Artipoppe Zeitgeist Baby Carrier Product Review
Is the Artipoppe Zeitgeist a good baby carrier?
The Artipoppe Zeitgeist Baby carrier is one of the most expensive baby carriers on the market, but the big question I’ve been asked (by quite a few people now): Is the Artipoppe Baby Carrier a good baby carrier?
If you’ve already seen the Artipoppe Baby Carrier and you’ve already got your heart set on it, but you’re just wanting to justify the $500-$5000 price tag – I’ve got you. Check out my exploration of the question “Is the Artipoppe Zeitgeist Worth It?”
But when someone asks me if Artipoppe Zeitgeist a good baby carrier – and they don’t mean as a piece of art or fashion, or if the price point can be justified through the craftsmanship and choice of materials, they mean – is it a good baby carrier for everyday use? Is it comfortable, functional and easy to use?
Unfortunately I haven’t had the opportunity to play with one in person, and while I’ve had a few people suggest I should reach out to Artipoppe to see if they’ll send me a Zeitgeist to review, I don’t exactly meet the profile of their typical celebrity status influencer.
The only way I can answer this question is a detailed analysis of the structural design of the Artipoppe Zeitgeist based on 12+ years experience working with many different baby carriers brands in my day job and through Parenting Central, as well as my personal experiences as a mother of two having owned at least a dozen different baby carriers. I’ve also helped literally hundreds of parents try on and fit baby carriers in a hands-on, face-to-face setting. So I have experience working with different body types, abilities, preferences, needs…
And I definitely have some concerns about the design of the Artipoppe Zeitgeist baby carrier.
But without one in front of me I can’t reach any firm conclusions, so all I can do is analyse the Zeitgeist Baby carrier, feature by feature, and try my best to judge it’s practicality and usability.
Artipoppe Zeitgeist Baby Carrier at a glance
The Artipoppe is a 3 position baby carrier (inward facing, forward facing and back carry) that is suitable from newborn (3.2kgs) to toddler (20kgs) and offers parents a unique range of colours, styles and fabrics to choose from (depending on your budget)
Where to buy the Artipoppe Zeitgeist in Australia?
There are currently no retailers that sell the Artipoppe Zeitgeist in Australia so for brand new you are limited to purchasing from Artipoppe directly online – https://shop.artipoppe.com/
There is also a bit of a second hand market for them, so you might be able to find one locally through Facebook marketplace or Baby carrier specific buy/swap/sell pages.
Adjusting from Newborn to Toddler
Overall the structure of the front panel of the Artipoppe Zeitgeist looks very similar to the Tula Free to Grow carrier, especially in the way it adjusts from newborn to toddler. You simply move the press studs that connect the panel to the waistband to create a wider or narrower base.
This simple, but clever, design creates a deeper “seat” for a newborn, so it’s ideal for supporting the hip-healthy M position, which is especially important with a new baby. And the seat it creates also helps shorten the height of the panel to be able to safely fit a smaller baby. BUT it’s essential you also position the waistband higher up on your torso for this to work with a smaller baby.
I’ve seem so many user generated images with newborn/small babies completely submerged in the panel of the Artipoppe Zeitgeist carrier.
Although the reason some people are struggling with this is because it does appears to be a good sized panel to accommodate bigger babies and toddlers, which means you just need to be more aware of all that fabric so make sure your baby isn’t completely swallowed up.
Overall the design of the front panel is a big tick from me.
Forward/World Facing Position
The world/forward facing function involves attaching an extra piece to the panel that cinches the front panel to allow the baby’s legs to come forward.
While this does mean you can’t easily switch from parent to world facing on the go and this extra piece could easily be misplaced when not in use, it is included with the Artipoppe Zeitgeist and despite my initial scepticism, it seems to be a surprisingly effective design.
In almost all images I could find, from both brand and user generated content, the baby’s legs/hip position have all been in an optimal M position.
In my opinion very few baby carriers are actually capable of maintaining that hip-health position while forward facing (more information about forward facing and why it’s so difficult to achieve)
One thing I have noticed though is the front panel always looks a bit high, but also loose around the chest/chin area on the baby. This is one of the reasons I’d love to get my hands on one to play with because while visually it does look a bit like there’s a risk of Baby being submerged into the carrier this would indicate that all the support is coming through the seat of the carrier and not applying any pressure through the chest/neck area. (the second image above isn’t a perfect example of this, because the baby is intentionally looking down, so their chest is a bit forward, but LOOK at that seat!)
I imagine this weight distribution should be more comfortable for the adult wearer and also for the baby. Think about the difference between sitting in a hammock vs hanging in a harness.
Overall – BIG tick for the leg/hip position. I wish it was built in so the strap couldn’t be lost, and I’ll reserve my judgement regarding how the fabric seems to sit quite high and loose around the chest/face area on the baby.
Cross Body Support
I do have some big concerns about the lack of a “chest strap”/ “H strap” on the shoulders of the Artipoppe Zeitgeist for an average person using the baby carrier every day.
The central strap/H strap is a standard feature found on practically all baby carriers with the same basic shape as the Artipoppe Zeitgeist; ie Ergobaby, LILLEbaby, Tula, Boba, Manduca etc.
