Is The Artipoppe Zeitgeist Worth the $5400 Price Tag?

I’ve had a number of people ask me my thoughts on the Artipoppe Zeistgeist lately and most importantly do I think it’s worth the $530-$5400* Price Tag?

*NOTE the price is approximate as it seems change slightly, this may be due to changes in exchange rate.

Unfortunately I don’t have access for an Artipoppe baby carrier to do my usual in depth video reviews going feature by feature, review and demonstration I would normally do for a baby carrier review. I even looked on Facebook marketplace but for better or worse they do seem to hold their value and I just can’t justify the cost – personally – just for the sake of curiosity.

So in lieu of a review of the functions and features I have EXTENSIVELY researched the brand and product to try to bring you the answer to the question WHY are the Zeitgeist baby carriers so expensive – and are they worth it?

Buckle up because in an effort to answer those questions I somehow ended up learning about the history of alpacas and reading a couple of 23-page-long sustainability reports by Artipoppe and I can now find Lithuania on a map.

All to bring you my thoughts on the price of the Artipoppe Zeitgeist baby carriers.

This is also LONG so feel free to jump to the following:

• Why are Artipoppe Carriers so expensive?
• What is Vicuña? (This is where Alpacas come into it)
• Artipoppe and Sustainability
• Is the Artipoppe Zeitgeist worth the money?
• Are there any Artipoppe Zeitgeist dupes?

What is the Artipoppe Zeitgeist Baby Carrier?

Before we get into my thoughts on the (up to) $5400AUD price tag I want to unpack exactly what is the Artipoppe Zeitgeist baby carrier.

At a glance this is a pretty standard, ergonomic style, soft structured baby carrier. They’re adjustable from newborn to toddler (3.2kg-20kg) and offer the three usual carry positions – parent facing, world facing and back carry.

While this might sound very familiar, ticking the same boxes as popular carrier brands like Ergobaby and LILLEbaby, overall the design, proportions and functionality is very similar to the Baby Tula Free to Grow.

However, I was surprised they are missing a few key features I’d have expected to see on a mid-high end carrier bought at a regular baby store (ie $150-$250+ price range)

No lumbar support on the back

No cross-body support when not crossing straps

While forward facing is possible it requires an additional piece to be added on

Also no hood or no storage pocket (although you can buy a matching bum-bag for $470)

I do wish I could make a comment on the comfort and ease of use, and show you how it all works, but this is all I can offer in terms of reviewing whether the Artipoppe Zeistgest is a good carrier – unless Artipoppe would like to send me one to review….

Why are the Artipoppe Baby Carriers so popular?

Artipoppe is marketed as a luxury, designer brand. They have done an incredible job at getting their baby carriers onto big name celebrities, such as Kylie Jenner, Chrissy Teigen, Hillary Duff, Mandy Moore, Claire Danes, Gigi Hadid, Hailey Bieber…the list goes on. Actually this page on Artioppe’s website shows all the celebrities spotted wearing an Artipoppe baby carrier.

This seems to be the foundation of their popularity, which undoubtedly does reflect well on the quality of their products as well as how well they keep up with current fashion trends.

Why are Artipoppe Carriers so expensive?

Aside from the celebrity status influencing the perceived value of the Artipoppe carriers, it seems like the biggest factor with the pricing is the fabrics and materials.

The Artipoppe Zeitgeist start from around $530AUD for their cotton, linen and hemp carriers and just over $1,000AUD for a Cashmere and Silk blend.

For high quality, hand crafted, woven style baby carriers, the $500-1000 price point doesn’t shock me at all. Especially when it seems like a lot of their manufacturing processes occur in Europe.

But the big ticket Artipoppe Zeitgeist model, at an eye watering $5400AUD, is their vicuña and cashmere blend. The vicuña, cashmere (with 30% organic cotton and 10% mulberry silk) is functioning identical to the Zeitgeist carriers literally one tenth of the price, so I have to assume it’s the vicuña that’s driving up the cost.

What is Vicuña (and why is it so expensive?!)

So this was an unexpected side quest.

Vicuñas are a type of camelids, native to South America, similar in size and build to an Alpaca,except they produce far less wool, can only be sheared every three years and they can’t be raised domestically, so they have to be caught from the wild to be sheared.

So of course the rarity, and also how inefficient the process of acquiring Vicuña wool is compared to farming animals with a higher wool yield, is reflected in the price.

If, like me, you’re wondering if vicuña wool is of such high quality and so desirable, why haven’t they been domesticated so they can be farmed and selectively bred for a higher wool yield?

Oh wait, no, that did happen. They’re called alpacas.

There does seem to be some solid debate about whether vicuña is better than alpaca wool (you’d think after 6000-7000 years of human intervention we might have even made some improvements on the wool quality)

But I get the impression Artipoppe Zeitgeist top end carriers are expensive for the sake of being expensive. So it’s not $5400 because they used this incredibly rare and expensive wool, they used the incredibly rare and expensive wool because it’s a $5400 baby carrier.

