Best Cheap Baby Carrier and Wraps For Budget Friendly Babywearing in 2024 

Are you looking for the best cheap baby carrier for your little one?

With the cost of living constantly rising it’s now more than ever that new parents are looking for the most affordable options when buying for their baby – but of course you still want (and deserve) the best for you and your baby!

To some degree, like with anything, you get what you pay for when it comes to baby wraps and carriers. So when looking for the best value baby carrier or cheapest baby wrap you will need to consider what are your priorities. Because while you can’t have everything you want you can get exactly what you need.

• MOBY Elements Wrap – $59
• MOBY Fit Hybrid – $59
• Redsbaby Connect Wrap – $79
• LILLEbaby Complete Original – $119

Please note the following:

“Market Value” based on Australian retail pricing at the time of publishing 17th May 2024. 
“Age range” based on my opinion of how long the wrap or carrier should be comfortable 
“Weight Range” is the manufacturer’s recommendation based on safety testing. 

MOBY Elements Wrap – RRP $80 – Market Value $60 

The MOBY Elements wrap is probably the cheapest way to carry your baby if you’re planning to purchase brand new. Although it may not necessarily be the “best value” when you consider that it can only be comfortably worn for the first 4-6 months. So if your goal is to spend the least amount of money possible and then find yourself buying a second carrier in a few months, that goal won’t have been achieved. 

Age Range: Newborn to 4-6 months 
Weight Range: 3.6kgs to 15kgs
Carry positions: 
– Front inward (parent facing) 
– Side (not quite “hip” carry, but you can scoot baby across to one side if needed)

MOBY Elements Wrap Best features:

• Very lightweight fabric
• Range of neutral colours to choose from
• Soft and squishy fabric against baby’s skin.
• Can be bundled up to fit inside a nappy bag or under a pram
• Easy to wash and quick drying 

Why is the MOBY Elements Wrap cheap?

• Stretchy wraps generally are the most affordable option because they are simply a length of fabric so are quick and easy to manufacture. 
• Moby Elements Wrap is made from a poly-cotton blend

MOBY Fit Hybrid Wrap – RRP $130 – Clearance Price $60

It’s important to note that the MOBY Fit hybrid has been discontinued and the clearance price of $60 (less than half the RRP) is a limited time option – I will try to remember to check back and update when this is no longer available. 

But I’ll apologise in advance if you’re reading this in the future and this option or price is no longer available! 

Age Range: Newborn to 6-9 months
Weight Range:  3.6kgs to 15kgs
Carry positions: 
– Front inward (parent facing) 
– Front forward (world facing)

Best Features:

• Feels and looks like a stretchy wrap – without all the wrapping. 
• Goes on over your head a bit like putting on a T-shirt.
• Has the option of forward facing for a bit older infant.
• Adjustable with double rings on the side so you don’t have to get it perfect before you pick up baby (like you would with a regular stretchy wrap)

Why is the MOBY Fit Hybrid Wrap cheap?

• The MOBY Fit has been discontinued and replaced with a upgraded version*
• The double rings on the side can dig into your hip if you have a curvy body shape**

*The updated version is the MOBY Easy Wrap – if your budget can stretch I would definitely recommend the MOBY Easy Wrap over the MOBY Fit. The Easy Wrap RRP is also $130, but often goes on sale around $90-100. 

** “Curvy” isn’t a euphemism for “plus size”. I mean the curve from your waist to hip, if the rings sit deeply into your waist they can grind against the top of your hip bone. If anything I’d say it’s less of an issue for me now I wear a 16 top and 18 bottom compared to when I wore size 8/10. 

Redsbaby CONNECT Wrap – RRP/Market Value $79 

Redsbaby is an Australian owned brand that is mainly known for their prams and strollers. When it comes to baby carriers the Redsbaby Connect seems to be a more known and popular carrier compared to the Redsbaby Connect WRAP – but personally I don’t understand why this very clever hybrid style wrap isn’t the first thing people think of when they hear the brand “Redsbaby”. 

Age Range: Newborn to 9-12 months 
Weight Range: 3.2 – 15kgs
Carry positions: 
– Front inward facing

Redsbaby CONNECT Wrap Best Features:

• Easy to use alternative to a stretchy wrap.
• Soft stretch fabric that feels like a t-shirt. 
• Firmer (more supportive) fabric to comfortably carry a bigger baby.
• Adjustable straps to help get the perfect fit.
• Comfortable design with well positioned buckles (so they don’t dig in anywhere)
• Very neat and clever design with pockets to tuck away all the straps and loose ends. 

Why is the Redsbaby CONNECT Wrap Cheap?

• The design is very simple (but clever) and so manufacturing costs would be low.
• Sold direct to public by Redsbaby (ie no wholesaler markup in the middle)
• Possibly also due to a lack of interest/marketing because I feel it could very reasonably be priced in the $100-130 range based on quality and design. (and possibly be more popular as a result due to perceived value)

LILLEbaby Complete Original – RRP $160 – Market value $119

(Image shows Complete Originnal and “All Seasons” to demonstrate carry positions.)

So we’re taking a little jump over the $100 price point but you may have noticed all the suggestions so far are really just for newborns and infants, you won’t be able to use a stretchy wrap or a stretchy wrap hybrid, for multiple years. You’ll be doing well if any of the above suggestions gets you close to 12 months. 

The LILLEbaby Complete Original is the MOST affordable ergonomic, all-in-one, soft-structured carrier. As a brand LILLEbaby absolutely dominates the $100-200 price range for ergonomic baby carriers. 

Age Range: Newborn to 2-3+ years. 
Weight Range: 3.2 – 20kgs
Carry positions: 
– Front fetal carry (legs in position)
– Front carry (regular “legs out” position)
– Front forward facing
– Hip Carry
– Back Carry

LILLEbaby Complete Original Best Features:

• All in one carrier from birth to toddler+ 
• All carry positions
• Easy to put on and take off 
• Lumbar support, padded shoulder pads and ergonomic weight distribution.
• Very adjustable for targeted support for ever body type and as baby grows. 
• Offers the OPTION of a legs in fetal carry with an infant pillow (but not required)

Why is the LILLEbaby Complete Original Cheap?

The fabric and design of the Original LILLEbaby carrier have been unchanged in over 10 years. Some of the cost of new baby carriers is research and development, resetting of manufacturing processes, and then also marketing a new product. So that has kept the LILLEbaby Complete Original price pretty much the same for 10 years – while prices of other carriers have gone up around it (due to inflation and other factors)