I believe they’ve opted to not include it for a cleaner, less fussy, less “buckle-y” looking aesthetic. Which is fairly common on more fashion-focused baby carrier brands.
And most of their images show the shoulder straps in the crossed position and if their target market are celebrities, models and “instagram” mums, then I can appreciate the reasoning behind that decision, based on the slim framed body type within that demographic.
I would typically only recommend crossing over the straps at the back if you have very narrow shoulders or a very slim/petite frame, so you’re feeling like you just can’t get the shoulder straps tight enough to feel secure. Otherwise the H style strap position, shown on the LILLEbaby carrier above, is what I’d recommend for most body types.
Because it’s going to provide better weight distribution and avoid the straps sitting too close to your neck, which will add a lot of strain to your neck/back/shoulders.
You can wear the shoulder straps in a straight position (and will need to do this for back carry position) although this can put a lot of pressure on your shoulders without the chest/H strap to distribute the weight evenly across your body, especially if you’re carrying a bigger baby or toddler. And also feel like they’re slipping off your shoulders without that cross strap to secure the carrier to your body.
Overall – the Artipoppe Zeitgeist might still be a good baby carrier for a limited range of body types.
Lumbar Support
There is none. For $540-$5400 I would expect a bit of back support, especially when most brands at half the entry level price offer some kind of lower back support, because it is so important to support your back when you’re attaching 3-20kgs to your upper body.
One thing I’ve noticed as well, which I think might be caused by the lack of support and structure in the waistband, is that almost all the pictures of parents wearing the Artipoppe Zeitgeist, including their own product images, all have the same titled position in the front of the waistband.
This is what happens when your waistband is too loose. Which seems to indicate there’s an issue with tightening the waistband enough to get full support. Without being able to touch and feel the carrier it’s difficult to say exactly what the cause of the issue is, but what I can tell you is the effect on your body that tilted position will have.
It’s similar to wearing a bra when the band size is too big. No matter how you position the bra, or adjust the shoulder straps, the back rides up, the cup tilts forward and all the weight is dragging down on your shoulders.
Now imagine that same dragging feeling on your shoulders with a 10kgs infant on your chest.
Padding and materials
It does look like the shoulder straps and waistband are decently wide and well padded for comfort and support. The shoulder strap padding looks soft and flexible, and the waistband support under the front panel does look like it has some structure to it without being too rigid.
Although these are very difficult to comment on without touching and feeling them, but I’ve spent quite a few hours looking at brand and user generated images to get an idea of how the materials appear to form around body shapes.
In conclusion
I think I have reached the limit of what I can review without actually trying on an Artipoppe in person. Unfortunately they’re not available in stores in Australia so there’s nowhere for me to test one out and report back, so the only options would be – to purchase one myself (which I have definitely considered) or if I’m sent one (feel free to send this to Artipoppe and ask them for me)
So ultimately it’s difficult for me to say conclusively if the Artipoppe Zeitgeist is a good baby carrier or not.
I also haven’t been able to find reviews on the Artipoppe by industry experts for me to use as a point of reference.
Are there any Artipoppe Zeitgeist alternatives?
We do have limited options in Australia for baby carriers with a luxury woven fabric look and feel, but there are still some options available. Some closer in look and feel to the Artipoppe Zeitgeist than others.
Portier Limitless Carrier $310-$350
Portier is an Australian brand and they have a very similar overall look and style to the Artipoppe Zeitgeist. They also don’t have the H strap or lumbar support. They feature a similar forward facing function with buttons on the front panel to the Ergobaby 360 or Tula Explore.
Chekoh Clip Carrier $229 – $239
Another Australian brand with a similar overall shape and style to the Artipoppe Zeitgeist (no H strap, no lumbar support). But part of what drew you to Artipoppe Zeitgeist is the sustainable and ethical vibe you might like to know that Chekoh openly support the pre-loved market for their carriers, promoting direct peer-to-peer sales through a moderated Facebook group.
Mumma Etc Daily Carrier – $268
They do also have a wrap carrier that looks super comfortable as well, but if you’re looking for something more like the Zeitgeist then the Daily Carrier might be more interesting to you. One thing I like about this carrier is that although it also only crosses the straps at the back, the shoulders are still a wrap style so you can more easily spread the weight distribution to be suitable for a broader range of body types. They also don’t show a back carry position but the wrap material looks like it would be wide enough to cross over the chest comfortably.
As I’ve mentioned it has a very similar structure in the panel to the Artipoppe Zeitgeist, although a different look and feel with the rest of the design. However, it does have the H strap support, with option to cross straps like the Artipoppe Zeitgeist, (still no lumbar support) They don’t quite hit the same luxury, designer look and feel they are still a quality, well made carrier by a trusted brand.
LILLEbaby Elevate Carrier $270
Full disclosure the LILLEbaby Elevate carrier does have the same aesthetic as the Artipoppe Zeitgeist, but for a touch of luxury has a linen outer shell and soft cotton inner lining, although the leatherette details give it more of a earthy vibe compared to the more whimsical style of the Artipoppe carriers. However, it does offer the practical support of H straps, can still cross straps if you prefer AND has adjustable lumbar support for full comfort.
