Baby K’tan Original Baby Wrap Carrier, Infant and Child Sling – Simple Wrap Holder for Babywearing – No Rings or Buckles – Carry Newborn up to 35 lbs, Heather Grey, Women 6-8 (Small), Men 37-38

The best carrier for newborns and young babies
The k’tan is by far my favorite way to hold and wear my baby from birth to about 4-5 months old. I’m a first time mom and bought a Bjorn, Ergo, Moby and a Maya sling along with the K’tan. I love the K’tan so much because it’s comfortable, superbly easy to throw on, fits easily in a bag (like for emergency naps while out with a fussy baby) and my baby has, what my husband and I have now coined, “5-star snoozes”. My thoughts on each:K’tan: Super easy to use–even for a sleep deprived mom. I used it since my baby was a 6.5lbs newborn and still using it now that he’s closing on 13lbs. Baby fits snuggly on my chest with his head pressed against my heart (this is the secret) and the shoulder straps provide the baby with extra head, neck and back support so he always feels secure enough to sleep through almost anything. As long as you have it on correctly, pull the back support band to the center of your back and get the right size, the baby will not topple out even if you bend over. Sizing seems to run larger so if you’re on the lower end of the size range go with one size down. There are no straps or buckles and it’s made of super soft cotton which is probably why this is the only carrier my baby has never cried in – unless he was overtired to begin with (my fault), but even then, he settled with minutes the moment he goes in. That said, once my baby got to about 14-15 pounds around 5 months old I moved into the Ergo for more support. Bjorn: Easy to get on and to put baby in but since it’s heavier and structured, I only lasted about 30-45 minutes before getting tired. Also, no matter how much you adjust the straps, the baby can only be pressed so much against my body. This results in baby’s head and shoulder bobbing. I tried it when he was a newborn and yesterday at 3 months and his head and upper body are still 3-4 inches away–a distance that makes snoozing on my chest pretty impossible. He tried to sleep upright and no matter how motionless I was, the moment his head bobbed he’d wake up. This can probably only be used when baby is awake. Looks good though.Ergo: CANNOT live without the Ergo once baby hit 14-15 pounds. I can go hours walking, shopping, etc and literally feel no soreness or discomfort and baby always passes out within minutes. Moby: Straps are too long, prone to get dirty from dragging on the floor while putting, too complicated to put on and not supportive enough no matter how tight you tie. All recipes for disaster when you’ve got a tired cranky baby that wants to sleep and you can’t untangle and put on the Moby quick enough.

Awesome, comfy carrier!
I love my Baby K’tan! I spent quite a while online researching carriers and after watching videos online of moms putting their babies in wraps/slings/carriers I finally decided that this one looked the simplest and most versatile. My baby is only 4 months so we have only tried the Kangaroo position, Hug position, and Adventure position so far, but we are loving it!Like any carrier, there is a learning curve. It took a few tries to really figure out how to put it on and take it off, but once you get it, it’s like muscle memory. I found that it helped to put it on in front of a mirror so I could really see what I was doing.I love that the K’tan is soft t-shirt material because that makes it comfy and easy to wash (we had a diaper blow out once while my baby was in the carrier-ugh!), however it also lends itself to two drawbacks: it gets reeeeeal warm for the baby and for you, and it shrinks in the wash. I live in Arizona so the heat thing is more of an issue but for around the house or grocery store it is GREAT! As for shrinkage, I have found that if I dry it on low heat for 20 minutes or so and then let it air dry the rest of the way, it minimizes this. It does stretch out again after a few uses so if yours has shrunk, it’s not ruined, don’t worry!The K’tan is kind of sneaky because it looks pretty much like a traditional wrap once it’s on, and only you know that a lot of the work is done for you 🙂

First thing – I bought an XS based on the size guide but it was much too tight. Size S was a good fit. I am a UK 8, petite, with a 34D/E bust size.Before using this I was using a Beluga Baby wrap handed down from my sister. Loved the material but the Baby K’tan is hands down better.More secure (because it’s pre-sewn I never worried abt it accidentally undoing itself as baby became heavier) and I can put it on in a jiffy and while seated unlike the traditional cloth wraps.I rarely used the extra sash to wrap around the main sling – never felt the need for it.Used it till my baby became too heavy then handed it down to my while I moved on to a Lillebaby. I’ve recommended the K’tan to my SIL and she is loving it too.One of the downsides tho is when baby starts on the munching phase – he kept chewing on sides and these are the parts of the cloth that I would cover him with when he falls asleep. So essentially he would be covered in his saliva and if you’re in a cold climate then it’ll probably make him feel cold. I used an Ergo carrier teething pads and slipped them onto those sides as a solution. I suppose one could use your standard wash cloths and / or bibs too.

All other carriers are a waste of time and money. No straps no buckles. Very easy to use and most comfortable for me and my baby. And I have tried every possible carrier in the market! Can’t imagine it’s just two pieces of cloth! It’s a must have for moms managing alone.