And if they were made from alpaca wool instead of vicuña wool the carrier, not only would it not be able to be a $5400 baby carrier, it wouldn’t have this interesting talking point about wild caught pre-alpacas being sheared every three years.

It’s interesting. It’s different.

Artipoppe and Sustainability

Another justification for the higher price point of the Artipoppe Zeitgeist baby carriers is the way the brand presents itself as committed to sustainability. Sustainable and ethical manufacturing is typically more costly compared to conventional processes so this is often then reflected in the price.

One thing they have done is partnered with One Tree Planted stating “We plant a tree for every order, for every item we produce”

Despite the earthy, natural, vibe of the Artipoppe brand founded in 2012, this seems like a fairly recent endeavour. For example one of their achievements listed on their 2022 Sustainability report was publishing their first Sustainability report in 2021.

But according to their sustainability reports they’ve also eliminated plastic from packaging and switched to recycled paper and cardboard packaging, and working towards several worthwhile goals around such as cruelty-free silk, recycled cashmere, recycled wool and organic cashmere

I also noticed in their 2020 report they stated “We have often used only non-mulesed wool yarns” and in 2022 this was “We have mainly used non-mulesed wool yarns”. So I’m hoping that the transition from often to mainly is a step in the right direction.

So it sounds like they’ve identified some areas to improve and are working on it.

Artipoppe Manufacturing and Supply Chain

There seems to be some discrepancy though between the information in their sustainability report and the information on their own website. Particularly around their supply chain.

In the sustainability reports published 2021-2023, regarding supply chain they state that processing from yarn to textiles (including weaving and washing), as well as manufacturing (including cutting, sewing and stitching) occurs in Lithuania.

However on there page titled “Artipoppe Craftsmanship”, that appears to have been published 18 May 2023, states:

“The creation process continues in Lithuania, where Artipoppe’s fabrics are being woven, and in Bugaboo’s facility (Artipoppe’s mother company) in Xiamen, China, where the Zeitgeist Baby Carriers and Magic Belt Bags are assembled.”

As well as the same description of their manufacturing process on their page titled “Mission and Vision” with a publish date of 15 June 2016.

These pages both also state that:

“Baby Wraps and Ring Slings are all crafted in-house at Artipoppe’s atelier in the Netherlands.”

So it’s unclear which products are being manufactured in Lithuania, or maybe what time frame that occurred, and if there’s been a change of processes.

If their website is to be believed over the sustainability report, regarding the Artipoppe Zeitgeist with the vicuña wool I’d be curious about the carbon footprint of a product with a supply chain that stretches from South America to Lithuania to China to the Netherlands before being packed and shipped to its final destination anywhere around the globe.

But if their sustainability report is accurate and their textiles are woven, cut, sewed, packed and shipped all from within Europe, then that does sound great.

Is the Artipoppe Zeitgeist worth the money?

Although this was fun to research and I did enjoy learning about the history of alpacas, this seems to be the question people are really asking. Is the Zeitgeist baby carrier actually worth it?

Sure.

If you want one, you understand what you’re buying – and you can afford it – then sure. Anything is worth the money if it’s worth it to you.

The Artipoppe Zeitgeist isn’t just a baby carrier in the same way that luxury designer fashion isn’t just clothes. It’s art. And I think Artipoppe using avant-garde fabrics like vicuña wool, and committing to using fabric like ethical silk and non-mulesed wool starts conversations.

This whole project ended up far more interesting than I expected and I didn’t even get to touch the baby carrier in question!

Also if you want someone to tell you it’s perfectly reasonable to spend $500-1000 on a baby carrier because it’ll make you feel good the same way that an expensive handbag or shoes would, then absolutely, I’m your person.

Quality textiles and well made items can last generations. (For what it’s worth I have two woven wraps carefully packed away for my children to use one day if they wish)

So go for it, if you want.

Or don’t.

Whatever. It’s your money.

However, if you’d like to read more on my thoughts about whether the Artipoppe Zeitgeist is a good baby carrier, regardless of the price tag, feel free to reach out to Artipoppe on my behalf and ask them to send me one.

I know I’m not their usual influencer, I certainly don’t have a celebrity status, but I’d still be very interested in even just borrowing one for a few hours.

Even if it’s just a cotton/linen/hemp version – which would be best for the Australian climate anyway – but as a fabric geek as well as a carrier geek I’d die for even just a swatch of the vicuña/silk blend fabric.

Are there any Artipoppe Zeitgeist Dupes?

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. These aren’t straight carbon copies of the Artipoppe Zeitgeist, but here are some suggestions to get a similar vibe.

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.

LILLEbaby Elevate Carrier $270

Full disclosure the LILLEbaby Elevate carrier does not 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. Unlike the options above though you’re more likely to find LILLEbaby stocked at a regular baby retailer.

For more baby carrier recommendations check our my best baby carrier guides.