Best Baby Carriers Australia 2022

If you’ve ever come across my Youtube channel you’re probably already aware that my personal mission in life is to make babywearing safe, comfortable and approachable for new parents. Not because of overarching parenting philosophy, like natural or gentle parenting, or a focus on bonding through babywearing – which are all great things if it’s what you’re about, but because I believe that using a baby carrier can make your life easier.

But a carrier will only make your life easy if it’s the best baby carrier for you, your baby, your budget and your lifestyle.

When choosing the carriers to include in this review I’ve tried to offer a variety of structured, all in one, style carriers – that go from newborn to toddler, and can offer 2-4 carrier positions (inward facing, forward facing, hip and back carry).

As well as a couple of different styles of wraps, and “hybrid” wraps/carriers, to at least give you an idea of the types of carriers that exist.

If you’re still unsure what you’re looking for or need help choosing the best baby carrier let me know!

*Please note the “Market value” is not the RRP, it is approximately what you can expect to pay for these carriers on sale. Pricing is subject to change and is as accurate as possible at the time of publishing.

Ergobaby Aerloom 

As an overall impression, the Ergobaby Aerloom is one of the most premium carriers on the market – which is reflected in the price point. As you’d expect from an Ergobaby carrier it’s very comfortable,  well made and ergonomically designed. It also features a unique contoured knit fabric, which isn’t something I’ve ever seen on a baby carrier before.  

Ergobaby Aerloom At a Glance

• Weight Range – 3.2kgs to 15kgs
• Positions Offered – 3 positions: parent facing, forward facing, and back carry.
• Material Used – Polyester containing 87% recycled plastic
• Best for – Petite parents. Or Eco-conscious parents. 

The Ergobaby Aerloom is made from a unique “FormaKnit” fabric, meaning it’s made from knitted fabric rather than woven fabric. Knitted fabric has a little more stretch and also can be knitted into curves, so it is more comfortable and moulds to the shape of your body. Also because of the innovative FormaKnit fabric the Ergobaby Aerloom is super lightweight. Another big reason to choose the Ergobaby Aerloom is it’s designed to be an eco-friendly baby carrier and is made from 87% post-consumer recycled polyester. In fact, 26 recycled water bottles go into each and every Ergobaby Aerloom. 

Additionally, the Ergobaby Aerloom is my go to recommendation for petite parents wanting to babywear with a bigger baby or toddler. While it’s still absolutely suitable for bigger and taller parents as well, the Aerloom waistband flips in and under in a way that allows a taller child to be carriers by a shorter parent (or parent with a short torso)

Full Ergobaby Aerloom Review

Ergobaby Omni Breeze

Ergobaby has been the most popular brand of baby carriers in Australia for about the last decade. They are some of the most expensive carriers on the market as well. Are they worth the price tag? It’s hard for me to say, but I will say that in my opinion, the Ergobaby Omni range (including the Omni Breeze) without doubt are the most optimal baby carrier for forward facing. 

Ergobaby Omni Breeze At a Glance

• Weight Range – 3.2kgs to 20kgs
• Positions Offered – 4 positions: parent facing, forward facing, hip, and back carry.
• Material Used – 100% Polyester (Omni “Breeze” version – Omni “Dream” is 100% Cotton)
• Best for – Optimal Forward Facing.

The Omni Breeze is suitable for newborns, has a weight capacity of 20kgs and offers all four carry positions – parent facing, world facing, hip and back carry. I would say that you could reasonably use the Omni Breeze until 2 years or beyond, especially if you’re using it in the back carry position.

As you would expect from an Ergobaby carrier, the Omni Breeze is ergonomically designed for both parent and baby.

For Parents, the shape and structure is designed to evenly distribute Baby’s weight across your body without putting excessive pressure on your back or shoulders. It has a wide supportive waistband and lumbar support, and padded shoulder straps. You can also easily cross the straps at the back if you prefer a tighter fit, especially if you have narrow or sloping shoulders. 

For Baby, the Omni Breeze provides knee to knee support in the optional “M” leg positioning in all carry positions – including forward facing, which is something not many carriers achieve, and in my opinion none as well as the Ergo Omni range. What I mean by “M” position is  Baby’s knees are elevated higher than their bottom to ensure a more natural seated position in the carrier rather than legs hanging straight down. This is recognised as a healthier hip position for Baby

Full Ergobaby Omni Breeze Review

Tula Explore

Tula is a bit more of a niche brand when compared to the Ergobaby range. While the Tula Explore ticks all the same boxes as the Ergobaby Omni carrier – offers all carry positions, goes from newborn to 20kgs, I would say is the second best forward facing carrier – it does offer an impressive range of colours and patterns not seen in most brands available in Australia. 

