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I’m going to review all the baby carriers I use, and my clear choice to start with is the Moby.

I’ve owned a Moby since my nanny days, because it’s my hands-down favorite of all carriers. For infants to toddlers, the Moby wins on comfort which is my top priority.

Description

The Moby Wrap is a baby carrier made from a single long piece of stretchy fabric.

Price

You can get a new Moby for $40+. To tell the truth, anything cheaper than the basic Moby is not going to be a quality baby carrier, so the Moby is a leader on price. If you need to spend less money but still have a quality carrier, look for a used Moby or look into the wrap style carriers you can make yourself. Check out Amazon for reviews and a selection of Moby Wraps. (That’s an affiliate link, as are the other links in this post.)

Comfort

The Moby is the perfect carrier if comfort is your goal. There are no buckles, straps, rings, or ties to dig into you. The weight of your baby is distributed evenly around your shoulders, across your back, and around your waist. The fabric is slightly stretchy, giving you and your baby a smooth, even fit every time. The only thing that might be less than perfectly comfortable about the Moby is the temperature. There’s a lot of fabric to this carrier. Between all that fabric and the heat of your baby, if it’s hot outside, you’re going to be roasting in the Moby. In the summer at home I stay naked under the Moby and in public, I wear the tiniest tank top underneath it. For winter wearing, the Moby Wrap sits snug against your body making it easy to wear under a coat.

Practicality

• Washing: The Moby Wrap is easy to wash, since it’s just a big piece of fabric. There are no creases to try to clean out or parts you can’t put in the washing machine. On the other hand, if you’re putting your Moby on in public, the ends are going to be dragging on the ground wherever you are: parking lots, restaurant floors, the ground at the park, etc, so they are definitely going to get dirty.
• Wearing: The Moby fits people of most sizes. It is extremely adjustable. Many women are able to nurse their babies in the Moby, although that depends on your size and shape; my ginormous boobs make that impossible. With tiny babies, you have to readjust the wrap position each time you take the baby out, which is a pain. With older babies, you can take them in and out without retying.

Difficulty

The Moby is known for having a bit of a learning curve. When you watch someone put one on for the first time, it looks like you’d need Boy-Scout-level knot-tying ability to get it situated right. If you buy a new one, it will come with clear instructions. If you buy a used one or if you need a bit of help, there are many YouTube videos showing different ways to wrap it. Although it looks tricky at first, it’s actually pretty simple, and all the different wraps flow from the same basic way starting position. Most people only take 2 or 3 practice tries before they get the hang of it. You might also find that it takes a few moments to get your baby situated just right. If you are only going to be using a baby carrier now and then, you might not get good enough at using your Moby to be happy with it. If you’re looking for a carrier to use a lot, though, you will be a pro in just a couple of days – it really isn’t that hard.

Versatility

You can use a Moby with newborns, older babies, and toddlers, in a front position or a side position. The ability to use it with newborns increases its versatility, although some people don’t like it for heavier kids. When I first bought a Moby, there was also a back carry position, but it is no longer recommended.

Protip

If your Moby isn’t comfortable or your baby doesn’t like it, you’re probably wearing it wrong. Even if you love it, you might be wearing it wrong. I consistently see people wearing their Mobys wrong, like the woman doing this review. If you look at the photos from the company, they look very consistent: the fabric is smooth and evenly spread out, wide across your shoulders, with the main panel horizontal across the outside. I know I said it isn’t really that hard to learn, but you do have to spend a few minutes paying attention to learn how to do it right.

Bottom Line

I own three Mobys and I never leave the house without one. Even if I’m planning to use another carrier because I want to use a back carry position, I still have a spare Moby in the truck with me. If something were to happen and I had to walk three miles to a gas station carrying Dylan, I couldn’t do that with any other carrier, but I could do it with a Moby Wrap. I recommend this carrier whole-heartedly.

[color-box]60 Days to Positive Parenting is my crash course for parents ready to make an immediate and lasting change to a joyful, cooperative, respectful relationship with your kids. Learn more here about doing the work to become a positive parent.[/color-box]