Mamaway 4D Cross Back Baby Carrier
The Mamaway 4D Cross Back Baby Carrier is an interesting carrier. There’s really nothing else quite like it in the Australian market right now. It’s so different it has taken me a little bit to get my head around it, but it does have some great features and overall is a very comfortable, easy to use and unique carrier.
Some great features of the Mamaway 4D Cross Back Baby Carrier:
Highest Weight Limit On Any Baby Carrier I’ve Ever Seen
The Mamaway 4D carrier has a weight capacity of 50kgs! That’s a small adult! Though I will say once a carrier’s weight capacity gets much beyond 20kgs it’ll really come down to the strength of the wearer, not the capacity of the carrier. However, I do love the idea of promoting “extended” babywearing. I know from my own experience that toddlers, and even preschoolers, benefit from the comfort and bonding that comes from being carried for periods of time.
Extremely Adjustable – For Both Parent and Baby
The Mamaway 4D Carrier doesn’t just boast a high weight capacity, it has the ability to grow with your baby to accommodate a very large toddler or preschooler. There’s several points at which you can adjust not just for your growing baby, but also to be comfortable for parents of a range of sizes. From a very petite parent, to someone who is very tall and broad.
I can also see that the Mamaway 4D Cross Back Carrier could accommodate a very tall toddler on a parent with a short torso. Because of the way the waistband flips under and also the way the straps adjust on the shoulders depending on your height. It would also just as easily accommodate the reversible – a very tall parent would have no troubles carrying their baby comfortable and safely in this carrier.
Incredibly Supportive 4 Way Straps Across The Back
The Mamaway 4D carrier has an additional layer of support through the back that you don’t see on other carriers. Most carriers have two shoulder straps and then a waist band. The Mamaway has an extra strap running through the middle of the back as well.
The design means very little of the weight would be placed on the wearers shoulders. Creating a more even embrace of weight distribution. Essentially pulling the baby’s weight into your core. Which is ideal for balance and using your big core muscles, rather than a baby hanging from your shoulders.
The fabrics are lovely and also quite unique.
The outer layers feel like a pretty standard dense cotton canvas you’d expect on a baby carrier. But the inner layer is very soft and cozy, with handy sweat wicking properties to keep bubs cool and dry in warmer weather.
Genuinely User Friendly Hip Carry Position
A lot of soft structured carriers advertise that they offer a hip carry, but they’re seldom used by parents, because they’re not an easy position to get into and not that comfortable when you get there.
Whereas the Mamaway 4D Cross Back Baby Carrier is very simple and easy to slide into a hip carry position, and also slip bub back to the front when needed. Without having to take the baby out of the carrier to change positions!
I think I’m one of the few people who really used the hip-carry feature on my Ergobaby carrier when my daughter was a baby. I found a hip carry position was the sweet spot for her between wanting to look around and be able to see the world, while also wanting to be able to see me at all times.
Hip carrying is also a great position for when you’re preparing food or eating, rather than having baby straight on your front where they can get in the way.
Maintain Close Contact With Baby
One of the first things I noticed about the 4D Mamaway Cross Back Baby Carrier is the fact that it only offers the two carry positions – parent facing on the front, or parent facing on the hip. There is no option for a forward facing or back carry.
Personally I don’t need a baby carrier to offer a forward facing position, but I know it’s a feature a lot of parents are looking for in a carrier. My experience, as I mentioned above, was that my baby’s really wanted to maintain face to face contact with me as much as possible in the baby carrier.
So I definitely appreciate the philosophy behind designing a baby carrier that allows baby and parent to maintain that close face to face connection.
And rather than a carrier that’s designed to put a toddler on your back when they’re too heavy to carry on the front, they’ve made the carrier more supportive so it’s comfortable to wear your child on your front for longer.
Mamaway 4D Carrier is a Great Second Carrier
Be mindful the minimum weight for a baby using the carrier is 5kgs. Which is approximately 2-4 months, depending on your baby. So the Mamaway 4D Cross Back Baby Carrier ideally is your second carrier. Many people start off babywearing with a stretchy wrap or a sling and then progress to a structured carrier when the baby starts to get a bit too big and heavy. So the 4D Cross Back Carrier is a great follow-on carrier, rather than your first carrier.
Final Thoughts
The 4D Mamaway Cross Back Carrier offers something a little bit different to the market, it’s definitely not a typical carrier. It’s perfect for the parent who wants a carrier that is specifically designed for promoting connection and bonding with your baby, rather than offering carry positions where the baby is behind you or facing away from you. I think overall that is a very sweet notion and for the right parent this carrier does offer great value, comfort and convenience.