Tula Explore At a Glance

• Weight Range – 3.2kgs to 20kgs
• Positions Offered – 4 positions: parent facing, forward facing, hip, and back carry.
• Material Used – 100% Cotton (or Cotton with Polyester for the Mesh version)
• Best for – parents wanting unique patterns. 

Aside from the fact the Tula Explore comes in every colour in the rainbow – including actual rainbows – they’re not just beautiful, but beautifully made. They have a robustness about them. Though they can feel a bit stiff straight out of the box, like a quality cotton or linen they soften over time. 

Another reason I recommend the Tula Explore to parents, as I mentioned they are one of a very few carriers I feel genuinely offer optimal forward facing position (with the M leg position) and while I’d say they’re the second best carrier for forward facing it’s worth noting to achieve the most optimal forward facing position  Ergobaby Omni Breeze, it’s worth noting the Omni range sacrificed panel size to achieve that ergonomic design. 

Whereas the Tula Explore shares some of that optimal forward facing design, but not at the expense of the longevity of the carrier.  

Read our full review of the Tula Explore here. 

Boba X Carrier

While the Boba X isn’t the carrier for everyone, it’s the most adjustable carrier I’ve ever seen. Incredibly the Boba X can achieve the seemingly impossible task of being able to safely and comfortably accommodate a newborn and also adjust and extend to be able to fully support a preschooler (or even beyond).

Boba X At a Glance

• Weight Range – 3.2kgs to 20kgs
• Positions Offered – 4 positions: parent facing and back carry.
• Material Used – 100% Cotton 
• Best for – parents wanting one carrier to last from birth to 4+ years

The Boba X comes out of the box set up for a bigger baby – adjusting to a newborn the panel can be cinched in both height and width to provide a perfectly shaped, cosy space for a newborn. 

When the panel is fully extended its similar size to a LILLEbaby or Tula Explore – which are some of the bigger carriers that also accommodate newborns, however, the Boba X comes with extra leg supports included to extend the panel for your bigger child. With these added the Boba X offers wider knee-to-knee support than a dedicated toddler carrier. 

The great thing about that extended knee-to-knee support is it will help draw your child’s knees closer to your body. So if you’re hiking or walking at a pace, and your child’s knees aren’t fully supported they can start to get a bit of a swing happening which throws off your gait. (That was the reason I upgraded from my Ergobaby carrier to a Tula Toddler carrier – because of how much that knee support actually increases your comfort and balance carrying that bigger kid.)

So while the Boba X isn’t for everyone, it’s a great option if you’re planning to use a carrier for a bigger child, maybe for travelling and hiking. 

LILLEbaby Complete Airflow 

I’m all about making babywearing easy and approachable for all parents, and a big part of that is offering affordable options. While the LILLEbaby Complete Original is a bit more budget friendly ($119) and the LILLEbaby All Seasons is more popular, I think the LILLEbaby Airflow is the most appropriate in the range for the Australian climate.

LILLEBaby Airflow Carrier At A Glance

• Weight Range 3.2kgs – 20.4kgs
• Positions offered – 4 positions: parent-facing, forward-facing, hip, and back carry.
• Material –  100% Poly Fabrics.
• Best for – parents wanting an all-in-one carrier on a budget

The overall structure of the LILLEbaby Airflow is similar to the Ergobaby Omni or Tula Explore. Though it doesn’t quite offer the same ergonomic forward-facing position, it does have a very wide and supportive waistband and my favourite lumbar support on any baby carrier. 

Despite the affordable price point the quality and structure of the LILLEbaby carriers is similar to the much more premium Tula brand. Though LILLEbaby doesn’t offer quite as diverse a range of colours and patterns as Tula, it is one of the only other brands doing anything other than black, grey and blue.

LILLEbaby also offers parents a variety of fabric types aside from the Airflow, so parents can find the best carrier for their climate. 

Check out our full review and comparison of the range following this link. 

Pognae Step One Air

I was determined with this list to try to recommend some options outside the usual (knowing you’ll probably end up buying an Ergobaby, Moby or LILLEbaby carrier because these are the brands available in most retailers) However, I discover Pognae recently and was so impressed by the Pognae Step One, even though it’s a little outside the usual.

Pognae Step One At A Glance

• Weight Range – 3.2kgs to 13kgs
• Positions Offered – 2 positions: parent facing, forward facing
• Material Used – Poly/cotton
• Best for – Parents in a warmer climate looking for a super easy wrap/carrier hybrid

The Air version of the Pognae Step One that I was sent to review was incredibly lightweight and breathable. I haven’t really felt material like this before on a carrier. It almost reminds me of a swim carrier. It’s so light.

