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We love baby carriers, both at home and for travel! Nine times out of ten, I choose a carrier over a stroller. In many cases, the same carrier works both at home and on a trip (so our favorites overlap a lot!), but there are certain things that make carriers particularly helpful for travel. We have tried a lot of baby and toddler carriers. Here’s what we love most for travel:
For the tiniest travelers (especially those under 6 months old):
In this age range, I like an unstructured wrap because they pack much smaller than a structured carrier and hold baby really close for a hug-like hold. This version comes in tons of colors and patterns. Preferences certainly vary from person to person - I loved this one, but my husband never really got used to all the logistics involved in putting this one on. (It helps to watch a video a couple times to practice, so I recommend getting comfortable with it before your trip!) Here’s my favorite for the littlest babies:
For the growing explorers (up to 24 months or so):
This one is my favorite for a wide age range. It’s semi-structured, so it gives good support for a growing baby, but also doesn’t take up a ton of room when packing. The support is evenly distributed over the shoulders and makes a toddler feel pretty light, in my opinion. This was a favorite for both myself and my husband, which is excellent, because we often switched off who was using the carrier within a single day and certainly within a trip, so having one carrier that we both loved was always a big plus!
For the on-the-go toddlers (18 months and up):
For older toddlers who are super mobile and super curious, it can be easier to have something to get them quickly in and out without a lot of snaps, fasteners, or buckles. For this reason, I love a sling carrier at this age. Most are fairly compact and pretty easy to use. My favorite distributes the weight across the shoulder rather than concentrated on a thin strap (even padded ones dig in after a while):
As you’ve no doubt seen, there are a million carriers on the market. I recommend trying one in advance of a trip to learn which one meets your needs. My shopping always concentrated around: comfortable, packable, and cost effective. Hope you find what works for you!
Happy travels!