Comparison of Standard vs Toddler Tula vs Ergo vs Beco Gemini.

After a few questions on the sizing of a Standard vs Toddler Tula, I thought I would just post my own comparison photos.  Then I decided to add an Ergo and Beco Gemini since I have those, too.  The weights listed can be confusing because design varies and there is a large overlap, plus babies and toddlers come in all shapes and sizes.  The weights listed by manufacturers are in regards to safety testing, though they do not necessarily address ideal fit.  Let me be clear, many carriers out there can safely be used for a long, long time.  There is a trend of parents and caregivers feeling the need to 'upgrade' to a bigger carrier when, in reality, the carrier they have would likely work perfectly well for quite some time.  If you're interested in any of these, there are many resources online to learn more; however, I will always recommend trying them in person before buying if at all possible.  Babywearing groups are an excellent resource for this.

The Tula photos were all taken the day after Myra turned two and the Ergo and Gemini photos were taken the day after that.  She had her doctor's appointment that first day, too, so her stats are completely current.  She was 25 pounds, 13 ounces and 35 inches tall.  I would say she is longer in the legs than torso.

The photos are a Standard Cloudy Tula with Warrior's Creed wrap customization (gray Tula with black wrap over it, gray straps visible), Toddler Oasis Tula (purple straps with bright colored thin stripes), Ergo (tan), and Beco Gemini (black with white polka dots).

Though some of the verbiage seems biased, this chart is a great comparison of different features and dimensions for many popular buckle carriers (also called Soft Structured Carriers, or SSCs).  Here is a similar chart to that one.  If you'd like a different visual comparison, click here or here.  Other than just trying them on and finding one that feels most comfortable for my body type, the biggest things for me have been carrier body height and width.  The body height is important because at some point baby gets too tall and can lean too far backwards or side to side, possibly able to completely lean out of the thing.  On the other hand, one wouldn't want a carrier that is too tall either.  As for width, having a carrier that is wide enough to provide proper hip support is important (spreading from one knee to the other knee, or knee-to-knee is ideal).  This makes it much more comfortable for the child and the wearer.  Click here for a good visual of the difference in narrow-based carriers vs wider-based carriers.  Again, one wouldn't want it too wide, though, as that would certainly over-extend the child's legs which would be counter-productive.  From what I've tried, there is definitely some wiggle room in that carriers can still be comfortable for a while even if it doesn't spread completely from one knee to the other (like what is seen in the narrow vs wide link).  I often hear of people wanting to get a toddler sized carrier as soon as their child is approaching toddlerhood (age 1) and, for the most part, that's just not necessary.

And, finally, click here for information from the International Hip Dysplasia Institute on hip health in baby carriers and other baby equipment.

Here are our photos!

Standard Tula, still fits Myra very well especially since she usually likes to have her arms out.  I would absolutely not need to move up to a Toddler Tula with her yet, though I do have one because the print I fell in love with was discontinued.

Toddler Tula, Myra fits fine but definitely has room to grow into this one.  As you can see, it would go up even higher on her if she left her arms inside.  If I were going to keep her in this for a while longer, I could have bounced her down into the seat even more.

Ergo, we snagged one of these at TJ Maxx for $60 and it's been a great carrier for the price.  Many people love their Ergos, but out of everything I have tried, I must admit it is not my favorite (though still a great carrier!).  We had to quit using it for a time because Myra would lean so much and the panel isn't as tall.

Beco Gemini, this was such an amazing carrier for the first 9-10 months.  Myra is still well within the weight limits of it and I could certainly continue using it with her, but as you can see she can lean all over the place in it.  The dimensions are smaller which is what makes it so awesome for a newborn (you can even adjust the seat width to be smaller yet), but doesn't quite contain her anymore.  The headrest can be clipped up, but it just annoys Myra.  For us, the head rest was best used when she needed more head support as a newborn, especially when she fell asleep.

Hope that helps!  Let me know if you have any questions.  Happy Babywearing!