Good for Occasional Use; A Pain for Regular Use Throughout the Day
Written: Oct 24 '06 (Updated Nov 02 '06)
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Pros: Very adjustable. More comfortable than holding baby on hip. Toddler loved.
Cons: Pain getting over mom’s head, needs a buckle. Mild shoulder discomfort with extended use.
The Bottom Line: Very comfortable, great for use on outings and occasionally at home. Due to awkwardness of taking off and on, I would not recommend for regular use throughout the day.
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| heatherhh's Full Review: Hip Baby |
I’ve had a front baby carrier since my oldest was a little baby. It works well from about 1 month to about 9 months. Then my babies (lightweight ones too!) tend to be too much weight for the carrier to adequately distribute, and I end up with a backache. I’ve wanted to get something that I could use from that point on that would support the baby on my hip. I was reluctant, however, to pay the money for a sling/carrier I’d never tried out. Then I got an email asking me to try out the Hip Baby Sling for free in exchange for a review! Of course, I accepted.
My daughter is 14 months old and 18 lbs. She hasn’t been in a carrier for months. She does periodically get carried about on my hip. My Hip Baby arrived the same day as visitors that were going with us to an orchard one day and then a state park. Perfect chance to test it out.
Carrier Construction
The fabric seems as though it would be durable and easy to clean, and it is comfortable. The straps and buckles seem to be well-constructed also. You can see pictures http://www.walkingrockfarm.com/hip.php.
Getting Started
I found the instructions (which included pictures) easy enough to follow. You buckle the waist strap and tighten it. Position the sling pouch at your hip. While sitting down, sit your baby in the pouch. Pull the shoulder strap up and over your head. Adjust shoulder strap in front and back. I got it adjusted and my toddler in within a minute. Over the course of the day, I did do some fine-tuning adjustment, but it was easy to get going. My daughter, who was having a fussy day, was instantly quite happy, and obviously did not want me to take her out. It was obvious that this was an immediate success from my daughter’s viewpoint.
Making Adjustments
This carrier wasn’t as easy to adjust as I’d hoped. There are straps to adjust in the front and back at the shoulder, as well as on either side. The straps are designed so that you can easily pull them tighter, but the back strap tangled and twisted going through when I was readjusting on the first day. I had to take it off to fix that. The back shoulder strap is rather difficult to adjust by yourself, which is a problem if you frequently need to adjust it. The front shoulder strap is much easier to adjust, but it still takes fine-tuning to get it to feel just right, which isn't something I'd want to adjust too often. Which brings me to the next item on my agenda...
Getting the Hip Baby On and Off
The waist strap buckles. The shoulder one, however, slips over the head. You’re supposed to loosen the shoulder strap every time you take it on and off to make it easier to put over your head. I had a fussy toddler at a state park that alternated between wanting up and wanting to walk. I was not going to keep messing with loosening and tightening the strap everytime. I learned that after my baby was seated in the pouch, I could duck my head down against my shoulder toward her, and then my head would fit through the shoulder loop without the constant readjusting. It was awkward, but I was able to get her completely in and out within 20 seconds.
It would be a vast improvement if a buckle was added at the shoulder strap so that wasn’t necessary. If I loosened the strap as suggested, I still had to duck my head (though a more comfortable amount), tightened it, and then fine-tuned the front strap adjustment over the next few minutes. Easier just to skip that all together. It would be a vast improvement if a buckle was added at the front shoulder strap, so that it didn't have to be pulled over the head.
Comfort for Mom
I was comfortable holding my toddler on my hip much longer than I would have been without the carrier. I did not have to use any hand to support her, unless I bent over. I had no problems at all with back pain, unlike my infant carrier after my babies hit about 12 lbs, and unlike just holding her on my hip for a period of time. Despite the shoulder pad being well cushioned, I did notice it starting to dig a bit after a while. I would say that this didn’t happen until at least 20 minutes. Usually it was fixed by scooting the strap out toward the outer part of my shoulder where there’s more bone and less flesh.
Baby’s Comfort
My baby was thrilled to be in the carrier anytime she wanted held. The only times she wasn’t happy in it were the times she wanted to run all over the place.
Carrier Price & Selection
The type that I have (sand) is $72. The most expensive is $84. There are 5 choices in fabrics/colors. Shipping and handling is only $5.75. It would be nice to have more options available. For instance, my color choice (if I had been selecting) would have been the iris blue, but it’s an extra $12 compared to the sand one.
Overall
Overall, I’m pretty happy with this carrier for occasional use. If I were to want to use one on a regular basis (as I will with my next baby in the 6-12 mth range), I’d want one with a buckle at the shoulder or some other means of easily getting it over my head. But for use just at really fussy times or on occasional outings, I’m pretty happy with it. I would be interested in testing an updated version in the future.
So, I’d say it’s a 4-star for how I use it, but only a 2-star star for regular use throughout the day. I would not recommend this for everyday use until something is done to fix the shoulder strap issue.
I received the Hip Baby free in exchange for my honest review. Thanks to Walking Rock Farm for giving me the chance to test it out!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 0.00
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months
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Epinions.com ID:
heatherhh
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Member: Heather
Location: Illinois, United States
Reviews written: 55
Trusted by: 20 members
About Me:
Christian, wife, mother at home w/ 4 children under 7; #5 due Jan '09
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