So the Pognae Step One Air is going to be great for summer and warmer climates. Also, the Air version provides 85% UV protection.

Even though the Pognae Step One is very easy to use and I think would be intuitive for most parents to work out how to put it on and use it safely and correctly, it still comes with hands down THE BEST instruction manual I’ve ever seen for a baby carrier. Honestly, after reading this instruction manual I think all baby carriers should come with an instruction manual this detailed. I think the amount of thought and care that has gone into the manual speaks very highly of the brand. 

Check out our full Pognae Step One Review

Ergobaby Embrace

I am completely in love with the fabric on the Ergobaby Embrace. It is the softest fabric I have ever felt on any baby carrier ever. The feel of this fabric is just divine.

Ergobaby Embrace At A Glance

• Weight Range – 3.2kgs to 11.3kgs
• Positions Offered – 2 positions: parent facing, forward facing
• Material Used – 100% cotton
• Best for – Parents planning to use a carrier for newborn to 12 months

The Ergobaby Embrace is perfectly designed for newborns up to around 12 months old and in my opinion is “new parent proof”. So I would recommend the Ergobaby Embrace to inexperienced parents looking for a simple and easy way to keep their new baby close for the first few months.

The Ergobaby Embrace is also a great option for parents wanting a more premium carrier, but are on a tighter budget, if they’re only planning to babywear for the first 12 months and have no interest in back carrying.

If you’re looking for a carrier that offers affordable luxury and that has been specifically designed with newborns in mind then the Ergobaby Embrace is a great option for you.

Check out our full Ergobaby Embrace review here.

Moby Easy Wrap

The Moby Easy Wrap is exactly what it sounds like – a wrap made easy. The Moby Easy Wrap looks and feels like a stretchy wrap when it is on, but it goes on like a T-shirt.

Moby Easy Wrap At A Glance

• Weight Range – 3.2kgs to 15kgs
• Positions Offered – 2 positions: parent facing, forward facing
• Material Used – 100% cotton
• Best for – parent who want to use a wrap without the wrapping

When compared to other Hybrid style carriers the Moby Easy Wrap is definitely more along the scale towards a wrap than carrier, but it does have two buckles at the waist which I think do a lot for confidence if nothing else. 

The Easy Wrap has the same super soft stretchy jersey knit fabric as a regular stretchy wrap, so it’s comfortable for both baby and parent, but with buckles on the waist and the “wrap” portion is essentially pre-tied.

The other benefit of the Moby Easy Wrap is it does offer parents the option of forward facing, so they may find they can use the carrier with an older baby than a regular stretchy wrap.

Check out our full review of the Moby Easy Wrap here.

Boba Classic Wrap

The Boba Classic wrap is one of the stretchiest wraps on the market, making it one of the easiest stretchy wraps for new parents to get the perfect fit every time they tie their wrap.

Boba Classic Wrap At A Glance

• Weight Range – 3.6kgs to 15kgs
• Positions Offered – 2 positions: parent facing, half hip carry
• Material Used – 95% Cotton, 5% Elastane
• Best for – taking the guesswork out of fitting a wrap

I have to admit I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about the unique 2 way stretch of the Boba Wraps. So all other stretchy wraps I’ve used have had most of the stretch going top to bottom and then only a small stretch going long ways. 

My biggest concern with the long-way stretch was that it wouldn’t be as supportive and it would be difficult to achieve a high and tight position – I was worried that stretchy equals saggy. 

And turns out I was wrong. 

For some context about my own preferences I actually ended up using woven wraps because I didn’t want any stretch at all from my wrap, I wanted more firm support. So I feel like this may not be the wrap for me 

BUT I think this is an incredible wrap for a beginner or new parent because as strange as it sounds that extra stretch I think will make it easier for parents to get a tighter fit.

Moby Elements Wrap

You really can’t get much more affordable than a Moby Elements Wrap. Despite the budget-friendly poly-cotton blend fabric the Elements wrap is super soft, lightweight and breathable.

• Weight Range – 3.6kgs to 15kgs
• Positions Offered – 2 positions: parent facing, half hip carry
• Material Used – 65% Polyester/35% Cotton
• Best for – baby shower gifts or parents on a budget

There’s not really a lot to say about the Elements wrap, aside from the fabric feel and price. All stretchy wraps are essentially the same thing – approximately 5 metres of stretchy fabric that has been weight tested for carrying babies. And if they all work the same way, wrap the same, tie the same – so why not choose the one that is the most affordable while still being good quality?

Full Moby Wraps Review

If you’re still unsure what you’re looking for or need help choosing the best baby carrier let me know!