• Discover Baby Carriers

• Select a Soft Front Baby Carrier

• Strap on a Baby Sling or Wrap

• Find Baby Carriers on eBay

• Buy Baby Carriers With Confidence

Discover Baby Carriers

Discover Baby Carriers

Baby carriers come in several designs and sizes. Parents of infants generally have two primary choices: soft front baby carriers and baby slings. Hip carriers and child carrier backpacks will also work for older babies and toddlers.

• Soft front baby carriers: Soft front baby carriers have a fabric seat with leg openings and straps that crisscross across your back. Your baby sits against your chest in an upright position, with his or her head supported by the back of the baby carrier. Some soft front baby carriers also allow babies to face outward as they get older. Front baby carriers make a good choice for parents who want an baby carrier without a lot of fabric that distributes weight across both shoulders, and allows the baby's legs to freely stretch outside of the baby carrier.

• Baby slings & wraps: Baby slings, sometimes called wraps, made of a long band of fabric, distribute your baby's weight across your back and over one shoulder. Baby slings allow you to nurse discreetly and you can use it in various positions optimized for infants, older babies, and toddlers. Simply slip your baby sling over your head to take it off. Newborns tend to curl up into the fetal position when they're initially placed in a baby sling. If you'd rather have your baby's legs stretch out, free of the carrier, choose a front carrier instead.

• Hip baby carriers: Simple hip baby carriers have a canvas seat that sits on your hip, a shoulder strap that swings around your body like a sling, and a strap that fits around your waist. With less fabric than a sling and higher weight limits than most front carriers, hip baby carriers make the perfect low-hassle choice for carrying older babies and toddlers who can sit upright unassisted.

• Child carrier backpacks: Child carrier backpacks look like hiking backpacks and allow you to take your baby on hikes and for long walk. Most child carrier backpacks even have a storage compartment so that you can leave your diaper bag at home. Your baby must be able to sit upright without assistance to go in a child carrier backpack, usually at about 6 months old. For more specific advice on choosing a child carrier backpack, visit eBay's Child carrier backpack Buying Guide.

Your baby will spend a lot of time in the baby carrier, sitting close to your body. Look for an baby carrier made of a soft and breathable fabric to prevent overheating. Also, choose a washable fabric for easy maintenance.

Select a Soft Front Baby Carrier

Select a Soft Front Baby Carrier

Soft front baby carriers make a perfect choice for parents who want their child to sit upright against their chest. Your baby will feel supported and their weight will be centered on your body. Make sure the soft front baby carrier you choose adjusts to fit everybody who plans to wear it.

Meet soft front baby carrier weight requirements

All soft front baby carriers list minimum age, minimum weight, and maximum weight limits. Do not use soft front baby carriers with babies who do not meet the age and weight requirements set by the carrier manufacturer.

• Minimum soft front baby carrier age requirements: Pay close attention to minimum weight and age requirements when you buy your soft front baby carrier. Most soft front baby carriers have a minimum weight of 8 pounds and minimum age of 1 week old. Some soft front baby carriers, such as the Baby Bjorn, even have snaps or a piece of fabric to reduce the size of the leg openings for infants.

• Maximum soft front baby carrier weight requirements: All carriers list a maximum weight limit, usually in the 20- to 35-pound range.

You'll probably want to switch to a child carrier backpack or lightweight stroller when your baby reaches 6 or 7 months old, no matter how much your baby weighs. At this point, you'll start to feel the baby's weight pull you forward and your baby's legs will probably hit your own legs as you walk. Contact your pediatrician with any questions.

Find convertible soft front baby carriers

For the greatest flexibility, find a soft front baby carrier that allows you to both face your baby toward you as well as out toward the world.

• Forward-facing soft front baby carriers: Infants like facing your chest for comfort, security, and head support.

• Outward-facing soft front baby carriers: When babies reach 4 or 5 months old, they want to see what's going on around them. Outward-facing babies who have a decent amount of head support can freely kick and experience their environment without a struggle.

Some soft front baby carriers also convert into a basic cloth backpack.

Select soft front baby carrier seating options

Soft front baby carrier seats should provide complete head and neck support for your baby. Leg openings can also have additional padding for comfort. Look for a seat that you can fully remove or unsnap at one side. If your baby falls asleep in the carrier, you'll be able to take it off easily and lay your baby down for a nap.

Evaluate soft front baby carrier straps

Look for well-padded and wide shoulder straps that crisscross at the center of your back. Carriers that cross between your shoulder blades put more pressure on your neck and back and are not as comfortable for long-term use. Evaluate the photos provided in item listings to see where shoulder straps are on a carrier. If you cannot determine the shoulder strap position from the photos, email the seller and ask by clicking the “Ask seller a question” link under their profile.

If you or your spouse is tall, purchase a carrier with extra-long straps or extendable straps designed for larger people.

More active parents need a soft front baby carrier with a waist belt. Front carriers with waist belts, such as certain models from Snugli and the Active Baby Bjorn, distribute weight more evenly across your body, relieving stress on your upper back and shoulders during long-distance walks.

Strap on a Baby Sling or Wrap

Strap on a Baby Sling or Wrap

Traditional baby slings, popular worldwide for generations, surround your infant in fabric and can be converted into a seat for toddlers. For newborns, let the baby-sling fabric cradle your newborn close to your heart, allowing for discreet nursing. Use a kangaroo-carry position or hip-carry position for older babies and toddlers who want to see more of the world. Make sure the baby sling you buy includes its original instruction manual or videotape demonstrating the different holding positions.

• Padded baby slings: Baby slings, such as the Original BabySling from NoJo, have a shoulder pad that you can use as a newborn head support, padding on the edge of the fabric, and a plastic ring to hold the fabric in place. Move the fabric through the plastic ring to achieve the right fit and change seating positions. These baby slings typically have a maximum weight limit of 30 pounds.

• Wrap baby slings: Wrap baby slings are simply made of sturdy, unpadded cotton fabric. For example, the Maya wrap sling is made of 100% cotton, hand-loomed Guatemalan fabric. They usually have more material than traditional baby slings. The extra fabric allows for more adjustability options, making wraps a good choice for parents who drastically differ in height. Many baby wraps can also work as a back carrier. Wrap baby slings typically have a maximum weight limit of 35 pounds.

Dr. William Sears coined the phrase "attachment parenting" and designed the Original BabySling from NoJo with this parenting philosophy in mind. Basically, attachment parenting encourages emotional bonding through close contact and breastfeeding so that children grow into secure and caring adults. Parents who subscribe to the attachment parenting philosophy, and mothers looking for the easiest carrier for breastfeeding, often choose a baby sling over other types of child carriers.

Find Baby Carriers on eBay

Find Baby Carriers on eBay

Once you know what type of baby carrier you want, go to the Baby portal, click the Baby Carriers & Slings link under Baby Gear, and start searching for item listings on eBay.

Search eBay listing titles for specific keywords. For example, if you want to find a new Baby Bjorn, type "bjorn new" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy Baby Carriers With Confidence

Buy Baby Carriers With Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay protection programs.

• Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to $1,000.

• eBay Security & Resolution Center: Visit the Security & Resolution Center to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.