Before my first daughter was born in 2011, I invested in a soft structured carrier with an infant insert and, when she was a few weeks old, I purchased a cotton-blend wrap.
Although I like both of those carriers for different reasons, I ran into two problems with both of them. They both tend to make you hot, especially in the warmer months, and they both don’t fit very well in a standard sized diaper bag.
When the opportunity to review the Bitybean babycarrier came up, I jumped at the opportunity! It seemed like the Bitybean carrier would address the biggest issues I had with my other two carriers.
Bitybean is an ultra lightweight, compact baby carrier. It weighs a total of eight ounces and easily rolls up for storage down to about the size of a kid’s water bottle.
The Bitybean is made of a lightweight and very breathable material that can be machine washed on the gentle cycle, which is great because spit happens.
You have a choice of four different colorful gender neutral fabrics. I had a hard time deciding which was my favorite but I ultimately decided on lime green.
Bitybean also offers three different accessories— a detachable hood for keeping the sun out or if baby falls asleep, a polartech fleece insert for added comfort and cooler weather, and a belt extender for those who need a little more room.
Bitybean fits kids from three months and eight pounds up to three years and/or 40 pounds. I was able to try my Bitybean on both of my girls, at the extremes of the limits.
My eldest daughter Annabelle was just shy of three when I tried the carrier for the first time. She hovers somewhere around 38 pounds. My youngest, Emilia, just turned three months and weighs right around 14 pounds.
My three year old was pretty excited to try out the carrier with me. The last time I had worn her was about 10 months prior. With the help of my husband, we strapped her into the carrier and took a walk around our backyard.
Our first go at it, I didn’t quite get her in there properly, she was shifted off to the side a bit after about 10/15 minutes of use.
I hadn’t used the leg straps since she wasn’t really at risk of slipping out and they are only required for infants under 15 pounds.
For the most part, the fit wasn’t bad at all. I don’t really intend to wear my almost-40-pound three-year-old, but if I needed to, this would certainly work.
I didn’t want to wear her much longer than 30 minutes the first time and found there to be a bit of pressure at the chest strap. All this being said, she was eager to try it again a few weeks later.
This time we got the fit much better and she was seated in the center, so she didn’t slip off at all. I still found the chest strap to be slightly uncomfortable, but I think that my broader shoulders with larger chest impact that for me.
I definitely felt it was more comfortable, and could definitely have worn Annabelle for an hour or more.
I was counting down the days until my newest baby, Emilia, turned three months old so I could try her out in the Bitybean.
She turned three months just five days ago, and I have worn her in the Bitybean four out of the five days. I was getting a lot of comments and questions about this carrier, because as far as baby gear goes, this is one good looking carrier!
We have had a pretty mild summer, this week has been the hottest week of the year so far, but the carrier does a good job of keeping my little heat pump cool.
Getting Emilia into the carrier was pretty easy, though I did need help with the chest strap and getting the sun hood in place a few times. She easily falls asleep and I feel I can comfortably wear her for well into a two-hour plus range.
The one thing that I don’t love with this carrier and her age is that the top portion hits pretty much right in the back of her head, which pushes her head up against me a little more than I would like, so I make sure she keeps her head turned a bit when she falls asleep.
I really think this carrier is ideal for the a child who is in the 4 to 24 months range and of average weight.
I really think I will come to enjoy this carrier even more when Emilia gets a bit bigger and stronger. I definitely see myself wearing her to the park, grocery shopping, and walks around the house.
Things I love:
- The price point. $60 for the carrier, each accessory is less $20. Shipping is free in the U.S. but there is $15 international shipping.
- Super lightweight. I don’t worry about my baby overheating in the warm weather.
- Ergonomic carrying for both parent/caregiver and baby.
- Small size and fits easily in a diaper bag.
- Stylish and modern design
- Can adjust to fit people of different sizes.
- Chest clips are on a rail, and slide up and down to get a better fit.
- Very easy to attach the optional hood (and I imagine attaching the insert is just as easy).
- This socially responsible company is the brain-child of an American dad and works with two non-profit organizations.
Things I don’t love:
- I wish the shoulder straps were a smidge wider to more evenly distribute weight.
- There are no current retailers in Canada. However, you can order from their website to be delivered to an address in Canada for a flat shipping fee of $15.
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Featured image credit: Shutterstock
Tim Thomas is a renowned writer and entrepreneur specializing in finance, investing, and money matters. With his extensive knowledge and experience in the financial sector, Tim offers valuable insights into the world of personal finance, stock market trends, and investment strategies.
