front of the carrier.
Stores away in its own pocket: The best feature of this carrier is how it is stored. The carrier folds in on itself into its own front pocket. This is extremely simple to do and once done, the carrier is very compact. There is a little Velcro strap at the top to make sure that it can't unfold and it even has an added handle that you can carry it by if you want. It folds down so small that I could easily place it in my little handbag. This makes it perfect to take out and about daily but also makes it a really great travel accessory as it takes up next to no space.
Ergobaby Stowaway Carrier - The Fit
The Ergobaby travel stowaway carrier is a 3 in 1 carrier. Meaning you can carry your baby either on your front, hip or back depending on what age they are. The carrier is done up and adjusted with buckles. The instruction booklet that comes with the carrier is very helpful. With both pictures and written instructions, it explains step by step how to achieve each carry style with your little one both getting them in and getting them out safely.
Front carry: It is stated that you can use this position from birth until 24 months. However you do need to use a newborn insert from 0 to around 3 months, this must be purchased separately. To achieve this position, you do the waist belt up first, you then place baby in, whilst holding your little one, and you then put your arms in the shoulder straps. Once both arms are in, you reach behind you and do up the chest strap buckle at the back and tighten each strap making both yourself and baby secure. I loved this position, both myself and my little one were very comfortable and because of the way babies weight is distributed, it made her seem weightless.
Hip carry: On the box it states that this carry can be used from 6 months up until they are 48 months old. To achieve this position, you must start by unbuckling the shoulder straps. You then do up the waist strap. Next you connect the front shoulder strap with the opposite webbing strap and place this over your head and slide your arm through. Then place your little one in the centre of the carrier and tighten the shoulder strap. Next you do up the other shoulder strap around your waist to the other webbing strap and tighten. This position was again simple to do but definitely not as comfortable, the shoulder strap dug into my neck and the carrier just didn't seem like it supported my little one, the body didn't cover her enough and she kept leaning out.
Back carry: This is also not recommended until your baby is at least 6 months old. This position is like the front carry but in reverse. Start by doing up the waist strap and have the body positioned on your right hip. You then pick up your little one and place them on your hip, as you do this put your left arm through the left shoulder strap. Then as you gently scoot baby round put your other arm in. Make sure your baby is in the centre of your back, then do up the chest strap and tighten all straps. I would say this position takes a little practice and would recommend having someone there helping for the first few tries, however once on, this position is again comfortable and allows baby so see everything that is going on around them.
I love that the buckles make a loud clicking noise when done up, this lets you know that they are nice and secure, so if you don't hear it, you know it isn't done up correctly! I found one problem which was the same with each position, the straps are quite hard to adjust, very stiff in fact, I would think that this would become easier the more times you used it though, it just made the process a bit more time consuming than it needed to be.
I was a bit disappointed that you couldn't adjust the height of the body panel. My little one is only 10 months old and of average size and already the body of the carrier was getting tight and the height of it seemed quite short, so I would be worried that there wasn't enough proper support once she was over a year old
Ergobaby Stowaway Carrier Conclusion
The Ergobaby travel stowaway carrier is definitely one for parents who are always on the go. The design is simple yet very effective and not only practical but stylish too. It fits in well with the rest of the Ergobaby carriers, carrying your baby in the recommended ergonomic seated positioning. There is, however definitely room for improvement. On the box it states that you can carry your little one until they are 48 months old. I fail to see how this is possible, there is no way of adjusting the height or width of the body panel and I felt that it was already quite small compared to other carriers I have tried. It is also disappointing that to be able to use it from birth, you have to purchase a newborn insert separately, it would be nice to have this included in the package to begin with but of course would have upped the initial cost.
This carrier is very well made and would be great for the travelling parent. This is an element you have to remember - products designed for travelling often come as a 'one-size-fits-all' which means that sometimes there has to be compromises. If you have an older child, you need to bear this in mind as I think for the money you pay, you might not get a lot of use out of it.
We give the Ergobaby Stowaway Carrier 3.5 out of 5 stars
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