ERGOBABY OMNI BREEZE – Ultimate Ergonomic Design
Ergobaby has recently released the Ergobaby Omni Breeze, a lighter weight, more breathable version of the Ergobaby Omni 360 that also has a few other upgrades as well.
I have always been a big fan of Ergobaby. I’ve previously reviewed:
I even made some of the videos for the Ergobaby Australia and NZ Youtube Channel including some instructional videos on how to use their carriers! And of course, I owned an Ergobaby carrier with my own babies (though it was the original style of Ergobaby that needed an infant insert and didn’t offer the forward-facing position like the modern Ergobaby carriers do!)
Omni Breeze At A Glance
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 from birth through to babyhood and beyond. Essentially this means 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.
Also, the Omni Breeze is easy to use and with a little practice, parents are able to put Baby in and take Baby out of the carrier on their own, even on the go.
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Omni 360 Cool Mesh vs Omni Breeze
There are a few key updates between the Omni Breeze and Omni 360:
- Lighter weight materials. The Omni Breeze weighs less than the Omni 360.
- Improved breathability. Perfect for summer or active parents.
- Softer and more flexible material. Making it easier to get a snug fit for a newborn.
- Higher knee positioning. Easier to achieve optimal M leg position.
- Visually less busy front panel. More streamlined appearance.
These are all welcome upgrades with the Omni Breeze, but I will admit I was most excited about the changes to the buckles! As someone who has helped teach parents and train staff on how to use the Ergobaby Omni 360 these seemingly insignificant changes excite me.
The child-proof buckles that connect to the front of the panel that you release when crossing over the straps at the back are one thing on the Ergobaby Omni 360 that I have seen some parents struggle with the concept of the three-pronged buckle design. Whereas on the Omni Breeze it’s a much more obvious button release for the buckle.
Also the cinched shape on the shoulder strap buckle is much easier to feel and squeeze when releasing the buckle. This is a clever little design improvement because this buckle sits behind your neck and not everyone has the dexterity to release it behind their head.
Final Thoughts
After playing with the Ergobaby Omni Breeze I wouldn’t be surprised if this means the Ergobaby Omni 360 will be phased out, as it is essentially the same carrier with some lovely upgrades. Aside from the price point, I can’t see any reason to choose the Ergobaby Omni over the Omni Breeze.
Also – this comes up a lot when I’m talking to parents about choosing between a “mesh” style carrier and a thicker/warmer carrier – even though the Omni Breeze is lightweight and breathable making it perfect for summer, if you’re having your baby in winter and planning to use the carrier for more than 6 months you’re going to be using your carrier in summer as well.
You can always add layers, dress baby warmly, put a jacket over the top of a lighter weight carrier, but you can’t make a thicker/heavier carrier lighter in summer. So I would definitely opt for the lighter carrier regardless of whether Baby is a summer or winter baby.