Mountain Buggy Juno

As a first-time mama, I registered for all of the standard baby gear, and in the babywearing department, I registered for the same carrier every naïve parent registers for. (You know the one I’m talking about; it starts with baby and rhymes with forlorn.) I used the carrier a little bit, and my interest in baby wearing grew—as did my collection of carriers. I tried other soft-structured carriers, long woven wraps, short stretchy wraps, a ring sling, a mei tai … the list goes on. When I received the Juno by Mountain Buggy, I was thrilled to try a new type of carrier with my little one!

First and foremost, the Juno by Mountain Buggy is ideal for multi-person use. My husband is a big guy (more than 6 feet tall with strong build), and I am quite the opposite (barely more than 5 feet tall and pretty petite). We can easily take turns with the carrier without it being a daunting task of adjusting straps. This is super important if you want to avoid buying multiple carriers or spending time in parking lots trying to get straps adjusted.

The different ways you can carry your baby is also a major factor in choosing a carrier; the Juno offers four carry options: front-facing-in (0-24 months; 7.7-26.9 pounds); front-facing-out (6-18 months;14.3-24 pounds); hip (6-24 months; 14.3-26.9 pounds); and back (6-48 months; 14.3-44 pounds).

A lot of first-timers are comfortable with the front-facing-in option, where baby is chest-to-chest with you. The Juno comes with a removable soft padded infant insert that can be used in this position with babies from 0-6 months (7.7-14.3 pounds) for a little extra snugness and a boost under their bums.

Although my little one is within the age and size requirements for the front-facing-in carry, she is very alert and likes to look around and the shoulder straps block her view, so we don’t find ourselves using this position very often. On the positive side, however, in this position the shoulder straps hit at just the right place to make a chew toy! (Mountain Buggy also sells reversible teething pads that can be attached to the straps to really make use of the real estate.)

The other notable point about this carry is that half of the waistband is not padded (in this position it would be the part that rests on your backside and waist) and after a couple hours of carrying, the snugness got a little uncomfortable, likely because of the lack of padding. (I was also wearing a thin shirt). I didn’t notice any uncomfortableness like this in the other carry positions.

Front-facing-out takes the cake for my favorite position with this carrier, followed by the back carry. The hip carry is the position that I use least because the nicely padded waistband of the Juno made the carrier feel a bit bulky when positioned on my hip.

The Juno quickly became my go-to carrier for outdoor life. We like to take walks on trails and go hiking in the woods, and this carrier is durable and comfortable for long adventures. I comfortably back-carried and played a whole round of frisbee golf with my infant, and I even carried a 40-pound 4-year-old for a few hours at the zoo! I tried the Juno around the house while doing chores like dishes and vacuuming, but I found that the lower profile carriers like my woven wraps were actually better for indoor babywearing.

In addition to the infant insert, the Juno comes with an attached hood that has its own stowaway pocket. The hood makes for a good sun-blocker or even baby umbrella if you get caught out in the rain. Lastly, the hands through connection pouch is a nice feature; it’s similar to the pocket of a hoodie and allows you to reach all the way through and grasp your hands, pat babies bum or just reinforce the carry with your hands.

Being able to transition your child from the carrier is very important to me. Picture this: You are wearing your fussy baby around to calm him down; he falls fast asleep, and you’re a busy mom with a list of things to do … how can you get him down without waking? The Juno is one of the easiest carriers for transitioning baby! The sternum strap is magnetic and easy to release with one hand. The waist belt is also a simple firm pinch to release.

This is a perfect carrier for an active mama who loves the outdoors or for anyone who likes to take their little one on longer adventures. While it does its job for newborns, the Juno really shines in the 6 months and older department. As baby grows, this carrier just gets better and better.

Price: $180
Where to buy: mountainbuggy.com