Lillebaby COMPLETE All Seasons

Full disclosure: Prior to receiving the Lillebaby COMPLETE All Seasons, I primarily used a wrap carrier with my 4-month-old son, so that was what I was most used to before trying it out. Although both carriers seem to serve their own purposes, I can certainly see the advantages of the All Seasons (and I think the list will continue to grow as my son does).

The manual clearly demonstrates how to use the carrier in the different ways it can be used. One of the things I really like is it specifies when each position should be used, not just based on age but also on the child’s ability. My son is pretty big and a little more advanced in his ability to hold his head up, so it has been helpful to see the other positions available to him based on what he’s ready for rather than his age.

Now that he can hold his head up on his own, the carrier is easier to put on by myself. When he was a newborn, I definitely wasn’t comfortable using the carrier alone. It is a little tough to tighten some of the straps while he’s in the carrier, and because my husband and I both use it, it always needs adjusting for one of us.

(By the way, to date, my husband has actually used the carrier more than me. He is 6’2” and about 220 pounds, and I think he likes the look of it and feels much more comfortable in it over the wrap carrier.)

Once he’s in the carrier, my son is very content. He’s at a point now where he really likes to explore, but he’s still facing me. However, he’s able to see out while in the carrier, and if I need to encourage him to sleep I can simply put up the hood. I really like this carrier once it’s on. It’s very comfortable and supportive. The back support is excellent, and I can truly feel a difference when compared to the wrap carrier. The straps are wide and padded, and there are two ways to wear them—cross or backpack style.

Sometimes my son seems to get really warm in the wrap, so I’ll use the All Seasons instead because it has the zip panel that allows airflow, which seems to help the issue significantly. I know we’ll be especially appreciative of this feature come summer.

I can actually move more freely in the All Seasons than I can in the wrap. I am able to put dishes away on high shelves, and the straps don’t get in the way. I can easily bend over without feeling like my son is unsupported. (Although I always keep a hand on him, just in case.) And going up and down stairs is easier as well because my back and shoulders feel more supportive.

In addition to using it around our home, we’ve also used the All Seasons at the airport. My husband was able to go through security with it on and leave our son in it until it was time for our flight. (You cannot have a child in a carrier during take off and landing). The only issue we faced with this was when he had to take it off. It doesn’t fold up as compactly as our wrap carrier does, so we had to store it in the overhead compartment when it wouldn’t easily fit in our diaper bag. (Note a huge deal, but worth noting.)

When we know we’re going to need to carry our son for extended periods of time, the All Seasons has proven to be preferable to the wrap. I think that as he gets older, and bigger, we will start using it even more frequently, which will hopefully also result in getting better at  quickly putting it on and taking it off. Because we can use this one until our baby is 45 pounds, I know it will get a quite bit of use in the long run. (Especially because our little man is already about to outgrow our wrap!)

Price: $140
To buy: amazon.com